Gym Rat Challenge Announces All-Tournament Team

NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com | Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Below are local New England products who were identified for their impressive performances this past weekend at the Gym Rat Challenge. 

Please not that award winners and associated write-ups are provided by the staff of the Gym Rat Challenge and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the New England Recruiting Report. 

17:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE TEAM

Tylon Smith Jr (6-1 PG) CT Knights: Dominated games here with an accurate jump shot and drives to the rim. One of the better scorers in this tournament. Has deep range with jumper, and a good, strong body. Tough to stop when he plays hard. Can contribute at the D-I mid-major level.

Josh Turner (6-4 Wing) CT Select: Wing player with very long arms who uses them effectively. Standout transition player, who also could make plays in the half court. Showed a very nice shooting stroke to 22foot range. Could be even better if he becomes more assertive. Appears to be mid-major/A-10 level player.

Chris Evans (6-2 PG/SG) Academic Basketball Club: Very smooth, versatile player who showed ability to play either guard position. Very aggressive looking to score in every game here, and made tough shots look easy. A gifted athlete with good size (190) and body control. Has heard from Kent State and several other mid-majors.

Matt Barboza (6-7 Wing) Bay State Magic: Smooth wing player with no real offensive weakness. Very unselfish here, working to get teammates involved. Played hard at both ends. Good hands and passed well on the move. Likely will prep next year, but can end up on mid-major level.

Shabazz Napier (5-11 PG) Metro Boston: One of the best scorers here. If he’s open, it’s good. Even his misses look on the mark. Tends to try to show exuberant flash vs. lesser competition, but also was also unselfish distributor. His game is effortless. Memphis has made contact. This sophomore is a STAR in the making. A HIGH major lock.

Ike Azotam (6-7 PF) Metro Boston: Strong-bodied (220 pounds) athlete who dominated games here when he played hard. Looked great for two- or three-minute stretches, but then backed off for periods. Plays way above the rim and excels in transition. Starting to draw mid-to-low major interest.

Paris Massey (6-7 PF) YABC: He is a straight-out finisher. Lives off of others’ dribble penetration and his own offensive rebounds. Great build (220 pounds). Very long and athletic. One of best shot-blockers here. Runs well for a big man and athleticism makes him a highlight reel waiting to happen. Definite D-I talent.

Mark Ellis (6-5 PF/SF) The Flame: Very explosive hops. Great finisher around the rim and had a few powerful dunks in playoff rounds. Very active on the board at both ends and runs the floor well in transition. Clutch player. Hit a game-winning shot here Could be an “undersized 4” at a lot of low D-I schools. Potential to be a mid-major small forward as well.

Ramon Mejia (6-1 PG/SG) Greater Boston Lions: Very explosive scorer. Scored in bunches here. A rising junior who has strong build. Streak shooter with big-time range on his jumper. Handled pressure during games. Scored in a variety of ways. Early interest from Niagara Quinnipiac.

17:U Honorable Mention All-GymRat CHALLENGE: David Maturah (6-5 SF) CT Knights;  Micahel Deffley (6-1 G) CT Knights;  Derek Retos (5-11 PG) Boston Warriors North;  Jasper Grassa (6-1 G) Boston Warriors North;  Connor Merrill (6-5 SF) Lone Wolf;  Eric Dean (6-3 SF) Granite State Hawks;  Alex Stoyle (6-7 PF) Granite State Hawks;  Dennis Clifford (7-0 C) Bay State Magic;  DeShawn Murphy (6-4 F) CT Select;  Andre King (5-9 PG) SECC All Stars;  Jordan Smith (6-0 G) SECC All Stars;  Pat Harrington (5-8 PG) SECC All Stars;  "Dom" Lenzie Harrison (5-8 PG) BC Eagles;  Andrew Douby (6-3 G) Greater Boston Lions;  Phil Gaetano (5-10 PG) Academic Basketball Club;  Chris Rama (6-5 PF) Academic Basketball Club;  Kevin Cressy (6-7 PF) New Hampshire Falcons;  Andrew McCarthy (7-0 C) Bay State Magic;  Allen Harris (6-5 SF) Metro Boston;  Mario Monroe (6-9 C) Metro Boston;  Eric Alleyne (5-11 PG) New England Select;  Alex Levine (6-7 PF) New England Select;  Nick Manning (6-0 PG) Rhode Island Breakers;  Frank Robinson (6-2 G) Rhode Island Breakers;  Ousmane Drame (6-7 PF) Boston Warriors;  Ryan Mickiewicz (6-0 PG) SECC BasketBull;  Dan Martin (6-3 SF) SECC BasketBull.

16:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Mike Mitchell (5-7 PG) Granite State Jayhawks: One of the most-diminutive players on the court has a huge impact on games. Possesses standout point guard skills. Gets anywhere he wants on the court off the dribble, including into the lane to finish. Fired a 60-foot pass on the money for a layup in one game. Above-average shooter to beyond 3-point range. Off-the-charts hoops IQ. Only drawback is stature.

Eric Katenda (6-8 C) Albany City Rocks: Very long, already good size. Uses his physical dimensions to effectively block shots. On offense he has a nice touch in the paint, yet can step back and also hit midrange jumpers. Runs floor will and plays with determination. Very strong on the glass.

Michael Loften (6-3 G/F) Mass Premier-Vaughn: Very strong rebounder, effective for his size. Very active on the defensive end. Uses long arms to get deflections and create problems for opponents on the defensive end. Very smart player who moves well without the ball on the offensive end.

Bryan Yarce (5-11 PG) Team Providence: Prototypical point guard who exhibited excellent leadership qualities while here. Has a good feel for the game with excellent court vision and superb passing skills. Can also score when necessary. Effective defender who works just as hard on that end of the court.

Kyle Geer (6-4 SF) Academic Basketball Club: Good size with long arms who uses his length to be an effective defender. Very athletic player and he rebounds with a passion. Runs the floor hard and finishes at the rim effectively in transition. Nice shooting touch from foul line.

Alex Cruz (6-2 G) CT Knights: Very good off-guard who has good range on his jumper. Very quick player, yet he maintains control of his game. Great jab move. Decent rebounder from the backcourt. Knows what to do with the ball when he has it. Super passion on defense makes him a coaches’ delight.

Daniel Forte (5-9 G) CT Knights: Very versatile guard who is both quick and athletic. Exceptional leaping ability makes him surprisingly effective when he sneaks inside. Plays hard on both ends. Gets out in transition to create for himself or others. Can pull up and make a shot from beyond the stripe.

Jimmy Zenevitch (6-7 C/F) New England Storm: Big man who has a near-ready body (210 pounds) for the next level. A true pivot player who shows all the skills of post play. Uses his physique to create space inside. Very physical/strong player. He has good hands and finishes well when he gets the ball inside.

Philip Starks (5-8 PG) CT Knights: Point guard who can run the offense and provide scoring himself. Range to 3-point stripe, but can stop and go off the dribble to get into the lane and finish in traffic. Excellent handle and good court vision which he uses to find shots for teammates. Plays with great passion.

John Papale (6-3 G/F) CT Hoopsters-White: Good-sized wing player who works hard to get open shots. Good from long range, but can also take it hard to the rim and finish. Showed excellent court sense here. True shooting guard in size and ability.

Evan Tullar (6-4 SG) Vermont Basketball Group: Slender (170 pounds) skilled shooting guard. Jumps extremely well and finishes in traffic, often using the glass to score. Changes speed effectively to create scoring situations and has excellent body control. Above-average range on his jumper.

Keandre Stanton (6-4 G) Mass Thundercats: Tall, lanky (160 pounds) guard who runs the floor well and finishes in traffic. Very long defender who deflects passes and has the ability to block shots. Plays well with back to the basket on offense and is a great rebounder from the guard position.

Bryan Galvin (5-8 PG) CT Elite: Prototypical point guard who has a very calm demeanor on the court yet is tremendously focused at running an offense. Can shoot from long range to keep defenses honest, yet obviously enjoys getting everyone involved. High basketball IQ, smart defender. Just a great teammate in any setting.

Jakarri McCallop (6-3 G/F) Conn Select: Very active rebounder who got a lot of points off misses here. Nice scoring touch inside and from mid-range. Runs the floor very well, and can catch on the run and finish. Very good defender. Active hands that disrupt opponents, deflects passes.

Anthony Jernigan (6-2 G) Conn Select: Standout off guard with exceptional quickness who can also handle the ball. Unselfish with good court vision. Shooting ability will ensure success at the next level. Outstanding range on jumper, and very good in the open court. Early interest from Providence, UMass and Fordham.

Antonio Reyes (6-0 PG) Mass Thundercats: Physical, yet heady point guard. Good-looking left-handed jump shot who can heat up from three-point range. Sees the floor and makes creative, effective passes. When defenders got up on him, he went past and attacked the rim hard to finish or dish off.

Nicholas Lund (6-8 C) Boston Warriors: Very strong body (230 pounds) who knows how to use it in the post. Has good inside skills. Knows how to set up, catch a pass and do something with it. Excellent finisher around the rim. But, also capable of stepping up and hitting a jumper out to 17-foot range.

16:U Honorable Mention All-GymRat CHALLENGE:   Malik Sanders (6-2 F) CT Elite;  Malcolm Brown (6-0 G) Mass Thundercats;  Josh Varney (6-7 C) Vermont Basketball Group;  John Whicky (6-7 C) Granite State Jayhawks;  Mike OLoughlin (6-1 SG) Granite State Jayhawks;  Dimitry Coronell (6-0 G) Metro Boston;  Travonne Berry-Rogers (5-11 PG) Boston Warriors;  Trey Weathers (6-0 G) Mass Thundercats;  David Soto (6-0 G) Dunbar Mavericks;  Gerald McClease (6-3 F) CT Hoopsters White;  Jeff Mishkinh (6-2 F) Boston Warriors Suns;  David Shaw (5-8 PG) Drive4Stardum;  Kyle Gibson (6-4 C) Mass Premier-Vaughn;  Mike Foster (6-1 G) CT Knights;  Chris Rodriquez (5-11 PG) Warwick AAU;  Matt Ford (6-4 F) Mass AAU;  Tylon Holmes (6-1 G) CT Knights;  Joe Bramanti (6-2 G) NE Storm;  Jose Berroa (6-1 G) VBC.

15:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Rob Hazard (6-0 PG) Rhode Island Breakers: Lightning quick performer who goes by everyone with his dribble. Extremely difficult to contend and defend. He keeps defenders honest by making perimeter shots, including from 3-point territory. He is at his best in the open court, and uses quickness to his advantage on defense, too.

Zach Karalis (6-0 Wing) New England Storm: A very effective slasher who uses athleticism to get to the hoop and finish off plays. Yet, he plays under control against pressure. Uses long arms, positioning and athletic ability to be a solid rebounder. Smart player who sees the court and passes well. He makes teammates better.

Wayne Selden (6-3 F) MABC Bengals: Well-defined physique and is very strong with the ball. He has the ability to score inside or go out to the perimeter to take and make 3-pointers. Not afraid to take the big shot. Very versatile player who possesses an effective cross-over dribble, yet also capable of playing above the rim.

Kuran Iverson (6-8 C) ANU Generation: In a tournament known as a “coming out party” for future stars, he could be the next “Big Thing” to get his first recognition here. Still slender (170 pounds), he’ll improve as he adds bulk. He plays far over the rim and uses that skill to regularly block and alters shots. Already runs the court well with good athleticism. Has an emerging low-post game. Could become a major D-I prospect as he adds strength.

Kyle Reardon (6-4 F) Team Boston Elite: A polished performer who is strong at both ends of the floor. He can dominate a game. Displayed shooting accuracy, yet a nice touch on outlet passes. Squares up nicely before delivering his shot. Hits mid-range jumpers consistently and uses his size and athleticism to be an outstanding rebounder.

Kenneth Reed (6-0 G) All For One Basketball Club: Extremely strong (185-pound) point guard who will penetrate and dish or finish himself. He is much quicker than he looks and goes past defenders. But, also uses his strong body to finish around the basket. Showed a consistent ability to hit perimeter jumpers.

Rene Castro (6-3 F) All For One Basketball Club: Capable of putting up big numbers at any time with a versatile game that makes him effective scoring inside or outside. Showed ability to drain open 3pointers, yet also puts the ball on the floor and gets to the hoop to do damage. Very athletic and runs the floor well.

15:U Honorable Mention All-Gym Rat CHALLENGE:  Jake Layman (6-3 PF) Mass Premier;  Nathaniel Anderson (6-5 C) MABC Bengals;  Tyrese Hoxter (6-2 SG) MABC Bengals;  Devonte Wiggins (5-5 PG) CT Knights;  Jose Zayas (6-3 C) CT Knights;  T.J. Parker (6-5 C/F) Connecticut Elite;  James Jennings (5-6 PG) Connecticut Elite;  Trey McPherson (5-7 PG) Connecticut Elite;  Stephen Haladyna (6-3 SF) NE Select;  Oshaun Bannister (6-6 C) CT Knights;  Maliek Miles (6-1 Wing) CT Knights;  Jevaughn McMillan (6-5 C) Dunbar;  Andrew Chrabascz (6-5 C) Expressions Elite;  Jimmy Tomaswick (6-3 PF) New England Demons;  Jerry Buchanon (5-9 SG) ANU Generation;  Zachary Lewis (6-0 SG) ANU Generation;  Ethan Borchelt (6-5 C) Bay State Jaguars;  Kalid Joseph (5-10 G) Team Boston Elite;  John Sisay (6-2 Wint) Team Boston Elite;  Mark Ellis (5-10 G) New England Storm;  Ryan Sutherland (5-10 G) CT Knights;  Cesar Mejia (6-2 SF) RI Breakers