Summer Draft League Semifinals Stars

Yesterday, I attended the two semifinal games of the Summer Draft League's Elite division at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. I got to watch a good number of high-level underclassmen who have bright futures ahead.   Below are my seven stars from yesterday's action.    Gardner was the best athlete in the gym and probably the best player I saw yesterday. He has phenomenal quick-twitch explosiveness and great leaping ability at the rim, but he's also super skilled. He has a tight handle, good feel in the pick and roll, and a good-looking shot from the mid-range and three. With all of the defensive attention he was getting, he made a number of solid passes to teammates for easy finishes, too. The rising freshman is a phenomenal defender when he's locked in as well. Gardner already has a D1 offer from La Salle and is clearly on the radar of scholarship coaches, but an impactful season at Dexter-Southfield would be meaningful for his improvement and recruitment.     Landers impressed me again this week and has an extremely bright future of hoops ahead of himself. The 6-foot-3 wing is very under control at all times and can pass, dribble and shoot the basketball better than most kids his age and height. He had a number of isolation scores on Gardner that showcased his ability to make shots from the mid-range and three, but he also defended Gardner well on the other end and was solid as both an on-ball and defender and rim protector. Landers should get some minutes for Austin Prep this season and is going to be a potential scholarship recruit in the coming years if he can continue to improve and develop physically.     Lupien is SUPER fun to watch. The 6-foot-1 rising freshman is ultra-skilled and has feel for the game up the wazoo. He handles and passes it very effectively—he found tons of rollers in the pocket and was solid at manipulating defenders with his eyes all night—but he also has wiggle going to the rim and is a really solid finisher with both hands. Off the ball, the rising freshman plays quickly and decisively and knows how to attack off of second side actions and in transition without letting the rock get sticky. Lupien looks like he has more physical development to go and could be quite the player once that happens—he's at Austin Prep and could look A LOT different in a few years.     Wilson does lots of different things on the basketball floor, but he might've been the most natural ball mover and passer I saw last night. The 6-foot rising freshman made tons of phenomenal extra-passes and showcased some special vision by throwing a number of passes into tight windows. The BABC product also finishes the ball effectively at the cup and has some end-to-end speed that really impressed me and surprised whoever was guarding him. WIlson is attending Lincoln-Sudbury High School for his freshman year and could definitely make an impact there right away. My guess is that he'll have prep coaches calling soon.     Augustin was one of the most physically developed players in the gym Thursday. The 6-foot-1 guard didn't shoot the ball well, but he took good looks and was able to get off shots from three or the mid-range whenever he wanted because of his strength and power with the ball in his hands. On a number of occasions, the CATS Academy incoming freshman completely overwhelmed opponents with his ability to get to the rim and body them off the ball. I'm not sure whether Augustin will have any chance at playing meaningful minutes for CATS this upcoming season, but he'll learn a lot and will be ready soon.     Mendoza does literally everything. The 6-foot combo-guard can handle the ball and get downhill as a finisher, he can set up teammates for easy looks, and he can make shots from the outside. He has a good feel for the game, solid passing ability, and really impressive athleticism for his age—he takes contact well at the rim and has great body control. Defensively, he's ridiculously active and has phenomenal horizontal quickness, so he can stay in front of anyone. Mendoza should be a star for Braintree this upcoming season and will be an extremely intriguing reclass candidate if that interests him. There's no question he can play at a higher level.     Hightower is a scorer. The ball can occasionally get sticky in his hands, but he certainly has the ability to put the ball in the hoop. The 5-foot-10 guard has insanely long arms and uses his ambidextrous ability to finish with both hands at the cup, but he can also hit jumpers in the mid-range despite his unique-looking shot. Hightower has solid vision, but he needs to lean into his facilitation capabilities a bit more. Once he does, the rising sophomore at BC High will be a really solid player and potentially a college prospect if the physical developments come as well.

Yesterday, I attended the two semifinal games of the Summer Draft League's Elite division at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. I got to watch a good number of high-level underclassmen who have bright futures ahead.