Hoop Hall Prep: Physical W/F Prospects

New readers: Use code Proia30     Every year, NERR and their partners put on the Prep National Championship series to feature top prep schools from across the country to compete in cross matchups between local NE teams and their domestic counterparts. It's always a fun evaluation setting as extremely hungry postgrad and HS products compete in front of college coaches and pro scouts against the top talent in the country. Let's tap in with a few of my favorite wings and forwards from the event.    15p 14r 7/10 FG vs Putnam; 16p 17r 4a 3b vs CATS   -Love the skill progression that I'm seeing from the unsigned senior as a forward prospect with a ton of potential. His hands have really improved to come up with tough catches in traffic whether they are post entry feeds over the top or low bounce passes below his waist. Ibe scored it well through contact in the paint, served as a great lob and roll target above the rim, and even hit a nice short turnaround jumper from the mid post. Would like to see him use his size and athleticism to block more shots around the rim. But he has really improved his defensive positioning both on the ball and in help, creating much better angles to contest shots without fouling to keep him on the floor for longer stretches of time.     13p 7r 1a 2s 1b 5/9 FG vs Putnam   -Norcome was up to his usual bully-ball ways in this one, showing the Baltimore grit and toughness that has made him a top 20 guy in our rankings of his class. Norcome was a force on the offensive glass and scored it through contact before hitting a FT to get three points the old-fashioned way several times in this game. His size, athleticism, and aggressive play on the defensive side of the floor make him an invaluable piece in this MZP rotation.     5p 6r 1a in 12 mins vs St Andrews   -The sophomore forward really made the most of his minutes, finding ways to be productive in two nice spurts of play as he served as a physical force on the glass for WNA. Pochkhua scored with a nice lefty hook in the paint after using a drop step to spin to face the rim then scored later in the same frame on an AND1 putback when he tipped in a rebound in between two boxed-out defenders to score it. His mobility and handle have improved to allow him to take forwards off the bounce and extend his minutes as a + help defender in ball screen situations. If he can add in a consistent jumper from beyond the arc, he will be a name to watch in 2028.     30p 4r 1a 2s 11/15 FG 4/5 3P 4/6 FT 6 TOs 32 mins vs Blair   -Blackburn got off to a roaring start in a matchup with one of the best prep teams in the country in Blair Academy with 17 first half points to go with three rebounds and one steal. His athleticism (particularly the leaping ability) really stood out from the opening tip when he drove the ball in transition on one of the first possessions and almost landed a massive poster dunk on an opponent before he was fouled. Loved the activity as an off-ball mover that is always putting pressure on the defense with well-timed face cuts to the weak side of the rim whenever a ball-handling teammate started a drive towards the paint. Blackburn splashed a deep C+S 3 over a big then drove straight through the same opponent's chest the next possession in transition before laying it in with the left through the contact. He then hit another 3 right in his opponent's face, hit a rhythm 3 off the bounce that splashed through nothing but net, and even timed the catch and bump from the big in the low post to draw a foul on his opponent. Easy target for most Ivy and High-Academic schools looking for an explosive wing that can also knock down shots from beyond the arc.     19p 4r 1a 1b 1s 8/12 FG 0/1 3P 3/6 FT 29 mins vs Worcester Academy   -The skilled Hungarian prospect got it going early in this one, scoring five of his first six buckets of the game by moving well behind the back line of the defense to space to serve as an easy target for lobs and pocket passes to score around the basket. The southpaw forward has great shooting touch from 18' and in, has the size and length to score in tight spaces around the rim or jostle for rebounds in the paint, and usually gets right into his move to score before the defense has a chance to react. I continue to come away impressed with the efficient impact that he has on basketball games without needing a ton of touches on a very deep Blair Academy team. If he can continue to improve his lateral movement skills to guard outside the three point line-- the sky is the limit.

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