New England School Team Preview: Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the spring and summer AAU season coming to a close, sooner rather than later the 2024-25 high school basketball season will be just around the corner as we quickly approach the fall. Schools and coaches will prepare their student-athletes for the fun and competitive season ahead all over the six states in the New England area. In this School Team Preview series, I hope to highlight individual teams in the region and give insights on which players I expect to make an impact in the upcoming season. Let's get started!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Team</em></strong>: Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Head Coach</em></strong>: Jay Tilton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2023-24 Season Record</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>19-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>The Big Dogs on Campus</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are two players I expect to make a major impact on the Lions. Leading the squad will be senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1239437' first='Ryder' last='Frost']. He will be tasked with carrying the scoring load and will showcase his terrific shooting from both off the bounce and off screens, decisive drives to the cup, and above-the-rim finishing, all while being highly efficient. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1106093' first='Tyler' last='Bike'] is a sweet ball handler who makes sound and smart decisions with the ball in the half-court setting. He should provide a lot of his teammates with easy-scoring opportunities because his quick ball-moving instincts are so good and should also provide more value to the offense with his off-the-dribble mid-range game and left-handed shooting stroke.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Additional Difference Makers</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three other players should be very important for the Lions this upcoming year. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1489390' first='Luke' last='Soden'] is a talented three-level scorer who should benefit from playing off Phillip Exeter's front-line players of Frost and Bike. With good size for a two-guard who can also play with pace, he can thrive on or off the ball as his ability to fill a need with crafty drives to the rim, off-the-bounce creation, or spacing the floor effectively. Senior center [player_tooltip player_id='1451945' first='Jordan' last='McConnell'] brings size and strength to the big man position who excels on the defensive end of the basketball court. In addition to his prowess protecting the rim with good timing skills, he has great ancillary skills that make a difference such as high-level rebounding, an active motor, consistently boxing out, and much-needed vocal communication in the low post. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2546981' first='Max' last='Albinson'] is another offensive weapon who can dribble, pass, and shoot well. He has a high IQ and can make dimes on the break while also providing relocation shooting skills, sneaky rim touches, and pesky on-ball defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Underclassmen To Keep an Eye On</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is one underclassman, in particular, to watch next season for the Lions. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2568375' first='Jayden' last='Duverne'] is a projectable wing who will provide off the ball to begin his career at Phillips Exeter. He thrives off cutting to the basket, soft touch around the rim in the mid-range, and off-ball shooting from deep with quick and unorthodox shooting mechanics which should give him some runway for minutes off the bench throughout the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->