Vermont Academy vs. New Hampton School Standouts

On Wednesday, February 19th, Vermont Academy traveled to New Hampshire to face New Hampton School. The game was tight throughout, before New Hampton eventually pulled away 76-72.   Below are my standouts from this high level matchup.    It's quite hard to believe that Whyte is actually a sophomore in high school. You don't find many underclassmen with his combination of size, strength, athleticism and skill. He's a menace in transition and is so difficult to stop once he gets by his defender's top foot, because he accelerates to the basket and doesn't waste any space on his drives. He had some really nice lefty finishes against New Hampton that really impressed me, and he got to the line at will. Defensively, he can get a bit spacey off the ball, but that's just a mental thing that can be fixed once he matures. Big-time future for Whyte ahead.     I get higher on Meyer every single time I watch him play. He doesn't really have an offensive weakness, as he's able to create off the dribble and score from the mid-range and three but also cut super well off the ball and find holes in the defense. I also like his passing and think it continues to improve. Defensively, Meyer was a deflection machine against Vermont Academy, constantly getting fingertips on balls and making extra efforts when they mattered most. The Wyoming commit continues to impress me and make me a believer that he can play right away next year, which would be quite an accomplishment. Big time player.     Kaba is a big, athletic wing who can play on the ball. Unlike many true 6-foot-5 players, he has the ball on a string and does a really good job using his body in the pick and roll; he can get the defender on his back, and he's able and willing to throw pocket passes and other kick-out passes to teammates. He can also score for himself by driving hard to the rim and using his excellent length to finish, or pulling up in the mid-range and elevating over the defense. Defensively, Kaba plays hard and has active hands. His shot is a bit slow, but if he can get it quicker, he could be a really high level D1 prospect.     I just love Harrington's game so much. He knows that he plays with three big-time creators in Tillery, Meyer and Blackwood, so he never holds the ball for more than a second and is constantly moving around the court while being ready to pull from three. He has a flamethrower for a right arm but also has excellent vision once he gets into the paint, which he does often as a result of players not knowing how to close out to him. He plays the game the right way offensively, and it's wonderful to watch. The junior would definitely raise his stock by getting stronger and improving his lateral quickness defensively, but he has some time to do so. I'm not sure he'll get scholarship looks, but he should because of the way he thinks the game and provides space for everyone around him to operate.     Rainey is a talented guard who can play quite effectively both on and off the ball. Off the rock, he spaces the floor very well because of his quick release and deep three-point shooting range. On the ball, he's super quick and shifty and uses his first step to get into the lane with regularity. The unsigned senior is probably a scholarship player, but honing in on his shot selection and figuring out when to pick his spots offensively would go a long way for him. Regardless, Rainey is a really solid player who should be getting scholarship looks if he isn't already.     Tabales is similar to Harrington in a lot of ways; he strokes it from three, and he knows how to move without the ball to create space for his teammates and make himself available for kickout passes. However, he also has some on-ball chops as a pick and roll handler, where he reads the defense well and has some surprising athleticism once he gets into the paint. Like Harrington, the junior plays the right way and is constantly helping his teammates operate with space, even if he isn't touching the ball. The on-ball stuff would certainly pop if he wasn't sharing the floor with Tillery, Blackwood and Meyer.

On Wednesday, February 19th, Vermont Academy traveled to New Hampshire to face New Hampton School. The game was tight throughout, before New Hampton eventually pulled away 76-72.