Zero Gravity Finals: Guys Who Are Better Than I Thought

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/hunter-wood/"></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/hunter-wood/"></a>This weekend, I attended the Zero Gravity Finals at Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA. Teams from the entire Northeast (and even Canada!) were in the building, and I saw tons of talent on display.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, it's impossible to watch every game and every player. With that being said, I consumed 20 hours of basketball at Dana Barros this weekend, so there's that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/06/zero-gravity-finals-saturdays-top-shooters/">Zero Gravity Finals: Saturday's Top Shooters</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/06/zero-gravity-finals-championship-sundays-stars/">Zero Gravity Finals: Championship Sunday's Stars</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/06/zero-gravity-finals-under-the-radar-gems/" id="https://prephoops.com/2026/06/zero-gravity-finals-under-the-radar-gems/">Zero Gravity Finals: Under-The-Radar Gems</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are 6 guys who I walked away the weekend WAY higher on than I entered it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2569697"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","fullHeight":true,"anchor":"acf-block-6a286f0647418"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Everitt really impressed me this weekend and seems to be getting better every time I watch him. The 6-foot-5 lefty looks like he'd be uncoordinated and slow, but he has better athleticism than you'd think and a budding skillset. He can make shots from three, he can serve as an offensive hub with his passing ability and awareness, and he can even handle the ball against bigger, slower-footed forwards who try to stay with him on the perimeter. Magic's HGSL team is an excellent place for Everitt to develop, and I could see him being a major contributor and majorly increasing his usage rate for an Avon Old Farms team that will be reloading and looking to compete right away next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470977"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a286f0647457"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I've always known Pridgen is a dog. He competes his behind off on the defensive end and does ALL of the dirty work on both ends of the floor. But this weekend, the 6-foot-3 guard showed an improved offensive skillset. He looked far more comfortable driving to the rim and using footwork to maneuver around the defense and get his shot off, and his touch looked a lot better as well. His passing ability also shines, especially because he exudes unselfishness and team-first mentality. Governor's Academy has some new guys coming in, but I think they'll be surprised by Pridgen's improved ability to create offense for himself and others. And the defense isn't going anywhere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Amare Rose","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77247","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Wareham High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Middlesex Magic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a286f06474b0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rose is a dog and seems to be the heart and sole of Middlesex Magic's HGAL team. The 6-foot-2 wing has great strength, athleticism, and toughness, and he's one of the better conditioned athletes I watched all weekend. Though he can make some mistakes as a result of his inability to slow down at times, he has an unbelievable motor and makes tons of little plays as a result. He plays above the rim, and he's a relentless rim attacker, but the outside shot could use some work. Local D3's should be interested in Rose, who will have a huge year at Wareham next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3590245"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a286f06474d5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I've always been impressed with Tarro's motor, toughness, and versatility. The 6-foot-4 wing can guard anyone on the defensive end and knows how to make himself useful offensively when in the dunker spot or cutting to the hoop. But this weekend, he showed a vastly improved offensive skillset from what I've seen in the past—his shot looks a LOT better from both the mid-range and three, and he seems more comfortable handling the ball in small spaces. Tarro will head to Phillips Andover next season and projects as a nice role player for them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470924"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a286f06474f3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">McLaughlin was unbelievable this weekend for a 17u Magic squad that walked away Zero Gravity Finals champs. The 6-foot-2 guard was on a total heater from three-point range on championship Sunday, showcasing an impressive ability to read off-ball screens and shoot off of movement—he hit tons of deep, contested shots, too. He also excels as a driver, though. He's a significantly better athlete than people realize and has a knack for elevating and finishing with contact while using both hands effectively at the rim. Defensively, McLaughlin has phenomenal instincts in the passing lane and is a steals machine. Oh, and he rebounds extremely well for his size. I predict McLaughlin will light NEPSAC Class A on fire this season and help Milton compete for a championship. He's a definite scholarship player in my opinion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2878955"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a286f0647511"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wiggins came off the bench for the Magic this weekend, but I actually thought he was the 17u squad's most comfortable point guard. The 6-foot guard doesn't have big-time size, but he makes up for it with terrific quickness and explosiveness. He's a total blur on drives to the rim and can finish with the best of them, and he does a good job picking his spots to be aggressive offensively. The Westminster guard also excels as a defender with his phenomenal lateral quickness and hands. Scholarship prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->