| New England Recruiting Report

Catamounts Get Crenca

Posted Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Ben Crenca is a Catamount…or at least he will be beginning in the fall of 2009. The big man from Worcester Academy gave Vermont head coach Mike Lonergan a verbal commitment on Sunday afternoon.His commitment ends what had been a long and local recruiting battle, as there were a plethora of schools from the northeast hoping to land one of the few true low post players available this year. In fact, Crenca’s long list of scholarship offers included schools in… READ MORE >

Sam Martin is Ivy Bound

Posted Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

For many aspiring division I players, July is the most important month of the year. Players span the country going from camp to camp and tournament to tournament in hopes of attracting the attention of college coaches. Sam Martin was no different as he went from the Hoop Group Elite Camp to the Hoop Mountain Academic All-American Camp to the Joe Brown Memorial Tournament to the Super 16 Showcase. Then in the second half of the month he was in… READ MORE >

New Englanders Shine at Session IV of Hoop Group Elite Camp

Posted Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

Alex Francis was one of three local players selected to the underclassmen all-star game on the final day of the Hoop Group Elite Camp. The New York native is ideally suited for the camp setting, where run and jump athletes are at a premium. Francis was able to make a plethora of plays around the rim at both ends of the floor as his size, athleticism, and speed separated him from the competition. Francis’ best performance may have come in… READ MORE >

AAU Nationals Come to an End

Posted Friday, August 1st, 2008

Team Breakdown defeated the NY Gauchos in the finals of AAU nationals on Friday afternoon, but the championship may actually have been decided on Thursday night, when Breakdown snuck by BABC 67-66. Going into that game, many people predicted the winner would be a huge favorite in the championship game. Boy were they ever proven right. Breakdown dominated the Gauchos for much of the contest and came away with a 17 point victory. Meanwhile, BABC fell in the third place… READ MORE >

Orlando Update

Posted Thursday, July 31st, 2008

In order to advance to the championship bracket of the AAU Nationals, teams had to finish pool play in either 1st or 2nd place in their respective pools. Seven teams from New England satisfied that requirement as BABC, CBC, MBR, and the Boston Warriors Elite all won their pools, while BABC South, CT Flame, and Metro Boston all finished 2nd. Of those seven teams, only BABC and CBC lasted past the first round of the championship bracket (Metro Boston won… READ MORE >

DeSantis Shines at Eastern Invitational Academic Camp

Posted Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

While Academic Elite week at Eastern Invitational may not compare to session II in terms of the amount of pure talent on hand, it may actually be a better brand of basketball. This week’s camp saw much less one on one play, and much more ball movement, player movement, and knocked down jumpers. Greg DeSantis was one of the top performers at the camp. He scored the ball consistently throughout the week and continued to raise the level of his… READ MORE >

Notre Dame Offers Knight

Posted Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Thomas Knight’s recruiting stock has rapidly grown since the AAU season began. When the April live period began, most considered him a probable low major player with Ivy, Patriot, and America East schools showing the most interest. But in April he began to generate some buzz as he demonstrated an improved body, level of conditioning, and overall impact on both ends of the floor. That in addition to his combination of size and skill level was enough for a variety… READ MORE >

A Day Later, Berthiaume Makes Decision

Posted Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Alex Berthiaume is headed to St. Michael’s. He has accepted a full scholarship offer from head coach Tom O’Shea and will begin school next month. “I’m pumped,” Berthiaume told the New England Recruiting Report. “This is what I have always hoped for.”While the decision to pass on the opportunity to do a post-graduate year at MCI was a hard one, ultimately St. Mike’s just had too much to offer. “It really just seems like it will be a perfect fit,”… READ MORE >

Pool Play Comes to a Close at Nationals

Posted Monday, July 28th, 2008

For BABC, it almost seems as if losing is never an option or nowhere close to their thought process. They were able to run through Garner Road Elite 81-68 in their final pool play game at the AAU Nationals in Orlando.Leo Papile's group was able to generate much of their offense through a pressure zone defense which made things tough for Garner Road Elite. Much of the scenario was the same in the first quarter, whatever shots Garner Elite could… READ MORE >

Berthiaumes Strong Summer Leads to Big Decision