Prep Profile - Gould Academy

New England Recruiting Report | Wednesday, November 29th, 2017

In just their first season in the AA ranks, Gould Academy made a clear impression last year.

Under the direction of head coach Cory McClure, Gould quickly established a reputation for individual improvement and collective competitiveness as they took on the best the NEPSAC had to offer and saw their players take their games to new levels in the process.

The second season of Gould’s introduction to NEPSAC basketball will feature a largely new roster but the same principles that made such an impression a year ago.

The Returners

Zack Mittelstadt is back for his senior season and second at Gould as the local Maine product tried his hand against AA competition last year and had good results. He’ll look to add to that resume this year and take on more of a leadership role in the process. Brendan Hyde provides a second senior who will look to add similar experience to the team’s frontline.

Junior guard Jaxon Wroe is also back for his second season. He picked up valuable minutes last year while doubling as a two-sport star on the soccer field and is now focusing on the hardwood for his athletic future.

The Newcomers

It’s a relatively long list beginning with a couple of big bodies up front in Stephane Ingo and Wildens Leveque who will give Gould the type of “twin towers” look that you don’t typically see in the prep ranks.

Ingo is an athletic big man who comes to Gould by way of Toronto. He’s still on the raw side but has already made notable strides since his arrival and has a bright future.

Leveque, the Massachusetts product, is another true big man with a high ceiling. He was a true diamond in the rough a year ago and has already come a fairly long way but is still just scratching the surface of his potential thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame, soft touch, and relative mobility.

The biggest addition in the backcourt is Daniel Buie, a repeat junior from the greater Albany area. A big lead guard who is already a well-known prospect to college coaches, Buie plays with an attacking mentality and can create offense for both himself and his teammates.

Also on board are a pair of post-grads who will help to provide depth to the backcourt in Theo Stamoulis and David Zhang. Stamoulis is a product of Long Island Lutheran, one of the top high school programs in New York, while Zhang comes to Gould from China after running with Global Squad this summer.

The Underclassmen

Jaret Griffith is a sophomore from Ohio who may quickly assert himself as one of New England’s best shooters in the class of 2020. The 6-foot-4 wing has a feathery release and will be an immediate weapon for Gould from behind the three-point line.  

Defining Characteristics

Development is one of the key themes here. That’s why the majority of these kids decided to come to Gould and play for McClure – the promise of daily development to better themselves both individually and collectively. We saw that a year ago as guys like Skyler Nash and George Papas ended their years in much different places then they started. We’re already seeing it this year as Ingo and Leveque in particular are making notable strides.

That duo provides another defining characteristics as there simply aren’t many clubs who can put two bigs on the floor at the same time who can match their size and collective physical tools. Add a talented playmaker in the backcourt like Buie and you have three definite offensive weapons while shooters like Griffith and Mittlestadt will provide the necessary spacing for those three to attack the rim.

Bottom Line

The post-season is a fair goal for a club that is still setting their foundation but has the long-term pieces in place to make a consistent rise up the Class AA standings in the years to come.

---