Team Jones Elite Camp at Yale: Day 1 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yale University's Head basketball coach James Jones and his staff, held Day 1 of his elite camp at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium in New Haven, Connecticut. Over 100 players from all around the country showed up to compete in drills, participate in friendly 1 v 1 and 3 v 3 competitions, and play multiple full game scrimmages to not only improve their craft, but show their talents to college coaches in attendance. Today, I will highlight the Day 1 standouts from New England and another player who caught my eye! Let's get rolling!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2546960' first='Nick' last='Mautone'] (Hotchkiss, 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mautone looked like the most mature player on the court. As the lead ball handler, he would not stray too far from the simple parts of the game which made him extremely effective in helping his team win. He would leverage double teams to find the open shooter on the perimeter, drive strong at the rim, space the floor from deep with a pretty stroke, as well as compete hard on the defensive end as an on-ball defender. Additionally, he was the loudest player I saw, and he understood how to communicate well to run a well-oiled team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2553793' first='Hunter' last='Stoll'] (Choate, 2026)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stoll showed his whole arsenal as a bigger wing. With the ball, he looked comfortable in the mid-range and created shots off the bounce using the backboard to his advantage. Off the ball, he showed off a fluid three-point shot in the corners and knew how to get open to make easier shots for himself. Additionally, he made smart passes off drives, finished well at the rim, and held his own defensively in on-ball situations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2568445' first='Bryan' last='Wilson Jr.'] (St. Luke's, 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilson impressed me with his physical tools at the lead guard spot. Well built at his size, he was extremely quick with high levels of burst in his feet. He easily got to the rim several times and finished at the rim with reverse layups with ease. The passing chops also stood out, as he made great passes to teammates in transition running the break and even long quarterback-like throws down the court for easy baskets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2547117' first='Scott' last='Conopask'] (Greens Farms, 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conopask could score the basketball with insane confidence. He drove hard to the cup several times for scores but was even more impressive shooting the ball. With the ball in his hands, he attempted high-level off-the-bounce shots and knocked them down well beyond the three-point line. Off the ball was the same story too, hitting open threes and putting the pressure on the imposing teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2571923' first='Robert' last='Shea'] (Notre Dame-West Haven, 2028)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As one of the younger players at the camp, Shea made a name for himself with his marksmanship from downtown. Every time he was left open with the ball, he would shoot it with precision and make the shot. It rallied and pumped up his team and they made a huge run because of that momentum swing. He also looked comfortable handling the ball at times and didn't look rattled by the older competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2633486' first='Robert' last='Carrafiello'] (Seymour, 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carrafiello was a pro at scoring in the right moments, and doing so during the the flow of the game. He showed off his touch from the mid-range with a nice floater and also cut very well and smartly to the basket for easy points. He also came off screens, hitting shots from three-point land, while also hitting corner shots from off the catch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2633490' first='David' last='Blair'] (Hopkins, 2026)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blair looked really smooth and confident as the lead ball handler for his team. He displayed a good feel and pace, always keeping his head up for the right look. Additionally, he rebounded hard off his misses to never give up a play, hit some open threes, and was a hounding defender at the point of attack with great energy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And a bonus from New York!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2514196' first='Jackson' last='Cullert'] (Packer Collegiate, 2026)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cullert had a tremendous day both in the games and the drills. His shooting in the drills was exceptional, and they translated on the court too. He would hit open and contested threes with ease and looked comfortable dribbling the ball to get to his spots. His athletic tools showed brightly as well, throwing down smooth dunks in transition. He also showed defensive instincts, getting into the passing lanes for easy turnovers and buckets on the other end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->