HASSAN DIARRA, 6’3” POINT GUARD, PUTNAM SCIENCE

SIGNED w/ TEXAS A&M

Led Putnam Science Academy to a 34-3 record and a share of the 2020 National Prep Championship…avg’d 15 Pts/5.2 Reb/4.8 Ast/2.2 Stl en route to surpassing fellow Queens-native Hamidou Diallo to become the program’s All-Time Leading Scorer, finishing his career with 1,469 Points…Also finished as Putnam Science’s All-Time Wins Leader with 112 and finished in the program’s top-5 in career Rebounds, Steals and Assists…Two-time National Prep Champion and consensus top-75 prospect in the National Class of 2020 (top-30 IMHO) who committed to HC Buzz Williams and Texas A&M on October 18, 2019

Femi Odukale, 6’5” Point Guard, Springfield-Commonwealth/PITTSBURGH

RJ Blakney, 6’6” Wing, Loomis Chaffee/DAYTON

Terrence Clarke, 6’7” Wing, Brewster/KENTUCKY

Matt Cross, 6’7” Wing, Brewster/MIAMI

Bensley Joseph, 6'1" Point Guard, Cushing 2021

Sean Durugordon, 6’6” Wing, Canterbury 2021

Darius Ervin, 5’9” Point Guard, Northfield-Mt Hermon/CORNELL 

Kadary Richmond, 6’5” PG/Wing, Brewster/SYRACUSE

Alex Karaban, 6’8” Wing, New Hampton 2022

Kyle Filipowski, 7’ Big/Wing, Wilbraham & Monson 2022

Odukale was the runner-up for Player of the Year honors after a remarkable post-grad campaign at SCA. The Brooklyn-native came into the season as a priority recruit in the A-10 and ended it by choosing between programs in the ACC, Pac-12 and Big East. The 6’5” Point Guard avg’d 17.5 Pts/8.2 Reb/8.5 Ast/2.7 Stl/1.2 Blk while shooting 52% FG/39% 3pt/78% FT and was the major force behind SCA’s 30-7 record...After missing the majority of the ’18-’19 season due to injury, Blakney arrived in New England with far less fan fare than most. But by the time he left Loomis, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who made a bigger impression on the region’s hoop scene this season. The future-Dayton wing avg’d 20.9 Pts/6.5 Reb/2.3 Ast/1.1 Stl while shooting 57.8% FG/82% FT to lead Loomis to the 2020 NEPSAC-A Championship…Clarke has entered each of the last 3 seasons with gigantic expectations but has always found a way to meet them at the end of the day. The future-Kentucky wing avg’d 16.8 Pts/5.9 Reb/2.6 Ast while shooting 51% from the field and leaves Brewster as one of a handful of players in program history to win 2 National Championships…For the 1st time in his career, Cross was surrounded by four other dangerous offensive weapons and the 6’7” Miami-commit made the most of his open looks. Cross avg’d 15.9 Pts/6.1 Reb/1.4 Ast/1.2 Stl and shot 40% from 3 (83-204 3pt) this season…Durugordon was a double-double machine for Canterbury, averaging 23 Pts/11.5 Reb/3 Ast per game while leading his team to the NEPSAC-B Championship and a 22-game win streak to end the season. The dynamic 6’6” wing also owned shooting slashes of 52% FG/43.8% 3pt/78% FT on the year.

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Ervin capped off his stellar prep career by surpassing the 1,000-point mark in NMH’s blowout win over IMG at the National Prep Championship. The Floor General averaged 18.1 Pts/4.7 Ast/3.8 Reb/1.1 Stl while shooting an absurd 50% FG/51% 3pt/90% FT on the season, making him the lone member of the 50/50/90 Club in New England Prep School hoops…Joseph has cemented his status as one of the top Point Guards in the National Class of 2021. He put those ever-improving Floor General skills on display more consistently than anyone in the region, avg’ing 15.4 Pts/7.2 Reb/6.8 Ast/3.9 Stl for a Cushing squad that went 15-0 in NEPSAC-AA during the regular season…Richmond’s story is great because he struggled to find his true role on a star-studded Brewster squad early in the year. But by the time March rolled around, Richmond was Brewster’s best player and dropped 24 points per game in the postseason. The Syracuse-bound PG/Wing avg’d 12.5 Pts/6 Reb/3.8 Ast/2 Stl for the year…Filipowski and Karaban seem destined to battle for 2022 Big/Wing supremacy until they graduate in a few years. They made that abundantly clear on NEPSAC’s Championship Sunday when they both took home MVP honors while leading their respective teams to titles. Filipowski stole the show during WMA’s 86-81 win over Worcester, scoring 32 points (8-12 FG/1-1 3pt/15-15 FT) to go along with 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Not to be outdone, Karaban responded with 31 points (14-21 FG/1-1 3pt/2-2 FT) and grabbed 8 boards in New Hampton’s 98-91 win over Brewster. For the season, Filipowski avg’d 20.1 Pts/10.5 Reb/1.2 Blk and shot 55% FG with 20 double-doubles. Karaban also avg’d 20.1 Pts to go along with 8.8 Reb/1.8 Ast/1 Blk…New England’s hoop future is as bright as ever!

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Tyler Kolek, 6’3” PG/Wing, St. George’s/GEORGE MASON

Mac Etienne, 6’11” Big, Suffield Academy 2021

Jahmyl Telfort, 6’7” Wing, New Hampton, NORTHEASTERN

Jalen Leach, 6’4” PG/Wing, Tilton/FAIRFIELD

Dasonte Bowen, 6’3” PG/Wing, Worcester 2022

Josh Gray, 7' Big, Putnam Science, LSU 

Jordan Geronimo, 6’6” Wing, St. Paul’s/INDIANA

Jared Garcia, 6’8” Big/Wing, St Thomas More/CHARLOTTE

Javohn Garcia, 6’3” Point Guard, Brewster/UMASS

Dallion Johnson, 6'3" Wing, Phillips-Andover/PENN STATE

Leach was the catalyst for a Tilton squad that came up with big wins on the national stage (Prep Showcase, NPSI and NEPSAC-AA Classic). The future-Fairfield PG/Wing came through with one of the best performances of the ’19-’20 prep season when he exploded for 44 points in an overtime win vs. Winchendon at the 2020 NEPSAC-AA Prep Classic in Worcester. For the season, Leach avg’d 24.2 Pts/7.1 Reb/5.2 Ast…Etienne made sure his name became nationally known by playing with an unmatched motor and level of passion that don’t usually come in a 6’11” package. His production matched that passion for Suffield this season, where the big fella avg’d 15.4 Pts/12.2 Reb/4.1 Blk and took home CT’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award…Kolek lands on the 2nd Team but he’s in my top-5 of guys I’d pay to watch play this beautiful game. The future-George Mason sniper talks shit from start-to-finish, backs it up with buckets and does it all with a smile on his face. Kolek scored over 2,000-points including 39 in the final game of his prep career like a true showman…Telfort remains the most under-appreciated prospect in New England and was even overshadowed by his own teammate after a 24-point, 12-rebound, 5-assist gem vs Brewster to win the 2020 NEPSAC-AAA Championship. The 6’7” Canadian avg’d 14.2 Pts/6.7 Reb/2.8 Ast/1.2 Blk for New Hampton and has to see his recruitment pop at some point in the near future…It seemed like every time Worcester announced a final score, the news would include another 20-something point performance from Bowen. On a team stacked with future-D1 2020’s, the 6’3” PG/Wing found ways to get his buckets with ease and efficiency, including a 23-point (7-13 FG/2-4 3pt/7-7 FT) in the NEPSAC-AA Championship Game. Bowen won’t enjoy seeing two 2022 prospects above him on the 1st Team but that chip on his shoulder is what makes him so damn unique.

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Here comes the “JG” portion of the All-New England Teams. I have no clue how the hell it happened but JG’s are really well-represented this year! Once Josh Gray vowed to become a different man after the holiday break, he became a reliable rebounding machine and finisher in the low post. Gray avg’d 11 Pts/11.7 Reb/1.7 Blk for the National Prep Co-Champs during an 18-game stretch that should catapult the high-ceiling big man into a strong college career…Jordan Geronimo played out his senior season in the same manner he’s played his entire prep career: quiet yet highly productive with signs of big things in the future. Geronimo avg’d 18 Pts/9 Reb/2 Ast/2 Blk/2 Stl and will be a welcomed weapon for the Indiana Hoosiers next season…Much like Gray, Jared Garcia played the best ball of his life as his prep career wound down. He was unstoppable in a win over Springfield-Commonwealth in the Prep Championship and showed the ability to put the ball in the hole from all 3 levels while protecting the rim at a high rate as well…Every time Brewster hit a lull and their energy level seemed to die, HC Jason Smith would turn to Javohn Garcia for an answer. And the future-UMass point guard always seemed to have one! Garcia avg’d 10.6 Pts/4 Reb/3 Ast for a team that desperately needed his consistent fire and efficiency to secure the program's 7th National Prep Championship…Johnson was named the NEPSAC-A Player of the Year along with Blakeny and also took home the Mass. Gatorade Player of the Year honors as well. The dagger man left as Phillips’ all-time leading scorer (1,598 Pts) after avg’ing 22.6 Pts in his final season before heading to Penn State.

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Isaiah Gray, 6’2” Point Guard, Cushing/CORNELL

Myles Wilmoth, 6’10” Wing, St. Andrew’s/BUTLER

Nate Santos, 6’7” Wing, Loomis Chaffee 2021

Quest Harris, 6’ Point Guard, Worcester/SACRED HEART

John Adams, 6'8" Big, Wilbraham & Monson/WPI

Kyrell Luc, 5’10” Point Guard, Brimmer & May 2021

Ronnie DeGray III, 6’8” Wing, Woodstock/UMASS

Jay Rodgers, 6’3” Point Guard, Winchendon/NEW ORLEANS

Aaron Gray, 6'6" Wing, Springfield-Commonwealth

Prince Moses, 6'8" Big, Northfield-Mt Hermon/BROWN

Moses was one of the consistent bright spots for John Carroll’s ’19-’20  squad and should be an absolute steal for Brown. After showcasing superior rebounding ability in the EYBL last summer, Moses had 18 double-digit rebound games for NMH and finished with a double-double in all but four of those contests. The bouncy 6’8” beast avg’d 12.6 Pts/8.6 Reb/1.6 Stl while shooting an uber-efficient 65% from the floor…Once the power in Santos’ legs returned after recovering from an ACL-tear during the offseason, the 6’7” wing became the dangerous 3-level scorer that his potential always promised. Santos avg’d 16.9 Pts/6.1 Reb.1.5 Ast/1.1 Stl for the 2020 NEPSAC-A Champs…Luc was electric from beginning-to-end this season. He constantly evoked memories of Isaiah Thomas during his South Kent & Celtics years with his natural feel for putting the ball in the bucket from anywhere on the floor. The 5’10” lefty is also a threat to rise up and put one on a defender’s head, making him every big man’s worst nightmare. Luc avg’d 26 ppg this season and has already surpassed the 1,000-point mark after two years at Brimmer…After St. Andrew’s season opening loss to St. George’s, I questioned whether or not Myles Wilmoth was truly invested in the game. The next time I caught Wilmoth, he demoralized Loomis with big bucket after big bucket, from every spot on the floor and got better as the game became more intense. The Butler-bound baller has the potential to be special and there were more glimpses of it during the '19-’20 season than ever before, a great sign for Bulldogs fans…The fact that Quest Harris remains on the board without a handful of D1 offers is an indictment on the college coaching profession. After finishing among the EYBL’s leaders in assists with The BABC, Harris put together an extremely successful final season at Worcester. Whether he was asked to score or facilitate, Harris did so at a high level and kept a talented team from breaking down into a group of individuals. Unselfish, ballsy, team-first killers like Harris have a tendency to succeed and find ways to lead their team to victory. Somebody is going to get a good one late in the recruiting process. I’ll vouch for the young man any day of the week!

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Cushing came into the season as one of the favorites in NEPSAC-AA thanks to the backcourt of Bensley Joseph and Isaiah Gray. They finished the regular season undefeated (15-0) in conference play and earned a berth in the 2020 National Prep Championship Tourney thanks to those two as well. Any time opposing defenses would key on Joseph, the Cornell-bound pitbull would attack and make them pay dearly. Gray avg’d 13.4 Pts/5.2 Reb/3.6 Ast/3.1 Stl on the season and is hellbent on making a similar impact in the Ivy League for the next four years… I’m not sure how many 30-point games Jay Rodgers had at Winchendon but he nearly averaged a 30-piece in the five games that I attended this season. The 6’3” lefty gets to his spots with a veteran’s savvy and remains in total control while effortlessly changing speeds in traffic. For the season, Rodgers averaged 26.4 Pts/4.8 Reb/4.6 Ast while shooting 44% FG/36.6% 3pt/81% FT during Winchendon's return season to NEPSAC-AA…Degray III returned to Woodstock this year after an ugly concussion derailed his ’18-’19 season. The 6’8” wing made up for lost time with a dozen-or-so 20-point outbursts and exploded for a season-high 36 Pts/12 Reb late in the year vs. Worcester. DeGray continues to reap the rewards of his efforts, as the unsigned bucket-getter becomes a hotter name with each passing day at this point in the recruiting process…Aaron Gray embraced his role as the rugged, do-it-all wing on every team he’s played for during his prep career. In ’19-’20, Gray took on another integral role but this time his efforts also showed up in the box score. The rock-steady 6’6” dawg  avg’d 18.2 Pts/6.2 Reb/2.7 Ast/2.2 Stl and helped SCA reach the postseason for the first time in 3 years. For his efforts, Gray also received the D1 scholarship offers that he’s deserved for so long…You’ll never be able to measure a player like Adams’ value by looking at his stats. If you really need numbers to justify his place amongst New England’s best, he’s got more than enough of those: 10.7 Pts/8.2 Reb/2.2 Ast with 15 double-doubles in ’19-’20, pushing his career totals up to 1,300+ Points and 750+ Rebounds at WMA. But it’s what Adams does for his teammates that makes him truly special. It’s the fact that he embraced Wilbraham’s youth movement from the very beginning. It’s the selfless act of empowering The Filipowski Bros and Cornell-commit Keller Boothby to be the best versions of themselves throughout the season. It’s about consistently making the extra pass instead of taking the easy bucket because he knows what that bucket might mean to a younger teammate who’s been struggling. Those are the type of things that make John Adams one of the most valuable players in the region. And it’s why he’ll be a valuable addition to a D1 program –at any level- as soon as he steps on campus.

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