Preseason Preview: Five Freshmen Poised for Strong Years

Cody Quattrocci

October 17, 2023 @ 10:35 AM

We're about six weeks away from tip-off and it's time to start looking at who's bound to breakout this winter. Sit back and get a read on five freshmen who could have big first years at the HS level. Let's go!   [player_tooltip player_id='2711459' first='Pascal' last='Munezero'], 5'9 G - Burlington H.S. Class of 2027   As it stands, I've got Pascal as the top player in the class of 2027. He's gifted with natural athleticism and a strong frame, and combined with his impressive handle + scoring prowess, he makes for a dynamic scorer and playmaker. You have to send extra defenders on his drives, and he'll pick you apart if the defense doesn't rotate sharply. And he just might pull-up or drop it in from range anyway. Plus, he can lock up defensively and force ballhandlers into all sorts of trouble. Munezero should be impactful from the jump.   [player_tooltip player_id='2568419' first='Sawyer' last='Judkins'], 5'9 G - Burlington H.S. Class of 2027   It's going to be battle in Burlington; they're a relatively young team with a lot of guard play in the classes of '26 and '27. But talent is hard to deny, and Sawyer's got plenty it. He's a crafty southpaw with quite the IQ and feel as a freshman. The PG understands tempo of the game, change of pace to create space, and he distributes like a QB. Plus, he can get busy and score the rock too. I'm curious to see how the lineups/teams shake out in BHS because there's a lot of talented players ready to contribute, and Judkins is certainly one of them.   Sam Kyhill, 5'8 G - Fair Haven Union H.S. Class of 2027   Kyhill steps into a pretty important role from the outset. FHU's star PG and last year's GPOY [player_tooltip player_id='2313016' first='Sawyer' last='Ramey'] has graduated, and Sam looks poised to fill the gap. He's a natural PG with smart orchestration, adept slashing, and nifty distribution; paired with a couple of dynamic bigs and solid shooting around him, Kyhill has the pieces around to develop nicely. He's pesky on the other end and doesn't give an inch; Kyhill has it going on both ends.   Ryan Lockerby, 6'3 W/F - BFA St. Albans Class of 2027   BFA graduated a few key players from last year, including a good deal of scoring. With Lockerby, I anticipate he'll be someone they look to develop at the Varsity level from the jump, whether that's half JV - half Varsity, only time will tell. But Ryan brings a versatility they need; he's a big body who can work the boards and rim protect, plus, he can handle the rock a bit, slash, and create looks for himself + others with his inside finishing, developing jumper, and solid vision. He should get some burn.   Peter Guay, 5'9 G - West Rutland H.S. Class of 2027   Peter played with the varsity squad at times last year as an eighth grader, so he's been ready. Guay is someone who's shown he'll do it all; his jumper off the catch is solid from range, but it's his slashing that creates so much. He's adept at getting by his man and he makes sound reads in the second layer both as a passer and as a scorer. A rabid defender with a serious pursuit of the ball, he defends hard and rebounds well for his size. He'll likely be putting up monster numbers in D4 this winter.

We're about six weeks away from tip-off and it's time to start looking at who's bound to breakout this winter. Sit back and get a read on five freshmen who could have big first years at the HS level. Let's go!