National Prep Showcase: Day 2

Day 2 of the National Prep Showcase featured competitive games all day long at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. Huge upsets, come from behind victories, overtimes, and dominant individual performances were all seen. Let’s start with the biggest upset of this young season and what could be one of the biggest upsets of the year:

Upset of the Day:

Kiski 79 Brewster Academy 77

Spectators were eagerly awaiting Brewster’s first tournament game of the weekend to see what their star studded line-up could do featuring at least six high level Division One recruits. Top 10 junior, Chris McCullough started the show off with a few quick baskets and displayed an elite athleticism not seen in many people his size. With Brewster jumping to a quick lead, most fans were wondering how big the Brewster margin of victory would be. Senior, Rashad Richardson of Kiski had other plans. Listed as a 6’6” forward from Lafayette, IN and an IPFW commit, Richardson was soon seen dropping 3’s from all parts of the court while also finishing strong athletic drives to the basket. Brewster took a 38-34 lead to the half before a back and forth second half began. Kiski never went away and continued to come up with big shot after big shot en route to a five point lead with under a minute to play. Syracuse commit Ron Patterson had been fairly quiet for the most part before he tried to lead Brewster on a comeback in the final minutes with aggressive drives to the basket. Despite some late game heroics, Brewster missed a shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Kiski escaped with an upset win and Richardson led the way with 29 points. While relatively unknown before 7pm, Richardson made sure that all of the fans and college coaches in attendance knew who he was by the time the Brewster upset ended. 

Games of the Day:

South Kent 96 Vermont Academy 90 (OT)

Rashad Richardson

It might have been tough to follow the Kiski / Brewster game, but South Kent and Vermont Academy ended a long Day 2 with a bang. South Kent led 32-16 at halftime and looked to have the game well in hand. Vermont Academy came out focused in the 2^nd half and immediately got back in the game behind the play of shooting guard Daquein McNeil (FIU), point guard Dimitri Flores (2014), and small forward Richard Williams (2013). Behind increased defensive pressure and a flurry of three pointers, Vermont Academy quickly erased the halftime deficit and even took a six point lead. South Kent did not go quietly, as guard Shane Rector (2013) took over with a team high 28 points. This game eventually went to overtime before South Kent pulled away to win by 6. Most spectators were hoping to leave this game early, but instead were treated to a late night surprise.

New Hampton 74 Hargrave Military Academy 73

Hargrave came into the game with a buzz after their Day 1 play. Led by future Louisville guards Terry Rozier and Anton Gill, Hargrave took a commanding lead into halftime. Rozier did not let down after his Day 1 exploits and got to the rim at will. Like most games in this tournament, the second half was a different story. After a quiet first half spent in foul trouble, Noah Vonleh of New Hampton came alive. Fresh off a commitment to Indiana University, Vonleh showed why he is a Top 10 player in the class of 2013. Using his power and speed, Vonleh brought his team back and finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds. Former Missouri commit, Travis Jorgenson, also played well for New Hampton as a variety of high level D-1 coaches had their eye on the Columbia, MO native.

Top Performers:

As discussed above, Rashad Richardson of Kiski and Noah Vonleh of New Hampton had the most impressive performances. Richardson led the way in the Brewster upset with seven 3’s and athletic drives to the basket. After the upset, Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports noted that Richardson has not yet signed his LOI with IPFW. 

Chris McCullough, 6’9” 2014 F Brewster Academy: Watching McCullough play left observers shaking their head in disbelief. With extremely long arms and elite athleticism, McCullough is fantastic at running in the open court and finishing with power or grace. He scored a team high 17 points for Brewster and recorded several blocked shots. Syracuse fans can expect him to wreck havoc in their 2-3 zone. McCullough took one outside shot, which missed, however he did display a nice stroke and hit several 5-10 foot jump shots. 

Martez Harrison, 5’11”, 2013 PG Brewster Academy: Harrison is stuck behind guards Kevin Zabo and Jared Terrell in the Brewster rotation, but was one of the most impressive players in the first half ageist Kiski. Harrison used his blazing speed and strength to finish in traffic and find open teammates. Currently being recruited by Missouri Valley schools, Harrison could see a bump in his stock over the next few months.

Robert Champion, 6’5” 2013 SG Brewster Academy: Champion was the best jump shooter throughout the first two days of the Showcase. Sporting one of the quickest releases in high school basketball, he only needed a brief moment of daylight to launch a three that usually found the bottom of the net. Champion also added a nice two-handed dunk in the second half for good measure. Champion is currently being recruited by low D-1 schools in the Northeast. It will be surprising if mid-majors do not try to get involved in Champion’s recruitment given his height and shooting ability.

Deandre Burnett, 6’2” 2013 G Massanutten Military Academy: Burnett, a Miami native with a commitment to the U, dropped a Showcase high of 40 points. Teamed with future Kansas guard Frank Mason, Burnett was almost impossible to contain off the dribble and constantly attacked the defense.

Daquein McNeil, 6’3” 2013 G Vermont Academy: McNeil, a FIU commit had a strong game scoring 31 points in a losing overtime effort. McNeil threw down powerful dunks off of steals along with long range three’s. McNeil will bring a Baltimore toughness to Pitino’s FIU squad in the years to come. 

Dimitri Flores, 6’1” 2014 PG Vermont Academy: Flores was the sparkplug in Vermont’s second half rally scoring 18 of his 22 points in the 2^nd half. Flores loved the one dribble step back jumper throughout the game and mixed in several three pointers in the 2^nd half. He ran Vermont with minimal turnovers and constantly found teammates for open shots. 

Day 3:

Brewster Academy starts the day off with a 10am game as this star studded team looks to rebound from an opening defeat. Noah Vonleh will attempt to repeat his dominating 27 point and 18 rebound performance, while powerful small forward Wayne Seldon matches up with Rashad Richardson in an afternoon tilt.