Eastern Basketball Showcase – Event Recap

Jeremy Leveille | Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

The Eastern Sports Center & New Hampshire Notebook hosted the first ever Eastern Basketball Preseason Showcase on Sunday.  The event featured eight different games featuring one game each for the classes of 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 for both boys and girls in New Hampshire.  Here is a look at who set themselves apart:

2011 Standouts

David Madol, Manchester Memorial HS – Madol stood out most because of his ability to play above the rim all game long. He scored 17 points and got them in a variety of ways. Madol got to the rim at will and finished, knocked down the three multiple times and also got out on the break and finished with some thunderous dunks. Also had a nice dunk on a put-back which not only showed skill and athleticism but also got the crowd into it.

John Wickey, Manchester Central HS – Wickey continues to impress, as he once again played hard on both ends of the floor and showed a nice combination of size and skill. The 6’7” Wickey poured in 10 points, with a solid shooting stroke and an effective spin move that he uses on the break or on the secondary break. 

Shomari Morgan, Manchester Memorial HS – Morgan might not get as much recognition as others, but he is emerging as one of the more underrated players in this class. He is an extremely athletic player who was able to get to the rim and change direction mid-drive and even at times in mid-air. Morgan was also able to knock down the three and showed a very nice pull-up. 

Mike Mitchell, Milford HS – Just 4 points on the game for the lightning quick Mitchell, but if you’ve seen him play you know he’s the kind of  player who doesn’t need to score to be effective. He had a number of great passes which led to baskets, distributed the basketball nicely, and also used his quickness to harass opposing players on defense. Mitchell showed a very nice crossover dribble and then pull-up on the same play.

Zach Stevens, Trinity HS – This was as close to a regular season game as Stevens has played in since tearing his ACL last March, so it is very impressive that he was actually the game’s high scorer with 21 points. He’s known as a knock down shooter, and he was just on fire in this game. Stevens was 4/5 from three, with the one miss being from about 8 feet behind the line. He is now more tan a shooter though, as he hustled after loose balls and took it hard t the rim as well.

Others

•  Adam Goodwin (Oyster River) 6’5” big man was active on both ends, finishing with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
•  Kyle Nelson (Milford) 6’4” forward only had 3 points, but he really made his presence felt on defense with a pair of blocks including one on Wickey.
•  Seth Cordts (Souhegan) Cordts always plays hard, and on this night he had a solid all around game including 15 points.

2012 Standouts

Javon Williams, Nashua High North – Williams continues to impress with his combination of athleticism, explosiveness and skill. He was clearly the best prospect in this game, finishing with a game-high 18 points. To take his game to the next level he will have to get better at creating for his teammates as well as himself. But you have to be impressed with a 5’10” kid who can play above the rim. One of the game’s highlight’s was when Williams got a steal and then exploded to the rim and finished against contact for the and-one. 

Trevor Fahmy, Bedford HS – You have to like the way Fahmy’s game has developed over the last few months. He’s gone from a 6’6” big with a raw inside game, to a 6’7” kid with an improved inside game, to now being a 6’7” big with an improved inside game plus an improved face-up game. Fahmy showed both on this evening, knocking down the three as well as the 18 footer while facing up, and he also went down low and battled for rebounds.

Joe Morin, Raymond HS – Morin is another one of the more underrated players in the NHIAA. He comes from a small school, and this one of the first times he’s played in a high level event like this. But you wouldn’t be able to tell from his performance, as he poured in a team-high 16 points, including 4 threes. Morin was on fire, especially in the 1st half. He also showed a very tight handle.

Others

•  Chris Light (Pinkerton) scorer’s mentality, effective on the break as well as the half court
•  Tony Beaulieu (Alvirne) strong frame, uses it well as he goes hard to the rim and up for boards
•  Hunter Viscarello (Trinity) one of the state’s top defenders also made some strong drives offensively in this game
•  Logan Kesty (Bishop Guertin) ran pick and roll effectively, was always under control with the ball and showed nice touch on outside shot.

2013 Standouts

Travis Descoteaux, Trinity HS – Showed a killer pull-up jumper that you can’t help but be impressed with. Descoteaux also had the tightest handle of anyone in this game. He was tough to guard off the dribble, and also played solid defense on the other end.

Mabor Gabriel, Trinity HS – Gabriel just keeps getting bigger, and just keeps getting better. He’s now 6’7”, and has a rapidly improving skill set. He is developing a solid face-up game, and he has a very tight handle for a kid his size and he can also shoot it in the 15-20 foot range. And while he didn’t show it as much in this game, Gabriel is a very good shot blocker.

Matt Barr, Exeter HS – The 6’0” Barr had a game-high  20 points. There’s nothing flashy about his game, he just flat out makes shots, inside and out. Barr was able to hit shots off the catch or off the dribble, and always stayed under control, even against defensive pressure.

Dominic Paradis, Spaulding HS – You had to be impressed with the low post game and face-up game displayed by the 6’4” Paradis. He was assertive offensively, looked for his shot and had some nifty moves in the post which allowed him to get open looks. Not the biggest or strongest post player, but Paradis showed good footwork and fundamentals in the paint. 

Brandon Len, Souhegan HS – Len is another player who had people around the gym talking. He’s a true point guard who knows how to control tempo and distribute the basketball. Len is only 5’6”, but he was not afraid to take the ball hard to the rim and finished against much bigger players.

Others

•  Matt Cowles (Lebanon) 6’3” forward drained the three and also made a nice block on the break.
•  Max Gouveia (Campbell) Point guard with very high ceiling due to explosiveness, athleticism and quickness
•  Majak Wenyin (Manchester Memorial) The 6’4” Wenyin is still growing into his body, can play 4 positions on floor and showed nice shooting stroke
•  Matt Dean (Gilford) Dean is a bulldog who is fearless and played hard on both ends

2014 Standouts

Roger Larrivee, Bedford HS – You had to be impressed with the size, poise and skill set of this freshman. Larrivee is 6’6” and showed the ability to  face-up from the 3 point line and not only drain 18-20 footers but also put the ball on the floor and made strong drives to the rim. He was also solid in transition, en route to a game-high 19 points.

Carmen Giampetruzzi, Trinity HS – The 6’1” two guard poured in a team-high 18 points, including the game-winning three pointer with 0.7 seconds left. He was lethal from long range in this game, showing not only good form but also a quick release.

Dawson Dickson, Trinity HS – 5’6” point guard who did everything you could ask out of a point. He pushed the ball in transition, got it in the hands of his shooters in good positions for them to score, showed a tight handle and also the ability to go by people off the dribble and knock down shots as well.

Patrick Keefe, Trinity HS – Keefe has deceptive quickness, plays with a bounce in his step and has good leaping ability. As a result, the 2 guard plays bigger than his 5’10” frame. Keefe finished with 15 points, scoring off the dribble and off the catch.   

Jake Capistran, Bedford HS -  Had a very solid all-around game, showing he can play the 1 or the 2. Capistran had 17 points on the game, nailing threes as well as pulling up off the dribble and finishing in transition. Tough defender who’s not afraid to take the big shot late.

Others

• Collin McManus (Bedford) did a solid job on the boards, huge upside for this 6’8” freshman.
• Chris Doyle (Winnacunnet) tough nails player who scored inside and out.