Yale Elite Camp – Event Recap

Ephraim McDowell | Sunday, June 14th, 2009

While the Rumble in the Bronx was going on in New York, some of the best student-athletes in the country flocked to New Haven, Connecticut for the Yale Elite Camp. The weekend-long camp was designed to give kids who are talented both in the classroom and on the basketball court a chance to be seen by coaches from some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. Amongst a deep, national field of players, a number of New England products stood out and made the most of their opportunity. Here are some of the New England players who shined:

Greg Kelley, Newton North- From the opening night of camp, Kelley established himself as one of the elite big men in the gym. At times, he was unstoppable, as he stepped out to make threes, put the ball on the floor effectively, and scored in the post. He also displayed a high motor, making several hustle plays and controlling the defensive glass. Altogether, Kelley had an excellent weekend, fully demonstrating why multiple Ivy League schools are enamored with him.

Luke Matarazzo, Choate Rosemary Hall- Undoubtedly one of the premiere guards at camp, Matarazzo had a very good weekend overall. The diminutive floor general was consistently able to beat defenders off the dribble with his quickness and tight handle. Once he got into the lane, he generally made a good decision, whether it was kicking out to a shooter, dropping the ball off to a big man, or taking contact and finishing himself. Matarazzo also showed great toughness and foot speed, as he put relentless ball pressure on opposing point guards. Matarazzo simply will not back down from anyone, and, despite his size, he proved there are not too many point guards around better than him.

Isaiah Salafia, Cromwell- Salafia starred this weekend due to his tremendous athleticism, solid handle, and high energy level. Salafia could run and jump with anyone in the gym, helping him excel in the open floor. He also repeatedly broke down defenders off the bounce to either get to the rim or create space for his pull-up. Though he shot the ball inconsistently this weekend, Salafia still presented himself very well to the coaches in attendance. He was also able to cap off his weekend nicely by capturing the one on one title on the final day of camp.

Max Barrett, Brunswick- A two-guard with good size, Barrett shot the ball extremely well at times this weekend. He has a good stroke, and when he is on, he will certainly stretch a defense.

Sean Dempsey, Notre Dame-West Haven- Dempsey is a heady combo-guard with a solid handle and a smooth release. He is mistake free with the ball in his hands, and when he plays without the ball, he can come off screens and make shots.

James Havlicek, Hopkins School- This 6’7 post player is pretty skilled out to about 15 feet. This weekend, he showed the ability to score with his back to the basket, as well as knock down a medium range jumper.

Laurent Firlotte, Green Farms- This southpaw is a good catch and shoot player, as he consistently made teams pay when he was left open. He also displayed his shooting prowess by making the final round of the three-point contest.

Ryan Kolb, Holy Cross- With nice size at the wing position, Kolb is able to consistently convert on his soft mid-range jumper, off either the catch or the bounce.

Dennis Levene, Weston- At 6’7, Levene moves very well and can put the ball on the floor. Unquestionably a finesse big man, Levene will step out and make shots from the perimeter as well.