Best Available - 2018 Wings

Tuesday, April 10th, 2018

The third part in our series on the best available 2018 prospects in New England focuses on the wings where the region was absolutely ripe with talent this year.

In fact, there’s still prospects on the table with high-major offers including Woodstock Academy’s Luis Rodriguez and Notre Dame Prep’s D.J. Mitchell. Holderness’ Philmon Gebrewhit scored offers as high as the Atlantic 10 over the course of the last year. Then there’s guys like Kimball Union Academy’s Nick Timberlake who is coming off a huge season and sifting through his offers.

After that core though, there’s still loads of talent and depth on the wing with options for college coaches at all levels. Here’s a look:

Raheem Solomon, Sacred Heart – An ACL injury cost him the latter part of his junior year and virtually the entire grassroots season. He came back having added to his game though with a notably improved shooting stroke off the catch and the dribble. As his athleticism gradually begins to return, he has a chance to be better than ever.

BJ Shaw, Brewster Academy – The son of longtime NBA player and coach Brian Shaw, B.J. is a late bloomer who was a quick standout at Brewster’s fall open gyms with his combination of perimeter size, athleticism, and shot-making ability. Incredibly, he didn’t have a D1 offer prior to his arrival but now has his choice of suitors.  

Kaiyen Cleary, Redemption Christian – An England native in his first year in the states, Clearly is long and smooth on both ends of the court, and has been under-recruited all year long. He owns a wealth of natural upside, the potential to impact the game on both ends of the floor, and natural economy of motion.

Jayden Nixon, Choate – An explosive athlete who plays above the rim like few others can, Nixon used his post-grad year to reaffirm his defining attribute while also improving his weaknesses. He’s an improved shooter with defensive potential who proved he could thrive in offensive structure while helping to lead Choate to a NEPSAC Class A championship.

Emmanuel Ansong, Canterbury – Another high level athlete, Ansong’s ability to play explosively above the rim led him to win a national contest and appear in San Antonio last week. He’s the type of guy who can change the momentum of a game in a moment whether it’s with a tip dunk, alley-oop, or trail block and so his physical upside is on another level.

Cal Connelly, Tilton – A New Hampshire native who starred in the NHIAA previously and proved himself against the highest levels of competition this year. Connelly makes open shots from the perimeter but really differentiates himself with his high I.Q. He’s an excellent passer and very heady player on both ends of the floor.

Paul Kingsley, Woodstock Academy – There might not have been another program with a deeper group of scholarship wings than Woodstock. A knockdown shooter off the catch and dribble with a complimenting feel for the game, Kingsley served as the perimeter marksmen and primary scorers for the Blue team this year.

Miles Tention, St. Thomas More – A California native and coach’s son, Tention came to the New England prep ranks to show his unique value. He has the size and strength that allows him to play multiple positions but he sees and approaches the game like a true guard who can lead the break with his head up and facilitate for those around him.

Brian Wright-Kinsey, Brooks – A southpaw shot-maker who brought his game to new levels this season, Wright-Kinsey caught the eye of college coaches from a variety of different levels while helping Brooks to their latest NEPSAC Class B championship. He’s also built quite a resume of winning, ranging from the spring all the way through the winter.

Brandon Kolek, St. Andrew's - The native Rhode Islander saw his profile consistency increase over the course of his post-graduate season, until he was one of the Saints' key weapons during their route to the NEPSAC finals. A shot-maker from the arc with good positional size, Kolek's best attributes are taylor made for the next level.

Best of the Rest: Courvoisier McCauley, Redemption Christian; Tahj Brown, Master’s; Dante Combs, South Kent; Camryn Givens, Master’s; Adam Hess, St. Thomas More; Justyn Lacy, St. Thomas More; Jake Sullivan, Choate; Dimitry Moise, Trinity Catholic; Ryan ONeil, Hotchkiss; Kieffer Punter, Canterbury; Jaden Robinson, Suffield Academy; Tayjaun McKenzie, Winthrop; Will Phelan, St. Sebastian’s; Cam Sells, Springfield Commonwealth; Javon Taylor, Bradford Christian; Edgars Kaufmanis, Lee Academy; & Meikkel Murray, Lee Academy.