Be Seen Tour: Rhode Island Knights

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

We kicked off the Be Seen Tour with a trip down to Johnston Rhode Island to take a look at the high school squads the RI Knights are rolling with this year. In this video we will touch upon some of the best players we saw in our time with the Knights with the writeups from the day below!

Beginning with the 15U squad…

Alton Kelly stands out as he uses his size to impact the game on defense and crowd passing lanes. He brings a longer wingspan but has a quick release to his shot, rips through the lane on drives to the basket and has touch in the post.

Jackson Conway does a good job of using both hands on takes to the basket. Plays well out of the post using fakes & moves to complement his touch off the glass. Has a knack for grabbing boards using his strength and shoulders to hold box outs.

Jack Belluzzi is a quick guard that gets his shot off with efficiency and can shoot it well from downtown and in the mid-range. On drives to the basket he is not afraid to take contact and finishes well with his left hand. 

Evan Goulet’s smooth shooting ability stood out at the RI Knights practice as he has a consistent release on the ball. He uses his handle and shiftiness to shot create and blow by defenders to finish around the basket. Shows strong defensive awareness as well.

Dylan Kafalas has potential, playing up on the 9th grade squad as an eighth grader. The guard is crafty with the ball, has innate passing vision to create for others, and uses his body to protect the ball. His scoring arsenal is led by his quick, fluid release and ability to navigate the paint.

Jameson Proux’s driving ability through the lane is notable as he is a consistent finisher around the basket. He has some wiggle to his game to keep defenders on their heels and does a good job of positioning his body for boards.

The 16U ZGXL squad looks to be very competitive on the circuit this spring. Below are some of the standouts we witnessed at practice.

Ryan Larsh first caught our attention at the Elite 75 this past August and continued to show out at the highschool level this season. Larsh is a relentless finisher using his lengthy arms to get to the basket. He is a solid playmaker with good vision to thread the ball to cutting teammates.

Connor Reilly brings length to the court standing around 6’4. Riley gets up towards the rim to finish layups and has solid moves in the post. He stretches the floor as a shooting threat and sets hard screens to set up teammates out of the PnR.

Brady Deschene brings physical defensive play to keep the ball in front of him and lock down his assignment. He has solid passing vision to find open teammates and make the right pass to get them solid shot attempts.

Jordan Sewell is a smaller guard that exerts his energy on the court. He is a terrific on-ball defender with quick footwork to keep up with ball handlers and uses active hands to force steals.

Nate Conca stands around 5’5”, but do not let his size fool you as he has lightning speed. Conca uses his speed to get to where he wants on the floor. He brings a tight handle on the ball, makes smart passes, and does not shy away from contact on drives and to grab boards.

Brady Miller does a good job of skipping through the lane to score at the basket. He is a patient ball handler, waiting for the floor to open up for drives. His shooting ability extends a few feet beyond the three-point line and he stood out in transition.

The Varsity team is loaded with undiscovered, unsigned talent throughout the ocean state. Let’s take a look at who stood out. 

Jaymien Aponte uses his bigger frame and strong shoulders to bully opposing defenders and get into the paint. He shows good playmaking out of the post, absorbs contact on drives and has moves to score around the basket. Aponte also has some solid shooting skills from outside.

Neari Vazquez impacts the game using his long wingspan to alter shots, crowd passing lanes and force steals. On the offensive end, Vazquez brings a versatile skill set as he possesses good touch on floaters, finishes through contact around the rim and can hit shots from three.

Adreyan Perez is a twitchy guard with a quick first step that he uses to get past opposing defenders. He has some shift to his handle to create space and knock down shots. His defensive skills, particularly in transition, stood out.

Mike Carlino might have been the best shooter in the gym as the guard has range well beyond the three point line and consistently knocked down shots. He has a quick, tight handle to drive the floor and fights for rebounds.

Cisco Aponte brings a good handle on the ball with some craft to keep defenders guessing. He has good touch on fadeaways in the lane and his range extends beyond the arc. On defense he has quick feet and a strong body to guard the ball.

Jason Sepe just finished up a solid highschool career and will be taking his game to the next level as a walk-on at Bryant. Sepe has a bag of moves off the dribble to get to the basket or self-create. His motor on the boards is notable as he fights for the ball off the rim. 

Logan Voelker is a big forward that uses his strong body to rebound the ball on both ends of the floor. He scores around the basket using his length and can finish with athleticism. Voelker also does a good job of altering and blocking shots.

Juan Bedoya is a very strong and physical big man that uses his imposing use to bully whoever is guarding him. He has a patient game in the post with moves and touch to convert around the basket. Offers some floor stretching and hits shots well in the mid-range.