#NEOpenGym - Best of the Underclassmen

Saturday, November 2nd, 2024

The underclassmen wrap up the recap of last weekend's #NEOpenGym, but there's a lot to like about this group as they have plenty of time to continue to develop and take their games to new levels. 

More on the freshman and sophomores below.

Nicolas Mitrovic, Hoosac School - The upside in this seven foot sophomore is well noted, as he's played high-level basketball for some time now. His post scoring skills are impressive, as he has good body control and moves to get around defenders and to the basket. He stretches the floor from three, has a great level of fluidity to his game at his size, and does well at rebounding the ball. With three years left to play, there's a lot to look forward to in his development ahead.

Solis Blue, St Sebastian's - Recently picking up steam over summer, Blue was a slept on MIAA prospect that just won a state title. He's shifty with the ball, scores it in a variety of ways, and has burst to fly past defenders. His athleticism definitely stands out as he can throw down dunks or make tough off-balance shots inside. He’ll form a promising backcourt with fellow 2027 TJ Allen.

Eddie Fiske Jr, Old Lyme - Entering his sophomore year, Fiske has earned himself some attention with the performance he put on in his freshman season. He's got a physical build at 6'4", moves well off ball and gets low to move past defenders. He showed off his ability to get inside using his body, and was able to knock down pull-up shots as well.

Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex - Making his second appearance in front of the NERR scouting staff this fall, the Manchester Essex forward continues to impress. He's got size and excellent post skills to fend off defenders and convert around the basket, but does a great job of playmaking out of the post as well. He heads into his sophomore season with tons of potential to monitor.

Luca Balducci, Loomis Chaffee - Balducci is an impressive freshman guard joining Loomis Chaffe this season. He's a fluid scorer that packs a quick punch to his game. He can utilize his handle to get to his spots and rise up for jump shots, or glide his way through to the rim. With impressive skills already, he's a player to track with four years left to play.

Sawyer Pow, Kennebunk - Theo Pow jumped onto our radar this past June at the Elite 75 College Showcase, and has some great colleges to pick from soon. Sawyer is next up in the family, as he plays with good pace, and can shoot the ball from outside pretty efficiently. The 2027 in Kennebunk has upside worth monitoring.

Jaziah Mazzulla, Bishop Hendricken - Point guard play runs in the Mazzulla blood, and Jaziah’s got upside at the position. In this setting though, his defense took over. He does a great job of reading the floor and anticipating the next play. He gave opposing players a really tough time, getting low and strong in his stance. His defense led to transition opportunities, where his team was able to capitalize.

Zeke Williams, Daniel Hand - The younger brother of standout Johns Hopkins sophomore, Jeb Williams impressed. He's got tons of upside as he looks to still be growing, with good feel for the game, passing chops and a developing scoring arsenal.

Noah Davis-Enriquez, East Longmeadow - Entering a big sophomore year after making an immmediate imapct as a freshman, the ELHS guard is a player to watch. He's super crafty with the ball with a quick handle and a bag of moves to keep defenders on their toes. He plays a gritty game, can really fly down the court, and is a player to watch in the MIAA's 2027 class.

Myles Jelks, Rockwood Summit - The New York City prospect made the trip up for some #RealExposure and made his impressive play known. His creation off the dribble is notable as he's got pace to his game, as well as the ability to adjust his body to slip past defenders for buckets. Currently a true 2027, Jelks has expressed a lot of interest in joining the prep ranks in New England, and is well worth a look by preps looking for a young point guard prospect.

Ibraheem Salam-Perry, Classical - Entering his freshman year at a powerhouse in the Rhode Island State Association, Salam-Perry has upside to watch down the line. His quick twitch with the ball combined with his handle make him a tough player to guard. He can get into jump shots from outside and gets out in transition to apply pressure on the defense.

Osigbemhe Akhigbe, Redemption Christian - Akhigbe has upside as a big guard to watch in the class of 2027. He impressed in this setting getting down and dirty on defense, forcing steals and pressuring the ball. With the ball in his hands, he was able to fly down the lane for finishes inside.

Austin Heyer, Staples - A sophomore with potential in the CIAC, Heyer once again stood out in front of our scouting staff. His three-point shot is impressive as he ahs a good technique to it and hits them in rhythm.

James Tracy, Thornton - The Maine native did a great job in this setting of getting out in transition and finishing shots around the rim. He's got a handle and some passing vision that caught our eye as well on Sunday.

Daniel Vincent, Winston Prep - Vincent plays at his own pace and has some length that bodes him well offensively. He can make three's or stop and convert a pull-up shot in the mid range.

Gian Mesias, Hoosac - Mesias brings strength and great feel for the game to the guard position. He makes a ton of layups controlling his body in the air and converting through contact. High Academic with three years left to play.

Joshua Tedeschi, Proctor - Tedeschi's a shooting threat that did exceptionally well in pick and pop scenarios, and has lots of time to add more threats to his game as a sophomore.

Gilad Rozen, Needham - Rozen does well as a traffic director at the point guard spot who can run the offense. Entering his sophomore year at Needham High School, he's got a lot of time to continue to work on his offensive scoring arsenal.

Jackson Davis, Enfield - Another half of the electric Enfield freshman duo last year, Davis is a notable sophomore in the CIAC. He's got fludiity to his game and is able to step into three's. His finishing ability stood out to us as well as he combines his athleticism and balance to convert through contact.

Anthony Tallarita, Enfield -  Already making an impact in the CIAC as a freshman, Tallarita is gearing up for a big sophomore season. He's a scoring threat from multiple levels with an outside shot, the ability to convert through contact around the basket, and good feel as a passer.

Grant Neal, Lynnfield - With varsity experience under his belt already, Neal looks to build on that this season. He can shoot it from outside and has command on the ball with his dribbling skills.

Ian Thompson, East Windsor -  The East Windsor's ability to get downhill jumped out to our scouting staff. He waits for holes to open up in the defense, before attacking the basket to finish. Keep an eye on the sophomore moving forward.

Jayden Korber, Glastonbury - There's upside to like in this Glastonbury sophomore guard. He does a great job of leading the team at the point guard spot, running the offense and creating for his teammates. His three-point shooting ability stands out as well as he can knock it down efficiently.

Andrew Huff, Proctor - Huff brings upside to the position with good size at 6'3" and made some great reads as a help-side defender inhis game sets. He has a good outside shot and some bounce to him as well as he develops in the Proctor system as a sophomore this year.

Nathan Gunn, Suffield HS - The older Gunn borther has shown us his explosiveness in multiple outings this fall. He did a great job of impacting the game defensively here to force steals and displayed his touch from outside as he was able to convert a handful of three's.

Colby Gunn, Suffield HS - The younger half of the Gunn brothers, Colby played well in this setting despite being one of the youngest players in the house. His jump shot is very clean and has upside, while he contributed as a finisher inside as well.

Mychael Brown, Proctor - A freshman guard out of New York, Brown has upside to monitor in the New Hampshire class of 2028. His ability to create shots off the dribble jumps out and he can knock down three-pointers with precision.

Graham Lewis, Manchester Essex - There's upside in this sophomore point guard as he's already played a big role at the high school level. He's a great scorer with a fluid shot from outside, and can hit shots in bunches. His playmaking as a lead guard stands out as well as willingness to put in the work for rebounds.

Maccabee Katz, Hoosac -  Katz does a good job of getting his feet set to quickly get into his three-point shot and convert from outside. He's got versatility in that facet, as he can thrive as an on or off-ball shooter, and exudes effort on defense.

Sebastian Ortiz, Cheshire HS -  Ortiz's lower body strength was notable as he's able to maintain a low center of gravity on defense, and keep up with opposing guards. He's got a quick load up on three's and handle to hunt his desired shots as well.

Lobsang Rabten, Pioneer valley Chinese immersion charter school -  The Western Mass freshman gaurd impressed at the Junior Elite 75 in March, and came in on Sunday to play older competition. He's a heady guard who see's the floor and makes the right pass, but can slip past the defense and score it as well.

Chase Goulet, Thornton Academy - Entering his freshman year, the Thornton Academy guard is a player of note in the MPA. Goulet has upside with his quick handle, on-ball defensive instincts and outside shooting. He's got a quick pull-up shot off the dribble with upside to watch as he develops.

Donovan Oshaughnessy, Oakmont Regional - The Western Mass freshman has upside with tons of time to continue to elevate his game. Despite being of a shorter stature, he uses it to his advantage as a ball handler, shielding it from the defense, and also guards the ball well on the other end of the floor.

Henry Callan, Northampton - Callan plays above his size with a tight handle on the ball and some quickness to his game. He makes good reads as a passer and plays with a motor.

Trey Webb, Redemption Christian - The RCA underclassmen showed in his outing that he's got tons of range to his outside shooting. He was hitting three's left and right from well beyond the line, and did a great job of taking defenders on drives and finishing through contact.

Gabor Kwauka, Mizzentop Day School  - There's upside in this upstate New York eighth grader as he came for some early college exposure, as well as seeking potential high school opportunities. Kwauka has early size with touch in the paint and moves to get open in the post. His defensive motor stands out as he plays really hard and impacts the game bringing the energy. As he continues to develop with so much time to hone his skills, he's a middle schooler we will be monitoring moving forward.