NEBL Opening Weekend: Brimmer and May Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past weekend, the New England Basketball League held its first session of this season at the New Balance Facility in Brighton, MA. Eight teams—Newman, Brimmer and May, South Kent, Darrow, Cushing, Putnam Science, CATS, and New Hampton—were in attendance, and I'll have standouts from each of those squads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To continue, let's look at some standouts from Brimmer and May. They went 1-1 on the weekend with an impressive win over South Kent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/11/nebl-opening-weekend-newman-standouts/">NEBL Opening Weekend: Newman Standouts</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470946"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692127e6ee100"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Payne is the engine of a Brimmer and May squad that should make some more noise in the NEBL than they did last season. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is playing with the rock in his hands a lot more this season, and he looks quite comfortable in those spots. He loves the kick ahead pass in transition and has really solid vision in the half court. But where he excels is as a rim attacker and mid range scorer. His speed and quickness forces defenders off of him, and his high release point makes him very difficult to contest from both the paint and the perimeter. He's easily Brimmer's best player and showcased the culmination of his skills on a buzzer beater against South Kent on Sunday. He should have high major schools checking him out—absolute dog.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2341301"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692127e6ee18c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Legentus is one of the streakier players in the NEBL. When he isn't hitting his shots and isn't feeling comfortable with his handle, he can take some really questionable shots early in the clock. But when he's on, he's impossible to stop. He has never-ending confidence on the offensive end and can score from all three levels. His explosiveness, handle and touch allow him to blow by defenders and get a relatively decent shot virtually whenever he wants. Defensively, he can be a real pest when he locks in. I could imagine Legentus getting some D2 looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568348"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692127e6ee1f6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Robinson sometimes spends a bit too much time on the perimeter, especially given what he can do inside the paint. This weekend, he had a wild putback slam and generally showcased some really solid physical attributes on a number of his offensive rebounds and defensive contests. He can also make the three ball and can attack closeouts occasionally. Robinson is still learning how to use his body and fully lean into his size and athleticism, but he looks more comfortable throwing elbows and taking contact than he used to, which is absolutely a step in the right direction. Scholarship schools should be all over Robinson as a very intriguing long term prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2568447"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692127e6ee25b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Thornton comes off the bench for Brimmer and is as solid as they come. The 6-foot-1 guard can shoot it from three, and he understands how to cut and move without the ball to get open shots. The quickness of his release also helps him get solid looks off. When the defense overplays him, he can attack closeouts and make really smart spray out passes in the paint. Defensively, Thornton had a nice Jose Alvarado sneak-attack steal and showcased really good hands and activity against South Kent. He should find a D3 spot in a couple years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2634131"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692127e6ee2c7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Fitzgibbon is an interesting player because he seems to be just on the cusp of really figuring it all out offensively. The 6-foot-3 guard has some incredibly impressive flashes; he has a nice looking pull up jumper and showcases some great touch in the lane on floaters, as well as some surprising athleticism on drives to the rim. His shot is just not as consistent as it needs to be, but I could totally see it getting there based on how it looks. The slow steps, feel, and change of speed is already there, though, so the junior has some time to figure it out. Fitzgibbon should be looked at by D3 schools right now but could improve his stock with a better perimeter shot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->