NERR Northeast Hoop Festival: underclassmen to watch

On Saturday, September 4th, I attended the NERR Northeast Hoop Festival at Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA. There were tons of talented teams and players there, but I was only able to watch some Saturday morning games and then some short highlights from the afternoon and Sunday games.   That being said, here are some underclassmen who impressed.    Costello looks bigger and stronger than I remember him and is really beginning to see his game come together. The 6-foot-4 wing has a really nice looking shot and good footwork/balance when coming off of screens, but he can also drive closeouts and score at the rim when the closeout comes. I think there's still room for Costello to get more explosive athletically, and that'll be key for him in terms of getting everything he can get out of his recruitment. He should be one of the leading scorers and very key players for Rivers School next season, and I would imagine scholarship schools are keeping tabs on his development.     Bly is only 5-foot-8 but he is absolutely electric on the basketball court. The ball looks like it's a part of his hand when he's dribbling and he has really special change of speed and acceleration ability. He got into the lane whenever he wanted on Saturday and made excellent plays for himself and his teammates once he got there. Defensively, Bly was a total pest and completely limited the opponents' comfortability with the ball. Size will be his limiting factor moving forward, but the skillset is really impressive for a freshman. He's incredibly fun to watch and I can't wait to see how he develops.     Peltrop was fairly dominant athletically as an offensive and defensive rebounder and really made his presence felt on the defensive end and in transition. Once he got a defensive board, he did a great job running the floor and finishing with either hand at the hoop. Even when he missed his initial shot, he got tons of me-bounds and showed a really impressive motor for the entirety of the game. I also liked his unselfishness and passing instincts, which should only keep growing as he gets older. He'll need to continue to get more comfortable handling and shooting the ball, but the sophomore wing has lots of time to improve those skills and should get tons of minutes for Brockton HS this season.     Frigiani was one of the better athletes on the floor and really impressed with his all around game on both ends. The 6-foot-1 guard can shoot it from three – and shoots it quite quickly off the catch – but he also always knows what he's going to do with the rock when he gets it and either drives, shoots or passes right away. He also showed off some really solid athleticism at the hoop and made excellent looks to teammates once the defense came to help. Frigiani was playing up in the 10th grade division today and looked more than comfortable, so I could see him getting legitimate minutes for Belmont Hill this season.     Olinto is a solid sophomore guard who really knows how to play. The 5-foot-10 southpaw does a great job going North to South on drives and makes really excellent reads at the nail when the help comes. His ability to play off the catch and make reads in the triple threat is impressive, and he has a real knack for attacking with ferocity at the hoop. He needs to improve his three point shot and right hand, but he should get playing time for Boston Latin Academy this season. Some improved touch from both inside the lane and out on the perimeter would be really big for him.

On Saturday, September 4th, I attended the NERR Northeast Hoop Festival at Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA. There were tons of talented teams and players there, but I was only able to watch some Saturday morning games and then some short highlights from the afternoon and Sunday games.