Worcester Academy vs. Phillips Exeter Academy Standouts

On Wednesday, Phillips Exeter traveled to Worcester for a battle of two of the best Prep Schools in New England. Exeter was undermanned and fell to Worcester, 72-80. Here are some standouts from the game, thanks to Hudl.    Hailey has one of the best feels for the game I've seen in the class of 2026. He handles the ball so well and only uses his burst of speed in certain circumstances, most of the time being patient and using his body to get the defense off balance instead of his quickness. He has a great-looking stroke and can make it from beyond the three-point line but also in the mid-range, and he also has a bag of finishing moves that allows him to convert amongst the trees. To put it all together, Hailey is a willing passer with very good vision, especially for his age. If he ever grows a little bit more, oh lord. But otherwise, he should still find a scholarship somewhere due to his ability to run an offense.     Kamin is an imposing, 6-foot-7 do-it-all wing from Illinois who really impressed me with his combination of size, strength and skill. He's able to bully his way to the rim against smaller defenders, but he can also step out and shoot the three ball with effectiveness. Oh, and he can get to his spots in the mid-range as well. As a creator, he has some really solid ball handling moves, especially for his size, and he is an able and willing passer when he sees the opportunity. Kamin is currently unsigned – and I can't find much about his college recruitment – but he's definitely a D1 player, and I say that with a lot of confidence.     Soden is a big time athlete with very few offensive holes. He can stroke it from three – and with incredibly deep range – but he also creates for himself and has a ton of different finishing moves at the cup. His shot selection can be iffy at times, but it's tough to dissuade a great shooter from letting it fly. As a second side creator, he attacks closeouts with decisiveness and aggression and is also a bulldozer in transition. Soden holds multiple D1 offers and is going to surprise a lot of people with his athletic ability at the next level.     We know Frost can shoot it – there's nothing new there. He has one of the prettiest releases in New England and can get his shot off quickly and in a variety of situations. But what impressed me most in Wednesday's game was his vision and passing chops; he throws incredibly crisp passes and he's able to consistently find teammates across the court with his over-the-head dimes, often reading the second level of the defense off of screen and roll actions. The Notre Dame commit has a college-ready body and should excel right away at the next level, especially with his ability to play off the ball and attack closeouts.     When I first saw Jenkins at the NEPSAC Showcase this past summer, it was his end-to-end speed and athleticism in transition that stood out to me. But in Wednesday's game, he showed an improved shot off of both the dribble and the catch, as well as some patience in the pick and roll. If he continues to improve his shot, pairing that with his speed and athleticism going to the rim will be incredibly difficult to stop. Defensively, Jenkins is a ball hawk with excellent hands and lateral quickness, allowing him to guard opposing PG's quite well. D1 prospect with more offers coming his way.     McConnell does a lot of the things you'd want and expect out of a 6-foot-11 center. He runs from rim to rim, protecting the basket on the defensive end and cleaning up the trash on the offensive end. But he differentiates himself by being an excellent passer out of the high post, which allows him to be a hub on offense where he can play the dribble hand-off game and find teammates for backdoor cuts. McConnell didn't step out and take any long-range shots, but his free throw release looks pretty solid. The Navy commit could really improve his stock at the next level by getting lighter on his feet and improving his ability to hang with guards on the perimeter.

On Wednesday, Phillips Exeter traveled to Worcester for a battle of two of the best Prep Schools in New England. Exeter was undermanned and fell to Worcester, 72-80. Here are some standouts from the game, thanks to Hudl.