Northfield Mount Hermon Profile

NewEnglandBasketballServices.com | Thursday, September 7th, 2006

The buzz around the Northfield Mount Hermon campus is that this may be the year that NMH can capture the NEPSAC Class A title. Associate Head Coach John Carroll is excited about his team and their potential, but cautions that virtually every team in the division appears to have re-loaded for the upcoming season.

Even still, NMH fans have good reason to be excited as this year’s roster features three potential high-major prospects, several mid-major prospects, and a handful of prospects for division 2 and low-major programs.

Post-Graduate Tyrone Nash arrives this year after creating a large amount of buzz with his play during the summer AAU circuit. Nash is a big and strong player who has wide shoulders that indicate that he is capable of adding even more muscle to his frame. He is a terrific scorer inside 12 feet, along with his ability to attack the middle of the defense and carve out space in the middle. Furthermore, he is a very effective offensive rebounder, often times following up on his own miss in Moses Malone fashion. Tyrone said he has shortened his list to 6 schools: Notre Dame (which he will visit on the 16th of this month), Florida, Kentucky, St. John’s, Boston College, and Marquette.

Gary Correia returns for his third season at NMH this year as the team’s point guard and only captain. Gary gave a list of three schools: URI, St. Bonaventure, and Toledo. Gary’s game features a tremendous three-point shot with text book form. He also possesses good strength and above average quickness, and does a great job running the team.

Jerrell and Terrell Williams, brothers from Paterson, New Jersey, return to NHM this season as well. Both are extremely athletic, run the floor hard, finish explosively above the rim, and are excellent defensively. The big question remains, whether the brothers will choose to attend college together, or pursue separate opportunities. Right at the moment both players are at least mid-major prospects, but Jerrell’s stock is on the rise to the point where he might be able to attract some attention from lower level high-major schools.

Other seniors who are solid prospects are 6’6 SF Matt Glass and 6’5 SG R.J. Rutledge who are both lower level mid-major prospects. 6’5 SG Bruno Naylor and 6’8 PF are two other seniors who could definitely assist a low-major program. 6’1 PG Bud Gaffney and 6’6 SF Roahn Shepherd are both high level division two prospects.

Andrew Van Nest a 6’9 junior forward is another player who might be able to join Tyrone Nash at the high-major level. Van Nest is an exceptionally skilled big man with range beyond the three-point line, terrific footwork on the block, and a great jump-hook with either hand. If he continues to improve his upper body strength and quickness over the next two years, he should be able to reach his goal of playing at a high-major program with excellent academics such as Boston College or Georgetown. The other junior on the team is 6’5 shooting guard Simon McCormack who Coach Carroll describes as “a workout machine”. Simon is a very smooth player who attacks well off the dribble and quality finisher around the basket.

Derrick Thomas a 6’5 sophomore shooting guard could be a star in the making. Coach Carroll says, “He has a chance to be the best player we have had at NMH since I have been here”, and that’s saying a lot. Thomas comes into the year after a highly successful summer highlighted by a terrific final session at the five-star basketball camp. Simply stated, Thomas already knows how to play the game the right way at a young age. He is always in an attack position and rips the ball to his hip every time he catches it. He is also very athletic and scores well off the bounce or in transition. The other sophomore on the team is 5’9 point guard Brian Jones who was not in the gym tonight. However, Coach Carroll has high expectations of his future floor general and says he could be a mid-major prospect after three years at NMH.

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