New to New York - Prep Edition

New York appears to be a popular landing spot for New Englanders looking to head to the prep ranks next fall.   In fact, over the course of the last few weeks, at least six New England natives have announced their plans to attend prep school in New York next fall while reclassifying into the class of 2025.   Today, we'll take a look at each of those prospects and the schools that they'll call home next year!    Carlson, who has already announced his commitment to Williams College, will head to Darrow School after a successful high school career at Monument Mountain in Massachusetts. Carlson has great size for an off guard, has deceptive athleticism, and can really score the basketball. He impacts the game in ways that don't show up in the box score too as he's a willing ball mover, takes pride on the defensive end of the floor, and will sacrifice his body for loose balls. He's a quality early commitment for Williams and should only continue to improve during his time at Darrow.     Steele, a member of the back-to-back state champions at North, will do a post-graduate year at Darrow School. Steele is a hybrid forward that has a terrific compete level. He makes plays high above the rim on both ends of the floor and has a nose for the ball on the offensive glass. He has nice touch out to 15' and has used the spring session to expand his offensive game, showing potential off the bounce on the perimeter. Most importantly, he's a proven winner that comes up clutch in big moments. The lefty had wide-ranging interest after his senior season and should be able to play his way to the scholarship level with 12 more months of development at Darrow.     Gonzalez, who was one of Massachusett's top public school forwards the last two winters while playing at Lawrence, will also head to New York for a post-graduate year at Darrow School. Gonzalez has terrific positional size, displays next level athleticism, and showcases solid instincts on the defensive end of the floor. His offensive game mostly consists of post finishes either off dump downs or offensive rebounds, but he's shown an ability to make good decisions with the ball in his hands at the top of the key. He thrives on the defensive end as a rim protector and rebounder who can corral board both in and out of his area. His offensive development will be the key to his ceiling at the next level, but he'll have plenty of opportunity to showcase his abilities while at Darrow.     Williams, who previously competed in the NEPSAC at Wilbrham & Monson, will spend the next year the Knox School. A big guard, Williams is dynamic with the ball in his hands, both as a facilitator and scorer. He has solid positional size, is physically mature, and does a good job changing speeds out of his dribble moves. His physicality allows him to play through contact, while his IQ allows him to make good decision in ball screen actions. He has deep range on his jumper and uses it to open up his driving game. Defensively, he is capable of guarding either backcourt spot and is a good rebounder for his size. He's already attracting the attention of Division I coaches this spring and should only continue to see his stock rise during his time at the Knox School.     Beamon, who wrapped up a successful high school career in Connecticut, will also attend the Knox School for a post-graduate season. Beamon is an eye catching athlete who can make plays above the rim in the open floor. He's incredibly long and uses that length to be disruptive in passing lanes defensively. He offers great versatility on that end of the floor and should be able to effectively defend 1's through 4's at the next level. Offensively, he's a strong slasher with a quick first step and the ability to finish through contact at the rim. The progression of his perimeter game will dictate his recruitment going forward, but he'll have every chance imaginable to play his way to the scholarship level at Knox.     Rodriguez, one of Massachusett's top scorers as a senior and a state champion as a junior, will do his post-graduate year at Darrow School. A true combo guard, Rodriguez is comfortable both with the ball in his hands as well as playing on the wing without it. He's a microwave scorer that can really knock down shots from behind the arc. He improved this year off the bounce and showed that he's a crafty finisher in the paint, both with eurosteps and floaters. He's another guy that had plenty of college recruitment coming out of his senior year and should be able to showcase his ability to handle the ball and defend either backcourt spot while at Darrow.

New York appears to be a popular landing spot for New Englanders looking to head to the prep ranks next fall.