MIAA D1 – Postseason Players to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As February gives way to March, the madness is upon us in Massachusetts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While it's not the NCAA Tournament, the MIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament is underway. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we'll take a look at five prospects from some of the top teams in Division I to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1489286"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Barnes and his Waltham teammates head to Worcester to take on the undefeated, reigning state champions at North. A crafty lead guard, Barnes does a great job of getting into the lane off the bounce and finding teammates for open 3's. He's a big time scorer that has a full bag of tricks as a finisher around the rim. He's the type of guard that can get 25+ on any given night and he doesn't shy away in the big moments. Defensively, he shows his hands while guarding the ball and generates plenty of steals as an off-ball defender. He'll have to be on his A-game is Waltham is going to pull the upset.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1532631"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Swint's Newton North squad heads to North Andover, where they'll try to spring an upset in the Round 0f 16. Maybe the best scorer in the MIAA in the class of 2025, Swint has had multiple games of 35+ this season, including a recent 43-point performance. He's a big guard that's comfortable handling the ball, but he thrives as a guy who can create his own shot. He's exceptional in the mid-range where he has a soft touch on his jumper and can rise up over smaller defenders. He's tough, competitive, and most importantly, never takes a play off. North Andover is among the favorites in Division I, but if anyone is capable of having a huge scoring night that could knock them off, Swint might be the guy.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2387333' first='Jeffrey' last='White Jr.']","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"77245","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Cambridge Rindge and Latin School","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"White, and his teammates at CRL, head to BC High in what should be one of the most competitive games of the Round of 16. A physical presence on both ends of the floor, White is more agile than expected and does a good job of makes plays off of one or two bounces. A lefty, he has a consistent shot from behind the arc, but he's most disruptive when he's putting pressure on the rim and using his big frame to finish through contact or over smaller defenders. Defensively, he's strong enough to defend bigger forwards in the post, but does good job guarding on the perimeter when switched in ball screen actions. He's a senior that won't be ready for his career to end and should have a strong showing against BC High's frontcourt.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["2313077"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Gonzalez and the Lawrence Lancers won't have to travel far for their Round of 16 match-up as they'll face their cross-town rivals at Central Catholic. An athletic big-man that plays with a high motor, Gonzalez has dealt with some injuries lately, but his presence will be key for the Lancers going forward. He's terrific on the glass, especially on the offensive end, where he scores mostly off dump downs and put-backs. He shines defensively as a switchable big that can not only protect the rim, but also cover a lot of ground on closeouts and in rotations. Lawrence and Central Catholic are seperated by just 2 miles and this is considered to be one of the state's best rivalries; Gonzalez has a chance to cement himself as one of the state's top big men if he can help the Lancer move on to the quarterfinals.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2465134' first='Justice' last='Samuels']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"77245","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Franklin","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Samuels, and his teammates at Franklin, are gearing up for a Round of 16 matchup against Putnam Vo-Tech. A bouncy, left-handed forward, Samuels has burst onto the scene as a sophomore and could be one of the tournament's breakout stars. His scoring comes mostly off of plays around the rim, but he's comfortable with the ball as a pusher in transition and typically makes good decisions in the halfcourt. He plays as hard as anyone and does so many of the little things that impact winning, like keep plays alive with multiple efforts, winning 50-50 battles for loose balls, and tipping offensive rebounds to teammates on the perimeter. Defensively, he's a terrific shot-blocker with great timing and instincts around the rim. Franklin is one of the favorites in Division I and will rely heavily on Samuels in the interior to make a deep run.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e1385b11190"} /-->