NERR Northeast Hoop Festival Varsity Standouts: Part 4

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 four 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>. If you missed part three, <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/04/nerr-northeast-hoop-festival-varsity-standouts-part-3/">here it is</a>.    O'Neil is short in stature but does lots of the things you need from a short guard. He's super quick and confident with the ball in his hands, and he can play under pressure while running the offense beautifully. He's great in the pick and roll and really understands how to be patient and wait for the defense to react before making a read. He made the correct decision time and time again, no matter whether it showed up in the stat sheet or not. His height will be a limiting factor in his recruitment, but I bet O'Neil can play college ball at the D3 level somewhere.     Vella really impressed me with his combination of size and guard skills. He's 6-foot-6 but certainly doesn't move like your typical D3 big man. He has a bunch of moves off the dribble and some really nice slow-step footwork once he gets into the paint. He's also a solid passer and has a good understanding of how to play as part of an offense. If he can develop an even better outside shot and get some more quickness, he could potentially play at the D2 level. However, right now I'd project him as a really solid D3 player who should have an excellent college career.     Summers is a freak of an athlete. He's the first one back on defense and the first guy leaking out in transition on almost every possession; this results in tons of easy layups and high flying dunks. He's also excellent on the defensive end and can guard virtually anyone as a result of his combination of size and athleticism. Summers is still learning how to handle it and shoot from deep, but he knows his role on the New Haven Heat and never steps out of his comfort zone. Really nice role player and hustle guy.     Lakaj is a really skilled, positionless basketball player. He's 6-foot-5 and strong bodied, which allows him to play the wing position and even some small-ball five. He had a 6-foot-10 guy guarding him in Sunday's championship game and was still able to get into the paint, jump stop, and find a way to finish around the defense. He has great footwork, craft, and feel for the game. If he gets a little bit quicker and faster, he could really see his recruitment skyrocket; but right now, his size will probably limit his scholarship potential.     Afolabi is a very impressive athlete. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has some of the longest arms I've seen and he puts them to good use. Defensively, he's active with his hands in the passing lanes and can guard multiple positions as a result of his physical tools. Offensively, he gets to the rim at ease and can finish using a variety of crafty angles. He's also a solid shooter who can knock down shots from both the mid range and three, and he'll find open shooters on the perimeter when he needs to. Big time player with scholarship potential.

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.