New England Clash: 7 Scholarship-Level 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.   Below are 7 scholarship-level prospect. Of course, some of them might not end up at the D1 or D2 level—especially in today's transfer portal economy—but they should certainly be looked at by some of those schools.    Powell is an unbelievable athlete who wow'd me on a number of occasions Sunday morning. The 6-foot-2 PG is skinny and doesn't necessarily look like a scholarship player, but that's until you see him handle the ball with a head of steam and elevate at the rim. He's a total blur in transition and takes contact extremely well in the air (he had some and-one finishes that ROCKED the gym). He's also a capable shooter and a super heady passer once he touches the paint. Powell's size will probably stop some scholarship coaches from getting involved, but I think he'll eventually have what it takes to play at that level.     I can not get enough of White Jr. He's genuinely one of the most fun players I've watched in my time covering New England hoops. The 5-foot-11 (on a good day) guard has incredible quickness with the rock in his hands and gets to the front of the rim effortlessly as a result. He has good hang finishes at the hoop and takes contact well, but he can also hit little turnaround shots and can get hot from three on occasion. His passing vision is flashy but controlled, and he's a phenomenal defender—I was seeing Jose Alvarado and Kyle Lowry flashes with White Jr.'s ability to sneak into the play and use his active hands for steals. Wow.     I had heard about Watkins this winter from his dominance in Maine high school hoops as a freshman, but yesterday was the first time I saw him in person... he lives up to the hype. He's a total blur in transition and does an amazing job elevating at the rim (even with very minimal lead up time), so he's quite an effective finisher at the hoop—he had multiple rim-rocking dunks and a host of other impressive finesse finishes. Watkins can also make mid range jumpers and is a phenomenal rebounder for his size, even when playing up against older players (and having not reclassed yet). It's too early to predict where he'll end up, but he should certainly have scholarship hopes at this point.     Higgins is another guy I've heard about from his dominance in Maine hoops, but he continues to put up performances that make him a name to know in New England. The 6-foot-9 wing/forward has great athleticism and super long arms, so he can impact shots at the hoop and finish dunks above the rim. But he also has a super cerebral offensive game and is very unselfish when it comes to driving and kicking to teammates. Admittedly, he has some rawness to his game right now—but once Higgins puts on some weight and strength, he could be a high level scholarship prospect. He's about all of the right things and plays the right way already; Newman, where he'll be next year, will be a great place for him to grow even more.     Redler was the best shooter I saw yesterday. The 6-foot-3 guard has a beautiful stroke from the outside and can make shots on the move or off the dribble. He can get hot quickly, but he also doesn't lose confidence if he misses a couple. As a ball-handler, the junior showcased some impressive pick and roll reads, including one play where he put the defender in jail and used a Shamgod dribble to create an easy look for himself at the rim. I'm sure the high academic D3's will be all over Redler, but scholarship schools shouldn't be thrown off by his size—he can really shoot the rock and play on the offensive end.     Mazzella is a total stud. He exudes everything about what it means to be a true point guard. The 6-foot NJ Beasts guard has a super low center of gravity and a phenomenal handle, so nobody can take the ball from him despite the pressure they might put on him. The junior has incredible quickness to the rim, too, and he's also a phenomenal passer and floor general, so paint touches for him always lead to an excellent shot for himself or his teammates. On one play, Mazzella used a Smitty dribble to get by a defender on the baseline and then quickly flipped up a lefty layup on the right side to squeak past the defense. He is extremely efficient and provides everything you need in a point guard. D1s should definitely be interested despite his lack of size.     Ivery might have the most potential of anyone I saw at yesterday's New England Clash. The 6-foot-4 combo-guard can handle the ball and shoot it from the outside, but he really excels as a driver and finisher at the rim. The ambidextrous junior elevates super well at the hoop, and he takes contact effectively and effortlessly. He can finish quite comfortably with both hands, but he also makes some finesse moves in the paint when bigger defenders present themselves. Even if Ivery doesn't grow or get stronger, scholarship schools should be intrigued by his size and athleticism at the guard/wing position.

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.