(5) Worcester Academy defeats (1) Cushing Academy

Worcester Academy handed Cushing a semifinal loss in what was probably the most surprising upset of the NEPSAC playoffs. Their defensive game plan of limiting Moesch and Edema in the pick-and-roll, combined with their big-time scoring outbursts from a number of guys, led to an amazing 11 point win that these guys will remember forever. Oh, and they did it AT Cushing -- so impressive. Worcester will face CATS in the AA final.   Here are my standouts from the game.    Kamin had another huge game on Saturday – what's new? The uncommitted senior showed that he can still play bully ball against one of the best prep teams in the country; he used his body and his off hand so well, and he was SO physical on drives to the hoop. He also throws up some shots around the lane that seem like they have no chance of converting, but his touch is supreme and he gets them to go. He got hurt towards the end of the game, but he'll be good to go tomorrow for a massive matchup against CATS Academy – it'll be his best opportunity yet to show he deserves more D1 offers.     Jenkins put in another big-time performance today against Cushing. The senior guard was matched up with [player_tooltip player_id='2465117' first='Ryan' last='Moesch'] for a lot of the game and slid his feet super well without fouling. He also used his active hands for some steals and leak outs. He got his long range shot to go a few times and also found success driving into the lane and slowing his steps to finish around the bigs. Towards the end of the game, Jenkins was confident handling the ball against pressure and knocked down free throws when they mattered. He'll probably be defended by [player_tooltip player_id='2487641' first='Desmond' last='Bellot'] tomorrow, which will be quite the battle.     Sullivan didn't put up crazy stats, but he had a massive impact on the game. Against 7-footer [player_tooltip player_id='2470882' first='Theo' last='Edema'], he more than held his own. He probably out-rebounded him on the glass and didn't allow him to get the easy dunks/finishes that he normally gets in the paint. He does a really good job defending the pick-and-roll in drop coverage and has excellent hands and timing when it comes to plays near the hoop. For someone Sullivan's size, it's incredibly impressive that he was able to hang with Edema – it just proves that he truly can play the center/forward position at the next level. He'll have his hands FULL tomorrow with [player_tooltip player_id='2633517' first='Leo' last='Curtis'] of CATS.    [player_tooltip player_id='2325736' first='Jake' last='Blackburn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2325772' first='Connor' last='Swider']:   I'm grouping these guys because it seems impossible for a full game to go by without at least one of them popping off from three. Today, both of them hit a few really important ones. The spacing they provide is super important for Jenkins, [player_tooltip player_id='2341335' first='Cam' last='Hailey'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1157225' first='Payton' last='Kamin'] to have enough room to operate in the lane; and when they get kick out passes for shots, they're both always shot-ready and confident. Swider also took a really nice charge against a sprinting Moesch in the first half, which surprised me. Worcester will need one or both of these guys to shoot well from three tomorrow to take home the chip.    Moesch was even more aggressive today than he normally is, and it resulted in another solid scoring output for him. He made good decisions out of the pick-and-roll, though he didn't find as many dump down passes for Edema as he normally does, and he finishes well in transition. He also knocked down some threes, but not enough to bring Cushing over the top. I can't wait to see what Moesch, one of my favorite players in the region, adds to his game for next season. Sky's the limit for him.     Ward had a solid game hitting shots from three and doing all the little things. I like how he never holds the ball for too long and always knows what he's going to do with it before it comes to him. He's going to be so well prepared for college hoops at the University of Chicago next year as a result of the competition he's faced at the prep school level, and that'll likely pay dividends for him. It'll be exciting to see him take on a larger offensive role than he had at Cushing, too.

Worcester Academy handed Cushing a semifinal loss in what was probably the most surprising upset of the NEPSAC playoffs. Their defensive game plan of limiting Moesch and Edema in the pick-and-roll, combined with their big-time scoring outbursts from a number of guys, led to an amazing 11 point win that these guys will remember forever. Oh, and they did it AT Cushing -- so impressive. Worcester will face CATS in the AA final.