Lopez concluded his legendary career at Central Catholic this season, and although he didn’t win a state championship, he had an incredibly productive year. He was an elite scorer from all three levels, and despite being the clear focal point of every team’s defensive game-plan, he still lit it up all season from all three levels. The 6-foot-2 Brandeis commit is a phenomenal outside shooter and gets tons of elevation on his shot, so he can make threes off the dribble and on the move. But he also has really solid ball-handling ability and big-time strength, so he can bully his way to the rim and consistently gets to the foul line. Lopez is an MIAA legend and should walk into Brandeis and play minutes right away.

Lopez, a senior out of Catholic Central, was the state’s top individual performer during the regular season and continued to impress during CC’s run to the Division 1 championship game. Although they came up just short against Bumila and Bishop Feehan, Lopez was a star until the very end, scoring 30 points in the final. He’ll leave Central Catholic as the school’s all-time leading scorer and was an absolute force in the MIAA over the last four years. The 6’2″ guard was one of the best isolation scorers around, played with a great sense of feel and pace, and showed the ability to get a bucket at all three levels. Most importantly, he seemingly was always able to elevate his play in the biggest games and moments. Lopez will continue his academic and athletic careers next year at Brandeis.

Lopez did everything he could to keep Central Catholic in the game, especially in the fourth quarter. As Bishop Feehan pulled away late, the senior hit multiple heavily-contested three point shots and showed that he has the clutch gene. He also had some nice finishes against Bumila in the paint and showcased that he’s prepared to play at the next level against bigger and stronger players. Lopez couldn’t get a state championship, but he had a commendable performance in the championship game and a phenomenal high school career in the big picture. Excited to see what he does at Brandeis.  

Lopez added another big-time performance to his historic MIAA career when he erupted for 30 points in the semifinal against Springfield Central. The 6-foot-2 guard hit some shots from the outside—and he’s always hard to contest out there because of how high he gets on his jumper and how scared defenders are to land under him—but he also excelled as a driver and finisher. Everything was working for Lopez against Springfield, but I’ll be curious whether he opts for more pull-up jumpers against Bishop Feehan so that he doesn’t have to go against the rim protection of Bumila.

Lopez is, in my opinion, the best player in the MIAA. He has experience going against double teams, blitzes, box-and-ones, and tons of different pressure defenses, and he knows how to beat them all. He can hit shots from the mid range and three, and he has excellent strength going to the hoop. Every defense he faces in the tournament will be geared towards stopping him, but he’ll still find a way to be effective on the offensive end. The Brandeis commit certainly wants to end his HS career on the right note, and he has the supporting cast to do so.

Lopez only scored 15 points in Central Catholic’s win against a tough Masco squad, but that’s only because the sole purpose of the opposition’s defensive game plan was to make life tough on him. Even so, the Brandeis commit handled the double teams very well and did a great job making the simple play for his teammates when the scoring opportunities for himself were limited. He did a great job taking contact and getting to the foul line, and he was able to take advantage of defensive mishaps at the rim and on the perimeter when they happened. Lopez should be an impact player right away at Brandeis next season, especially as he finally won’t have to play against a defense designed to stop him.

Lopez, a senior guard out of Central Catholic High School, has made an impact with his ability to score the basketball for four years now in the MIAA. He recently became Central Catholic’s all-time leading scorer and has accumulated over 1,600-points so far at the varsity level. The 6’2″ guard had a 36-point outing at the Hoophall Classic and is a threat to go for 25+ any time he takes the floor. He’s really improved as a perimeter shooter, particularly in DHO actions and catch and shoot situations; while also continuing to shine with his ability to score in isolations. He’s crafty around the rim, has the strength to play through contact as a driver, and is arguably, the best late clock scorer in any of the six state associations.

Lopez was the star of the show Tuesday. The senior guard lit up the Beverly defense for 17 first quarter points on three point shots, mid rangers, and finishes at the rim in the championship game. He gets so much elevation on his jumper that nobody (not even bigger players) can contest it, but he also has the ball on a string and changes speeds quite effectively on drives to the hoop. Lopez is going to be a high D3 player and will excel both on and off the ball, and it’ll be exciting to see him player at a higher level where he can showcase more of his passing ability and feel. Lopez is calm, cool and collected even though the focus is on him at all times. Stud.

Lopez, a senior guard out of Central Catholic High School, posted back to back standout games at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, tallying 26 points in Game 1 and 31 points in Game 2. Arguably the MIAA’s top scoring guard, Lopez does a terrific job of using his frame to his advantage, showing the ability to get to his scoring spots off the bounce and to finish through contact in the paint. He plays with patience, has a good feel for the game with the ball in his hands, and doesn’t shy away from the big moment as a scorer.

Lopez, a senior guard out of Central Catholic High School, is among a handful of players that could be in consideration for the state’s player of the year. An elite scorer, he does a great job of playing at his own speed, getting to his spots with patience, and using his frame to his advantage as a scorer. He does a great job of drawing fouls and converting at the line, is a willing ball-mover in the half-court, and can really score it in the mid-range. Defensively, he can guard up and down a position and makes a real impact on the defensive glass.