Bay State Magic Showcase - Event Recap

by Ephraim McDowell | Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

The Bay State Magic held a college showcase on Wednesday night, featuring many college prospects from the greater Boston area. In addition to the Bay State Magic program, players from several Boston-based AAU programs were in attendance, including Middlesex Magic, Greater Boston Lions, Metro Boston, Boston Warriors and MYCW. New England Division 2 and 3 schools certainly took notice, as there was a solid showing of college coaches on hand.

Top Performers:

Dennis Clifford, Bay State Magic- The up and down style of play did not exactly suit the 7 foot BC commit; however, he was able to make his presence felt nonetheless. On the rare occasions that the game did slow down, he was a force on the block, with no one big or physical enough to guard him. Admirably, Clifford tried to adapt to the fast-paced nature of the game by running hard in transition. When we were watching, he caught an alley-oop and had another dunk on the run. Clifford has the ability to be a very good system big man, and will fit well into Steve Donahue’s offensive schemes in Chestnut Hill.

Tevin Falzon, Metro Boston- There is no doubt that this kid is talented, and when his motor is running, he can really impact a game offensively. At 6’7, Falzon is highly skilled both inside and out. He showed that he can put the ball on the floor, step out and knock down mid-range jump shots, and finish underneath the hoop. Overall, Falzon played hard tonight, and at times, he dominated the game because of his size and skill.

Jake Fay, BABC- The rising sophomore has a beautiful stroke from three and is pretty bouncy off the floor. He did not shoot his best tonight, but every time he shoots the ball, you think it is going in. Fay has enormous potential down the road, especially as his body develops and he starts to get quicker. One of the youngest players in the gym, Fay was also one of the best.

Bryan Hurley, Middlesex Magic- The best word to describe Hurley is solid. He has great intangibles as a point guard running a team. Very under control, Hurley takes care of the ball and delivers passes on time and on target. Though he has the tendency to be streaky from the perimeter, and he was tonight, Hurley shoots a good ball and has a smooth stroke. Whatever school ends up with Hurley will get a great floor general, leader, and extension of the coach on the floor.

Other Notable Performances:

John Henault, Bay State Magic- Henault is fundamentally sound on offense, with a very good feel. He knows when to shot fake and when to fire, and he is good at making the simple play. Tonight, Henault connected on one-dribble pull ups, in which he lifted his defender and then covered ground with an efficient dribble. He is the type of player who makes an offense successful, even without scoring a ton of points.

Myles Brilhante, Bay State Magic- Brilhante pushed the ball hard in transition and made a number of deep threes. When given time, Brilhante has very good range shooting the ball.

Mark Stokes, MYCW- Southpaw with some handle and shake to his game. He got to the basket over and over when we were watching, either getting fouled or converting with his left hand.

Deric McCottrell, Bay State Magic- A slasher by trade, McCottrell showed off an improved mid-range jumper tonight, in addition to his customary finishes in transition and scoring drives in the half-court.

Mahlik Johnson, Mass Premiere- The small combo guard made several shots when we watched and also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor. When given space, Johnson is a solid catch and shoot player who is also capable of attacking a close out.

Kyle Umemba, Buckingham Browne and Nichols- Extremely long and athletic, Umemba thrived in the transition game tonight. He caught the ball on the break and was at the rim in the blink of an eye. Unquestionably, Umemba is at his best going to the hoop and not settling for jumpers, which he did at times.

Maurice Taylor, Prodigy Basketball- The future is bright for this underclassman from Cambridge. 6’5 and still a baby physically, Taylor can score inside and out. He is already difficult to guard going to the hoop and will become even tougher when his frame begins to fill out.

Kachi Nzerum, Boston Warriors- Nzerum could have been the best pure athlete in the gym, as he played above the rim consistently. The guard had multiple explosive dunks in transition.

Ryan Kilcullen, Bay State Magic- The tough, hard-nosed big man did a nice job tonight, running the floor and knocking down the open mid-range jumper. What Kilcullen lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in grit and hustle.

Jared Fay, Bay State Magic- Known primarily as a shooter, Fay showed a more diversified game tonight, especially a noticeably improved handle. He looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands and was able to make some plays off the dribble, even when his patented jumper wasn’t falling.

Osmel Odena, Boston Warriors- Odena was great with the ball in his hands tonight, changing speeds and getting to the hoop with regularity. Defenders who were backpedalling in transition were at Odena’s mercy all night.