Hoop Mountain SWII - Tuesday Recap

Ephraim McDowell | Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Hoop Mountain SWII - Tuesday Recap

The 2010 edition of Super Week 2 is one of the strongest sessions in recent memory at Hoop Mountain. The best players throughout the northeast, not to mention over 100 college coaches, descended on Stonehill College Tuesday for the first full day of camp. On the first day of the live period, assistant coaches from Georgia Tech and Boston College were in attendance, along with Head Coaches Derek Kellogg of UMass, Jim Baron of URI, Bruiser Flint of Drexel, Mitch Buonaguro of Siena, Bill Herrion of UNH, and Ted Woodward of Maine. Here’s who impressed us on Day 1:

Top Performers

Marco Banegas, Brimmer and May- Banegas was awesome with the ball in his hands, showcasing a deadly left to right crossover that allowed him to break down defenders and get to the rim time and time again, both in the halfcourt and in transition.

Pat Connaughton, St. John’s Prep- Truly a complete player, Connaughton did a little bit of everything on Tuesday. He made shots, rebounded well from the guard spot, handled the ball effectively, and showed some bounce. A high major baseball prospect, Connaughton is quickly becoming a highly sought-after Division 1 basketball recruit as well.

Phil Gaetano, Choate- A floor general in the truest sense of the term, Gaetano showed a much-improved jump shot, connecting for four threes in the 4th quarter of his afternoon game. In addition to shooting the ball well, he was still the same old Phil—making pinpoint passes off of pick and rolls and in transition, and leading his team vocally and by example.

Jordan Laguerre, New Hampton- Fresh off of his commitment to UMass, Laguerre didn’t skip a beat, continuing his roll this spring and summer. He put up a huge number of points all day long, proving that no one at camp could consistently stay in front of him. He also shot the ball well in spurts, which is a scary sign. If Laguerre is ever able to make shots consistently, he will be virtually impossibly to guard at the next level.

Kris Dunn, New London HS- One of the top playmakers at camp, Dunn beat defenders with a devastating crossover, threaded the needle with passes, and scored the ball himself. Dunn simply makes plays at a very high level and is consistently dangerous with the ball in his hands.

Andre King, Suffield Academy- King exploded for a huge second half in his afternoon game. He dominated the game, showing everything in his repertoire. In a span of only a few minutes, he knocked down multiple threes off the dribble, attacked the rim and finished through contact, and set up a number of teammates for lay-ups or open shots. King certainly brought his A game on Tuesday afternoon.

Chris Sherwood, Brimmer and May- A high major athlete, Sherwood showed an evolving skill set. Despite an unorthodox stroke, he made shots from deep, and he was better with the ball in the half-court.

Eric Katenda, Cheshire Academy- Still getting his legs back after recovering from an illness, Katenda’s skill set and size were impressive as always. Georgia Tech was in the building following him throughout the whole day, and with his ability to handle and score at 6’8, he certainly did not disappoint.

Jerome Harris, East Catholic HS- Harris played very well off the ball today, making a number of shots and showing great body control around the hoop. While Harris is a capable handler and playmaker, he is much more comfortable on the wing when he can catch and attack off the dribble to score.

John Henault, St. Bernard’s- Henault is deadly off of a shot fake because he really knows how to cover ground and create separation with the dribble. He made an array of pull up jumpers on Tuesday, lifting his defender in the air and getting his shot off very quickly.

Graham Safford, Hampden HS- A 2 guard earlier in his career, Safford has quickly become as a pure a point guard as there is in New England, perhaps with the exception of Gaetano. His efficiency and decision making are incredible, whether it is off of penetration, in transition, or off of ball screens.

Rohan Brown, East Catholic HS- Brown plays extremely hard at all times, even in a camp setting, and he was able to attack the rim and finish off the catch from either the elbow area, or from beyond the three.

Imoh Silas, Holderness- A big guy who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work, Silas was a beast on the glass on Tuesday, like he usually is. He controlled the defensive backboards all day long and had a variety of solid finishes on the offensive end.

David Madol, Trinity HS- Long, skilled, and athletic, Madol is all you can ask for in a wing. He was highly productive throughout the day, getting to the line, finishing in transition, and making shots from deep.

Up and Coming

Cornelius Tyson, Springfield Central- Tuesday was a tremendous day for Tyson, who shot the ball extremely well with deep, deep range. At times he pulled up from NBA range to knock shots down. He complimented his shooting prowess with his standard playmaking skills and excellent court vision.

Jacquil Taylor, Cambridge Rindge and Latin- Taylor is sporting a bulked up frame, and he made the most of his catches on the block today, scoring primarily with a soft jump hook. Taylor’s recruitment took a major jump today as well, as he scored an offer from UMass.

Rene Castro, Beaver Country Day- Talk about afternoon explosions, Castro went off for twenty points in the first quarter of his afternoon game. He was deadly attacking the basket in transition, hit two threes off of jab steps, and scored in the paint off of pick and rolls.

Jared Reuter, St. Mark’s- Only a rising freshman, Reuter is already filled out, strong, and a bull around the basket. Combine that with good mobility, and Reuter is a can’t miss prospect down the line.

Jake Fay, Brimmer and May- Fay continued right where he left off in Super Week 1, knocking down a ton of shots, both off the catch the dribble. There was a definite buzz amongst Division 1 coaches about the youngster. There is never any hesitation with Fay, who demonstrates a prototypical shooter’s confidence.

Kuran Iverson, Northwest Catholic- Solid all day long, Iverson got loose in his night game, showing his unbelievable mobility and athleticism at 6’10. Iverson has certifiable guard skills, as demonstrated by a play in which he shook his defender off the dribble before dropping in a soft floater over an outstretched hand.

Kahlil Dukes, Capitol Prep- Dukes is an absolute jet with the ball, flying down the court in transition and either finishing near the rim or finding open shooters. He always wants to push the tempo, and with his kind of speed, it is usually a good decision.

Breakout Performances

Ikemenfuna Ngwudo, Milton Academy- A 6’5 wing athlete, Ngwudo has definite scholarship tools and body. His future is extremely bright, especially as his skill set develops more and more.

Kachi Nzerem, New Mission- A long athlete with a cut physique, Nzerum began to make a name for himself today by making plays above the rim on both ends of the floor and doing his best work going to the basket.

Brian Patterson, Hillhouse HS- Patterson intrigued a number of college coaches with his tremendous size and length at the wing position. At 6’7, Patterson presents a definite mismatch problem for defenders.

Drew Crudup, Hillhouse HS- Extremely bouncy, Crudup used his hops to elevate for pull-up jumpers and to finish above the rim. The guard is an explosive athlete.

Mike Deffley, Kingswood Oxford- Deffley can be characterized as a knock-down shooter. He is elusive with his dribble, using step-backs and an assortment of other moves to create space for his shot. Originally projected as an elite Division 3 player, Deffley is beginning to attract serious scholarship interest.

Papdeas Georgios, Moraitis- The 6’7 post player is both skilled and athletic. He can score with his back to the basket, and he can elevate over people, which he showed on a lefty dunk in transition.