Prep Hoops New England Expo: Team 4 Standouts

Yesterday at the Mass Premier Courts in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Prep Hoops held their first-ever Expo showcase in the region of New England. 35 plus prospects from all over Northeast, came to compete against each other in 3 v 3 and 5 v 5 scrimmaging to put their talent, effort, and demeanor on display to talent evaluators in attendance. There was talent abound on all four teams, but without further ado, here are the standouts from Team 4!    [player_tooltip player_id='2553806' first='Jameson' last='Fitzpatrick'] was the leader of Team 4 because of the way he played on the court and conducted himself off the court. While taking on ball-handling duties, he took his defenders to the post, faking and finishing at the rim with precision and accuracy. He made great reads, found cutters, and kept the ball moving like a hot potato. His athleticism stood out as well, accelerating with speed quickly, pulling off reverse layups, and grabbing rebounds out of nowhere. His shooting confidence off the catch from three and overall physique looked much improved from my previous viewing and it showed to me that the work is being done behind the scenes. On top of all of that, he was very communicative with his teammates and showed a passion for winning. Fitzpatrick was one of the day's winners and one of the clear standouts from the Expo.     [player_tooltip player_id='1578530' first='Jacob' last='Purington'] was very productive and was help making Team 4's offense go. He was dominant in the post, using his leverage to score buckets off the backboard or turnaround push shots straight through the net. He was confident taking threes in the corners and his form mechanics were very good, leading to higher efficiency than you may expect at first glance and being a legitimate floor spacer. He also displayed some post play-making which was intriguing, competitive rebounding on both ends, along with effort closing out on the perimeter and using his length to alter shot attempts on the defensive end. Purington's consistency and stabilization for his team were impressive, making him another Expo standout.     [player_tooltip player_id='2568442' first='Brandon' last='McCloud Jr.'] showed off a lot of interesting skills as well as athletic gifts. He is built like a linebacker and it was not surprising that he is also a football player after viewing him live. Because of his frame, he was easily bringing defenders to the paint, taking on massive contact on his drives and finishing high off the glass. He was also a beast in transition, running the floor like a wide receiver all day long. The aspect of his game that surprised me the most was his shooting. While his jump shot is a little unorthodox, he was raining three-pointers off the catch both in the games and in the drills. McCloud's upside is fascinating and should have a lot more room to grow in the coming years.     [player_tooltip player_id='2621000' first='Matthew' last='Layden'] is in the early stages of development but was still able to have a good impact on the floor during crucial moments in time. He was spacing the floor from deep and hitting his catch-and-shoot jumpers. His length and wingspan were noticeable and he was making an effort on the defensive end and sticking to his man close. He also provided some buckets in transition and running the break effectively. Layden should have a nice basketball future with his current skillset for a ninth grader and should benefit greatly from the CATS Academy coaching staff.

Yesterday at the Mass Premier Courts in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Prep Hoops held their first-ever Expo showcase in the region of New England. 35 plus prospects from all over Northeast, came to compete against each other in 3 v 3 and 5 v 5 scrimmaging to put their talent, effort, and demeanor on display to talent evaluators in attendance. There was talent abound on all four teams, but without further ado, here are the standouts from Team 4!