Players to Watch: NPS (Part 1)

The National Prep Showcase returns this week to crown an undisputed National Champion of the post grad world, and like every year the field is absolutely loaded with 16 teams from all over the country. The event will be held at Clark University in Worcester, MA this year, and the games start at 10 AM on Wednesday and it will be a bracket style play with a consolation bracket for teams to play at least 3 games.   There are so many talented players and teams in this year's event, we'll be looking at some of the players to watch in each area the teams are coming from. Here's a look at part one of the New England schools.   You can watch the entire tournament here on the <a href="http://cbglivenetwork.com">CBG Live Network</a>.   [player_tooltip player_id='1206441' first='Kur' last='Teng'] | 6'4” WG | Bradford Christian '24   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/Teng-Kur-Rivals.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/Teng-Kur-Rivals.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1440375" /></a></figure>   Teng has been a big reason that Bradford Christian has been one of the top teams in New England over the past few years, as he's one of the best shooting guards in the 2024 class in the country. The 6'4” wing can knock down shots consistently from deep and has a good frame to finish around the rim, he has the ability to create space and good body control to make contested shots and he's a good defender who has great instincts too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1205486' first='Jordan' last='Clayton'] | 6'2” PG | Bradford Christian '23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/05/image_from_ios-7.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/05/image_from_ios-7.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1450018" /></a></figure>   Clayton is the heart and soul of this Bradford Christian team, as the Northwestern commit is an absolute game changer at the point guard position. He's a strong guard who's an explosive finisher when he gets downhill and can play through traffic, he's a very good shooter from deep both off the catch and off the bounce and he has a knack for making plays on both ends of the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='1489337' first='George' last='Turkson'] | 6'7” PF | Bradford Christian '24   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/07/George-Turkson.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/07/George-Turkson.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1254741" /></a></figure>   Turkson is a very vital piece to this Bradford Christian team and their style of play, as his versatility and athleticism as their big man allows them to get up and down and spread the floor the way like to. He's able to guard almost every position on the floor with the way he moves his feet, his length and athleticism allows him to rebound and challenge shots against guys bigger than him and he can get up and down and is exciting to watch in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='1125334' first='Mouhamed' last='Dioubate'] | 6'7” WF | Putnam Science '23   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/Dioubate-Mouhamed-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/Dioubate-Mouhamed-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1669244" /></a></figure>   The Alabama commit is a huge reason that PSA sits at 32-2 this year and is one of the favorites to compete for the National Championship. The 6'7” forward is super versatile offensively as he can score the ball in different ways on the perimeter and in the midrange, he's able to post smaller defenders and hit the offensive glass for easy points and he's an excellent help side defender who can challenge shots and take charges.   Darryl Simmons | 6'1” PG | Putnam Science '23   Simmons has been one of the top point guards in the NEPSAC all season long, and he's the straw that stirs the drink for this PSA squad. He sets the tone on both ends of the floor as he is a very good on ball defender and he controls the tempo and gets them into their sets, he touches the paint regularly and is a good playmaker and finisher in the midrange and he's a great option in late shot clock situations with his ability to create in isolation situations.   [player_tooltip player_id='2341272' first='Ben' last='Ahmed'] | 6'8” C | Putnam Science '26   It's very rare that you see a freshman that is able to compete in the post grad setting with players much older than him, but Ahmed doesn't look or play like a normal freshman big. While he's still somewhat raw, Ahmed has a very strong frame and is able to clear out space to finish and rebound, he's an excellent rim protector who can challenge and block shots without fouling and he has a good motor making him productive and efficient in his minutes.

The National Prep Showcase returns this week to crown an undisputed National Champion of the post grad world, and like every year the field is absolutely loaded with 16 teams from all over the country. The event will be held at Clark University in Worcester, MA this year, and the games start at 10 AM on Wednesday and it will be a bracket style play with a consolation bracket for teams to play at least 3 games.