Unsigned 2025 Event Recap - The Guards pt. 1

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

The guard position is always one of the larger majorities that make up the high school basketball ranks. This group however had a number of very impressive guys who may already have scholarship spots, and were looking to keep boosting their stock, while some others really helped themselves get their names out there.

Today we start with part one of the guard recap, with more to come on the big group in tomorrow's recap.

Aidan Losiewicz, Newman - With two scholarship offers coming his way recently, Losiewicz came in as a riser in the class. It was pretty evident in his outing why his recruitment had picked up, as he stood out in a variety of areas. The guard's quickness shined as he made steals, and snapped passes to create for others. His athleticism and ability to play off of two feet inside led to a number of baskets. Losiewicz's consistency as a knock down shooting threat has been well noted and was seen here as he hit three's and mid-range pull-up's. D2's still looking should look his way.

Kyle Benjamin, St. Andrew's (RI) - The big guard was certainly one of the top standouts of the night with his ability to take over a game as a scoring option. Benjamin's ability to be consistent as a shooter has improved immensely over the past year, and was clear at Emmanuel on Monday where he hit a number of trey ball's. When he got inside, Benjamin did what he does and spun off defenders to get to the bucket, or fadeway and hit tough shots falling away. His vision to get others the rock stood out as well.

Isaiah Hynson, Bridgton (ME) - Hynson has shown to have scholarship talent over the years playing down in his home state of Delaware before making the move up to Maine for a postgraduate year. He's a strong, southpaw guard that plays very aggressively when looking to get inside and score in the paint. His release from outside is smooth, allowing him to operate as a pretty consistent threat from beyond the arc. On the defensive end he uses his size and strength well to guard multiple positions with quick feet to complement it. Still in search of a spot, he's an intriguing piece to look into out of the North.

Travis Upchurch, Bridgeport Prep (CT) - As mentioned on X, Upchurch's prior experience playing at higher levels of the game allowed him to be pretty dominant at the event. He keeps the ball on a string and low to the ground, making it extremely tough to get stripped. His handle, combined with his gamechanging speed led to him racking up points off the dribble and in transition. Upchurch showed off his advanced touch on finishes throughout, while knocking down self-created three's as well.

Darius Ajakaiye, Wilbraham & Monson - A vital factor to WMA's run to the playoffs in AA of the NEPSAC, Ajakaiye's a guard to know still on the market for a spot in the class of 2025. The Rhode Island native is a two-way guard that can really hound the ball as a defender. He's quick with athleticism and lateral movement to move all around the court. On the offensive end, he can run the offense, making passing reads and scoring the ball when needed.

Davis Mann, Falmouth (ME) - If you haven't heard, this Falmouth (ME) senior had 43 points in the state championship game, and took home the hardware with his local high school. Mann's ability to take over games is pretty easy to see, especially in the scoring column. He has a knack for getting inside while being able to play through contact, spin off defenders, or make a tough shot. Mann sees the floor well too and can make sneaky passes that the defense doesn't see coming. Hidden gem in New England's most northern state.

Lester Rodriguez, Charette Charter (RI) - Rodriguez was a part of a pretty dynamic trio at Central High School in Providence, and put those who were not familiar with his game on notice in his showing. The guard's handle and overall skill with the ball to manipulate his dribble to mix up defenders, led to him being able to create shots from three or attack lanes to get in the paint. His passing vision is notable, as he often threaded the ball through the opposing team, and he plays with strength as well.

Leighton Williams, Wheatland Chili (NY) - A lot of talk around the college coaches watching on was just how physically developed the Rochester native is, and how well he uses his strength to impact the game. With toughness and muscle, Williams got to the rack, but his athleticism and ability to remained balance in the air led to buckets off the glass. On the defensive end, he made an impact with his quick hands in the lane and on the ball, forcing a good amount of turnovers.

Tyrell Green, Lee (ME) - Green's explosiveness with the ball stood out right away when watching his team play as he was able to sway defenders right off the catch and attack the basket. Running the point, Green was able to speed down the floor and attack the defense in transition or in the half court. He's an athletic finisher with some crafty touch and sprays the ball out when getting into the lane.

Akbar Allah, Putnam Tech (MA) - We've seen Allah standout in front of the NERR staff over the years, and the Springfield native did so once again the other night. The guard's quickness is easy to see when he gets on the floor. His speed combined with lateral movement and IQ oftentimes allows him to shoot right through openings in the defense. Just under six feet, he makes up for it with his bounce, and ability to make jumpers/floaters over defenders.

Kobe Nguyen, North Quincy (MA) - Just south of Boston, Nguyen had a tremendous senior season with North Quincy, consistently standing out and making first team in his league. The guard's ability to defend and keep up with quick guards on that end of the floor is impressive. He's a capable maestro of the offense with a solid handle and good passing chops to run sets and make the right reads."

Love Bertrand, Whitman Hanson (MA) - Bertrand showed some glimpses of being a sound combo guard at the showcase as he took more of an off-ball role for his squad. The Whitman-Hanson standout is a capable shooter from outside with a clean release to his shot. Off the dribble he can take defenders to the basket with good use of hesitations and patience to get them off-balance.

Patrick Madden, Hopedale (MA) - Still looking for a spot after a legendary career in the small town of Hopedale, Madden brought his strong guard play to the floor. As the catalyst of their offense, Madden's sharpshooting made him a consistent threat to score the ball from outside. He does a good job of getting into opposing ballhandlers of the defensive end to get deflections and jump start transition opportunities through turnovers. Led his team to their first state championship appearance in the last 25 years.

Anthony Thompson, Northwest Catholic (CT) - The quick point guard out of Connecticut has been a standout for some time now competing for a Northwest Catholic squad that is seemingly always in the mix in the postseason. His ballhandling and poise at the guard spot stood out for his squad as he timed his drives well and opened up the floor for others. He was able to step into some outside shots and show off his arsenal from that aspect, while forcing turnovers when the opportunities arose.

Jair Mathis, Lee (ME) - A name pretty synonymous with the New Haven Heat program out of Connecticut, Mathis packed his bags to head up to Lee Academy for another season of reps and development. His southpaw play as a lead guard caught the eye of our scouts as he was able to use his higher release to show he is a formidable threat from outside. He's got good command of the ball with his handle, with a bag of dribble moves and hesitations to get to his spots on the floor.

Hilary Iyare, BC High (MA) - Iyare unfortunately had to miss his senior season, but picked right up where he left off in our last viewing at the New England Open Gym. Standing at 6'1", Iyare brings a quick, explosive punch to the backcourt with a relentless ability to beat defenders off the dribble. His on-ball defending skills are notable as he gets low into his stance, moves quick on his feet, and uses his plus wingspan to make an impact.

Matt Raffa, St. Andrew's (RI) - After a standout career at Barrington High School, Raffa moved onto the nearby NEPSAC AA  program at St. Andrew's under head coach Mike Hart. His ability to shoot the ball in a variety of ways from deep was our biggest takeaway of the night after watching him play. Raffa was able to get shots off the bounce and catch, and hit them pretty consistently with his quick, low release.

Micah Johnson, East HS (Rochester NY) - Winning runs in Johnson's blood as he's lost less than 10 career games across his four years of high school in Rochester. His shooting capablities were on full display at the showcase as he was knocking down three's both off the catch and the dribble pretty seamlessly at one point. He's got some size as a lead guard with quickness to match and deserves some looks.

Wellbi Perez, Berkshire (MA) - The Boston native played a postgraduate season for the Berkshire School out in Western Mass this season, and played well in his outing on Monday. Perez is a competent guard that can serve his team well whether he's on or off the ball. He sees the floor well when penetrating the defense, and makes some impressive reads with his passing. Perez can score it from outside pretty consistently, as he has a quick load up to his shot.

Eric Poso, Rice Memorial (VT) - Finishing up his career at local VPA powerhouse, 6'0 guard Eric Poso had a strong showing at the Unsigned Event. His vocal leadership on the court and focus on the next play are a couple attributes every coach asks for. Once he got to his spots inside the arc he demonstrated pretty good touch and was able to make things happen. His rebounding motor stood out on both ends of the floor as well.

Jason Kamau, Lowell Catholic (MA) - As a top contributor for one of the state of Massachusetts best public school teams this year, the Lowell HS put his skills to the test. He does a good job of keeping defenders on his hip, and using his body to shield the ball from them. He made some aggressive shots getting to the cup using his burst off the bounce, while knocking down some shots as well. His passing stood out on the move as he was able to get it out to his shooters."

Josh Maher, Massanutten (VA) - Maher thrives as an off-ball guard that can let it fly from outside. He shoots the ball at a really high clip, needing little room to get his shots off. He does so with speed as well, getting his feet set and rising right up into his shots.

Matej Gruevski, Hebron Academy (ME) - The Macedonian native just completed a season up north at Hebron Academy, and showed off his intriguing game in front of a gym full of college coaches. His shot from outside caught our attention as he releases the ball at it's highest point, making for a tough assignment for defenders to track down. He uses his handle well to navigate around the court, and showed some tough shotmaking as he converted off-balance fadeaways in the mid-range.