Prep Hoops 2K21 Northeast Standouts (Part 2)
The Prep Circuit’s final live period event took place in Indianapolis this weekend and I was there to help cover the event. The Prep Hoops 2K21 had some of the top teams from across the country, and a few of…
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Continue ReadingThe Prep Circuit’s final live period event took place in Indianapolis this weekend and I was there to help cover the event. The Prep Hoops 2K21 had some of the top teams from across the country, and a few of the teams from the northeast I was able to check out were the Mass Rivals 3SSB teams and Team Cray 17U out of New York. Here’s a look at some of the standouts from those programs over the weekend.
Darrel Yepdo Darrel Yepdo 6'0" | PG Brooks School | 2022 State New E | 6’0” PG | Mass Rivals ’22
Yepdo set the tone for Mass Rivals throughout the event as the high energy guard brought it on both ends and was productive every time I saw them play. He’s lightning quick off the bounce and has a good handle to create space, he’s a blur in transition and lives in the paint off the bounce. He can sit down and guard the entire length of the floor and he brings a toughness to his group as well.
Quinn Nielson | 6’10” C | Mass Rivals ’23
Nielson is a very intriguing big man in the New England area with his blend of size, athleticism and high motor that he plays with. He can get up and down the floor and is pretty explosive around the rim, he has good hands and soft touch in the paint and he knows how to use his body and size to finish through traffic. He’s a good rebounder and clogs the paint and makes it tough for driving guards to finish.
Jaaden Simpkins | 6’2” PG | Mass Rivals ’23
Simpkins is the leader of the Mass Rivals 16U group and was a tone setter on both ends of the floor and very tough to corral off the bounce. He’s a tough nosed guard who lives in the lane with his speed and shiftiness off the bounce, he’s a threat to both make plays for others and score it himself when he gets downhill and he guards the length of the floor as well. He’s a natural leader that is easy to follow and his tough nature makes him productive in a number of ways on the floor.
George Turkson Jr. | 6’7” WF | Mass Rivals ’24
It didn’t take long for Turkson to catch my eye as you look at his body and natural athleticism and love him, and then you look down at the book and realize he’s a 2024 prospect playing up on the 17U group. He has great size for his position and his length and athleticism allow him to make plays others can’t make whether it’s finishing above the rim or skying for a rebound. He thrives in transition and when he can get downhill, he showed the ability to make plays off the bounce and knock down shots off the catch and he’s a two way impact guy with his defensive ability too.
James Matthews | 6’1” PG | Team Cray ’22
Matthews was fantastic when I got to watch Team Cray as he was their leader and top scorer and was always under control when he was on the floor. He’s a talented shot maker from multiple levels, he plays with good pace and changes speeds off the bounce and he was always able to come through with a bucket when his team needed him to. He showed that he can create his own shot in isolation and get shots within the flow of the offense, and he was very efficient from multiple levels scoring it in a lot of different ways.
Ray Lopez | 6’3” WG | Team Cray ‘23
While Matthews was the go-to guy for Team Cray, Lopez was not only a great second option that scored it well but he also showed a lot of grit and was the hustle guy of the group too. He’s a knock down shooter that’s strong and can play on and off the basketball, and any rebound or 50-50 ball that was to be had he was around it and fighting for them all. His mix of skill, athleticism and the gritty way he plays makes him a winning type of guy you can’t take off the floor.