NEBL Opening Weekend: Newman 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 begin, let's look at some standouts from the Newman School. They went 2-0 on the weekend with convincing wins over Brimmer and May and Darrow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1440697"],"_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-692083b3e2dbc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Richmond might've been the biggest stockriser of any Newman player this weekend. The 6-foot-8 wing showed an incredibly well-rounded, two-way game; there's nothing he can't do and he's additive in virtually every way. Offensively, he can cut and move off the ball effectively but can also shoot it with range and drive closeouts very decisively. He had a couple of really nice finishes at the hoop with his left hand and also showed off some great above-the-rim athleticism. He can even play in the post because of his size and strength. Defensively, Richmond can guard wings and forwards because of his physicality. He should walk right into playing time for Columbia next season—he just does too much on the floor to not play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2341317"],"_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-692083b3e2e1b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">If Richmond wasn't the biggest Newman stockriser this weekend, it was definitely Hunter-Coleman. The 6-foot guard might not be the biggest, but he's an overwhelming cover for opposing guards on the offensive end. He gets downhill with incredible explosiveness; he has the handle, quickness and physicality to get by anyone he wants. Once he got into the paint, he showcased some pretty special off-hand righty finishes against both Brimmer and Darrow. Defensively, Hunter-Coleman uses his wingspan and lateral quickness to completely stifle opposing point guards. He'll be under-recruited because of his size, but the junior might be a mid or high major guard by next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2341371"],"_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-692083b3e2e66"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Geremia shows new parts to his game every single time he gets out on the floor. Despite his reputation as a knock-down shooter, he continues to add offensive creation and is more effective as a driver than he's ever been. Against Darrow, he had a phenomenal lefty finish where he used his physicality to bump off the defender and finish with the glass. He's always going to get guys to overplay his three-point shooting, and he is a great closeout driver once that happens. Geremia is going to surprise people next year at Penn—he could walk into minutes right away because of his skillset and shooting gravity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1532640"],"_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-692083b3e2ead"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We know about Costello's shooting ability and open-court athleticism—the 6-foot-10 forward can fly above the rim and also extends his range out past the three point line. But this weekend, he showed some really solid passing ability. He made multiple impressive passes in the short roll and showcased some good vision in small spaces, something pretty rare for a big man his age. His shooting and vertical spacing are going to be the most notable parts of his game at the next level, but his hands and IQ are going to be what eventually allows him to reach his ceiling. I'll be curious to see whether Costello can continue to grow in these ways this season—he's certainly in a good place to do so.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2553689"],"_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-692083b3e2ef4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I'm always completely wowed by O'Keefe's conditioning level and physicality. The 6-foot-4 combo-guard is always in go-mode and is pushing the ball up the floor quickly and relentlessly for the ENTIRE game. He can rebound the ball well for his size, but he also has a knack for getting quick outlet passes and finding lanes in transition. This weekend, he consistently got his squad into good offense by creating and getting paint touches early in the shot clock. He can also knock down threes with range and is an excellent athlete when attacking the rim. His defensive prowess is hard to miss, too. O'Keefe is just an all-around, two-way player who can play college hoops right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->