Major College Talent on Display

Frank Mantesta March 29, 2021 @ 11:07 PM

Two of the top high school programs in New York got together to help promote their players further. Able to get the ok to play, Stepinac and LUHI put together a home and home series. Luhi won both games. But the real story was the surplus of college ready talent performing. The game was also broadcast on streaming services, enabling college programs to take notice of still available 2021 players and future recruits. Stepinac coming off of a 4 game sweep of Iona Prep was able to schedule another series against another top New York Program. To see the reports on the major college ready talent from Stepinac check out our Brother Stoldt reports. But I will touch on two players that impressed us in this two-game series. [player_tooltip player_id="945516" first="Malcolm" last="Chimezie"] is used to fighting out of double teams in the post, many times Luhi and also Iona Prep sent two guys to the post, every time he caught the ball. Malcolm is a tremendous passer out of the post. He sees the floor well for a big man. He showed toughness and grit in the post finishing around the rim. He can rebound in traffic and also score with guys draped on him. The Boston University recruit should be a major impact player at the next level. Josh Zangerle (2021) an under-recruited player. Would be a nice rotation piece for a low D1 or a steal for a very good D2 program. Josh came off the bench vs Luhi and quickly got his team back into the game. He showed good range drilling 3 threes. He is an excellent three-point shooter. A long athletic wing can guard multiple positions. Other college ready talent from Stepinac [player_tooltip player_id="1125584" first="Samuel" last="Gibbs"]. 6”2. 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1046820" first="Joel" last="Baez"]. 6”4. 2022 Boogie Fland 6”2. 2024 Jacob Hogarth. 6”8. 2024 They were without Duke recruit Adrian Griffin. LUHI had their season canceled so this was a nice showcase for their players. Paul Jordan. 6”6. 2021 Can shoot the three. Very athletic player. Runs the floor well. Ryan Dunn. 6”6. 2021 Has grown 3 inches since last year. Excellent defender. Has active hands for deflections. Was a very impressive player in this 2 game set. Showed the ability to run the lanes and finish in transition. Has a nice mid-range jumper. [player_tooltip player_id="1132416" first="Kacper" last="Klaczek"]. 6”8. 2021 Elite-level athlete. Can handle the ball for a big man. A stretch four who can step out and drill the three. Mixes it up inside as well. Good on the ball defender. A Kevin Love type offensive player. Raphael Pinzon. 6”5. 2021 St Johns recruit. A smooth natural handle. Very crafty around the rim. A coach on the floor. High basketball IQ. Can score at all three levels. [player_tooltip player_id="1132415" first="Drissa" last="Traore"]. 6”8. 2021 Will play with Rafael at St John's. A freak athlete. Tremendous at altering shots. Blocks shots and retains possession. A rim protector. On offense, he can score around the rim. Reminds me of Hakeem Warwick (Syracuse, NBA) player with his athleticism. [player_tooltip player_id="1045796" first="Jayden" last="Reid"]. 5”9. 2023 Excellent shooter beyond the arc. High-level athlete. Excellent on the ball defender. High IQ and his decision-making are well beyond his years. Tremendous skill set. [player_tooltip player_id="787655" first="Jayden" last="Pierre"]. 6”2. 2022 The most impressive player on the court in game 2. Crafty finisher with reverse left-handed layups. Understands how to use his body to score. Can drill the three. Also displayed a nice pull-up jumper. Very smooth with the ball. Can break down his defender leading to a basket for himself or a teammate.