ZG NERR NE Hoop Festival: Varsity Division Standouts Part 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><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> <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/10/zg-nerr-ne-hoop-festival-varsity-division-standouts-part-2/">And here is part 2 if you missed it.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Part four will be coming tonight!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2341338"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be75866"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tabales was cooking from the paint, the midrange and the three-point line in the first half of Saturday night's matchup between the Middlesex Magic and White Mamba. He was getting into the lane effortlessly and making plays for his teammates from there but also stroking it from downtown off of double and triple move creations. Really talented player who was ready for the moment from the start – definite scholarship guy, my guess would be at the low D1 or D2 level. Some quickness or athleticism improvements in the next couple years could certainly change that, though.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2546901"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be758c0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Maiwen is one of the most fascinating athletes in the New England region. His bounciness and length make him one of the most explosive players I've seen; he got up for some crazy alley-oop, head-at-the-rim dunks on Saturday. He pairs that athleticism with solid ball handling ability and a pretty-looking outside stroke. Sky's the limit for Maiwen, who should certainly be getting scholarship looks in short order but could use some added weight and sturdiness for his drives to the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Filippo De Giorgi","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Woodstock Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be7594b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">De Giorgi is a smart point guard who can run an offense effectively. He has a knack for making reads out of the pick and roll and even showcased some crafty, below-the-rim finishing ability when no help came in the lane. The international prospect certainly has a European flair to his game, and that comes with its fair share of no-look passes and finesse shots at the hoop. He'll need to get stronger and improve his 3 point shooting if he wants to play at the high D3 level, but he'll definitely be able to find a fit somewhere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2546836"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be7598d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dankert is as solid as it gets on both ends. He'll effectively attack closeouts and will consistently make quick decisions on the offensive end, and he always keeps the ball high on offensive rebounds. Defensively, he can guard one through four and has the body to play college basketball right now. Hustle plays like getting on the floor, crashing the glass and staying vertical defensively are all staples of Dankert's game, and those will allow him to find a spot on a college roster, likely at the D3 level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2868658' first='Khai' last='Francis']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"South Shore Charter Public School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be759fb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Francis is an absolute bull with the ball in his hands – strong, compact, and tough. He's a menace getting downhill and keeps his line incredibly well for a guard his size. He needs to learn how to better find his teammates once the help comes, but that could have also been a product of how easy it was for him to get to the rim in general in certain games. The three-point stroke is also in need of some work, especially if he wants to play at the scholarship level. I would slot Francis in at high D3 or D2 level right now but some improvements could certainly change that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568521"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-670350be75a37"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">For only a sophomore, Brown is incredibly skilled, strong and athletic. He's 6-feet tall but has the build of a bulldog, and that allows him to hold his line quite well against opposing defenders when trying to get to the rim. He can also knock down the three ball on occasion, but he's still working on making that more consistent. Needs to figure out his defensive motor, but it's also AAU season, so he could bring more intensity during the school season. Brown has a bright future ahead and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being a scholarship player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->