(3) Kimball Union Academy defeats (6) Northfield Mount Hermon

KUA defeated NMH in a complete barnburner in the first round of the NEPSAC AA playoffs. Kimball relentlessly attacked NMH in both transition and on the offensive glass, leading to a 70-68 win. KUA will face CATS Academy in the next round for what should be a really awesome matchup.   Here are my standouts from the game.    Williams is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch in the entire NEPSAC. He's just so nasty. He's absurdly quick when he has the ball and the rock seems to be attached to his hands. His quickness and handle allows him to get paint touches virtually whenever he wants, and he makes fantastic decisions from there, whether it be taking contact in the air and finishing over bigs or collapsing the defense and kicking out to wide open shooters. He can also create from beyond the arc and get his shot off against anyone – even at his size – because he gets so much elevation on his jumper. He's a really special player. I will die on the hill that he's at least a mid-major D1 guy.     Arnold compliments Williams quite well in the backcourt. Against NMH, he showed an excellent ability to attack second-side closeouts and finish at the hoop. However, I was even more impressed with his vision; he threw a handful of really high-level passes – both off the live-dribble and from the top of the key – that completely caught the defense off guard. He just has a really nice feel for angles and timing. The 6-foot-3 combo guard can also shoot it a little bit from outside and handles it very well, not to mention the fact that he's a great rebounder for his size. He's a nice all-around, two-way player.     Henderson has a well-rounded scoring game that helps plug the holes for KUA. He can hit shots from the outside, which helps space the floor for Williams and Arnold, but he can also create for himself on drives to the rim. He's especially effective in the triple-threat position, where he shows off some really strong jab moves and a nice first step. He's also active on the boards and defensively as a result of his size. He was a big part of KUA dominating NMH on the glass in their first round matchup, and I wouldn't be shocked if attacking the offensive glass continues to be a focus for him moving forward in the tournament.     Smith doesn't put up the craziest stats, but he does a lot of the little things that go unnoticed for KUA. On Wednesday, he was dominant on the offensive glass, consistently fighting for second chances and kicking out to wide open shooters when the put-back wasn't available. Defensively, the 6-foot-11 center is super disciplined and thus a good rim protector at the cup – he's also tough and not afraid to take contact. I also appreciate his IQ and passing ability, which is relatively advanced for a junior his size. Sky's the limit for Smith, who could definitely look a lot different by this time next year.     I can't get enough of watching Brooks play the game of basketball. Against KUA's 2-3 zone, Brooks was dishing up his teammates in the middle with look away and misdirection passes. But he also got into the gaps of the defense with his superb quickness and handle, and he showed off some wildly impressive finishing moves at the cup over some very large centers. I was initially of the mindset that it would be tough for Brooks to play D1 hoops, but I've come around, mostly because of the impact he has defensively. He's so active with his hands and is an absolute nightmare to dribble around. So fun to watch.     Chaudhri settled into the game by the time the second half came around and started to get things going offensively. He showed off some nice floaters in the lane and also had a beautiful spin move that finished with a silky lefty finish off the glass. For someone 6-foot-8 and athletic, he's getting more and more skilled with the ball in his hands. Defensively, Chaudhri can guard larger players and protect the rim because of his size, athleticism and jumping ability. The George Washington University is a freak athlete and should continue to improve as the years go on.

KUA defeated NMH in a complete barnburner in the first round of the NEPSAC AA playoffs. Kimball relentlessly attacked NMH in both transition and on the offensive glass, leading to a 70-68 win. KUA will face CATS Academy in the next round for what should be a really awesome matchup.