NEPSAC Quarterfinal Studs

Yesterday, the NEPSAC held all of their first-round playoff matchups. Over the next couple days, I'll be highlighting some impressive players across all divisions.   To begin, let's look at some star performances from AAA, AA, A, B large, and B small.    Cook didn't get off to a super hot start against Bridgton, but he had a monster second half that helped New Hampton come out on top. The 6-foot-8 big man just looks more explosive and stronger every time I watch him, and his three point shot continues to improve. He hit multiple big shots from the perimeter in the second half and also did his work in the paint offensive rebounding. Cook finished off his offensive masterclass with a mid range shot that essentially sealed the game. He was clutch when New Hampton needed him most and is playing his best basketball at the right time. Will he be able to handle [player_tooltip player_id='1532640' first='Quinn' last='Costello'] and the Newman front line, though? We'll see.     Merritt, alongside Cook, carried the offensive load for New Hampton down the stretch of yesterday's wire-to-wire win over Bridgton. The 6-foot-3 guard has special stop-and-go dribble moves and is ridiculously shifty with the rock in his hands. But when he is making shots from three, like he was in yesterday's second half, he's one of the most difficult guard covers in the NEPSAC. He can score from all three levels and is electric when he's feeling confident. Merritt will be a key piece of New Hampton's attack moving forward—they'll really need him against a tough Newman squad in their semifinal matchup.     Noble is a 6-foot-10 senior who has a 7-foot-6 wingspan and some pretty special athletic and physical tools. Against St. Thomas More's front line, the Hoosac big man consistently got offensive rebounds and made heady kick-out passes to teammates—I was really impressed with his vision and ability to read the defense. He has strong hands, which makes him a lob and roll threat, and he slides his feet pretty well for his size on the defensive end. The potential is through the roof for Noble, who will look to help his squad pull off another upset victory over Vermont Academy on Saturday.     Eric is a menacing 6-foot-9 forward who has a versatile offensive game. The Serbian native has clearly watched some Jokic, because he has a host of really nice post moves on the block and uses footwork and touch craftily at the hoop. And when the help comes in the post, he does a good job making simple yet effective passes to his teammates, many of whom can knock down the open three. But the senior can also step out and knock down three-balls himself, which makes him a difficult cover for forwards and centers. Eric's game-winning three was the highlight of his game, but he made winning plays all night.     Whyte was completely dominant in Vermont Academy's win over Darrow. The 6-foot-3 guard seems like he has leveled up athletically and is even more physically dominant on fast breaks than he used to be. He has so much speed and explosiveness with a head of steam and finishes beautifully with contact using his right and left hand. There might not be a better player at drawing fouls and converting and-ones in the NEPSAC than Whyte. The junior also made play after play on the defensive end—steals on the ball, blocks, and passing lane interceptions—and turned them into offense. He's a special, special player who should be garnering lots of D1 interest.     You could write about a number of players for Newman after their drubbing of South Kent yesterday, but I think it's O'Keefe who deserves some recognition. On a squad that might be the best passing high school team I've ever seen, the 6-foot-4 point guard is the head of the snake. He can make every pass in the book—lobs, pocket passes, weak side sprays, strong side kick outs, etc—but he's also a threat to score the basketball, which makes him a tough cover. O'Keefe is a winner and is going to play solid minutes next year at Princeton if I had to guess. Absolute stud.     Chess has been St. George's best player this season and was a big reason why his squad squeaked out a win over St. Andrews yesterday. The Marist commit scored 30 points on a variety of shots, including layups and dunks at the rim as well as shots from outside the paint and beyond the perimeter. On a team that doesn't play a typical towering center, Chess has handled lots of the rebounding and rim protection duties for St. George's. He, [player_tooltip player_id='2611205' first='Kenny' last='Benedict'], and others will be key players in Saturday's matchup against a Cheshire squad that plays wonderful basketball.     I truly cannot get enough of Spinoso's game. No matter how many points he scores or what he puts up in the box score, the 6-foot-5 forward makes winning plays for his team. He might be the best passer in the NEPSAC and is constantly getting his teammates open looks via dribble hand offs, crushing screens, and heady backdoor feeds. He just has an uncanny feel for cutters and throws on-time, on-target passes while deceiving the defense with ball and head fakes. If you don't bring help, Spinoso can bully you in the paint and make turnaround shots with both hands. He is a coach's and teammate's dream and I wish I could go back in time to my playing days to suit up with him.     Clanton wasn't Phillips Andover's leading scorer against Suffield, but he was the most dominant player on the floor. The 6-foot-6 forward completely bullied the opposing front-line for offensive rebounds, put backs, and and-ones. He even hit some mid-range jumpers and defended his behind off. Clanton got hacked and finished through contact all night, and it was incredibly impressive how he seemed to get fresher and stronger as the game went on. He's a stud who will probably end up at an excellent D3 school.     If Palermo wanted to score the ball every time, he would probably average more points than he does. But he's surrounded by Cj Farrell, [player_tooltip player_id='2553759' first='Donovan' last='Clement'], Alex Echevarria, and others, so he has found a nice balance between scoring and passing. He's a traditional low post threat and has awesome touch with his right and left hand, but he can also step out on the perimeter and play the DHO game that has become so common with mobile bigs. Palermo and St. Mark's are the favorites to win Class B Large, and they would be my pick as well, especially after battling back from an early deficit to Brooks yesterday.     Trimboli has been scorching hot towards the end of this season, and he continued his hot shooting into the first round. The 5-foot-11 guard has a knack for getting to his spots and really understands how to use screens both on and off the ball to get his shot off. He plays the pass and go game very well with his big men, and he has all the counters in the world. Aj's teammate, Julian Dent, had a 4-point play to crush Beaver's season yesterday, and they'll look to keep their run going on Saturday against Holderness.

Yesterday, the NEPSAC held all of their first-round playoff matchups. Over the next couple days, I'll be highlighting some impressive players across all divisions.