Governors Academy vs. Tabor Academy Standouts

On Wednesday, February 19th, Tabor Academy visited Governors Academy in what amounted to one of the better games of the prep school season. Tabor was up double digits for most of the game before Govs STORMED BACK to win 79-73. Incredibly battle between these two squads.   Below are my standouts from Wednesday's game.    Quinn might be the strongest pound-for-pound player in the New England area. He's only 6-foot-4, but he bullies anyone his size or smaller, and even some larger players, in the post and on drives to the rim. I was most impressed with his ability to let the game come to him; rather than forcing shots, he made great kick-out passes to teammates when the defense converged on him in the lane and was content to take over later in the game, which he did. He strokes it from three and can get to the rim with ease. The East Carolina commit should have a wonderful college career at the D1 level.     Another day, another pair of ridiculous dunks for Nkugwa. Momo is a ridiculous athlete who's beyond difficult to stop when getting to his left hand, and he has some really nice touch in the paint on a variety of floater shots. He does a good job, too, of getting out of trouble with the dribble and gaining a head of steam in transition. He can also knock down the three ball. I wonder whether he'll be able to be as effective as a driver at the next level, but some improvement using his right hand would be monumental for his chances to get minutes at Vermont next year.     Magezi is the younger brother of Momo, which bodes well for his athletic ability and quickness, especially as he gets older. Kkugwa is an excellent on-ball defender who slides his feet very well and has active hands – these are skills I've seen in previous Governor's games. But today, he showcased an offensive bag I didn't know he had; he got into the paint with a solid first-step and handle, and he also showcased a beautiful mid-range game. He's patient, controlled, and strong, and I'll be very curious to see whether he continues to grow and get more athletic like his older brother.     Baptiste plays center for Tabor and is quite effective as a low post scorer. He uses his size and strength to overpower smaller players but also has a solid sense for when to kick it out once the defense comes. He's also very active on the offensive boards. When I've seen him play in AAU, he plays more of a wing role and has shown off some decent shooting. Truthfully, scholarship basketball will be quite difficult for him at the center position, so he'll have to continue developing his perimeter game – shooting, creating and passing – in order to be successful. Good news is the junior has a lot of time to do so.     Wertz was a large catalyst in Governor's comeback. He's a fantastic close-out attacker, which is how he scored a lot of his buckets; he reads the angle that the defender is closing out at and does a great job of attacking the top foot. Once he gets there, he's an excellent finisher around the rim with both hands and has very good body control at the rim when defenders meet him in the air. Very underrated athlete. He also loves to get to his pull-up jumper, which is set up by his ability to knock down the open three. The Skidmore commit is going to be LOVED by his coaches at the next level.     This was the first time I've seen Yeomans play, and I didn't have to watch long before being able to say, with lots of confidence, that he absolutely strokes it from three. He has a nice-looking shot and has quite a bit of range. He also does a good job of running the show for Tabor; he never over-dribbles and is always looking to find his teammates for ball reversals. His lack of size will probably limit his recruitment, but I like his chances at having a really nice D3 career.

On Wednesday, February 19th, Tabor Academy visited Governors Academy in what amounted to one of the better games of the prep school season. Tabor was up double digits for most of the game before Govs STORMED BACK to win 79-73. Incredibly battle between these two squads.