Team Preview: Tilton School

It's NEPSAC preview season!   I got a chance to watch Tilton School both this summer and at open gyms this fall, as well as seeing tons of their individual players during the AAU season.   Below are some guys who should make an impact this season.    Behrmann knows how to play the right way and is going to be purely additive to Tilton's loaded roster this season. The 6-foot guard can hit shots off the ball, makes quick decisions on closeout drives, and can pass the ball quite effectively. Defensively, he provides lots of resistance on the ball and is a lot stronger than he looks, so he guards multiple positions and fights hard. Behrmann is going to be a connector and floor spacer for this squad, and he'll be an important piece.     At last month's open gym that I attended, Owusu-Aduomi was the best player on the floor. The 6-foot-5 wing has great strength and skill on drives to the rim, consistently showcasing nice footwork and good finishing ability. But last month, it was his shooting from the perimeter that surprised me the most—his shot looks as good as it ever has, and he's going to really surprise opponents this season with how effectively he shoots it from there. Owusu-Aduomi is committed to Dartmouth for next season, and I could see him getting minutes right away.     Dak just gets better every single time I watch him. The 6-foot-5 wing looks stronger and leaner, but he's more fluid and more explosive at the rim than I've seen him before. His ability to rise up and take contact at the hoop is elite, and he's continuing to run the floor very effectively. Dak's outside shot and ability to play on the perimeter will be key development points for him this season, but he has tons of time to figure that out after reclassifying this summer to 2029.     When I saw Diaby at last month's open gym, he looked about 15 pounds stronger, and it paid dividends for him on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-11 center probably corralled about 75% of his team's defensive rebounds and maybe 33% on the offensive end—he's so hard to move off of his spot with this added weight/strength, and he has really good length, hands, and timing to get rebounds. Diaby's outside shot and touch around the rim are also slowly improving, and he knocked down a bunch of threes during the day. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up a high-major prospect as a result of all the different things he does on the floor, especially because he just keeps getting better and better.     Innocent is as solid as it gets. The 6-foot-2 PG handles pressure effectively, doesn't turn the ball over, and can score from all three levels on the court. He has good explosiveness at the rim and is able to finish with both hands, he has good pace in the pick and roll and in transition, and he's growing as an outside shooter. Defensively, he's a pest on the ball and makes multiple efforts. You know exactly what you're going to get every time Innocent steps on the floor, and that makes me think more scholarship schools will get involved with him this season.     Maxson is a natural born scorer. After about the first 30-45 minutes of pickup at last month's open gym, the 6-foot-2 guard had barely scored. But then, he absolutely went off and looked like the best player on the floor for the rest of the session. The junior just has a knack for using his body and his footwork to keep the defense off balance and finish at the rim, and he can also make shots from the perimeter and has lethal touch in the paint. When he gets going and his confidence rises, he's truly impossible to stop. I would expect Maxson to be a microwave scorer off the bench for Tilton, but perhaps he earns a starting spot.     Weaver is a new addition to Tilton and gives them an electric point guard to run the show. With all of the athletes he'll have around him, I would expect the 5-foot-10 guard to be a lethal transition catalyst and get tons of assists every game just from leading guys up the floor. He has incredible quickness, a good outside shot, and very special passing ability off the bounce. I wouldn't be shocked to see Weaver take the starting point guard spot at Tilton, he'll just have to make sure he plays with the same ferocity on the defensive end as he does on the offensive end.     Proctor transfers in from Colorodo and provides another electric point-of-attack guard for this Tilton squad. The 6-foot sophomore is a bulldog with the ball in his hands and has a knack for taking and fighting through contact at a far higher level than most kids his age. He can shoot from the outside and finish in the paint, but he also makes heady decisions and competes on the defensive end. Proctor, Weaver, and Innocent should all battle for the starting point guard spot, and I could see any of them coming away with it.     Daniels is really starting to learn his body and understand how to be effective on the floor. The 7-foot sophomore has always had great size, but he's getting stronger and tougher in the paint and converted at the rim more efficiently at last month's open gym than I've seen him before. God forbid if he grows more, but Daniels now has a ton of time at this height to figure out his back to the basket game and also get quicker and more agile when it comes to setting and getting out of screens. He'll play this year because of his size and length, and the future is very bright.     Curley has great size and length for his age at 6-foot-7 and with very long arms. He can shoot from the outside, he's a natural cutter, and he has some budding explosiveness at the rim that should only improve once he gets older and develops more. The sophomore forward also passes the ball well for his size/age and understands how to make quick decisions with the basketball. Defensively, Curley fights hard and knows where to be on the weak side. I would expect him to play some minutes this year but be a really significant part of Tilton's core moving forward.

It's NEPSAC preview season!