McNamara, a wing out of Thayer Academy, displayed his shot making ability all weekend long. The 6’8″ wing has soft touch on his jumper and with a high release point, is able to get it off at any time. He does a nice job of leveraging his shooting to open up driving lanes, using his length as a rim finisher, but continues to thrive in his ability to make shot after shot from behind the arc. Defensively, he has leaned into his ability to operate as a rim protector, using his length and instincts to consistently make plays around the rim.

McNamara used to be labeled as a non-shooter, but he came out of the gates against Suffield and shot the lights out. His shot looks a lot more compact and smooth, and he’s finally starting to realize how he can use his body in the paint. Defensively, he has ridiculous versatility and can guard 1-5 because of his physicality and length. He’s a unique archetype who scholarship schools should be interested in.

Michael McNamara Michael McNamara 6'9" | SF/PF CATS Academy | 2027 State New E can really shoot it from the perimeter. He was hitting his shots off the catch with a smooth stroke and was even comfortable taking step backs from deep to create space for himself. He also played good team defense.

McNamara, a hybrid forward out of Thayer Academy, checks into the rankings at #13, climbing 13 spots since our last update. At 6’9″, McNamara is an intriguing prospect due mostly to his offensive versatility and shot creation ability. He does a nice job of playing off the ball, particularly when it comes to using screens and knocking down shots in catch and shoot situations. He continues to get better with the ball in his hands, showing the ability to create space and to quickly get into his jumper, which, with his size, he’s able to get off against any defender. He’ll need to continue to get stronger to reach his full potential, but he’s a fluid mover with good length that has the ability to be a versatile defender too.

McNamara impressed with his versatility showing that he can play inside and out. His length allows him to be active on the glass and alter shots. He found ways to get to the foul line. McNamara keeps progressing with time. Hoping against hope he can add more muscle to his frame and get into the weight room. He is tracking as a mid major prospect with consistency and developments.

Making his debut since moving over to BABC, McNamara displayed a tantalizing ceiling while helping lead his team to a championship. Looking to have added a couple inches to his frame since last summer, he toggles seamlessly across forward spots as a walking mismatch with his size, fluidity, and continuously evolving skillset. A natural mismatch forward, he shows continued flashes of developing into a true wing which points to a naturally high upside given his elite positional size. As he continues refining his jumper and learning to effectively blend his interior and perimeter games, look for high-majors to be involved with McNamara in the years to come.

McNamara is a truly fascinating long-term prospect. He’s 6-foot-8 with ridiculously long arms and a smoothness to the way he glides up and down the court. He takes about three steps to cover the entire length of the court and has great elevation once he gets to the rim. He’s also stronger than he looks and can handle a lot of physicality in the paint. His shot looks a bit better than I’ve seen it in the past but I think that’s the clear next step in his progression as a basketball player. If that comes together, he could be a high major prospect.

McNamara, who now attends Thayer Academy, carved out minutes as a first-year at Catholic Memorial. He had some solid showings this summer and has solidified himself as one of the better long term prospects in this class. A long and lean prospect, he’s a good shooter from behind the arc that shows his hands early and steps cleanly into his jumper. He’s developing skill as a ball handler and has the ability to shot fake and drive on defenders that close out poorly. He has great size on the wing and his length causes problems on the defensive end where he has good laterally mobility. As he continues to fill out and get stronger, he should be able to provide increased rim protection and rebounding. He’ll be an interesting prospect to track over the next few years, particularly this winter as he transitions to the NEPSAC.