New England Commitment Catch-Up (4/22)

Another week and another set of commitments to follow-up on in New England.   Prospects from the Class of 2026 continue to come off the board at a rapid rate, including the seven prospects below who recently announced their future plans.   [player_tooltip player_id='1866230' first='Markus' last='Maxwell-Grimes']   Grimes, a guard out of Suffield Academy in Connecticut, came off the board when he announced his commitment to Mercyhurst University. Grimes is a crafty scorer that has evolved as a decision-maker and creator. He has the ability to operate on or off the ball and is an elite shooter from behind the arc. On the defensive end of the floor, he's capable of guarding either spot in the back-court and does a nice job of making plays in passing lanes that lead to turnovers. Grimes could be an immediate contributor at Mercyhurst and has the chance to be in contention for Rookie of the Year honors in the NEC.   [player_tooltip player_id='2478937' first='Paul' last='Comba']   Combo, a guard out of South Burlington High School in Vermont, finalized his plans for the next level with a commitment to Norwich University. Combo is an explosive scorer that has the ability to get wherever he wants off the bounce and has a lot of creativity around the rim as a scorer. He's improved as a long-distance shooter and has another gear with the ball in his hands in transition. Defensively, he's a solid point of attack defender that has the ability to keep opponents out of the paint and generates a lot of steals as an on-ball defender. Combo could make an instant impact as a scorer for Norwich and has the chance to develop into a high level performer in the GNAC.   [player_tooltip player_id='2875545' first='Bryce' last='Bennett']   Bennett, a guard out of Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, wrapped up his recruitment when he announced that he'll attend Regis University. Bennett, a lefty, does two things at a really high leve that should translate immediately at the next level. First, he's a high level perimeter shooter that makes threes in bunches and does so while shooting a high percentage. Second, he's an elite perimeter defender that has the ability to lock down opposing guards and creates steals at a high level. On top of that, he can get downhill off the bounce, finishes with creativity at the rim, and has an extra gear when pushing the ball in transition. Bennett should be able to carve out a role quickly at Regis and could develop into one of the best perimeter defenders in the RMAC.   Sean McMahon   McMahon, a guard out of St. Paul Catholic High School in Connecticut, announced that he'll continue his academic and athletic careers at Eastern Connecticut State University. An all-state selection that averaged over 20 points per game this winter, McMahon has proven to be a quality scorer that knows how to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. He moves well off of drives, can really shoot the ball from behind the arc, and has some creativity around the rim as a finisher. Defensively, he can guard either spot in the back-court and has a solid understanding of how to play angles off the ball. McMahon is a good fit at Eastern Connecticut State and has the chance to develop into one of the better perimeter scorers in the Little East in time.   [player_tooltip player_id='2341366' first='Sage' last='Baptiste']   Baptiste, a forward out of Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, put an end to his recruitment when he announced his commitment to Northeastern University. Baptiste is a 6'7" forward that has a strong frame and the athleticism needed to finish plays above the rim. He's really good when operating out of the trail position, showing the ability to both attack closeouts and to knock down threes off the catch. Defensively, he's a big-time rebounder that can guard on the perimeter in spurts and has some good instincts as a rim protector when coming from the help side. Baptiste is a nice late get for Northeastern and with his development over the last 18 months, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him develop into a quality player in the CAA.   Justin Grimaldi   Grimaldi, a guard out of Oliver Ames High School in Massachusetts, finalized his future plans when he announced that he'll attend Roger Williams University. Grimaldi, a 6'1" guard, is an elite shooter that doesn't need much space to get his shot off. He does a great job of moving without the basketball and is quick to get into his shot off the catch. He plays off shot fakes and jab steps and knows how to create space that way to open up his shot. Defensively, he can make plays in passing lanes and does a nice job of digging down on drives. Grimaldi fits the mold of a prototypical Roger Williams recruit and should be able to carve out a nice four-year career in the CNE.   Jonny Sullivan   Sullivan, a guard out of Tewksbury Memorial High School in Massachusetts, came off the board when he announced that he'll attend Rivier University. Sullivan was a standout this winter in the MIAA, showing the ability to score the ball in a variety of ways while also making an impact on the defensive end of the floor. He's a true combo guard that can make plays with the ball in his hands or move off the ball and operate as a primary scorer. He plays with a lot of toughness, not suprising given his background on the gridiron, and is a versatile defender that rebounds much bigger than his size would indicate. Sullivan could be an impact performer from Day 1 for Rivier and has a chance to compete for Rookie of the Year honors in the GNAC.

Another week and another set of commitments to follow-up on in New England.