New England Commitment Catch-Up (02/25)

Commitment season continues in the northeast, as prospects come off the board at a rapid rate.   Expect that rush to continue between now and mid-April, as the high school season's end will give way to college decisions for uncommitted prospects throughout the region.   Below are eight prospects from throughout New England that recently announced their plans for the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1943555' first='Quinn' last='Gibson']   Gibson, a wing out of the Winchendon School in Massachusets, came off the board when he announced his commitment to Cornell University. The 6'6" wing has the ability to score the basketball at all three levels, can play on or off the ball in the half-court, and is a plus athlete that does a nice job of finishing through contact at the rim. He does a nice job of rebounding on the defensive end of the floor and has the ability to guard up and down a position due to his combination of size, strength, and quickness. Gibson is seemingly just scratching the surface in his development and is a quality recruiting win for Cornell, where I'd expect him to have a strong 4-year career in the Ivy League.   [player_tooltip player_id='2762124' first='Harryns' last='Cantave']   Cantave, a forward out of the Brooks School in Massachusetts, put an end to his recruitment with a commitment to Nichols College. The 6'6" forward plays with a high motor on both ends of the floor, allowing him to be a strong two-way rebounder. Defensively, he's able to guard on the perimeter in switches, walls up without fouling in the paint, and offers some rim protection from the help side. On the other end, he runs the floor hard in transition, sets solid ball screens, and has a developing face up game from the perimeter. Cantave has the makings of a high level big man in the CNE and should fit in well from Day 1 at Nichols.   [player_tooltip player_id='2696669' first='Brady' last='O'Connell']   O'Connell, a guard out of Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, wrapped up his recruitment with a pledge to Bentley University. The 6'1" guard has a high level feel for the game on the offensive end of the floor, showing the ability to operate as a primary creator or secondary scorer. He knocks down shots consistently from behind the arc, has the ability to get by his defender off the bounce in isolation situations, and does all the little things that don't show up in a box score. Defensively, he shows the same solid instincts and a willingness to take on tough matchups, showing the ability to move his feet in space and to generate steals and deflections with quick hands. O'Connell is a terrific get for Bentley, where he profiles as a future all-league guard in the Northeast-10.   Max Pires   Pires, a guard out of Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, announced his plans for next year with a commitment to Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The 6'2" guard really competes on the defensive end of the floor, showing the ability to guard up and down a position, rebound in traffic, and a first to the floor mentality. Offensively, he's really good in transition, where he can get out and finish at the rim with length and athleticism. He's an aggressive downhill driver that uses his strength to play through contact and continues to show improvements in his shooting. Pires fits the mold of a typical GNAC guard and should develop into a nice rotation piece quickly at St. Joe's.   Will Lewis IV   Lewis, a forward out of the Bancroft School in Massachusetts, announced that he will play next year at Regis College. The 6'7" forward shows nice touch as a finisher around the basket, has a variety of post moves and the ability to finish with either hand, and even shows some shooting touch out to the three point line. He does a nice job of running the floor in transition and rolls hard to the rim out of ball screens. On the other end, he uses his plus wingspan to his advantage as a both a rebounder and rim protector. Lewis is a long-term play at Regis, where he could develop into one of the better two-way forwards in the GNAC in time.   [player_tooltip player_id='2898404' first='Cai' last='Dougher']   Dougher, a wing out of Spruce Mountain High School in Maine, finalized his plans for the next level with a commitment to Southern Maine Community College. The 6'3" wing is a plus athlete that uses his size, length, and burst to his advantage both as a finisher offensively and as a playmaker on defense. He does a great job of attacking the rim as a scorer in transition, while also showing the ability to knock down threes in catch and shoot situations in the half court. Defensively, he blocks shots when coming from the weak side and shows the ability to read plays before they develop to jump passing lanes for steals. Dougher continues SMCC's run of keeping top talent in state and profiles as the type of recruit that will make an immediate impact in the YSCC.   [player_tooltip player_id='3516402' first='Nick' last='Mascitti']   Mascitti, a forward out of Williamstown High School in Vermont, came off the board when he announced that he will attend Lasell University. The 6'7" lefty has a nice feel for the game as a passer, the ability to turn over either shoulder in the post as a scorer, and has shown some consistency as a shooter in the mid-range. He continues to play with more physicality, strength, and athleticism, which allows him to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he does a great job of high pointing rebounds, walls up in the paint without fouling, and offers a good amount of rim protection from the help side. Mascitti signifies a big-time score for Lasell, where he has the ability to be a Day 1 contributor in the front-court for one of the GNAC's better programs.   [player_tooltip player_id='2553828' first='Brody' last='Hurd']   Hurd, a guard out of Hermon High School in Maine, put an end to his recruitment when he announced that he will attend Husson University next year. The 6'3" guard does a nice job of scoring it at multiple levels, particularly from behind the arc in catch and shoot situations and in the mid-post where he can elevate over smaller guards. He's tough on the defensive end of the floor, where he has the ability to block shots, rebound in and out of his area, and guard up and down a position. Hurd fits the mold of the type of prospect Husson has had success with over the years and is someone that should enjoy a nice 4-year career in the NAC.

Commitment season continues in the northeast, as prospects come off the board at a rapid rate.