ZG NERR NE Hoop Festival: Varsity Division Standouts Part 2

On Saturday, I attended the Zero Gravity Northeast Hoop Festival. I posted up at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA and watched a bunch of the varsity teams play (most of which were competing in the American division).   As always, it's impossible to watch every team and every player, so these are SOME guys that stood out after watching SOME of the teams on Saturday.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/10/zg-nerr-ne-hoop-festival-varsity-division-standouts-part-1/">Here is part 1 if you missed it.</a>   Parts three and four will be coming tomorrow!    Blackburn is a 6-foot-6 wing who's lanky, explosive, and skilled. He's quite difficult to stop when he grabs a defensive rebound, because he glides up the court effortlessly and uses his physical tools to overwhelm opponents while attacking the rim. He even threw down a dunk on someone's head that got the entire gym going crazy. A D1 scholarship is almost definitely coming, and Blackburn is too young for me to confidently say he can't play at the high major level.     Ames impressed with his athleticism, motor and general understanding of how to play the game. Offensively, he can score from all three levels and is a master at attacking closeouts and cutting without the ball. He also goes for offensive rebounds like a mad man. Defensively, Ames is a complete workhorse and has incredibly active hands. Ames is a definite D3 player with the potential for more if he can grow a little in the next couple years. The NESCAC (if his grades are good) seems completely doable.     Davis is very much still learning how to play offensively – he's very raw when it comes to handling the ball and using footwork in the paint to punish defenders. But the motor, athleticism and conditioning are certainly there in spades right now. And, Davis has some really special defensive instincts when it comes to pinning opposing shots off the backboard. The offensive skills will need to come along if he's going to play at the collegiate level, but he could be a heck of a player if they do.     Clark controlled the entire game on the offensive end for Team Sims. He knows when to be aggressive, when to set up his teammates, and when to slow the pace of the game down to control tempo. He's incredibly quick with the ball in his hands and doesn't need to be looking in your direction to be passing to you, so you better have your hands ready at all times. Clark is probably good enough to play high D3 ball, especially if he keeps improving his shot and/or happens to grow within the next couple years.     Klass is a quick and skillful lefty point guard who makes the right play again and again. He uses change of pace moves to burst past defenders and is great with his off hand at swiping away the defense's hands. He also had some incredibly crafty finishes at the rim and showcased a really nice-looking stroke from deep. Most impressive was his ability to touch the paint and feed shooters wide open shots on the perimeter. The D2 and D3 levels are both on the table for Klass, and maybe even more if he grows.     Spellman is a three level scorer who barely made any mistakes all day. He can handle the ball well against pressure, he can utilize screens in the half court, and he can make decisions for himself and his teammates depending on where the help is. He also stroked it from three fairly consistently, off both the catch and the dribble. That being said, Spellman's not the quickest or bounciest athlete – and he doesn't have great size or strength – all of which will likely limit him to the D3 level. But the skills are most certainly there.

On Saturday, I attended the Zero Gravity Northeast Hoop Festival. I posted up at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA and watched a bunch of the varsity teams play (most of which were competing in the American division).