Robbie’s Summer Notebook: Most Underrated Players I Saw

Welcome to Robbie's Summer Notebook, a three-part series where I'll recap some of the best players (in different categories) that I got eyes on this summer. Of course, it's impossible to see every New England prospect, so the bolded part of that sentence is especially important.   Here is a list of the events I attended and scouted this summer: NEPSAC Showcase at Babson, NEPSAC Showcase at Avon Old Farms, All-Academic-Camp at Babson, Hall of Fame National Invitational, Zero Gravity Live Finale, Gold Standard X KB3 Elite Summer Draft League, Tufts Elite Camp, Babson Elite Camp, Brandeis Elite Camp, and Emmanuel Elite Camp.   The first part of the series can be found <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/09/robbies-summer-notebook-players-i-saw-with-the-highest-ceiling/">here</a>.   The second part of the series can be found <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/09/robbies-summer-notebook-players-i-saw-with-the-best-feel/">here</a>.   Now, let's move on to the final category: most underrated players I saw. Here are 7 guys who aren't talked about enough.    Sorry to every other player that I've written about in my Summer Notebook series, but Sakihama is my favorite watch in all of New England. I saw the 5-foot-9 point guard at the NEPSAC Showcase where he was giving high major D1 guards absolute hell for 94 feet, taking the ball from them again and again. He was the best on-ball, pesty defender I saw this summer. Offensively, Sakihama has ridiculous quickness and can get to wherever he wants on the court, and then he also has some of the best vision I saw this summer. Just an unbelievably electric player to watch — someone I can't speak highly enough about. He just committed to Merrimack recently, but higher level D1 coaches will be kicking themselves that they overlooked him because of his height.     Baither is only 5-foot-11 and very skinny, which might be the reason there's less buzz about him than there should be. He's lightning quick with the ball in his hands and has the rock on an absolute string. He can make any pass in the book — live-dribble one-handed passes with either hand, cross-court overhead passes, and look aways — but he can also finish athletically at the rim with great touch and control if the help doesn't come. For a rising sophomore, he has a pretty special skill set that should only improve as he gets older, taller and stronger. College coaches of ALL LEVELS, turn your heads to Baither.      I can't figure out why D1 coaches aren't fawning over long, 6-foot-8 forward [player_tooltip player_id='2325851' first='Chris' last='Leman']. He's ridiculously skilled for his size and has the mind to match it. He can step out and consistently hit the outside shot (he has a really pretty-looking lefty release), but he also uses excellent footwork and craft in the post to outsmart bigger and stronger defenders. He ties his game together with awesome positioning and really solid passing instincts for his size. Leman somehow has zero D1 offers so far, but college coaches are going to figure out the Worcester Academy senior soon. Bright future ahead for him.     Bigger guards think they can punk Pichay, but try again. He's tougher than you, better conditioned than you, a better athlete than you, and probably more skilled than you. He's got a very quick first step that allows him to get to wherever he wants to on the court, and he's got an uncanny athleticism at the rim that allows him to finish over much taller players. He can also score from the mid range and three with his nice-looking jump shot. High level D3's are considering Pichay, and they should be, but I bet he could even play at the D2 level.     To be completely honest, Griffiths could've gone in the highest ceiling category, but I also think he doesn't seem to be talked about around New England like he should be. The 6-foot-6 rising sophomore is incredibly long and skinny with seemingly A LOT of room to get stronger and more developed physically (you can see it in his face). But the skillset is already there in spades. He's one of the best shooters I saw this summer; incredibly quick release, and he can shoot it off the dribble and off the catch. But he also handles it really well and has surprisingly great coordination and footwork for his age and size. I would be shocked if Griffiths isn't getting D1 looks in short order.     All I ever hear about Wertz from other coaches is that he's “sneaky athletic.” No, he's just athletic, period. The 6-foot-4 wing is an excellent leaper and has phenomenal body control when it comes to finishing at the rim with contact. He's also a knockdown shooter from three with a great release and beautiful rotation on the ball. He can defend, he will always make the easy pass, and he'll also do the little things that nobody else wants to do. Wertz should be getting looked at by the highest level D3 schools there are, and I even think he could stretch it to D2. Stop calling his athleticism sneaky!     Marino doesn't play for a fancy high school or AAU team, but don't let that fool you — the kid can hoop. He's a menace in transition with a great first step and supreme strength when it comes to keeping his line against pesky defenders. At the hoop, Marino can elevate and finish quite athletically with both hands. He also has really nice vision and loves to make the kick out pass to open teammates once he inevitably gets into the lane. There isn't enough high D3 buzz around Marino from the people I've talked to, but a great AAU and high school season could change that.

Welcome to Robbie's Summer Notebook, a three-part series where I'll recap some of the best players (in different categories) that I got eyes on this summer. Of course, it's impossible to see every New England prospect, so the bolded part of that sentence is especially important.