Cantave, out of the Brooks School in Massachusetts, checks in at #12 among the centers and #179 overall. Cantave is a junkyard dog in the best sense of the phrase; doing all the dirty work that goes into winning basketball games. He guards bigger than his frame, hits the floor for loose balls, makes the extra pass, and sets solid screens. On top of that, he has a good feel as a scorer out to 10′, showing touch and some solid footwork around the rim. Defensively, he can guard a variety of positions with his combination of mobility, length, and strength. He should be a priority recruit at the Division III level for programs in need of a versatile big.

+14 (#151 to #137)

Cantave continues to make big strides in his game as time goes on. Last season at Brooks, he brought athleticism and toughness on the defensive end, but his offensive skills were only just coming along. Now, though he’s still in the process of figuring everything out, his touch and finishing skills around the rim are much improved and he’s a lot more comfortable using footwork in the paint. He’s even working on an outside shot that if he can continue to develop, could really open up his game. He should start for Brooks this season and be a key cog in their front court — he’s a high level D3 player if I had to guess.

Cantave has everything you’d look for in an undersized big man: strength, toughness, a great motor, and supreme athleticism. The rising senior holds his own against bigger centers because he gets very high off the ground and has an excellent upper body build. His skills are still coming along, but he does all of the little things on both ends and can elevate and finish above the rim offensively. He should be a key cog for a rebuilding Brooks team this coming season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some scholarship schools take a look at Cantave, though I think he might fit better at the D3 level.

Cantave is a big time athlete who keeps getting better every time I watch him play. During the high school season, he was tentative offensively and didn’t have too many perimeter skills. He still definitely prefers to play in the paint with Above The Rim, but he looks a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands and looks like he has a more compact three-point shot than he did the last time I saw him. Most impressive is Cantave’s ability to do the little things; he defends, rebounds, gets loose balls, and plays super hard, all while having an amazingly quick second-jump. Big senior season ahead for him at Brooks.

I’m not really sure why Cantave doesn’t start, or at least get more minutes for Brooks. They’re not necessarily looking for any low-post scoring in their bigs, and he does a really good job doing the little things. He fights his behind off for rebounds and is a good vertical athlete – he had two dunks against BH where he showed his great second-jump ability and athleticism. The skills are definitely still coming along for Cantave, but at least he plays hard and knows his role. Will be curious to see how the junior progresses.