HoopHall Stock-Risers

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019

The first major winter storm of the season kept programs like Brewster Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon, St. Thomas More, and Rice Memorial from participating in the HoopHall Classic as scheduled. 

Nevertheless, most of the show continued as planned and while the majority of the teams on the amended schedule came from beyond New England's borders, there were still a handful of local products that managed to standout. 

Here's a rundown of who helped themselves the most:

Ronnie DeGray, Woodstock Academy - After quiet first two months to the season, DeGray absolutely exploded on Sunday afternoon going for 27 points on 8-10 shooting from the floor, including 3-3 from behind the arc, and converting 8-9 from the free-throw line to match. A true senior from Colorado, DeGray is a mismatch type of forward who can score and operate from various spots on the floor and had his offensive versatility on fully display. He reportedly landed new offers from Oklahoma State and Arkansas following the game. 

Tre Mitchell, Woodstock Academy - A model of consistency all game long, Mitchell put his best foot forward in his match-up against Montverde CBD's Gonzaga bound big man Pavel Zakharov. Mitchell finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds while pulling the opposing big man away from the rim with his shooting range, scoring inside, and showing his trademark highly skilled attack. 

Jaylin Hunter, East Catholic - Not all first year New England products are in the prep ranks as Hunter, the son of UConn assistant coach Kenya Hunter, introduced himself to the region with a huge 35 point showing on Saturday morning. The southpaw guard scored from all over the floor, including shooting 5-9 from behind the arc and 6-7 from the free-throw line, while also collecting 6 rebounds. He picked up an offer from Old Dominion following the game. 

Joey Reilly, East Catholic - Hunter's running mate in the backcourt, Reilly has been a staple of East Catholic's success over the last four year. Playing the majority of his minutes at the point guard spot, Reilly was reliable handling the ball (3 assists to just 1 turnover) while also reminding everyone of his shot-making prowess by dropping 5-8 threes of his own for 29 points. 

Hason Ward, Springfield Central - When the ESPN cameras stopped rolling Monday night, there was still one game left to be played and Hason Ward gave everyone who stayed a treat as the long and athletic center went for 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Known primarily as a shot-blocker outside of the MIAA, Ward has been a force around the rim all season long with his ability to score and rebound. He was equally dominant on Monday night, leading Springfield Central to a 70-46 win. 

Primo Spears, Windsor - The Warriors lost a hard faught contest to New Jersey's Ramapo High School to start the day on Saturday but Spears continued his big junior season in the process. One half of Windsor's dynamic 2020 backcourt duo, Spears went for 28 points but also stuffed the total state sheet with 4 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds while connecting on 2-4 from behind the arc as he thrived in the team's up-tempo system. 

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