BallasTV Showcase - Event Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, September 1st, 2014

The first annual BallasTV Showcase featured some of the most established stars in New England – Jalen Adams won the day’s MVP award while Jermaine Samuels and Jordan Hartwick shared the Most Outstanding Prospect award.  David Watkins took home the all-star game MVP while Tyonne Malone shared the dunk contest championship with Hardwick.  

Chris Baldwin, Mark Gasperini, Wabissa Bede, Geo Baker, Damon Gomes, Shyheim Hicks, and Isaiah McLeod also earned all-star nods on the day.  

The theme of the event though was #breakout and with the cameras rolling on all courts there were plenty of opportunities for the lesser known prospects in attendance to do just that.  No one took better advantage of the opportunity than Hyde forward Dexter Thompson.  The Providence native was a beast all day long, drawing a crowd as he threw down high levels dunks in traffic and being equally athletic blocking shots on the defensive end.  He’s as powerful as he is bouncy and also able to put points on the board in all three ranges.    

Some of the other breakouts included:

Chris “C.J.” Seidler – The six-foot-one guard from Lowell was one of the high level passers on the day, showing great floor vision along with the ability to use his body well when attacking off the bounce in order to play his way into the all-star game.  

Tysaul Horton – The West Roxbury rising senior is an athletic lefty who showed range both beyond the arc as well as in the mid-range game, standing out as one of the better shooters in attendance and making the all-star game as a result. 

A.J. Pettway – Another sharp-shooter who consistently hit from long range, the Central Catholic rising junior made some complimenting plays off the bounce as well and was another who earned his way into the all-star game.  

Nate Tenaglia – A little guy with a big heart, the five-foot-nine rising junior from Tewksbury was feisty and hard-working from start to finish, standing out as one of the better overall competitors in the field while also demonstrating some versatile ball-skills.  

Milan Mookie-Lester – Another undersized guard, this East Hartford (CT) playmaker showed off a plethora of moves off the dribble, breaking down defenders at will with one of the best handles in the field.  He was also selected for the all-star game.

Sam Geschickter – A recently reclassed junior at Williston Northampton, the six-foot-five Brockton native showed a quick release on his three-ball and the athleticism to match, dunking on the break with a defender trying to chase him down.  

Keigan Kerby – A New Hampshire native and rising freshman at the Brooks School, Kerby combined good size (six-foot-six) with a frame that was starting to come into its own and allowing him to play above the rim while also shooting and bouncing it some.

Ty Nichols – The Springfield stat stuffer impacted the game on both ends but really stood out defensively with his ability to shut down opposing slashers.  Offensively, the athletic guard was at his best in the open floor.

Brandon Hurst – A powerful and versatile guard, Hurst was able to make open shots to the arc, overpower other guards, and also deliver one of the day's best finishes - streaking down the lane to hammer a one handed flush.