New England Names To Know: Part 1

Bash Hudson

January 25, 2021 @ 09:00 AM

The past year has been challenging for us all due to the rise of the pandemic. Although there has been a myriad of entertaining basketball games this winter, unfortunately, Covid-19 has caused many teams to cancel their seasons. Even though the season is lost for some programs, the athletes are in the gym, sharpening their skills and staying ready for the next opportunity when they can step on the court and compete. Here are three juniors in particular who we won’t have the pleasure of viewing this winter but are names we should all recognize. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8605.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1121428 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8605-160x300.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="394" /></a> Arya Tehrani - Vermont Academy - 6’0’’ - PG - Jr After being sidelined with a torn ACL from July 2019 until this past August, Tehrani is determined to get back on the court and show us what we’ve been missing for the past year-plus. On a Vermont Academy team loaded with talented scorers, the junior point guard understands his role as a pass-first point guard. A perfect fit for this roster, Tehrani plays with good pace and poise and is the kind of floor general you want initiating your offense. He has the awareness to know that even though he can beat his man and score at will, it is more imperative to get the wings and bigs in an offensive rhythm. When the Vermont Academy point guard decides to get aggressive and score, he can finish strong at the rim with either hand or will stop short and pull up for a floater over the defense. With no games on the Vermont Academy horizon, Tehrani and his teammates are in the gym, practicing and fine-tuning their game. I am looking forward to seeing what he has in store this spring.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8608.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1121436 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8608-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="280" height="350" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1081820" first="Jabari" last="Nurse"] - Lexington Christian Academy - 6’4’’ - SG - Jr. Nurse had an impressive sophomore campaign. Averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game, the Lexington Christian Academy wing was ready to explode and have a monster junior season. He is a matchup nightmare for any defender who dares to guard him. His 6’4’’ frame and athleticism allow him to disrupt passing lanes and get out in transition where he is a freight train and an unstoppable force attacking the rim with ferocity. A talented three-level scorer, Nurse shooting threes over the top of the defense is light work for him. The junior being such a deadly perimeter threat, the defense will try to guard him tight, and Nurse uses his speed and crafty ball-handling to weave into the paint and finish or drop an assist to his teammates. A player with triple-double potential, Nurse will showcase his unique combination of size, athleticism, and skill in March when AAU kicks off. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8606.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1121433 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_8606-284x300.jpg" alt="" width="339" height="358" /></a>Tyrese Rho - Minuteman High School - 6’1 - PG - Jr Rho is one of the most athletic point guards you will witness. The Lexington Christian Academy transfer elevates effortlessly and is a human highlight reel on the fastbreak with the number of creative dunks he can pull off. Beyond his leaping ability, the lefty point guard is fantastic in the half-court utilizing his quick first step to get to the basket. His quickness and agility allow him to penetrate the lane, and he is a very unselfish player who looks to set-up his teammates for points. He becomes impossible to guard when he starts knocking down three-pointers. With his range extending well beyond the three-point line, he can break you down off the dribble, create space, and pull up with a silky smooth jump shot. On the defensive end, he is a max effort player. He goes all out in transition tracking down the offensive player and makes a living collecting chase-down blocks. It is a bummer we can not witness the improvement from his sophomore year to now, but with spring AAU starting in March, Rho is looking to pick up where he left off last season.