Scholar Roundball Classic - Sunday Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, December 11th, 2017

An exciting weekend of basketball came to an end on Sunday at Babson College with seven more games at the Scholar Roundball Classic in front of colleges ranging from the likes of Notre Dame, California, UConn, Providence, and Davidson all the way to academic division III schools like Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, WPI, and numerous others. There were also several coaches in attendance from Ivy and Patriot schools including the head coaches at Yale, Harvard, Brown, and Holy Cross.

Kimball Union Academy 80 Phillips Andover 64

KUA played an inspired and physical brand of basketball to bounce back from Saturday’s loss and score a convincing win. Nick Timberlake led five players in double figures with 18 points showing both a high motor and explosive athleticism in the open floor. Junior forward Will Engelhardt’s inside-out skill set was on display as he drilled shots to the arc for 14 pints while Yale bound guard Eze Dike scored 13 in front of his future head coach. Jordan Huntley and Enoch Cheeks were also in double figures as Huntley ran the show and Cheeks was seeking out contact off his dribble. Dallion Johnson led Andover with 24 points as his full skill set was on display, not just beyond the arc but also inside the lane as well. Matteo Whelton was impressive with his full floor game as he showed a passing ability to match his shot-making.

Blair Academy 92 Cheshire Academy 60

Blair opened with great energy and didn’t let up for all 36 minutes. Jordan Dingle was the key out of the gate as he played with great energy on both ends, utilized his powerful body, and also made shots off both the catch and the dribble. Ultimately though it was Gabriel Ravetz who earned Player of the Game honors as he finished with a game high 27 points on a full assortment of tough jumpers. Freshman guard Jaylen Blakes made a strong first impression and put his name on the map as the 15 year old scored 11 points while showing his clear upside. Aaron Burt led the way for Cheshire showing his versatility on the defensive end and scoring a team high 13 points. Eamon Fitzpatrick provided a spark of needed energy as well.

Choate 45 Hill School 43

In the upset of the day, Choate Rosemary Hall hung on to knock off the powerhouse from Pennsylvania. Unsigned wing Jayden Nixon earned Player of the Game honors with 18 points showing explosive athleticism and improved skill. Caden Dumas anchored the interior with his toughness and quick finishing ability while Jake Sullivan and Brad Landry also made a number of critical plays. Unsigned big man Seth Maxwell was a bright spot for Hill as he showed a great combination of size and skill as a seven-footer who could space the floor. Nick Alikakos had some crafty plays around the rim while freshman wing Gabe Dorsey splashed threes and showed a high upside as well.

Northfield Mount Hermon 96 Perkiomen 69

Perkiomen was able to stay within striking distance for the better part of the first 30 minutes until NMH’s depth eventually allowed them to pull away late. Junior guard Ryan Greer earned Player of the Game honors with a team high 19 points surrounded by a series of tough plays on both ends. Nate Laszewski showed his trademark floor spacing ability with 17 points in front of an assistant from Notre Dame while Noah Kirkwood, Kai Toews, and Chuck Hannah were all in double figures as well. Kirkwood continues to stand out as Harvard’s latest steal while Hannah does the exact same for Elon. Local Connecticut native Nick Guadarrama scored 20 in his New England homecoming showing his combination of strength and deceptive athleticism while junior shot-maker Tautvydas Kupstas drilled shots from long-range for 19 points.

Vermont Academy 76 Loomis Chaffee 64

A short-handed Loomis squad came in without junior star Jaiden Delaire and battled valiantly until the very end. Simisola Shittu was a man among boys though as the consensus top ten national prospect scored 33 points on a series of athletic drives, showing his unique combination of size, athleticism, and playmaking ability. Alec Spence showed why he is under-recruited with an extremely efficient 15 points as he was scoring in a variety of ways inside of 16 feet. Sophomore guard Symir Torrence had his full floor game going as well as he made shots, moved the ball, and was physically imposing as well. Loomis was led by post-grad guards Jalen Cobb and K.J. Harris who scored 20 points and 13 points respectively while sophomore guard Josh Menard ran the show and finished with 10 points of his own.

Avon Old Farms 76 Greens Farms 67

AOF post-graduate forward Brian Amabilino Perez earned Player of the Game honors with a series of big buckets down the stretch of the second half. Perez finished with a game high 27 points showing not just three-point range but also excellent finishing ability around the paint. Freshman Kyle Cuffe showed he has a bright future as he scored 14 points, including a pair of threes, and was a critical component of the team’s backcourt. Kehinde Aruwajoye anchored the team’s interior defense. GFA, who was playing without junior guard Cole Prowitt-Smith, got a huge outing out of senior guard Henry Holzinger, who knocked down six threes and scored 25 of his game high 32 points in the first half. Junior forward Greg Lawrence also had a solid showing while sophomore David Basich Jr. made his bright future clear as well.

Canterbury 66 Brimmer & May 59

This one went back and forth the entire way and kept a good number of college coaches in the stands until the very end. Balance was the key for Canterbury as four different players finished in double figures. Post-graduate shot-maker Mike Speight led the way with 17 on an assortment of jumpers and drives alike. Emmanuel Ansogn and Kieffer Punter, a pair of athletes on the wing, each had 14 while showing their upside. 6-foot-10 big man Logan ODonnell was tough in the paint with 12 points. A.J. Reeves scored a team high 23 points for Brimmer & May while Jordan Minor had 13 and just as many rebounds. Jimmy Yfantopulos finished with 11 in the backcourt.