#E75 College Showcase - Backcourt Standouts

New England Recruiting Report | Friday, July 1st, 2016

Monday’s Elite 75 College Showcase was nothing short of a tremendous success. With a gym absolutely packed with division II and III college coaches, a number of talented college prospects from across New England and beyond got the chance to prove their worth.

From the moment the first ball bounced, everything was competitive and geared towards allowing the players chances to show what they could do. First, the players competed in one-on-one from various spots on the floor before progressing to two-on-two for ball-screen breakdowns followed by three-on-three and four-on-four, all the way up to five-on-five.

So far we’ve profiles some of the standouts in the frontcourt as well as on the wing, here’s a look at who impressed in the backcourt:

Jakigh Dottin, Cambridge 2017 – He’s another guy who didn’t need to be at the showcase. He already holds a handful of division I offers, and in fact had to leave early that day to take an unofficial visit to UNH. However, to know Dottin is to know someone that loves basketball and will jump at any chance he has to be on the court. His floor game features a predictable level of enthusiasm and passion. He’s strong and aggressive off the dribble, able to absorb contact on his way to the rim, an energy giver and true leader on both ends of the floor.

Nate Freeman, Beaver Country Day 2017- Freeman is a knockdown shooter from three, both off the bounce and catch. He continues to develop his floor game every time he enters the gym. He is becoming particularly adept at finding the open man and is definitely a player who made a buzz with college coaches.

Malik Pouncey, Commonwealth Academy 2017 - Pouncey is one of the best shooters in New England. With a high release and high arcing trajectory on his ball, his shot almost never gets blocks and inevitably comes down splashing into the net. Pouncy, who is very strong, uses his body and physicality well on both ends of the floor.

Jordan Sechan, Northfield Mount Hermon 2017 - Jordan is a heady guard and a very capable shooter. Sechan’s floor leadership - getting guys into the right position and then delivering the ball to them for easy buckets - was on display during the competitive breakdowns and in the games.

Kendall Baldwin, Commonwealth Academy 2017 - Baldwin is a talented academic guard who makes plays off the bounce and the catch and shoot. A high IQ player, Baldwin, showed he has the ability to play both guard positions and has plenty of upside left to discover as he fills out his frame.

Kevin Smith, Putnam Science Academy 2017 - Smith was one of the most athletic players and dynamic guards in the gym.  A 6-foot-2 high riser, Smith showed flashes of high level talent at both ends. He has a tight handle, can jump stop and pull-up, or get all the way to the cup and tear down rims. Defensively, he causes fits with his athleticism.

Dennis Haughton, Cushing Academy 2017 – The Cushing Academy point guard put on quite the display Monday. He can get to the rim and can also nail the open three. Defensively he has active hands and forces turnovers in the half court opening up easy point opportunities for his team.

Camren Menefee, St.Joseph’s 2017 – The Athletic guard was one of Monday’s top defenders. He uses his speed to strip the ball from other guards who barely know what hit them. Offensively, he always follows his shot which is most of the time useless as he is almost lights out from three.

Will Brady, Vermont Academy 2017 – Brady’s game has improved by leaps and bounds in the last twelve months. While his loudest work was done by slashing to the rim on Monday, one of the best parts of his game is how he can play off others in offensive structure as a ball mover and open shot maker.

Devonn Allen, Wilbraham and Monson 2018 - A strong guard who made his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor moving his feet well and bodying up dirvers, Allen’s improving jump shot was also on throughout the showcase while he also used his length and strength to finish through contact with both hands.

Logan Higgins, Groton-Dunstable 2017 - A well-built true point guard, Higgins showed off his ability to create and control the game. He makes plays for others off the dribble but can also facilitate from the perimeter. What makes him unique though is his ability to dictate tempo as he can manipulate the pace to conform to his style of play.

Cory Muckle, Westbrook 2017 – A new addition to the NERR database, Muckle is an athlete who can get above the rim. He loves to rise up and throw the ball down on the fast-break while he can also keep the ball on a string when driving in the half-court. His long arms are on asset on the defensive end as well.

Christian Brown-Aspire Academy 2017 - The 6-foot-1 Aspire Academy guard made a name for himself on Monday with a diverse floor game. He showed deep range on his jumper along with a high I.Q. as he made quick and decisive passes, forcing opposing defenders to pick their poison.

Tyler Aronson, Rivers 2018 – One of the youngest players at the showcase, Aronson more than held his own. He’s continuing to fill out his frame and get stronger. He’s always been able to drive it to the cup, but the progression of his jumper into a true weapon is another major development to his game.

A.J. Pettway, MacDuffie 2017 – He’s long and lean right now, but already able to make a big impact. He’s smooth and talented with the ball in his hands, able to make a variety of different players, and can still take his game to another level as he fills out his frame.

Isaiah Godwin, Brooks 2017 – A true point guard, Godwin will have a long list of suitors before his recruitment comes to an end. He’s a heady floor general, who understands how to change speed and direction off the dribble, has continued to expand his overall quickness

Brandon Hurst, Putnam Science 2017 – His pretty shooting stroke from behind the three-point line and athletic frame proved to be a rare combination in this field as most of the other athletes couldn’t match him from behind the arc and most of the other shooters couldn’t keep up with him athletically.

Juquan Mills, Brimmer & May 2017 – The jitter bug lead guard gets into small cracks in the defense and can splash jumpers but what really stands out about Mills is what a good teammate he is. He legitimately roots for everyone on his squad and outwardly celebrates their success.

Andrew Fonts, Portsmouth Abbey 2017 - The best word to describe Fonts is crafty. Whether it was cuts away from the ball or wrong-footed lay-ups around the rim, his smarts and sometimes atypical approach made him a unique contributor and tough cover.