5 Impressive 2027 Connecticut Prospects: Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Connecticut overall has a great group of talented prospects in the class of 2027. Today, I will be highlighting five names that have impressed me in their freshman year! Let's get started!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2234138"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af99778e6f0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2234138' first='Peter' last='Uzgiris'] is a big and strong center who dominates down low. His wide body punishes weaker opponents and his soft touch around the rim makes him deadly within ten feet. He also has a push shot that he effectively uses in post-play. Uzgiris has long arms and he uses that in many different facets of his game. His rebounding is terrific, making him a double-double threat every time out. Uzgiros long arms and large frame also help rack up blocks as he can swat balls without a huge amount of effort. Uzgiris needs to become more athletic to help him move his feet better, but overall he's an exceptionally talented player who will only get better during his high school career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470973"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af99778e7a7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2470973' first='Greyson' last='Pierce'] is an ideal wing prospect who has shown flashes of real brilliance. Athletically, he can get up and throw it down on smaller opponents with some swagger to boot. His body type is the perfect size for a player of his archetype. Pierce has a great-looking jumper and can space the floor in the half-court. He has also shown he can counter closeouts with fake-outs and pull-up mid-range shots. On the defensive side of the ball, Pierce can protect the rim from the weak side and his recovery instincts show in flying colors. His length should make him a perimeter defensive threat with more development. Pierce is an exciting long-term player to continue to monitor moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470853"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af99778e823"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2470853' first='Kamsi' last='Awaka'] is an athletic big man who is a shot-blocking menace. With long arms and quick feet, Awaka can obstruct balls from behind or go straight up and prevent baskets. His tools make him also a threat to defend from farther out than other big men and he can move well in transition too. He can grab rebounds with ease on both sides of the ball which impacts winning. On offense, Awaka catches dump-offs for easy dunk opportunities and his ability to run the floor also helps on that end. He also shows flashes of driving and finishing when he has a full head of steam in transition. Awaka is fun and is a prospect that coaches should learn about fast.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2452423"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af99778e89f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2452423' first='Zeke' last='Williams'] is a long-range assassin who can shoot from everywhere. No shot is too ambitious for Williams, as his quick-trigger abilities give opponents nightmares. With excellent relocation skills and an beautiful shooting motion, he is deadly in the corners. He can also knock shots at the top of the key while on the move. When handling the ball, Williams makes smart decisions to find the right guy at the right time. His defense for his age is really impressive. Williams always keeps his hands up and moves his feet to keep his body in front of opposing players. With increased opportunities over the coming years, Williams is primed to make more of a name for himself in short order.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2461542"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af99778e926"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2461542' first='Syre' last='Gillespie'] is a confident lead guard with scoring instincts. A true-born shotmaker, Gillespie can score in a huge variety of functional ways. He can drive to the rim using floaters and bank shots to get buckets. Gillespie has a tight handle and isn't shy to shoot threes in a defender's face. He can play off the ball too, hitting shots off screens and with some movement. Gillespie can stop and pop in transition and his comfort in taking such an eclectic shot diet is very noteworthy. He can also make some swift passes in transition, finders cutters to the rim. Gillespie's tough shotmaking package makes him attention-grabbing and should catch more people's attention in no time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->