Bridgton Academy vs. New Hampton School Standouts

Bridgton traveled to New Hampton for a matchup on Wednesday, February 26th. New Hampton got off to a quick 8-0 lead and never looked back on their way to a 91-61 win. Defensive masterclass from New Hampton.   Here are my standouts.    The more I watch Blackwood, the more I realize that his three-point shooting simply can't be a fluke. I've seen him knock down 3+ threes on good efficiency for too many games now to look past the fact that he's a consistent perimeter shooter. When you combine his shooting stroke with his ability to get to the paint, he becomes a really dynamic offensive player. Defensively, Blackwood really impressed me against Bridgton; he slides his feet well on guards but also provides some rim protection as a result of his ridiculous athleticism.     Tabales is a hooper, through and through. His handles and the way he operates offensively looks like it's out of a basketball fundamentals book; he's so compact with his dribble and his shot is picture perfect. I was especially impressed with his passing ability and vision against Bridgton. He can make the pocket pass in the pick and roll but also the no-look flashy passes to teammates in the dunker spot. Defensively, Tabales has excellent hands, which makes up for his relative lack of size. Also an underrated athlete. I love his game and he should be getting scholarship looks.     Meyer impresses me more every time I see him play. In the beginning it was his athleticism and three-level scoring ability that popped, but recently I've loved the way that he does all of the little things on the court. He takes great pride defensively – constantly sliding his feet and getting his hands on the ball – but he also fights his behind off for offensive rebounds. For such a talented scorer and athlete, it's rare to also want to do the things that don't show up in the stat sheet, and Wyoming will love that Meyer does all of those things. Big time competitor.     Cook is a high IQ, versatile big man. He's a bit undersized for that position – only about 6-foot-6 – but he's strong and long, which absolutely helps. New Hampton uses him a lot at the top of the key offensively, where he operates as a passing hub and can even knock down the three ball. However, he can also roll to the rim and operate on the block a bit – he's a solid finisher. Cook should look to improve his creation skills a bit in the next year or two, and that'll really help his scholarship hopes.     Sylla is a 6-foot-10 traditional, low post big man. The southpaw is big and strong and carves out space on the block with ease, and he's a good operator once the ball is entered to him there; he has a nice spin move and can finish quite well with both hands. I was also impressed with his free-throw form – which is consistent and pretty – making me think he could potentially develop his three-point shot in college. The senior is currently unsigned, but I would imagine plenty of scholarship schools will be interested in him.     Fitzgerald is a big-time shooter. He gets his shot off quickly and with range, and he can do it off the dribble or the catch. He's also very confident operating in the pick and roll, where he made a handful of nice pocket passes against New Hampton. I'm not sure what Fitzgerald's recruitment currently looks like, but I think he could be a top-of-the-line D3 player and could even potentially get some scholarship looks as an off-ball floor spacer and shooter, though his height would be a limiting factor at that level.

Bridgton traveled to New Hampton for a matchup on Wednesday, February 26th. New Hampton got off to a quick 8-0 lead and never looked back on their way to a 91-61 win. Defensive masterclass from New Hampton.