Mickey’s Eye-Catchers From the ZG Prep Classic: Part 3

This past weekend from December 6th-8th, Zero Gravity New England hosted the Zero Gravity Prep Classic at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Over 70 prep school teams from the New England region and beyond faced off in competitive games during the three-day extravaganza in front of fans, media, scouts, and college coaches from all over the country and all division levels. Numerous players performed well throughout the weekend, but here is part three of my personal eye-catchers from the Zero Gravity Prep Classic!    [player_tooltip player_id='2341299' first='Dywane' last='Chess'] thrived playing the three-and-d role for his team. His three-point shot off the catch was terrific, consistently burying those outside jumpers with smoothness and fluency. He also looked great operating in the mid-range area, getting to his spots to hit fadeaway jumpers near the elbow. Defensively, he provided toughness guarding the perimeter and was aggressive on the boards by using his athleticism to soar over bigger opposing players.     [player_tooltip player_id='2526248' first='Adriel' last='Cantave'] showed flashes of his high potential by demonstrating a great feel for the game. He made some outstanding assists in transition, baiting opposing defenders to find his wide-open teammates on the three-point line. He showcased his speed by getting into the lane for easy layups and also coming out of nowhere to make an impressive steal in the half-court. His ability to play up-tempo while also playing smart should bode well for his future on the basketball court, especially when his role starts to increase in future years.     [player_tooltip player_id='2341363' first='Alex' last='Egbuonu'] was otherworldly dominant on both ends of the court. His dangerous driving ability combined with his massive frame, made him unstoppable when given a head of steam. He turned defense into offense by playing the passing lanes and throwing the ball down with thunder with mind-boggling slam dunks. His rim protection ability was also on display and his timing on his attempts was excellent. Lastly, he would flip the script and show off his finesse side on offense by performing off-the-bounce middies and behind-the-back dribbles through traffic to create space for himself. A truly scintillating performance by the high-upside junior.     [player_tooltip player_id='2341415' first='Elijah' last='Avery-Turner'] and his ability to create off the dribble was a sight to see in a big-time matchup that went to overtime. He was stopping on a dime and hitting threes with confidence. His step-back dribble move looked very advanced, highlighted by a specific step-back three attempt where he bumped off his defender and hit a beautiful shot from the corner. He also got into the mid-range and utilized his floater to keep the defense honest, and his shot versatility made it hard to stop and predict for the opposing defense when he was feeling it like this.     [player_tooltip player_id='2546817' first='Deng' last='Mathiang'] looks to have grown in confidence since my last viewing of him. He was using his big size to get into the paint and score around the rim. He was getting every rebound and pushing the pace during opportune occasions. Lastly, he made some nice feeds at the top of the key to his cutting teammates and it was good to see his decisiveness on display in this setting.

This past weekend from December 6th-8th, Zero Gravity New England hosted the Zero Gravity Prep Classic at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Over 70 prep school teams from the New England region and beyond faced off in competitive games during the three-day extravaganza in front of fans, media, scouts, and college coaches from all over the country and all division levels. Numerous players performed well throughout the weekend, but here is part three of my personal eye-catchers from the Zero Gravity Prep Classic!