New England Basketball League: 2/1 First-Team

On Saturday, February 1st, I attended the New England Basketball League at CATS Academy in Braintree, MA. Over the next couple days, I'll be naming my First, Second, and Third Teams from Saturday's session, as well as some honorable mentions.   To be clear, this was perhaps the best collection of high school talent that I've seen in a high school gym at once, and a multitude of other players could've been written about as well.   The teams competing on Saturday were: CATS Academy, Newman Prep, New Hampton School, South Kent, Brewster Academy (B), Putnam Science Academy, Brimmer & May, Cushing Academy.   Below is my NEBL 2/1 First-Team.    Tillery is an absolute spark plug. He's ridiculously quick with the ball in his hands and jolts to the rim like very few other guards can, often showcasing athletic finishes with both hands at the hoop. When he wants to, though, he can also play at his own pace in the pick and roll; he does a good job at getting the defender on his back and making the correct decision for himself or his teammates. Defensively, the Cincinnati commit is virtually un-screenable and has very quick hands to pair with it. He's a joy to watch.     Words cannot express how electric Moesch is on the basketball court. In a gym full of high-major D1 talent, the 6-foot guard might've been the best player I saw. The lefty has a pop in his step and exquisite ball handling ability that allows him to breeze by defenders with ease, and he makes the right decision again and again, whether it be gliding to the rim for a finish or setting up his teammates for easy layups and threes. Oh, and he can stroke it from three with deep range. His size is probably stopping some high major schools from offering him, but if they stuck around for a couple games they would see what I'm seeing. Special, special player.     Edmond is a 6-foot-6 wing with freak athleticism, a nice looking shot, and the ability to score at all three levels. What more could a high-major school be looking for? The junior has 5+ mid-major D1 offers, but he definitely has potential to go higher than that. He had some ridiculous finishes where he hung in the air, took contact, and made shots high off the glass, but he also has great touch from the outside. Sky's the limit for Edmond, who's recruitment should pick up in short order.     Terry is an absolute flamethrower, and he can shoot it off both the catch and the dribble. His range expands far out past the three-point line and he has a very quick release to pair with it, which allows him to get shots off against bigger and longer defenders -- he was absolutely feeling it on Saturday. Terry can also create for himself and uses his touch to finish around the rim. Defensively, he slides his feet well and has active hands. I love the edge he plays with, and it'll serve him quite well at the next level, where he already has a handful of mid to high major offers.     Morillo stands at 6-foot-7 with long arms, but he handles the point guard duties for Newman quite well. He's calm under pressure and plays at his own pace, and his offensive game has very few holes. He can get to his spots on the floor and has an excellent shooting stroke, but most impressive is his elite passing ability; he makes live-dribble one-handed passes (with both hands) in his sleep, and his vision is incredibly advanced for a junior. Morillo also plays hard on the defensive end and can hold his own despite his slim frame. He's a definite high major guy in my opinion.

On Saturday, February 1st, I attended the New England Basketball League at CATS Academy in Braintree, MA. Over the next couple days, I'll be naming my First, Second, and Third Teams from Saturday's session, as well as some honorable mentions.