New England Final Four Participants
A number of players who played their prep basketball in New England are heading to the NCAA Division One Final Four this weekend. We will be talking about them in this article.
Jack Johnson 6’3 Guard (Florida Atlantic/Choate Rosemary Hall): Johnson earned a place on FAU’s roster after a standout career at Choate. He was a three-year starter and team captain for the Wild Boars.
Vladislav Goldin 7’0 Big Man (Florida Atlantic/Putnam Science): Goldin has started every game this year for FAU, averaging 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. This came with earning Third-Team All-Conference honors. He played his last year of prep ball for PSA and won a 2020 National Prep Championship. Goldin also has national team experience, playing for the Russian U18 and U19 National Teams.
Hassan Diarra 6’2 Guard (UConn/Putnam Science): Diarra has brought the Huskies a spark off the bench with his playmaking and defense. He has appeared in 34 contests while playing 13.3 minutes per game. Diarra was apart of PSA’s 2020 National Prep Championship squad and finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer after three years.
Richie Springs 6’9 Big Man (UConn/MacDuffie School): Springs earned an opportunity to join the UConn program after a standout prep career. Outside of his strong play at MacDuffie, Springs impressed at the 2019 Nike Peach Jam for PSA Cardinals. He averaged 11 points and 13.4 rebounds and ended up coming to Storrs a year earlier than expected. Springs has appeared in 17 games this year.
Donovan Clingan 7’1 Big Man (UConn/Bristol Central): Even as just a freshman, Clingan has earned an integral role for the Huskies averaging 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. His quick emergence has allowed star big man Adama Sanogo to be fresh down the stretch in close games. Clingan had a storied HS career at Bristol Central. He is their all-time leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker to go with winning a 2022 CT DII State Title. Clingan additionally played his AAU basketball for independent program Team Spartans.
Andre Johnson Jr 6’2 Guard (UConn/South Kent): Johnson earned a spot on the UConn team after a high school career where he split time between The Master’s School and South Kent. He competed against the highest level of prep competition in New England to go with playing for former UConn associate head coach Raphael Chillious.
Alex Karaban 6’8 Forward (UConn/IMG Academy): Despite finishing his prep career at IMG, Karaban has major ties to the region. He helped lead New Hampton to a 2019 NEPSAC AAA Title, winning MVP honors in the process. Karaban also was a standout on the Nike EYBL circuit for Expressions Elite. He has had a terrific freshman year, averaging 9.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, to go with shooting 40.6% from long-range. Karaban was one of two players to be unanimous Big East All-Freshman Team selections as well.
Andrew Hurley 6’1 Guard (UConn/East Catholic): Hurley, son of head coach Dan Hurley spent time at both East Catholic and Bishop Hendricken before joining the UConn team. He has made appearances in 23 games over the course of his three seasons. Hurley also earned 2020-21 Big East All-Academic Team honors.
Anthony Walker 6’8 Forward (Miami/Brewster Academy): Before heading down to Coral Gables, Walker played his final year of prep ball for Brewster. He was a part of a squad that won the 2019 National Prep Championship. Walker has appeared in all 36 games this year for the Hurricanes while playing 10.2 minutes per contest.
Bensley Joseph 6’1 Guard (Miami/Putnam Science): Joseph was a fixture on the New England basketball scene for a number of years before playing at Miami. Unfortunately he missed the whole year at Putnam with an ankle injury. His junior year at Cushing was impressive, averaging 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. Joseph also played AAU for Expressions Elite. His defense, playmaking, and improved shooting have been important for Miami when he comes into a game.