#S16 All-Tournament Team: Varsity Division

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

Over 50 teams began the weekend in contention but only one was left standing at the end as New Heights won the Super 16 Showcase varsity division championship on Sunday.  

First Team All Tournament

Dupree McBrayer, New Heights – His breakout spring continues as the smooth southpaw scoring guard led New Heights to their second championship of the spring.  He’s catapulted his recruitment to the high-major level in recent months with the likes of Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Seton Hall now coming on strong.  Check out his highlights from this weekend here care of Next Best Basketball.  

J.R. Lynch, New Heights – New England fans would do well to remember this name because they’ll be hearing it a lot next year as Lynch is set to attend St. Andrew’s where he’ll take over from day one as the program’s point guard.  He’s skilled, smart, and absolutely full of intangibles…oh yeah and he had 30 in the championship game.  

Kealen Ives, Metro Boston – Ives did absolutely everything for Metro Boston this weekend in leading them to a run to the finals.  He handled the ball with precision, got into the lane and made plays for himself and his teammates alike mixing floaters with pinpoint passes, and knocked down long-range shots from behind the arc all while showing off a strengthened frame.  He simply couldn’t have been much better.  

Mamadou Diarra, NYC Jayhawks – The rising junior big man made his New England debut midway through the recent season for Putnam Science Academy, but he officially announced his arrival this weekend.  Strong and bouncy around the rim, Diarra was a force on both ends, blocking shots, crashing the glass and finishing plays.

Jackson Donahue, Middlesex Magic – The Magic ran all the way to the semifinals and gave New Heights their toughest contest of the weekend.  Donahue scored 24 in that match-up while adding 18 in a quarterfinal win over Riverside Hawks.  More impressive than the points however, was his leadership as Donahue played with toughness from start to finish and held his teammates to an equally high standard.  

Second Team All Tournament

AK Ojo, New Heights – The big man in the middle for New Heights, Ojo is an intimidating physical presence with a strong body and long arms alike.  He’s extremely mobile and athletic for a guy his size and consequently a high level rim protector and shot-blocking threat whose offense has continued to evolve.  

James Foye, Metro Boston – He’s a highly skilled and cerebral perimeter player capable of filling multiple roles and possessions.  He’s also an ideal compliment to Ives’ playmaking ability as Foye will punish defenders every time he’s left behind the arc and make good decisions with every touch.  

A.J. Brodeur, Middlesex Magic – The rising junior big man was huge on Saturday for the Magic and just as impressive on Sunday.  He dominated the paint in the team’s quarterfinal win to the tune of 16 points and 14 boards while continuing to show off his expanding skill set.  

Jahlil Nails, City Rocks Orange – With good size on the perimeter at six-foot-four, Nails is a consistent match-up problem for opposing defenders.  He’s got a good shot with consistent range to 22 feet but is equally capable of going off the bounce as well.  

Michael Watkins, Team Philly – Beast is the only word to describe this future Penn State big man.  Watkins is an incredible athlete inside the paint and shot-blocking machine.  He was double and triple teamed as soon as he caught the ball all weekend long but was still a man among boys in the paint.  

Isaac Vann, USAD – His name was the buzz at Conn College on Saturday afternoon as he was playing at an extremely high level.  Vann’s length and athleticism on the wing is well known but he deserves credit for improving his jump-shot and continuing to raise the level of his game since the end of the high school season.  

Steve Enoch, High Rise Team Up – He averaged 17 points per game on the weekend and converted 8 of his 12 attempts from the three-point line while shooting over 60% from the field.  He also rebounded well and was a defensive presence in the paint.  In other words, he’s starting to put it all together more frequently and showing why so many high-majors are now recruiting him.  

Adam Traore, Riverside Hawks – Riverside had a tremendous weekend, advancing all the way to the quarterfinals and going blow for blow with the Middlesex Magic.  Traore was as impactful as anyone on the team using his strong body and inside-out game to be a constant mismatch problem on the offensive end.  

Aziz Austin, Team Jersey Elite – The six-foot-one point guard led his Team Jersey Elite in both scoring and assists while also rebounding well from the point guard position.  He scored on all three levels and created for his teammates while running the team.  He also set the tone defensively with his scrappy mentality.  

Jayvon Pitts-Young, MB Nation – The Nation gave a highly talented Team Philly squad all they could handle on Sunday morning before ultimately falling just short.  Despite the loss, Pitts-Young proved himself against the highest caliber of competition possible, making hard drives to the paint, snapping his passes and putting them on the money, and being a physical and tough defender.  

Everson Davis, NYC Jayhawks – Long and strong with a terrific basketball body, Davis averaged 20 points and 5 rebounds over the course of the weekend to lead the Jayhawks to the Final Four.  He showed a good basketball I.Q. from start to finish and was able to make big plays in critical moments.   

Mike Pierre, Team Not Even Famous – He may not be famous, but college coaches are certainly learning his name this spring as Pierre has recently gained interest from Holy Cross, Bucknell, New Hampshire, Canisius, and Northeastern.  He went for 80 points in three games this weekend while also averaging 8 assists per game through pool play.  There wasn’t a player who meant more to their team this weekend.  

David Stewart, LOX – LOX came to New London and made a statement this weekend, scoring quality wins over MAC and City Rocks Orange to advance to the gold bracket.  Stewart was the consistent staple of their success, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds over the tournament while coming up with a variety of big plays inside the paint.  

Tyshon Rogers, Connecticut Select – The leading scorer in Crosby High School’s prestigious history, Rogers is already well known for his ability to attack the basket and score in bunches.  This weekend, he showed off other weapons with his three-point range and flashes of being a dominant on-the-ball defender because of his strong upper body and hard-nosed nature.    

Dylan Conley, CT Stars – He went for 16 points on Saturday afternoon by getting into the lane as well as the free-throw line.  He was a capable threat from three but definitely at his best off the bounce as the Stars’ top offensive threat.

Kobe Vaughn, TB Elite – There was nowhere on the floor that this undersized playmaking guard wasn’t capable of getting to.  He had complete control with the ball in his hands and only needed to hit the gas in order to accelerate into his choice of gaps on the floor.  He got into the lane, scored, and found his teammates for easy buckets.  

Ami Lakoju, Team Price – The former Fairfield signee is just a mountain of a man and virtually immovable inside the paint.  His physical presence alone is an immediate deterrent on the defensive end while you better have a dump truck if you’re hoping to stop him at the rim.  

Third Team All Tournament

David Giribaldi, Boston Warriors Black – A high level scoring guard who can put points on the board in all three ranges, Giribaldi has a knack for putting the ball in the basket that just can’t be taught.  He’s got a terrific mid-range pull-up game and a special ability to get bucket on bigger guards with just a glimpse of separation.

Samir Doughty, Team Philly – A playmaker extraordinaire, Doughty has already been the target of various high-major programs for well over the last year and it isn’t hard to see why given his combination of size and quickness.  He was one of the most dangerous slashers in the field and also a top-notch defender.  

Jeff Spellman, Middlesex Magic – He seems to be starting to find his grove with this club as he’s picking his spots to slice to the rim and drilling jumpers alike.  He had a team high 20 points in the round of 16 win over TB Elite, and appears to be playing with renewed confidence and spark.    

Mario Graham, CT Playmakers – A jitter bug style lead guard, Graham may be lacking size but he makes a big impact.  His jets are top notch with speed and quickness alike but he’s also a great shooter from long range who is dynamic with the ball in his hands.  

Nicholas Mayo, Maine Athletic Club – He had a breakout performance at last month’s Northeast Hoops Festival and continued to impress here, show inga nice inside game while also hitting a number of open threes and rebounding the ball consistently on both ends.  

Tyler Arsenault, CT Premiere – At six-foot-four, he’s one of the team’s biggest players and so he asserts himself inside where he can finish strong, but he also shows potential on the wing where his pull-up game looks especially good.  Long term he has the chance to be a versatile big wing.   

Troy McLaughlin, NY Falcons – He scores in a variety of ways.  He can get his own shot, is a good three-point shooter, and can create to score in the paint.  He gets in passing lanes defensively, throws ahead in transition very well, and also makes big shots in big moments for this team.  

Tyler Ancrum, NYC Jayhawks – The Bridgeport Central point guard has been on a tear as of late and once again played at a high level this weekend.  He had 19 points and 7 assists in the quarterfinals but had to leave before the Final Four, which was a big reason why his team didn’t advance to the final.  

Will Jessup, MABC – He stars on both the hardwood and gridiron for Westwood High School and paced MABC’s attacked this weekend.   He’s a slasher who can go through contact on his way to the rim but also showed he could make deep jumpers when it mattered most down the stretch of the second half.    

Raiquan Clark, Connecticut Select – The former Hillhouse star has continued to get stronger throughout his upper body and was impossible to stop with a head of steam in transition.  He was a consistent threat with his pull-up game as well and able to score over bigger defenders with a high release.  

Dylan Conley, CT Stars - The five-foot-eleven shooting guard from Lyman Memorial caught fire from behind the three-point line in the team's second game of the weekend, knocking down eight threes and finishing with 32 points.  He continued to score well throughout the rest of the weekend and averaged 19 points per game when it was all said and done.

George Taylor III, Bristold Ballers – “Nini” is both an excellent ball-handler and three-point shooter.  He creates shots off the bounce to the tune of 11 points and 8 assists per contest and is also shooting 53% from the three-point line this season according to his coach.  

Tyler Dion, BV Chaos – The highly skilled guard has been impressive each time we’ve seen him this spring and this weekend was no different.  He’s as versatile as he is important for the Chaos, serving as their primary ball-handler, decision maker, and three-point threat alike.    

Lyndon Ewing, LVBR – The six-foot-five forward is active and slippery around the basket.  He gets his own offense by going to the offensive glass but might make his best contributions on the defensive end, where he’s phenomenal on the weak-side.  Looked like a definite scholarship level guy this weekend and also said to be a good student.  

Roy Kane, TMT – The Norwalk rising senior had his full offensive game on display on Saturday – handling the ball, going through the lane with vision and pace, and making pull-ups and strong finishes at the rim alike.  He has division I offers to his name and should be a heavily followed prospect in the month of July.  

Jordan Lackey, Team Jersey Elite – He led the team in rebounding and blocks this weekend, while also finishing second in scoring.  He scored the ball from all over the court & also did a nice job handling the basketball & creating for his teammates.

Kyle Doucette, Boston Warriors – The big man did double duty with both the Blue and Black squads and came away as one of the biggest new names of the weekend.  He had college coaches following him from start to finish and appears to already be a priority recruit heading into the summer months.  

John Lewis, CT Elite Green – On a team full of guards, Lewis distinguished himself with his quickness, ability to get to the paint, and draw contact.  He consistently earned easy points at the free-throw line and was the team’s leading scorer in Saturday afternoon’s contest.  

Cian Saunders, Northeast Burn – He’s got great size for the perimeter at six-foot-four and the ability to play various backcourt positions.  He’s athletic and able to play above the rim but can still knock down long distance jumpers.  Saunders was the offensive spark for the Burn all weekend long.  

Garrison Duvivier, Boston Titans – The six-foot-six forward from Brockton High School owns a terrific basketball body with length and strength alike.  He covers the court, gets up above the rim, and impacts on the game on both ends.  He is a new addition to the NERR prospect database.  

Kyle Bouchard, Maine Athletic Club – He’s as versatile and impactful for MAC as any player in the field was for their respective team.  He brings the ball up the floor and acts as their primary ball-handler, leads the team in scoring, and is also one of their better defenders who can match-up with multiple positions.  

Jon Garcia, LOX – LOX had a strong showing this weekend and the foundation of their success was on the defensive end, where Garcia was one of the primary playmakers with an average of 5 steals per game.  Those steals typically fueled run-out opportunity, which helped him average double figures in the scoring column as well.  

Ben Crawford, Boston Warriors Blue – It is only appropriate that he wear a jersey with Warriors written across his chest because he is as tough as they come inside the paint.  The six-foot-four forward was aggressive, physical, and as good of a pound-for-pound rebounder as there was in the entire field.  

Austin Butler, CT Passion – An under-the-radar talent who started to make a name for himself this weekend, Butler averaged upwards of 15 points per game while leading the Passion to a 2-1 record.  He’s athletic around the rim, can keep defenders honest with his jumper and was an All-CCC South performer for Plainville, where he’s been the team’s leading scorer since his sophomore season.  

Conor McGuinness, NY Falcons – He is a true point guard who sees the floor and makes those around him better while also knocking down open shots from behind the three-point line.  He was also one of the better on-ball defenders in the entire field and equally important running the show for the Falcons on the defensive end.  

OBrien Watson, Connecticut Select – The Middletown High School product played his way into the NERR prospect directory.  He’s six-foot-seven with a strong body and obvious upside and only just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential on both ends of the floor.  

Joey Shehadi, Lone Wolf Athletic Elite – One of the best pure shooters in the field, Shehadi has clean mechanics, deep range, and great rotation on his ball.  With several players out of the line-up, Shehadi stepped up and asserted himself on the offensive end, basing his attack around the threat of his jumper.  

Brandon Simmons, Drive 4 Stardom – The unsigned senior showed why he should be a priority for any college program still looking for frontcourt help for next season.  At six-foot-six, he has definite tools for the next level and a very bright future.  

Aaron Lorenzo, CT Stars - The five-foot-eleven point guard from Bacon Academy scorched the Ledyard High School gym shooting 100% from the field, nailing 5 threes, and scoring 27 points.  He averaged 6 assists per game throughout the weekend to lead the team to four straight victories. 

Tahj Eaddy, USAD – The Notre Dame guard was USAD’s chief threat from behind the three-point line this weekend and almost the hero of an incredibly close quarterfinal match-up against a Metro Boston team that ultimately ran all the way to the tournament finals.  He’s got long arms and a very soft touch on his jumper.  

Zach Gilpin, MB Nation – His offensive abilities are well known after years of putting up big scoring numbers, but what was most impressive this weekend was the way he stepped up in the paint to help compensate for a lack of a true big man.  Gilpin battles inside, defended the block, and crashed the glass.

Rodley Adjei, CT Roughriders – The team's floor general has run the show at East Hartford for the last two seasons and was up to his usual tricks here, averaging 12 points and 4 assists per contest while leading the Roughriders to a 2-1 mark.  He is one of the best available point guards in the 2014 class.    

Connor Merrinder, Middlesex Magic – He may not be the team’s leading scorer, but Merinder impacts the game in a plethora of ways.  He’s totally unselfish, a good frontcourt passer, hard-working defender, and hard-nosed rebounder who and also capable of knocking down the 15 foot jumper.  

Dominique Benson, Connecticut Force – The Force had a limited roster this weekend but Benson stepped up to lead them to a 2-1 record.  He went for 20 or more points in all three games, made up for the team’s missing big men with 12 rebounds per contest, and knocked down shots in big moments.  

Carlos Gonzalez, Dream Elite – Gonzalez is a true point guard who plays with a pass first style but was still capable of knocking down open threes anytime the defense rotated off him.  He sees the floor, moves the ball, and gets his teammates involved first and foremost.  

Dashon Giddings, LVBR II – A balanced and complete player in the backcourt who does a number of things well, Giddings provides a stable ball-handler and consistent shooting threat all while playing within the team system.  He projects as an ideal “blend player” at the next level.  

Other Notable Performers

• Hamidou Diallo, NYC Jayhawks – A 15 year old playing up at the varsity level, this incoming PSA product is loaded with upside;

• Avalon McLaren, Boston Titans – His game and physical tools have both improved significantly since last year;

• Marvin Prochet, New Heights – Ideal utility player and clear division I talent for the varsity division champs;
 
• Dean Weiner, Riverside Hawks – Cheshire Academy product has terrific length and long-term upside;

• Isaiah Stewart, CT Stars - Averaged 14 pts, 7 rebs, & 3 stls while also guarding the opposition's best perimeter scorer each game;

• Adam Kleckner, Middlesex Magic Giordano – The six-foot-five big man battled hard on the glass all weekend long;
 
• Shyheim Ulrickson, MB Nation – Powerful & polished for his age, the rising junior is a main staple at the u17 level;

• Zack Muredda, LVBR – A smart combo-guard & deceptive athlete, Murreda spaces the court & makes shots;

• Juwan Gooding, LOX – Southpaw guard has gotten stronger but continues to put points on board in bunches;

• Tyrell Arnum, CT Roughriders - East Catholic grad & incoming Salisbury p-g averaged 17pts, 7stls, 5rebs, & 2blks;

• Chad Andrews, LVBR II – A physical force inside who will bang bodies, rebound, & show some athleticism;

• Kevin Love, Bristol Ballers – Bouncy & versatile. Blocks shots, rebounds, and has developing perimeter skill;

• Rob OBrien, BC Chaos – The Cushing Academy guard was another who played his way into our NERR prospect page:

• Kahleb Downing, Bristol Ballers – Rising junior is a deadly three-point shooter, good ball-handler, and strong defender;

• Josiah Kimball, Lone Wolf Atheltics Elite – Force inside with strong, college ready body & starting to expand game;

• Matt Allegrezza, MABC – Intriguing combination of size, aggression, and enough skill to stretch to the arc;

• Jayson Brower, Metro Boston – High level athlete who is bouncy around the rim and plays bigger than he is;

• Jack Simonds, Maine Athletic Club – Big lefty perimeter forward with a knockdown shooting stroke from three;

• Jayson Brower, Metro Boston – High level athlete who is bouncy around the rim and plays bigger than he is;

• Julian Alexis, Team Jersey Elite – Good sized shooting guard at six-foot-three who sparks team behind arc;

• Don Jarrett, Connecticut Select – Latest strong outing was enough for Kennedy guard to play his way into NERR database;

• Trevor Dow & James Wells, Middlesex Magic – Had 10pts/12rebs & 20pts/10rebs in win over Team NY;

• Kevin Durkin, BV Chaos – The six-foot-eight big man is showing consistent flashes & is definitely a prospect to watch closely;

• Trevor Osborn, CT Elite Green – A versatile guard in CT Elite’s perimeter heavy line-up, Osborn scored inside & out;

• Koby Antwi, Boston Warriors Blue – Slasher who can also lockdown on the defensive ends & make an open shot;

• Ryan Peterson, CT Roughriders - Six-foot-five shooter will prep at STM next after graduating from Wethersfield; double figure in all 3 games.