NMH Tip-Off Classic: MacDuffie Standouts vs. Winchendon

Last weekend, Northfield Mount Hermon hosted the NMH Tip-Off Classic, a mini-tournament that included four boys teams: NMH, MacDuffie, Winchendon, and Wilbraham and Monson. Though I was only able to watch some of the games, I'll have some coverage over the next two days from the event.   Let's start with some MacDuffie School standouts from their 82-94 loss against an incredibly tough Winchendon squad.    Harris had a coming out party for MacDuffie against Winchendon this past weekend and put his name on the map for scholarship schools to keep an eye on. The 6-foot-6 wing showed a ridiculous scoring bag which included tons of off the dribble threes, a bunch of strong, body-bump takes to the rim with both lefty and righty finishes, and a host a pull-up jumpers in the mid range. He has an excellent handle for his size and is able to get to his spots on the floor pretty consistently, and then his jumper is also a strength of his game. Harris is an incredibly well-rounded player who should be targeted by mid major and higher schools. Big time player who will only keep improving.     In addition to Harris, Joyner did his fair share of scoring against Winchendon. The junior guard is only 5-foot-11, but he has great strength and an incredibly compact handle, so he's able to puncture the paint and use body bumps to get his shot off in the mid range and at the rim. He also looks significantly more comfortable shooting the three ball, both off the dribble and off the catch, which is huge for a player his size. Defensively, Joyner slides his feet very quickly and has super active hands. In my opinion, he's going to be a scholarship prospect when all is said and done, even though he isn't going to wow you with his physical characteristics.     Avery-Turner had a quiet first half, but he totally erupted in the final 18 minutes against Winchendon. The 6-foot-4 guard might've been the most impressive passer on the floor for MacDuffie; he made multiple incredibly heady cross-court reads and even threw one Jokic-level wrap around pass on the baseline. He also has a super strong body and can finish in the lane and make shots from the perimeter when the help doesn't come. Avery-Turner is controlled, solid, and very smart. He'll have way better games ahead and will be a scholarship player by the end of the year.     Adegbite was really impressive against a Winchendon front line with lots of skill and size. He had a couple of incredibly intriguing drives to the rim where he got deep into the paint and used his strong body to create space before turning around for a soft lefty finish—he has good balance and strength for his size. The senior also has really solid passing vision and unselfishness to get his teammates involved. Defensively, he can guard a variety of players because of his versatility and adds some rim protection at the hoop. Adegbite should get some scholarship looks and will continue to be a key player for MacDuffie this season.     Wheeler is a super under-the-radar sophomore for MacDuffie, and I was surprised by how he handled an incredibly tough Winchendon opponent last weekend. The 6-foot-4 wing has good strength for his size and age, but I'm most impressed with his quick decision making and the fact that he already has an understanding of how to fill a role. He plays off the ball and shoots it whenever he's open—he has a really nice release—but he can also attack closeouts and be creative in the lane if you overplay his shot. Wheeler has a super bright future ahead and is really going to benefit from his role this season.

Last weekend, Northfield Mount Hermon hosted the NMH Tip-Off Classic, a mini-tournament that included four boys teams: NMH, MacDuffie, Winchendon, and Wilbraham and Monson. Though I was only able to watch some of the games, I'll have some coverage over the next two days from the event.