NEPSAC Showcase Standouts: Athletes

Our NEPSAC Showcase Standouts series rolls along with a look as some of the events most explosive Athletes.   These guys each had moments where they had the gym going craxy, made highlight plays on both ends of the floor, and elevated their stocks with their ability to take over games with their athletic gifts.   Below are five Athletes that caught our eyes in Worcester:    Baker, a rising senior out of Lawrence Academy in Massachusetts, looks primed to take on a starring role this winter. At 6'6", he has good positional size and combines that with plus length and continually evolving skill to be a versatile, two-way wing. His athleticism stands out on both ends of the floor and in transition. Defensively, he showed burst into passing lanes and quickly converted turnovers into transition scoring opportunities. Offensively, he's capable of scoring it in multiple ways, but shines when he attacks the rim both off the bounce and as a cutter, finishing with authority over defenders.     Blackburn, a rising senior out of Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, put himself on the map as a player to watch in New England two spring's ago. The 6'6" wing has long impressed with his ability to finish plays above the rim, but has impressed with the evolution of his skillset over the last 3 months. While he's not scoring with more consistency at all three levels, he still turns heads with his ability to elevate around the rim. Whether it's as a slasher or a cutter, or when crashing the offensive glass, he does a great job of finishing plays by the basket. Defensively, he's one of the better weakside shot blockers in the region, showing the ability to explode off the floor and cover ground quickly. He came off the board early when he announced his pledge to Dartmouth.     Middleton, a rising senior out of the St. George's School in Rhode Island, was a two-way standout that turned heads with his motor, advanced skill, and explosive power. The 6'5" wing has the ability to attack the basket off the bounce, is a lob threat in the half-court, and does a nice job of timing up his attacks on the offensive glass. Where his athleticism really shines is defensively, both in the open floor and in the half-court. He can guard a variety of positions, does a terrific job of keeping ball-handlers out of the paint, and uses his burst, and length, to his advantage when making plays off the ball. He's another prospect that wrapped up his recruitment early when he committed to Brown.     Delves, a rising junior out of Mount Saint Charles Academy in Rhode Island, plays with sneaky vertical athleticism and a whole lot of burst in the open floor. Few, if any, prospects can match his end to end speed, which allows him to make play after play in transition. He does a nice job of using a quick first step to create for others and also shows the ability to use his athleticism to his advantage as a finisher in traffic. Opponents who are fooled by his pace are in for a suprise, when he turns on the jets and gets a runway to the basket, few are able to match his explosiveness - as was evidence by a late game transition windmill on Saturday.     Reed, a rising post-grad out of the Salisbury School in Connecticut, had one of the plays of the weekend just minutes after I walked through the doors. He showed off his complete skill set when he shot faked, drove baseline, and then elevated over a defender for a vicious two-handed slam. The 6'5" wing has a strong frame and is physically developed, allowing him to not only play with athleticism but also with power. He attacks closeouts off the bounce, finishes above or through contact in the paint, and does a nice job of crashing the offensive glass. On the other end, he can defend four positions and uses his athleticism to protect the rim from the help side.    Our NEPSAC Showcase Standouts series will continue tomorrow with a look at the Two-Way Wings.

Our NEPSAC Showcase Standouts series rolls along with a look as some of the events most explosive Athletes.