Early February MIAA and NEPSAC Standouts

We're getting relatively close to playoff time, and there are a number of guys who have started off the final month of the regular season quite well.   These are 7 players—some from the MIAA and some from the NEPSAC—who have begun the month on a heater.    Arias was St. Mary's best player in a hard fought loss against Salem High School this week. The 6-foot-5 senior was pretty easily the best athlete on the floor and had his way on the boards as a result. He has extremely long arms, and he has the motor and activity necessary to hunt down rebounds on both ends. Though he's a bit raw offensively, Arias also showed the ability to get to the rim and finish with both hands, though he needs to be a bit more under-control and balanced if he wants to be an effective player at the next level. He's a key part of a St. Mary's squad that will make a deep playoff run if I had to guess, and I'll be curious which college programs eventually look at Arias this spring.     Rodriguez was Salem High School's most consistent driver and creator in an impressive win against St. Mary's in front of their home crowd earlier this week. The 6-foot-1 guard is a righty, but he's equally comfortable driving with both hands and does a good job finishing with both. Against St. Mary's, they packed the paint against him and made him kick out to teammates, which he did effectively and confidently all night, many of which were live-dribble, one-handed dimes. He also picked his spots to score from both the perimeter and the mid range, as well as showcasing some impressive finishes in the paint. Rodriguez is a key cog for a Salem High School team that might be the best team in MIAA's D3 (or maybe just the entire state?), and he will find a D3 fit when the time comes.     This was my first time seeing Deng play, and I was quite fascinated to learn he's only a freshman. The 6-foot-5 forward has great strength for his age, and he was able to hang with upperclassmen bigs in the post and on the boards all night against a physical St. Mary's team. He can finish with both hands, he's super active on both ends, and he doesn't try to do more than he's capable of. And in a game with thousands of people in the stands and against a state title contender, he showed up again and again, which is ridiculously impressive for someone his age. It's too early to predict what Deng could eventually look like as a player, but some added guard skills would be huge for his development. Regardless, he has time—lots of it.     Jackson is a monster. The 6-foot-2 big man is undersized for the forward position, but he's so strong and sturdy in the paint that he manages to get it done. The sophomore is obviously young for the varsity level, but he seems stronger and tougher than almost everyone he faces. He doesn't stop attacking the offensive boards and is a total menace in the paint when he has the ball. He pounds defenders on the inside, but he also has the touch and feel necessary to score with finesse over bigger players from 3-8 feet. I don't know if Jackson plays football, but if he doesn't, the Bridgewater-Raynham football coach should be doing everything he can to get him.     Odugbela had a really nice couple games at the Bridgton Winter Classic this past week. The 6-foot-5 wing is only a sophomore and is playing incredibly high level hoops for St. Andrews, but he looks comfortable with the size and speed on the court. He can score in the paint with both hands and does a good job taking contact and using crafty footwork to throw off the defense's timing, but he can also handle the ball on the perimeter and operate in the pick and roll. Once Odugbela puts some weight on—which looks like it's certainly going to happen at some point—he could be a really intriguing scholarship prospect. He's getting some excellent reps for his development right now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen soon for him.     With Jenkins back in the lineup, Catholic Memorial has the talent to beat any team in the entire state. The 5-foot-10 guard had been out for awhile with an injury, but he hasn't lost a step and has already raised CM's level of play in his time back. In wins against Attleboro and St. John's Prep recently, the sophomore came up clutch with big time shots when it mattered most. He has a knack for rising to the occasion, and he does so from all spots on the floor; he can make shots from the mid range and three, and he's an electric finisher with contact at the hoop. He's just the ultimate hooper who wants all the smoke at all times, and he's one of the better players in the entire MIAA as a sophomore. Yeah, I said it. Can't wait to see how he helps CM contend.     Behrmann has had some incredibly impressive performances as of late for Medfield High School. Though I haven't watched a full game of his, the 6-foot guard's highlight tape from the last couple weeks is filthy. He has a beautiful-looking shot—which he can make off the dribble and off the catch—but he also has an awesome feel for the game and passing ability once he drives closeouts and touches the paint. Defensively, he has super active hands and good instincts in the passing lanes. Behrmann is a high IQ, fundamentally sound combo-guard who should absolutely find a college fit when the time comes. The senior is lighting it up as of late, and some more big performances will only help his recruitment this spring.

We're getting relatively close to playoff time, and there are a number of guys who have started off the final month of the regular season quite well.