Worcester Academy vs. Cushing Academy Standouts

Worcester traveled to Cushing on Wednesday, February 27th for a matchup between two of the best teams in the region. Cushing dominated for most of the game and put on an offensive clinic on their way to an 89-75 win.   Here are my standouts from the game.    People might be tired of hearing me talk about Moesch, but I'm taking my victory lap as I knew he was a high-major kid well before he started getting the attention he deserves. The 6-foot point guard continues to make me gasp with his passing vision and ability to make any pass in the book; his no-looks are coming along and he has every pass out of the pick and roll that you could ever want. Shooting-wise, he has a low release but it's quick and accurate with tons of range, which makes me think it'll translate just fine to the next level. Defensively, he struggles guarding larger players but uses his quickness to keep in front and get back taps. Every single college program – yes, every single one – should be recruiting him.     I have to imagine Edema loves playing with Moesch, because it results in multiple dunks a game for him out of the pick and roll. The 7-footer does a good job finding a body on screens and has solid hands at the rim when he's given the ball. With his size and length, it's basically over once he gets a paint touch. He could certainly improve his short-role passing and comfortability away from the rim, but the sophomore has plenty of time to do so; and even if he never develops a shot or Bam Adebayo-like center skills offensively, he can still have a very successful college career as a result of his size, length, and everything those tools bring on both ends.     Jones needs to be talked about as one of the best defenders in the region. He always guards the opposing team's best guard – yesterday it was Jenkins from Worcester – and seems to know the scouting report on them quite well. He stays in front and doesn't take too many chances, but he's big, strong and long enough to really stymy point guards and even some wings. Offensively, he won't wow you with any one skill but also doesn't really have an offensive weakness; he can shoot it a bit from the three and mid-range, and he's a good strong-hand driver. He'll step into a nice role at Penn with his defensive instincts and IQ.     Davis reminds me a bit of Draymond Green with his ability to operate in the short-role but also bully defenders in the paint. The 6-foot-7 forward is quite dense and strong, which makes him difficult to move on the block. However, for his size and width, he's incredibly light on his feet and agile, which allows him to make decisions quickly and operate as a 5-out big. The uncommitted senior might not play center or forward at the D1 level, but he could certainly play in some small-ball lineups and I wouldn't be surprised if he has more guard skills than we're seeing at Cushing.     Kamin led the charge for Worcester in the scoring department against Cushing. While his guard teammates struggled to get into the paint and finish, Kamin showcased his three-level scoring ability. He's crafty and strong getting to the rim, and although his shot is a bit unconventional, it goes in. He's been somewhat inconsistent shooting the ball from three when I've seen him, but something about his misses tells me I've caught the wrong games and that he will be a great perimeter threat at the next level. D1 coaches should be all over him with offers, and I'm quite frankly flabbergasted that they aren't.     Blackburn is a SHOOTER. When he gets hot, his confidence soars and he becomes really hard to stop. He moves well without the ball and can shoot on the move, and his range is basically anywhere over half court. He's got one of the prettier shots in the region and it'll certainly translate well to the next level. He could definitely add some creation and closeout attacking skills to his game, but he has the skills necessary to do so. Even when he isn't getting open looks, he's creating space for his teammates with his shooting gravity and movement. The senior will be playing at Binghamton University next year.

Worcester traveled to Cushing on Wednesday, February 27th for a matchup between two of the best teams in the region. Cushing dominated for most of the game and put on an offensive clinic on their way to an 89-75 win.