Tufts Elite Camp: First Team

On Sunday, July 27th, I attended Tufts University's elite prospect camp. Similar to Brandeis, there were about 35 players in attendance and some really solid talent.   As always, I couldn't watch every single game and drill that happened, so there is certainly some stuff that I missed throughout the day.   However, here is my first team from the camp. Second team will be coming out tomorrow morning.    Brennan was the best player at Tufts camp and it wasn't particularly close. People tend to label him as a "small-ball big", but he actually has a lot more guard skills than you think. Sure, he plays at his own pace and isn't necessarily the quickest on the court, but he has better athleticism than you think and such fantastic footwork and craft in the paint. His strength and balance is quite impressive, too, and defenders totally bounce off of him on drives to the rim. He can also step outside and shoot the three ball with consistency. Brennan is absolutely a high D3 player despite some people saying that he's too small to play the big or too slow to play the wing.     Apergis came all the way from Virginia and really impressed with his ability to run the floor, rebound, and finish at the hoop. The rising senior is 6-foot-8 and very lanky, which allowed him to dominate on the boards against a bunch of undersized big men and wings; he helps himself out a lot here by keeping the ball high on offensive rebounds and going right back up with it quickly. He also had a variety of floaters in the lane with both hands, showcasing some really solid touch. He didn't step out to take many threes, but he has a decent looking release that could possibly be improved upon to develop his shooting. He'll find a D3 fit somewhere.     Leanna had a rough outside shooting day at camp, but he impacted the game in a variety of ways all day. He's an explosive combo-guard with a good handle and really solid elevation and body control at the rim. He also understands how to cut, which makes him a really solid off-ball slasher. His shot looks nice, though he needs to make open ones a bit more consistently if he wants to play D3 hoops at a high level. Regardless, he should find a fit somewhere and could definitely benefit from a PG year after this season against some better competition than he'll find at Newburyport High School.     Cohen played for the Maccabi 18U team this summer, and he showcased a lot of the skills at Tufts camp that earned him a spot on that roster. He's only 6-foot, but he has solid quickness and is an incredibly smart passer/floor general. He's content to make the simple play again and again (and again 100 times) despite not getting an assist or points, and that's a very valuable mindset to have for a PG. He also strokes it from three, which makes him an interesting off-ball presence. He'll need to get quicker and stronger if he wants to play high level D3 ball, but he has a chance.     This was my first time seeing Reynolds play and I was really impressed with his composure and pace on the offensive end. Despite having really solid athleticism and quickness, he doesn't overuse it and has a really good understanding of changing speeds and directions; his herky-jerky dribbling style definitely throws defenders off. He also knocked down a ton of threes, off both the catch and dribble, and made tons of excellent passes when the help defense collapsed on him. He could be a high D3 player and will certainly improve by being at a high level school this coming season.

On Sunday, July 27th, I attended Tufts University's elite prospect camp. Similar to Brandeis, there were about 35 players in attendance and some really solid talent.