#E75 Frosh/Soph - 2021 Backcourt

New England Recruiting Report | Saturday, September 23rd, 2017

When it comes to breaking down the best guards in New England’s freshmen class there really isn’t any denying that Terrence Clarke is on a level all of his own to start. His positional size, length, the versatility of his skill set, and even his potential defensive contributions, are all unmatched at this point.

So too is his reputation. In fact, Clarke is probably as celebrated a young prospect as New England has seen in recent years. He’s still more than two months away from his first high school game but he already owns high major offers, has played on center court in Las Vegas, and been a social media sensation.

At Elite 75, Clarke had moments of brilliance and dominance. His challenge, amidst the type of early microscope that really isn’t fair for someone who is still so young, is to make those moments increasingly frequent and consistent over the course of the next four years.

Here’s a look at some of the other guards who impressed:

Cole Bryant, St. Luke’s – Bryant also seized this opportunity to make a name for himself. A big lead guard with a good build, Bryant has continued to develop his game and his frame since last year’s Elite 75. He was one of the more impressive guards with his ability to create, find the open man, and make quick released shots.

Dasonte Bowen, O’Bryant – The 6-foot guard was one of the most talented playmakers in attendance. He’s pretty long and athletic, shifty off the bounce, and has good touch around the rim. He’s also a talented distributor who gets guys the ball in positions where they can easily score.

Matt Constant, St. Andrew’s – He’s a young lead guard with an elite motor but he strikes a great balance between that and staying under control. He was a willing passer off the bounce and also instinctive and crafty around the rim.

Jonathan Guerrier, Lexington Christian – One of the youngest and most naturally talented players in attendance as he was the only 8th grader in the field. Guerrier has a wealth of tools at his disposal. He pushes the ball and plays with great pace, has terrific hands to dribble and pass, and is naturally unselfish.  

Kurtis Henderson, Catholic Memorial – A bulldog of a lead guard, Henderson may be a little undersized but he’s compact and very powerful. He has a tight handle, is able to absorb contact with his low center of gravity, attack the paint, and defends the ball.

Kyrell Luc, Scituate – He did a number of things to catch the coaches’ attention. Luc was smart, crafty, and efficient with the ball. He showed skill around the rim and on the perimeter along with the motor and tenacity to impact the game on both ends.

Andre Johnson, Master’s – He’s an obvious talent with the ball in his hands because he can create his own opportunities but is also a threat with his jumper. As his decision making matures, he’ll only become that much more dangerous.

Lance Alternor, Malden Catholic – Alternor showed a natural feel and instinct for the game at Elite 75. He changed speed and direction with the ball, knew how to create space, and even knocked down jumpers with range.

Matt Houde, Master’s School – A quick and shifty southpaw guard, Houde pushed the ball and showed a tight cross-over to match. He’s clever with his finesse game, seems to know how to play, gets others involved, and also hustles back defensively.

Andre-Max Washington, Fessenden – He has good speed to thrive in transition and the vision to see the court even when in first gear. A smart and talented passer, Washington also thrived in drive-and-kick action but could score himself when needed.  

Muhamed Kante, Holderness – Kante made a day out of getting a piece of the paint, collapsing opposing defenses, and spraying out to open shooters. When defenders started to play him for the pass, he went to work with his own pull-up.

Lyndel Erold, Cathedral – He’s a lanky guard with a high-motor and an impactful two-way player. He’s explosive with a quick first step but was also one of the most mature defenders at the event.

Sam Kodi, Manchester Memorial – This New Hampshire native is a drive and dish style playmaker who was crafty with the ball and also able to make shots with range.

Rashah Rogers, Sports Medical Sciences – He creates tempo with great end-to-end speed and has a unique ability to convert while still moving in fist gear.  

Nicco Pitre, Falmouth – He needs to get bigger and stronger but he has a solid base of skill with a good pull-up jumper and also a high basketball I.Q.

Avery Brown, Fairfield Prep – Physically ahead of most of his peers in the backcourt, Brown is strong and aggressive. He stayed under control, passed the ball well, and finished at the rim.

Tyrell Staples-Santos, St. James – Another young guard, Staples-Santos has an advanced understanding of the game for his age. He has handle and shiftiness to get to the rim along with a nice pull-up jumper.

Dylan Ahearn, St. Andrew's - The younger brother of Binghamton's Bobby Ahearn, Dylan has good perimeter size along with versatile scoring tools that allow him to get buckets in multiple ranges.

Dwayne Jones, Rectory – He’s a creator with a good combination of speed and strength but what really differentiates him is how well, and willingly, he shares the basketball.

Skyler Bell, Fessenden – A powerful young guard who had several strong takes to the basket and was able to finish through contact, Bell also has defensive potential and shares the ball willingly.

Cole Wissink, Amity – There were intangibles galore with a strong body, high motor, impressive I.Q., and good toughness. Wissink defended, rebounded, shared the ball, and played an efficient two-way game.

Sean Cullen, Ponaganset – A feisty point guard, Cullen played hard on both ends. He already has range on his jumper and converted well around the rim despite having not yet grown into his body yet.

Eli Blackwell, Amistad – What he lacks in height he compensates for with strength and toughness. He’s also good with the ball and a scoring threat in all three ranges.

Donte White Barboza, Boston Green Academy – A strong perimeter athlete who excels defensively, White Barboza can really pressure the ball and has a terrific build for his age.

Brendan McNamara, Arlington – After playing up on the AAU circuit this spring and summer, McNamara has a mature game and is expected to make a big impact at Arlington this season.

Best of the Rest

• Jayson Green, Renaissance – athletic and unselfish penetrating guard
• Brian Taylor, Coyle – good sized guard who really competes
• Darien Gibson, Wareham – very talented ball-handler who has it on a string
• Brady Palazzesi, Somers – good ability to handle and distribute
• Jack Bennett, Mt. St. Charles – versatile inside-out type positionless player
• Geremy DeJesus, Central – good size, strong body, scorer, and shot-maker
• Brett Pendenza, Stoughton – impactful player who showed almost unmatched intensity
• Tyler Alloway, Beaver – A shot-maker who knocked down four threes in a single game
• Joshua Rosboro, EMK – athletic and able to make plays for himself and others
• Miles Fiore, Wheeler – fundamentally sound and well-rounded offensive player
• Zach Boulay, Putnam Science – ran lanes and made extra passes in transition
• Devin Morales, Springfield Commonwealth – good handler and passer who sees the court
• Caleb Sampson, Sacred heart – lead guard with obvious potential and talent to develop
• Parker Haywood, Paul Freire – athletic ball-handler who can get his own shot and defend
• Sean McLaughlin, Burlington – guard/wing who shoots it well from long range
• Yves Kayihura, St. Sebastian’s – lanky scoring guard with a good shooting stroke
• Aydin Kocak, East Greenwich – strong slashing guard who also rebounds well