Super 16 All-Tournament Team - 9th Grade Division

Friday, June 1st, 2018

Team New England took the 9th grade championship at the Super 16 Showcase in dominating fashion over the weekend, just the latest chapter in what has already been a very successful spring season for the 9th grade squad.

MVP

Dylan Ahearn, Team New England – He played a starring role all weekend long, averaging almost 18 points per game, but he took his game to new levels altogether in the final stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 20+ points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Ahearn is a skilled guard but also a competitor and versatile player at a young age as he has an instinctive feel for the game and plays with toughness on both ends.

First Team All-Tournament

Kingsley Breen, Team New England – A versatile forward who can create his own shot off the dribble, Breen was a model of consistency throughout the tournament and still has upside left to discover in the coming years thanks to his size and athleticism.

Max Poulton, Team New England – A knockdown shooter who can make shots in bunches, Poulton scored at a rapid rate all weekend long and hit a ton of shots in the finals as Team New England ran away with the championship game by a 35 point margin.

Ta-Jae Jenkins, Castle Athletics – Jenkins is a heady point guard with maturity beyond his years. He read the game, made the right pass, and made plays for others on a consistent basis. As he goes, so too does Castle, and this weekend they went all the way to the finals in a terrific showing.  

Malcolm Eley, Castle Athletics – The other half of a dynamic backcourt duo for Castle, Eley distinguishes himself on both ends of the floor. He’s a solid defender who loves to get out in the open floor and is at his best when able to create offense from his defense.

Shy Odom, Boston Bobcats – Still just an 8th grader and yet already a man among boys, Odom is an elite talent with a bright future. A 6’5 athlete with a muscular frame, he dominated the competition utilizing his physical tools and unique skill set. He’s a tremendous rebounder who can handle the ball like a guard and has versatile scoring tools at such a young age.

Jacob Harris, Boston Bobcats – Harris is a long guard who was effective both on and off the ball. He changes speed and direction off the dribble, attacks his defender in the open floor, and has athleticism to finish around the rim while also being a lockdown defender.

Manissa Biyengui, New York Jayhawks – The 6’9 big man is still raw offensively but he’s physical with a strong frame, good athleticism, and great hands. He changes the game defensively with his ability to block shots and clean the glass.

Max Ragusa, New York Jayhawks – A 2022 guard, Regusa has maturity beyond his year. He does a great job facilitating and leading the team at his age and is also able to get into the paint and finish with both hands around the rim.

Brent Rumpel, JB Hoops – JB Hoops made the trip from Pennsylvania and came away making a big impression in multiple age groups. Rumpel was the catalyst for the freshmen as he ran the show from the point, was very steady, and able to control the tempo on both ends of the court.

Jackson McKersie, Metro West Swarm – A long and athletic big man with a high motor, McKersie is a former hockey player who shows a lot of potential on the hardwood. He picks up information quickly and is not afraid to be physical down low.  

Louis Rivera, North Shore Sports Academy – Rivera is an effective scorer who stepped  up to make big plays in key moments this weekend in leading his North Shore Sports Academy team to the National Division championship.

Second Team All-Tournament

Jayden Brown, Team New England – The 6’5 forward was a presence in the paint all weekend long, contesting shots and finishing around the rim. He even showed a developing face-up game with an impressive shooting stroke out to the three-point line.

Gabriel Gallon, Castle Athletics – The 6’7 forward emerged as a defensive anchor for Castle this weekend as he was able to both protect the rim and clean the glass. His size also enables him to score points in the paint while his best basketball remains in front of him.

Brian Gonzalez, Metro West Swarm – The southpaw combo-guard plays both ends of the floor with enthusiasm. He can lock up and pressure the ball defensively while showing a similar attacking mentality with his ability to get into the lane with his dribble.  

Darrel Yepdo, Northeast Extreme – The 5’10 point guard, who will reclassify to 2022 at Brooks, was one of the breakout performers of the tournament. He had the ball on a string, a high I.Q. and equally dangerous jumper. He was even willing to get his nose dirty on defense and the offensive boards.

Ashton Sannasi, CT Rebound – Sinassi led his CT Rebound team to the 9th grade National Division championship game. A shifty point guard with a quick release, what he may lack in size he more than compensates for with extreme confidence as he made clutch shots throughout the weekend.

Connor Knowles, Central Mass Shamrocks – Knowles is a true point guard and floor general who commanded the ball at all times to impact the game in various ways. He drilled 12 threes over three games and averaged 15 points and 10 assists along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals.

Jake Bender, RI Magic – He was the leader of his RI Magic team that made it to the semifinals of the National bracket. Bender is a guard with good size who has a great feel for the game and is very skilled with the ball in his hands and creating his own shot.

Kevin Lanham, Mobillo’s Fitness – Lanham was the go-to scorer for a team that was one of the weekend’s most pleasant surprises. He averaged over 20 points per game while showing excellent shot mechanics and a quick release from behind the arc to lead Mobillo’s Fitness into bracket play.

Ben Carroll, New Haven Heat – The 6’6 southpaw was a beast in the paint and one of the top rebounders in the division, averaging a double-double throughout the weekend. He combined a powerful physical presence with a soft touch that extended into the mid-range area.

Dom Campbell, Northeast Elite – The 6’6 super-sized big man had a pair of double-doubles in three games this weekend while scoring in double figures every time he took the court. With good size and physicality, he has a chance to be a scholarship prospect with improved conditioning.  

Dashon Gittens, GHPA – A raw athlete who is not a finished product physically, Gittens showed a very strong feel for the game and willingness to make the extra pass. He was also an opportunistic scorer who wasn’t afraid to attack and had his jumper going throughout the weekend as well.

Axel Kaballa, New York Lightning Select – The skilled guard is always in attack mode and looking to make plays. He knows how to use his body well, especially when finishing inside the lane, and showed an ability to adapt to whatever the defense threw at him.

Brendan McNamara, Middlesex Magic – McNamara paced the Magic attack this weekend. He’s fundamentally sound with growing offensive versatility, willing to play the right way on that end of the floor, and developing defensive grit as well.

Tate Matte, C4 – Matte has a great understanding of the game for such a young player.  He made several reads off ball screens and handoffs that older point guards struggle with and stood out by virtue of his basketball I.Q. and willingness to get his teammates involved.

Justin Desautels, Grand Sachems – Everything went through Desautels on Sunday as he is equipped with high-level vision and the ability to score from midrange. He also has a wide enough frame to be a factor in the post and should be an intriguing prospect to follow in the coming years.

Juan Salas, Boston Warriors – Salas is a creative and crafty guard who was  fearless driving to the basket this weekend. He showed off an array of dribble moves to get a piece of the paint and equally versatile finishing tools once around the rim.

Rowan McDonald, YES! – Rowan shined on both sides of the ball this weekend. He created havoc defensively as his ball pressure forced numerous turnovers. Offensively, he was able to score going to the rim in the open floor and also by knocking down some jumpers.

Elijah Parent, CT Passion – Parent may be undersized but he’s very skilled and has a high basketball I.Q. He plays a pass first style and finished with 27 assists over the course of just three games while also being a consistent threat to stretch the floor with his shooting range.

Shea Skowyra, Mass Select – Skowyra is a well-built guard who is quite strong for his age. He played nearly every minute for his Mass Select team and can hit the midrange jumper with a hand in his face. Defensively he defends the length of the court and forces his opponents to work for every open look.

Tommy Dunn, Central Mass Shamrocks – Dunn is a big guard who kept getting better as the weekend went on finishing with 20 and 25 points in the Shamrocks’ final two games. He has impressive shooting range, had double figure rebounds in multiple games, and defended well.

Andrew Lussier, Northeast xtreme – The 6’2 forward was a match up nightmare for opposing teams’ big men all weekend as he knocked down open threes but also operated in the post. His high basketball I.Q. and versatility allowed him to create mismatch problems all weekend.

Andrew Plympton, RI Magic – An athletic combo-guard with a high motor, Plympton was another weapon in the RI Magic backcourt. He averaged over 15 points per game this weekend while scoring both inside the paint as well as behind the arc.

Dereyk Grant, New Haven Heat – The lefty point guard showed that he could score with the best of them yet was still able to get others involved at a high rate. He hit some deep, contested jumpers and was even able to change the game defensively.