Scholar Roundball Classic - Sunday Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, December 14th, 2015

The college coaches continued to file in for the third and final day of action at Babson College and by the time the 2015 Scholar Roundball Classic finally came to a close the event set a new record for total coaches in attendance, breaking the previous mark for the third consecutive year.

Champlain St. Lambert was ready to go bright and early on Sunday morning as they opened their game against Brimmer & May with a 13-1 run. Gators head coach Tom Nelson was quickly able to rally the troops though as Brimmer spent the rest of the first half cutting into the deficit. With sophomore guard A.J. Reeves continue to play through a hip injury, but clearly not 100%, it was senior guard Adam Mikula who stepped up to lead the team on the offensive end. Best known for his three-point shooting, Mikula has also developed his playmaking ability off the bounce and anchored the perimeter attack while American bound center Mark Gasperini scored a game high 21 with his future college coach, Mike Brennan, in the stands looking on. Champlain junior swingman Nikita Kasongo continued to be a big draw for college coaches but unsigned point guard Kash Thomas earned Player of the Game honors while Nicky Noble also showed well in the backcourt en route to an 81-54 victory.

After falling in overtime on Saturday, Blair Academy had tremendous energy from the moment they walked into the gym on Sunday. While a gritty Andover team managed to keep it close for the first-half, Blair’s talent and determination gradually allowed them to pull-away in the second. Matt Turner turned in his second consecutive strong game, scoring a team high 18 points, while junior sensation Deng Gak picked up his production to finish with 16. Unsigned post-graduate Jack Rouch had 16 as well, showing his skill set and high acumen for the game, while Michael Wiper also finished in double figures with 12. Andover’s Danny Evans scored 14 points despite being the center of attention for Blair’s defense while Hallvard Lundevall shot the ball well from the arc for the second consecutive day for a team high 16 points. Matt Weso continued to give the team a strong interior presence with a good array of post-moves and plenty of physicality inside the lane.

Coming off Saturday’s overtime win over Blair, Kimball Union Academy was riding a wave of momentum and didn’t let down one bit as they knocked off Choate Rosemary Hall by a 73-45 margin. An inspired defensive effort was again the story for Mike Olson’s club but they also got numerous contributions on the offensive end. While their interior tandem of Nathan Knight and Luke Rosinski typically headlines their attack, it came from different places on Sunday. Travis Valmon, a strong and physical guard from Maryland, led the way with a team high 16 points while Cooper Williams and Ross Gerber each added 12. Williams knocked down four three-pointers while Gerber showed his inside-out tools from the forward position as well. Myles Cherry was a bright spot for a short-handed Choate squad as the unsigned big man more than held his own against KUA’s talented frontline, scoring with both hands around the rim and showing a willingness and ability to play through contact. With other positive moments from Colin Donovan and Ethan Schlager, the Wild Boars will clearly be a team to be reckoned with once they return healthy from holiday break.

Northfield Mount Hermon took on Avon Old Farms and early on it looked like the Winged Beavers might be able to keep up as head coach Tim Roller has more talent at his disposal than ever before but the same energy and intensity we’ve always seen from his AOF teams. Ultimately though the depth and talent of NMH just proved to be too much as they wore Avon down and really began clicking on all cylinders in the second half as six different players scored in double figures. Sophomore Nate Laszewski had his best showing yet in an NMH uniform, knocking down five three-pointers for a team high 15 points while David Reynolds also had one of his best outings to date with 12 points. Tomas Murphy matched that output, continuing his strong play in the paint, while the core of A.J. Brodeur, Ian Sistare and Andrew Platek continued to be a model of consistency for NMH. Despite the loss, the game was still a coming out party for Avon post-graduate Isaiah Nichols, a 6-foot-5 guard from California who showed the playmaking ability and improving jumper to match his size in the backcourt. Rocket Henderson, another California native, proved to be another division I prospect in the 2016 class while Packy Witkowski and Brandon Arnold provide two more talented perimeter players.

Vermont Academy opened their match-up against the Kent School on a 12-4 run and appeared to be in control throughout the first half but a talented and determined Kent team came storming back mid-way through the second, evening the score and bringing the decibel level inside Staake Gymnasium to the highest it had been all weekend. But in a matter of minutes, Vermont Academy responded with an equally decisive run, securing an 80-67 decision. Bruce Brown earned Player of the Game honors with 22 points while Christian David added 14 while continuing to show his high-major ability within the flow of the offense. Patrick Fisher made an early return to the line-up and still managed to score 11 points despite a heavily bandaged right hand. Maxime Boursiquote was the standout for Kent as he shined in front of Davidson head coach Bob McKillop and Rice head coach Mike Rhoades among others. Kylan Guerra, a sharp-shooting post-graduate, and Jamil Gambari join the returning core of Jack Stevens and Kena Gilmour for a team that looks poised to contend in Class A.

The nightcap of the 2015 Scholar Roundball Classic saw NMH return to the court for their 3rd game of the weekend and latest big win. A.J. Brodeur, who is the team’s rock inside the paint, won Player of the Game honors with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Platek and Reynolds played well again to the tune of 12 and 10 points respectively. Matt Dewolf added 9 points in his best outing of the weekend while Maxwell Lorca-Lloyd showed flashes of his high level upside with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists. While Loomis wasn’t yet capable of going blow for blow with a powerhouse like NMH, they nonetheless showed they are a program with a bright future. While Andre Ferguson leads a 2016 class that should make them a factor this year, the sophomore frontcourt tandem of Nelson Boachie-Yiadom and Jake Glezen should ultimately develop into one of the best in Class A. Boachie-Yiadom took Player of the Game honors showing the skill set to match his size and length around the rim.