Scott Hazelton Camp - Event Recap

Tuesday, August 11th, 2015

The 9th annual Scott Hazelton Basketball Camp hosted over 100 kids at Greater Lawrence Tech in Andover for the first of four days of camp on Monday.

Most notable though were the list of alums who came back to support the event as current college players Kaleb Joseph (Syracuse), Jalen Adams (UConn), Zach Auguste (Notre Dame), Goodluck Okonoboh (UNLV), Curtis Cobb (Fairfield), Cedric Kuakumensah (Brown), Dmitri Floras (Quinnipiac) and David Watkins (New Hampshire) were all on hand to play against the campers throughout the day.

The list of campers was no less impressive. Wenyen Gabriel was in action on the heels of his break-out summer and subsequent offers from Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. Chris Baldwin was on hand and again playing well inside the paint as too were other rising seniors with handfuls of division I offers like Saul Phiri and Mark Gasperini. The 2017 backcourt of Makai Ashton-Langford and Wabissa Bede was doing their thing as usual as well, especially Ashton-Langford, who was going right at Adams and showing he could score on him.

The reason the Hazelton Camp has always been one of the few must-attend events in the month of August though, is because of the young and/or previously under-the-radar talent it helps to showcase and this year was no different.

Nathan Knight (2016, Kimball Union) – The southpaw forward and incoming KUA post-grad starred for the D.C. Blue Devils this summer, racking in tons of D1 offers, but this was one of his first appearances in New England. He didn’t disappoint with a versatile inside-out southpaw attack.

Nate Tenaglia (2016, Tewksbury) – The Tewksbury point guard impressed against high level competition, knocking down jumpers from various spots on the floor, playing hard on both ends and showing why he was the Merrimack Valley Conference MVP last season.

Geo Baker (2017, Proctor Academy) – He’s come a long way in a relatively short amount of time and he looked out to make a point on Monday morning. He was arguably the best shooter in the gym and he knocked down tough threes off both the catch and dribble alike.

Aaron Wheeler (2017, St. Andrew’s) – A long and athletic 6-foot-7 forward who is quick off his feet, Wheeler has always had undeniable physical tools. He showed continued flashes in this setting getting above the rim for blocks and dunks, putting it down in the open floor and making some threes.

Greg Kuakumensah (2017, Cushing Academy) – The lefty is a very good athlete and he made a couple of impressive plays to catch your eye here, both going out of his area to snatch some tough rebounds and then showing great body control to lay-in an off balance finish on the run.

Javon Taylor (2017, Beaver Country Day) – A big guard who combines not just good size, but also a very strong lower body, with his ability to handle the ball. Taylor has a chance to be a tough match-up in the backcourt as he learns to utilize that leverage and be physically aggressive.

Tshiefu Ngalakulondi (2017, Proctor Academy) – He’s another high level athlete on the wing who plays above the cup. He also has a rare combination of long arms and a powerful upper body that make him that much more of a unique match-up.

Tamenang Choh (2017, Brooks School) – Even in a relatively short sample size, Choh’s motor, competitiveness and ability to rebound the ball at his size all stood out on Monday morning and that’s exactly how he picked up his first D1 offer this summer.

Dimon Carrigan (2017, Cambridge Rindge & Latin) – A breakout from this summer’s Stars of Tomorrow Camp, Carrigan continued to show the long limbs, mobility and ability to run the floor that immediately caught our eye in June.

Jakigh Dottin (2017, Cambridge Rindge & Latin) – He’s a bulldog in a china shop off the dribble and while his ability to initiate, and play through contact, off the bounce aren’t new, his improved body control, balance and consequent ability to finish on the move were.

Daniel Rhymer (2017, Cambridge Rindge & Latin) – It’s obviously going to be an exciting couple of years in Cambridge as Rhymer is another impactful player in the rising junior class. With massive shoulders and a powerful body, he’s the enforcer of the group who imposes his will in the paint.

E.J. Perry (2017, Andover) – While most young players hang their hat on what they could be down the road, Perry just gets stuff done. He shot the ball well from three, was one of the few who didn’t waste any dribbles and was efficient from start to finish.

Manytung Maker (2017, Bradford Christian) – He doesn’t have a big name yet but there’s plenty of tools to intrigue you in the long-run here. Maker is 6-foot-7, long, fluid with the ball in the open floor and has some developing half-court skill.

A.J. Reeves (2018, Brimmer & May) – He’s was the best freshmen in New England last year and since then he’s only added another inch or two and started to add a floater game, so his long-term upside only continues to grow.  

David Dukes (2018, Classical High School) – A developing young point guard who already possesses good size and long arms, Dukes also showed the natural instincts to use those tools as he utilized his length off the bounce and made high level drives and finishes alike.  

Philmon Gebrewhit (2018, Holderness School) – His size on the perimeter is his most obvious asset. He also handles the ball very well and can make pull-ups and threes too. With those versatile tools, he has a chance to develop into a tough perimeter match-up.

David Mitchell (2018, Belmont Hill) – He’s well known for his ability to be a man among boys in his own age group, but when you watch Mitchell holding his own physically against guys who have been in a college weight room already, it’s even more impressive.

Jovan Jones (2018, Belmont Hill) – Another youngster with a lot of potential from Belmont Hill, Jones has good size and length on the wing along with a definite instinct for making plays, and even high level passes, with the ball in his hands.

Keigan Kerby (2018, Brooks School) – The rising sophomore is now healthy and looks poised to make a splash. He’s got good size, a natural strong frame and a clear niche for the next level with his ability to space the floor and make shots to the arc.

Jonathan Cenescar (2018, Cambridge Rindge & Latin) – He’s another one who can overpower his peer group with ease. Cenescar is thick and strong, able to get low and plow through the defense like a running back and get up with good bounce off of two feet.

Alex Rivera (2018, Lowell High School) – He’s a combo-guard with a knack for getting buckets and he showed that on Monday. Rivera showed an advanced midrange game with a smooth looking pull-up and the ability to finish at a number of different angles at the rim.

Colin Bradanese (2018, Central Catholic) – He’s said to be much improved and definitely caught our attention with his versatility. At 6-foot-4 he’s willing to mix it up inside but can also step away and knock down the perimeter jumper.

Akok Akok (2018, Manchester West) – There were flashes of a young Wenyen Gabriel from this guy, another tall and lanky underclassmen from Manchester, New Hampshire. Akok already has a strong foundation of skill and good motor. Now the body just needs to start catching up.

Jimmy Yfantopulos (2018, St. John's Prep School) – He’s an obviously gritty youngster who played hard from the moment he got on the floor, even against the high level competition in the camp setting. He also showed a high I.Q. and good willingness to reverse the ball from the point guard position.