Zero Gravity Prep Classic: Early Friday Standouts

The Zero Gravity Prep Classic, one of the nation's best high school basketball events of the year, just wrapped up in Stoughton, MA, on Sunday, December 7th. Over 80 teams were in attendance from throughout the country (mostly the northeast), and I'll have coverage over the next couple weeks reviewing tons of players.   As always, it's incredibly difficult to watch every team and every game, so I watch as much as I can and have standouts from what I watch. I'm always happy to talk to coaches about guys that I may have overlooked.   To start, let's look at some Friday afternoon standouts.    Clark was perhaps the most electric player I saw Friday afternoon. The 6-foot guard completely took over the second half of LCA's game against Roxbury Latin with multiple incredible takes to the rim and mid range jumpers. He gets into the paint at will with his quickness and burst, and he has special leaping ability and body control to be able to finish with both hands around the trees. He has great touch, great athleticism, and the skills to go with it. He also made great passes to his teammates when the defense started to overplay his drives, and he was probably LCA's best on-ball and help defender. He should be looked at by scholarship programs and is probably one of the better players at the Class C level of prep school hoops.     Budreau is only a freshman (!) but is playing at the ISL level and looks incredibly comfortable and confident. On Friday afternoon, the 6-foot guard handled ball pressure super well on the offensive end and was able to use his wiggle and dribble moves to get to spots in the mid range and on the perimeter for open looks when the defense was overly aggressive. He has a beautiful pull-up jumper and makes it consistently, but he also has the athleticism to finish in the paint against bigger and older players. Budreau has a super bright future and is going to grow a lot by playing real minutes this season.     Shakery was pretty easily St. Thomas More's second team's best player on Friday afternoon and showcased a well-rounded game on both ends of the floor against Springfield Commonwealth. The 6-foot-4 wing doesn't move like your typical forward; he runs the floor quite effortlessly and has the agility and coordination of a guard. Offensively, he showed some really nice passing instincts and the ability to make all the reads you'd want a wing to be able to make. He also used a killer-crossover numerous times to puncture the paint and was able to finish with contact on a bunch of occasions. Defensively, he blocked shots and got steals by way of his active hands and size. Definite college prospect who high D3 schools should probably be looking at.     Otey is an exciting addition to the NEPSAC and has a college-ready game right now. The 6-foot-5 combo-guard is always ready to attack the paint on the catch, so he's pretty difficult to defend on closeouts and as an off-ball mover. Once he drives, he gets to the hoop very quickly and uses his athleticism and length to finish against bigger players. He can also make shots from the outside and does the little things when it comes to defending individually and in a team concept, attacking the offensive boards and making multiple efforts for loose balls. D1 schools should be all over Otey and he'll be one of the better NEPSAC players this season.     Rugette handles the ball a lot for Lee Academy and really impressed me with his passing ability and general point guard skills against West Nottingham on Friday. The 6-foot-3 guard has been known to attack the rim aggressively in AAU ball (and he certainly still did for Lee Academy), but I was super impressed with his ability to get teammates involved and make multiple advanced reads in the paint. The athleticism and rim pressure will always be there, but the passing and shooting that Rugette showed on Friday could be pivotal for his college scholarship hopes. It's all coming together for him, and it's fun to watch.     Balde wasn't a name I had ever heard of before Friday, but I sure as heck know him now. The 6-foot-6 wing is a phenomenal athlete when it comes to jumping and running, and he uses his physical tools to excel in transition and at the rim. He had multiple super impressive extended finishes with both hands and even showcased a pretty fadeaway jumper in the mid range. He moves well for his size and can handle it far better than you'd think. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions and is always around the ball. Definitely keep an eye on Balde, who should be on college coaches' radars.     Adamson was probably Dexter's best player in their convincing win against Brunswick on Friday afternoon. The 5-foot-10 point guard is one of the stronger junior guards in the region and is pretty impossible to defend on drives. Defenders completely bounce off of him routinely, and he can get to the front of the rim for finishes with both hands whenever he wants as a result. He also slides his feet incredibly well on the defensive end and clearly has some pretty great conditioning ability to be able to go hard all game. He's a total bulldog who will probably be under-recruited because of his lack of size, but he can absolutely play at the scholarship level.     White has typically wow'd me with his point guard abilities, and he certainly did those things for Dexter this weekend. He always makes the simple pass and is comfortable handling the rock against pressure. On Friday, though, it was his shooting that made a huge difference. On the move, in spot up situations, and off the dribble, White showed some pretty special shooting ability from three. He has a quick release, and boy is he accurate. Big future ahead for White, who's currently starting on a very talented Dexter squad as only a sophomore.

The Zero Gravity Prep Classic, one of the nation's best high school basketball events of the year, just wrapped up in Stoughton, MA, on Sunday, December 7th. Over 80 teams were in attendance from throughout the country (mostly the northeast), and I'll have coverage over the next couple weeks reviewing tons of players.