2029’s Top 5 in New England

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rankings for the&nbsp;<em>Class of 2029</em>&nbsp;have been release, which means, for the first time, it's time to take a look at the <em>Top 5</em> for the <em>Class of 2029</em>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the first time any prospects have been ranked for this class in New England, and as such, our first opportunity to take a look at some of the talent that has been making an impact throughout the region this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2893338' first='Chance' last='Finlayson']:</strong> A wing out of the <em>St. George's School</em>, Finlayson is a big time athlete with an advanced physical frame and the ability to fill up a stat sheet. He's a fluid mover that shows the ability to make plays for others with the ball in his hands, to score efficiently as an off-ball mover, and to make the right play more often than not. Defensively, he's able to guard a variety of positions, rebounds it at a high level, and does a nice job of protecting the rim from the help side.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2969348' first='David' last='Djan']:</strong> A big out of <em>Putnam Science Academy</em>, Djan is a 6'9" forward with plus length and above average athletic pop. He's farther along on the defensive end of the floor right now, using his combination of length and mobility to quickly cover ground, particularly as a rim protector coming from the help side. He plays with a solid motor, which allows him to operate as a high level two-way rebounder. Offensively, he's a good rim runner in transition, rolls hard out of ball screens, and has the ability to finish above the rim in traffic.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2571904' first='Aidan' last='McGrath']:</strong> A forward out of <em>Thayer Academy</em>, McGrath is a physically imposing, 6'7" lefty that has range out to the three point line. While he's capable of playing on the perimeter and making shots in catch and shoot situations, he's at his best when taking advantage of mismatches in the paint, slashing as a driver off the bounce, or getting out and running in transition. He uses his strength to his advantage on the defensive glass and does a nice job of rotating from the help side as a shot blocker.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2630700' first='Tighe' last='Arache']:</strong> A guard out of the <em>St. Paul's School</em>, Arache has made an immediate impact in the NEPSAC, showing the ability to be a high-level decision maker with the ball in his hands. At 6'3", he has good size on the perimeter and does a nice job of using his physical tools to his advantage as a playmaker. He can score it at all three levels, is hard to guard in transition, and does a nice job of making reads out of ball screens. Defensively, he uses his length to be disruptive on the ball and in passing lanes and shows a high IQ and plus instincts on that end of the floor.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2571891' first='Herman' last='Carl Kone']:</strong> A big out of <em>CATS Academy</em>, Kone is an athletic 6'10" forward with long arms that moves well in space. He's a solid two-way rebounder that does a nice point of reading shots off the rim and high-pointing his efforts on the offensive glass. He runs the floor hard in transition, is a solid roller out of ball screens, and has a huge catch radius on the low block. Defensively, he covers ground quickly with long strides and also has the ability to protect the rim at a really high level.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keep an eye out for more rankings coverage this week, including&nbsp;<em>risers</em>,&nbsp;<em>newcomers</em>, and&nbsp;<em>positional breakdowns</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>*Kone recently transferred out of the region, unbeknownst to us at the time of publishing. His departure will be reflected in our next rankings update in March.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->