New England Clash: 6 D3+ Prospects

Yesterday, I attended the New England Clash, a Made Hoops tournament at Mill Works in Westford, MA. Though I was only able to watch some Sunday morning and afternoon games, I still saw a bunch of high level players.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/05/new-england-clash-7-scholarship-level-prospects/" id="https://prephoops.com/2026/05/new-england-clash-7-scholarship-level-prospects/">New England Clash: 7 Scholarship-Level Prospects</a>   Below are 6 D3 level prospects. Of course, some of them might not end up at the D3 level—especially in today's transfer portal economy—but they should certainly be looked at by some of those schools.    McDermott is a hooper, plain and simple. The 6-foot-1 guard won't wow you with speed or athleticism, but he's extremely skilled at everything on the offensive end. He has a beautiful shot release and is a super confident shooter, but he can also attack closeouts and hit mid range shots over the defense. At the rim, he finishes with finesse and often makes very heady kickout passes to his teammates. In a tough game against NSSA, it was his production off the bench that kept them in the game. His cutting, though, is perhaps his most unique skill—he does a great job reading off ball screens and gets himself and his teammates open consistently as a result. There are probably some people who question whether McDermott can get minutes at Vermont Academy next season, but if you're able to shoot and play off the ball like he can, I don't see how he won't get minutes.     Cruz was NSSA's most impressive player in their close loss against a tough BCRI team on Sunday. The junior point guard runs the show confidently for his squad and creates consistently good shots for him and his teammates. The lefty has awesome stop-and-go moves and great footwork in the paint, so he's able to finish around bigger and more athletic players quite well. But he also has really solid passing vision and a knack for finding backdoor cutters when off-ball defenders turn their head. Cruz could use some extra size and strength, but he should definitely be a target for the high level D3 schools in the area. A good summer with NSSA and another high level season with Holderness could even push him into the lower level scholarship conversations.     Gara has an intriguing blend of size, skill, and athleticism. The 6-foot-4 wing can handle the ball and score at the rim, but he's also effective as a second-side attacker when the rock gets swung to him—he always goes quickly and decisively. Defensively, the junior is very versatile and uses his physical tools to guard a large variety of players, big and small. Gara is at public school, so I'll be curious whether he reclassifies and tries to improve his recruitment, but I would be surprised if he doesn't find a D3 fit when the time comes regardless of whether he makes that decision.     Lewis really surprised me Sunday. I knew he could stroke it from three, but I was super impressed with his ability to drive the lane and finish with contact against the trees. The junior guard seems to have put on some muscle since the last time I saw him, and he's a better vertical athlete than people think, so he does a good job converting in the paint. It's his three-point shot that sets everything up, though, because people are constantly rushing him off the perimeter and forcing him into the paint. Lewis also rebounds extremely well for his size and defends hard. He's a definite D3 player but also might be looking to reclassify at some point, which could get him on the radar of some of the higher level D3 programs.     Amparo had multiple rim-rocking dunks that had the gym going crazy on Sunday. I've seen him on film many times, but his leaping ability and explosiveness just hits different in person—he's a violent dunker with no regard for the defense. He's admittedly a bit raw offensively, but he made a three and has some surprisingly good touch around the hoop when he leans into being aggressive. Amparo should be able to find a D3 fit even if he doesn't develop too much offensively, because his size, athleticism, and motor allow him to be an effective little things guy and defender. If he gets a better shot and handle, who knows.     Samuels is a strong-bodied, 6-foot-4 forward with a burgeoning skillset. He finishes well in the paint with both hands and takes contact well because of his physicality, but it was his passing instincts and shooting touch that impressed me more than anything else. He made a bunch of heady short-roll passes and has a beautiful release from the free throw line, so he should continue to improve his offensive game and be more of a threat there. Samuels is a definite D3 guy who's performances on the MHC with Team Spartans should help his recruitment. I think people probably have his scout a bit wrong, because he might've been the best college prospect on this year's Burke HS team.

Yesterday, I attended the New England Clash, a Made Hoops tournament at Mill Works in Westford, MA. Though I was only able to watch some Sunday morning and afternoon games, I still saw a bunch of high level players.