NERR Northeast Hoop Festival Varsity Standouts: Part 3

I attended the Northeast Hoop Festival on Saturday (4/5) and Sunday (4/6). I tried to catch as many varsity games as possible; but with coaching duties, multiple locations, and dozens of teams, it was impossible to see everybody.   That being said, below is part three of my standouts from the tournament.   If you missed part one, <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/04/nerr-northeast-hoop-festival-varsity-standouts-part-1/">here it is</a>. If you missed part two, <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/04/nerr-northeast-hoop-festival-varsity-standouts-part-2/">here it is</a>.    Nzeyimana is an absolute joy to watch. He's super undersized but he works his behind off on both ends and will be able to play at the next level because of it. Defensively, he's ridiculously quick and has amazing hands (he's constantly getting back taps and taking cookies), and he's able to guard bigger players by being a pest in the post and making life miserable. Offensively, he has the ball on a string and can handle it against anyone. His size might limit his recruitment, but he's good enough to get it done at the college level somewhere -- I know it.     Ames was everywhere on the court when I watched XLP play. On multiple possessions, he contested shots at the rim and then was the first one down the floor for transition buckets – he works super hard and always competes. Offensively, he's quite skilled; he has a good outside shot but can also use his handle to drive to the rim and finish with contact. He's also a really nice passer who sees the game at a high level. Everything he does out there exudes “coach's dream.” He could be a scholarship player or have an excellent D3 career -- and don't sleep on his athleticism.     I said “wow” out loud about a handful of times while watching Rose pass the basketball. The 5-foot-11 combo guard threw multiple over the shoulder full court bombs that were right on the dot. He has amazing vision and the strength/athleticism necessary to make all the passes. In addition to his playmaking, he's super quick with the rock in his hands and can stroke it from very deep. He just has such a well-rounded offensive game. Defensively, he uses his athleticism and motor to be a dog. Loved watching Rose play – and apparently he's a stud on the football field as well. He will absolutely be playing a college sport.     Mann is a killer. The lefty wing is a freight train in transition and cannot be stopped when he's driving to his left hand; even though you know he's going that way, he gets to the paint and has really nice touch off the backboard. His shot is also fairly accurate, though he takes a bit too long to get it off and could improve in that regard. I think Mann is probably best suited for the D3 level, though his scholarship-level athleticism is definitely going to draw tons of coaches attention. I could imagine him finding a D2 home somewhere as a result.     Semuhoza is a fascinating player. The 6-foot-7 big is quite dense and completely overpowers other big men in the paint, but he also has some really shifty handles and lots of wiggle to his game. He can even step out and knock down the three ball, and when defenders double him in the paint, he has really nice vision and feel. If he can get in better conditioning shape and is able to get up and down the floor a bit better and more consistently, he could make a college coach very happy. Would love to see what he could do on the football field and how a reworked body would change his recruitment.

I attended the Northeast Hoop Festival on Saturday (4/5) and Sunday (4/6). I tried to catch as many varsity games as possible; but with coaching duties, multiple locations, and dozens of teams, it was impossible to see everybody.