Suffield Academy open gym standouts/team preview

I had the pleasure of watching a Suffield Academy open gym this fall, and they have a talented team that'll turn some heads this winter. Here are some guys who stood out for the NEPSAC Class A contender.    Lomicka has a serious chance to be Suffield's best player and one of the standout players in the entire NEPSAC. The 6-foot-10 forward reminds me of Danny Wolf; he obviously has size and length, but he handles, passes, and shoots the ball like a guard, which makes him a really versatile floor spacer on the offensive end. He has so much finesse to his game, but some added strength to finish over bigs in the paint would probably be huge for his development. Once he puts that together with his skillset, the sky is the limit. Regardless, scholarship programs should be all over Lomicka, who's a modern day big man with tons of potential.     If Lomicka isn't Suffield's best player, it'll probably end up being Maxwell-Grimes. When I've historically watched the senior guard play, he has shown incredible scoring instincts from all three levels — the ability to shoot it from anywhere over half court, to stop on a dime in the mid range and elevate for pull ups, and to get all the way to the hoop for finishes over the trees. But at their open gym, I was incredibly impresses with Maxwell-Grimes' feel and passing vision in the pick and roll. He threw on time, on target passes with lots of velocity. He has the makings of a scholarship level point guard if he can consistently lean into his playmaking strengths.     Moses comes to Suffield from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School as a post grad and is primed to impact things right away. The 6-foot-3 guard plays with awesome control offensively and is always balanced and decisive on his drives to the paint. Once he gets there — which he almost always does via a straight line drive — he's able to play at his own pace and use his strong body to carve out space for finishes. He can also make nice dump down passes to teammates when the defense collapses, and he's able to knock down the three ball. Moses should be able to find a D3 or perhaps even a D2 fit next year. Really athletic and skilled player.     Waterhouse has been playing hoops in Portugal for the past couple years, but he comes to Suffield Academy as a senior ready to make an impact right now. The 6-foot-5 wing has really solid strength and a good motor, which allows him to be a garbage man on the boards and guard a variety of players on the defensive end. Offensively, he runs the floor well and finishes effectively in transition. He should play a significant role on Suffield Academy this year and will definitely find a D3 fit next year, or perhaps higher if he can improve his off the dribble game and the quickness of his shot.     Johnson might be the best shooter on Suffield Academy's roster. The point guard is only 5-foot-11, but he gets solid elevation on his jumper and gets it off very quickly, which makes him a threat on the perimeter despite his lack of size. He can shoot it coming off screens, off the dribble, or in the triple threat position. Lomicka and Maxwell-Grimes will probably set him up for a good number of outside shots this season. Once the defense overplays him, Johnson does a good job attacking closeouts and making rim reads. These skills will probably earn him a D3 roster spot (or close to that level) somewhere in the coming years.     Jarrett is a super intriguing long term prospect. The 6-foot-8 forward has really good screening timing and instincts, and he understands when and how to exit the screen in an effective way. Maxwell-Grimes must've found him for 7-10 easy layups in the open gym I watched. The junior forward has really solid hands and does a good job being prepared for when the pass is coming to him. He's certainly a bit raw when it comes to finishing and his other offensive skills, but the junior has time to develop and will probably look a lot different towards the end of the season and next year.

I had the pleasure of watching a Suffield Academy open gym this fall, and they have a talented team that'll turn some heads this winter. Here are some guys who stood out for the NEPSAC Class A contender.