Pat Connaughton Number 1 High School Player in MassachusettsBelow is the updated rankings for the Massachusetts Boys Class of 2011
1. Pat Connaughton (6'4", St. John's Prep) – Much has been said about Pat Connaughton's play this summer as he the 6'4" guard came out of nowhere to earn scholarships at Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA and others. He was sensational in the Super 16 in Connecticut proving his worth against highly regarded Jermaine Sanders and his New Heights team. Things only got better in Orlando as Connaughton played incredibly well and consequently took his recruitment to the very highest levels with Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA, and more offering scholarships. Connaughton has proved himself more than anything else to be a winner as he competes on every possession. He is a complete player that does some of everything. He makes shots, rebounds well from the guard spot, handles the ball effectively, and has a great body and excellent athleticism. Connaughton is the old fashion athlete that is a high major baseball prospect and would be the starting quarter back for St. John's Prep if he decided to put on the pads.
2. Kachi Nzerem (6'5", New Mission) – Nzerem has a long athletic body with a great physique. We loved him when we saw him in early July at the Hoop Mountain Super Week II. Nzerum played exceptionally well the entire week by making plays above the rim on both ends of the floor. Nzerem continued to play well during the middle portion of the live period as Division I coaches were intrigued because of his explosive combination of power and athleticism in addition to a good shooting touch from behind the three-point arc.
3. Joe Mussachia (6'5", Manchester Essex) – Mussachia is another player who helped himself this summer. Mussachia now has scholarship offers from St. Anselm's and Southern New Hampshire as well as interest from some of the top academic small colleges in the country. Mussachia's offensive game is much improved as he the southpaw showed he has good dexterity around the rim. Mussachia's shot is also much improved as he consistently knocked down the three this summer. What might be most impressive about Mussachia's is how hard he plays the game. He is a tough nose kid that is not afraid to mix up on the glass.
4. Demitry Coronell (6'4", East Boston High School)– Coronell has a game that intrigues division 1 coaches as he can jump out of the gym on one play and can hit a NBA three pointer on another. Because of his speed, Coronell is an extremely difficult 1-on-1 matchup as the 6'5" wing can putt the ball as well as knock down the three-point shot.
5. Joe Bramanti (6'1", Andover High School) - Bramanti has earned a reputation of getting it done. While not gifted with great height, length, or athleticism, Bramanti seems to find a way to get it done. Bramanti is powerful and can make his defender pay when he attacks the basket and he can also knock down the three if left uncovered. Bramanti was offered a scholarship from Stonehill College and is in discussions with high level educational institutions such as Darmouth.
6. Jimmy Zenevitch (6'7", Central Catholic High School)- The southpaw forward is a very skilled player from anywhere inside of 15 feet and an especially good passer for a big man. He is an exceptional set shot from 12 foot range and has a knack for scoring. Zenevitch also has a good set of hands and can score with his back to the basket.
7. Tevin Falzon (6'7", Newton North High School) - There is no doubt that this kid is talented. At 6’7, Falzon is highly skilled and can play both inside and out. He showed that he can put the ball on the floor, step out and knock down mid-range jump shots, and finish underneath the hoop. Whenn he plays hard, he can dominatethe game because of his size and skill. Falzon is a tough player to box out which is one of the reasons why he grabs many offensive rebounds.
8. Zach Hurynowicz (6'2", Burlington High School) - Hurynowicz has played a lot of basketball and thus is quite an intelligent on the hardwood. He’s not a guy who wows you by putting a ton of points on the board, but he understands what it means to run a team. He sets the tone with his toughness, doesn’t turn the ball over, and defends the heck out of people. Hurynowicz has improved his shooting stroke and is finishing around the basket better these days.
9. Samir McDaniel (6'4", New Mission) – McDaniel is a man among boys on the perimeter having made a name for himself this Spring and Summer by getting to the rim and finishing as well as posting smaller players. McDaniel game has improved this summer as he is working to add new dimensions to his offensive arsenal by developing a mid-range game.
10. Bryan Hurley (5'11", Boston College High School) - Hurley is a competitor and solid point guard. We watched him on the road this Spring and Summer and were impressed with his desire to win. Hurley is a scoring point guard who can be streaky from the perimeter, but he does have a good stroke.
11. John Henault (6'2", St. Bernard's) Henault can flat out shoot the basketball from behind the three point arc. He also has an exceptional one-dribble pull-up as he is able to use fake and create space with the dribble. Because he is a feared shooter, often his teammates benefit from the close coverage he receives. We saw him this summer at Hoop Mountain Super Week II and again in Springfield. He is fundamentally sound on offense and has an excellent feel for the game. Henault needs to prove that he can cover at the defensive end and needs to play the game at a higher intensity level.
12. Matt Kneece (6'8", Shrewsbury High School) - Kneece is 6’8 with a strong body. As a result he is able to overpower his opponent in the paint. He has a good looking drop step and is an impossible guard at the high school level when he attacks the rim.
13. Victor Aytche (6'3", Springfield Central) – Aytche is an athletic slasher that gets to the rim and finishes from a variety of different angles. He also has a nose for the ball as he often finds a way to get his hands on the offensive glass.
14. Donald Celestin (6'3", Greater Lawrence Technical School ) - Celestin creates as much space off his crossover as anybody on this list. Celestin is a natural scorer that can score the ball in a variety of ways. He has much bounce and has a sweet looking mid-range pull-up. Added to all that, the athletic guard can also play the game above the rim.
15. Hans Miersma, (6'8", Whittinsville Christian)- Miersma is a fundamentally sound basketball player that makes some good looking basketball plays. For the mot part, Miersma does some of everything including blocking shots, altering shots, rebounding, and scoring the basketball from 15 feet in. We would like to see Miersma become more aggressive as he as a chance to be a special player.
16. Musa Elsir (6'3", West Springfield High School) – Elsir has an excellent body and uses it effectively when he plays. He has a solid handle for a wing and can make the mid-range jump shot.
17. Mack Burt (2011, Saint John's Prep, MA) - Burt is a 6'4" small forward who is an aggressive and active player. We first saw him in the North Sectional finals at the Garden as he had an outstanding effort knocking down threes and grabbing rebounds for St. John's Prep in their close loss to Central Catholic. This Spring and Summer, Burt continued his exceptional play as he used his physical body to both rebound and finish around the rim. Burt also stepped away and knocked down the three on a consistent basis.
18. Pat Gooden (6'2", Belchertown High School)– We first saw Gooden at our own Mass & NH High School All-Star game. On that evening, Gooden showed that he can get open and make shots against top notch competition. He makes the three by both spotting up and coming off screens.
19. Sam Longwell (6'1", Acton Boxborough) - Longwell is a sound basketball player that does a lot of little things right. Longwell is a seasoned basketball player that has an excellent understanding of the game and is a good team player. Nonetheless, Longwell knows when to attack the rim, and knows when and how to make shots.
20. Mathew Coppola (6'1" Watertown High School) - Coppola has earned the reputation as a guy that plays hard and with a purpose. He also is known for his long-range shooting. This Spring and Summer he showed he has developed his body and has showed he can also get into the lane as well as rebound on both ends of the floor.
21. Mickel Simpson (6'4", Woburn High School) - Simpson has had an impressive Spring and Summer playing the point guard position. Simpson has size and athleticism. During this past AAU season, we saw Simpson take the ball down the lane for an impressive dunk, and then a couple of minutes later, he stuck a pretty looking long range three. Simpson needs to get a better understanding of the game, but there is no doubt that is offensive capability is superb.
22. Raudy Minaye (6'3", Methuen High School) - Minaye is a scorer and if he has a weakness it is that he looks to score to often. There is no doubt that Minaye has a scorer's mindset. When he's on, we have seen Minaye put a lot of points on the board in a hurry.
23. Jacob Morales (6'0", Central Catholic) - Morales is an adequate point guard who has a much improved stroke as he knocked down long range three's on a continuous basis this Spring and Summer. Morales best attribute is the intensity he plays the game with and the emphasis he puts on winning. More that once this Spring and Summer Morales took 5 plus charges for his team. The bottom line, Morales is the guy you want running your team if you want to win.
24. Trey Jones (5'8", Reading High School) - Jones is an athletic guard who gets wherever he wants with his dribble. We have also watched Jones pull up from long-long range and make the jumpers. Beause of his blazing speed, f the youngster were to work on his game he could be a real problem.
25. John Swords (6'10", Lincoln Sudbury) - Swords is an intriguing big man because his size automatically changes the game. At 6'10", he block and/or changes a slew of shots. Swords can also move a bit for a big guy and can finish close to the basket.
See the full updated rankings.
