Ten to Watch in 2017

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

After recently publishing updated rankings in the classes of 2014, 2015, and 2016, today we’ll take a look at ten prospects to watch in the current freshman class.  

Tomas Murphy came out of the middle school ranks as the biggest name in New England’s class of 2017 and has backed up that billing through the first seven games of his high school career, leading Prout to a 6-1 record in the RIIL while averaging over 17 points per game and essentially playing all five positions on the floor.  

No two freshmen have been more impressive thus far in the NEPSAC than Rivers’ Jermaine Samuels and South Kent’s Tremont Waters.  Samuels has been putting huge scoring numbers on the board, including a 30 point performance at the Scholar Roundball Classic.  Meanwhile Waters has wasted no time in proving that neither his age nor his size will at all impact his ability to make an immediate impact in the nation’s best prep school league, Class AAA of the NEPSAC.  In fact, his 30 point performance at the National Prep Showcase was unprecedented for a freshman in that event.  

Hassahn French has been one of the backbones of a Commonwealth Academy program that is making a huge splash, establishing themselves as a national program on the rise, while French brings an element of explosive power that is currently unmatched in the class.    

Playing behind three high level upperclassmen like Kaleb Joseph, Jalen Adams, and Idris Taqqee hasn’t afforded Cushing Academy junior Kimani Lawrence to put up the numbers of some of his peers, but there’s no denying his upside and long-term potential.  

Northfield Mount Hermon forward Jerome Desrosiers was the most physically dominant freshman at this fall’s Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Showcase and is already seeing consistent rotation minutes at NMH where he’s able to contribute not just physically but also with his skills and basketball I.Q.  

Commonwealth Academy point guard Jordan Vidal was equally impressive at the Elite 75 Frosh/Soph and now one of the pillars of the CA program not only as the team’s starting point guard but also one of their primary perimeter playmakers.    

Another CA product, Jordan Hardwick, is absolutely loaded with upside and a guy that could very likely play his way up this list in the years to come.  He’s long and athletic with inside-out tools and as his physical tools continue to emerge, and his skill set starts to keep up, he’s only going to keep getting better.  

Sunday Okeke has been putting up big numbers for Greens Farms Academy this season, not just scoring the ball inside but also pulling the ball off the glass.  With a plethora of physical tools and a motor to match, he’s another with a bright future ahead of him.  

Holy Cross center Shawn Coles is still young and raw, but he’s oozing potential with his size, length, quick feet, and soft hands.  That hasn’t resulted in big numbers just yet, but that’s not uncommon for young big men, and so he’s definitely one to watch in the coming years.  

Beaver Country Day's Javon Taylor, Proctor's Tshiefu Ngalakulondi, Commonwealth's Shyheim Hicks and Keon Queen, Weaver's Jaecee Martin, and Cushing's Jarrod Simmons are other 2017 prospects who have proven themselves to be prospects to watch.