Hoop Mountain Super Week 2 Summary

Jordan Laguerre Captures Hoop Mountain MVP

Hoop Mountain Super Week 2 wrapped up with its all-star game, awards ceremony, and dunk contest on Wednesday night, followed by the playoffs on Thursday morning. The week was a tremendous success, with most of the top players in New England choosing to stay close to home and attend Super Week 2. Those who participated were certainly rewarded by an impressive turnout of Division 1 coaches.

Here are who the awards went to:

Camp Award Winners
MVP: Jordan Laguerre, New Hampton
Best Playmaker: Phil Gaetano, Choate Rosemary Hall
Mr. Stations: Mike Brusca, Landmark School
Mr. Hustle: Dan Giovacchini, Lawrence Academy
Mr. Defense: Jake Layman, King Phillip
Most Improved: Kevin Clark, Christian Heritage

All Stars

Jordan Laguerre, New Hampton; Drew Crudup, Hillhouse HS: Andrew Chrabascz, Cushing Academy: Brandon Sherrod, Choate Rosemary Hall: Joe Mussachia, Manchester HS; Dennis Clifford, Milton Academy; Marco Banegas, Brimmer and May; Jerome Harris, East Catholic HS; Scott King, Holderness; Blair Roberts, Trinity Pawling; Tarik Smith, St. Paul’s; Jaymie Spears, St. Mark’s; Tylon Smith, Kingswood Oxford; Graham Safford, Hampden HS; Tavon Allen, Worcester Academy; Dennis Levene, Choate Rosemary Hall; Ousmane Drame, Marianapolis; John Henault, St. Bernard’s; Derrick Millinghaus, Schenectady, NY; Jules Tavares, Wilbraham and Monson; Andrej Pajovic, Wilbraham and Monson; Samir McDaniel, New Mission; Phil Gaetano, Choate Rosemary Hall; Andre King, Suffield Academy; Tyler McFarland, Camden Hills; Eric Katenda, Cheshire Academy; Ryan Canty, Tilton; Maurice Taylor, Cambridge Rindge and Latin; Pat Ackerman, Worcester Academy; Jake Fay, Brimmer and May; Imoh Silas, Holderness; Kris Dunn, New London HS; Daouda Soumaro, Our Savior New American; C.J. Moss, Taft School; Galal Cancer, Christian Brothers Academy; Zach Auguste, New Hampton; Kuran Iverson, Northwest Catholic; Xavier Brahm, Wilbraham and Monson; Chris Sherwood, Brimmer and May; Cedric Kuakumensah, Worcester North; Tony Lester, Tilton; Ryan Romich, Vermont Academy

Girls USJN Summerfest Recap

Maddy Blias Continues To Turn Heads

Day two of the girls division one viewing period brought local recruits to the Rockingham Athletic Club in Plaistow, NH to participate in the USJN Summerfest hosted by the New England Crusaders. Teams participating included the New England Crusaders, NH Rivals, Lone Wolf of Vermont, NH Flames, and Maine Hoops.

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The NH Rivals and Crusaders top teams met in a 16U contest which would turn out to be the game of the day. There was plenty of talent in this contest including the Crusaders Niki Taylor, Daniel Walzcak, and Karima Gabrielle. The Rivals had Maddy Blais, Brooke Strewart, Kellie MacDonald as well as Savannah Butterfield (Londonderry) and Kaley Marston (Bishop Brady).

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The Rivals won it 57-47 in front of a slew of different college coaches who surrounded the court. In this contest, Maddy Blais continued to impress with her hot shooting hand and smooth drives to the basket. Blais also displayed that she can dominate the game at the defensive end as she battled on the boards and came up with a number of block shots. Crusaders Niki Taylor continued to prove she is a top player in New England as she flat out dominates games with her physical play. Rivals 6'3" forward Sam Brenner continues to get better every time she goes out on the floor. Viewed by many as a work in progress, the 15 year old Brenner is making great strides with her game.

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There was plenty of young talent on hand at the summer fest. 6'1" forward Meagan Green oozes with potential . Only an incoming sophomore, Green already posses a great basketball IQ, as well as excellent touch and size. Green showed she is getting better at putting the ball to the floor and she can also step out and make the 15 foot jump shot. 5'8" guard Liz Laing showed flashes of greatness. Laing dominated at times during the weekend utilizing her speed and athleticism. She came up with a number of steals and proved she can knock down shots beyond the arc.

Class of 2013 Impress At Hoop Mountain on Wednesday

Cornelous Tyson Impressed at Hoop Mountain

It was another exciting day at Hoop Mountain as many of the top New England Prospects battled it out as coaches looked on. The play-offs start tonight followed by the All-Star games at 10:00 p.m. The following Massachusetts and New Hampshire High School players stood out today at camp:

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Cornelous Tyson (Springfield Central H.S., 2013) - Tyson is a 6'2" point guard with a variety of skills. Tyson was impressive today as he demonstrated that he is a natural point guard that can run a team and can score in a multitude of ways. Tyson was most impressive getting to the rim.

Dimitri Floras (Merrimack H.S., NH, 2013) - The 6'1" Floras is a combination guard that has a great understanding of the game and can score the basketball in a variety of ways. Today he showed he can get to the rim and finish and knock down the three. Floras is also a strong and aggressive player who competes on each possession. It's tough not to like this young man.

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Jacquil Taylor (Cambridge Rindge Latin, 2013) - The 6'8" freshman is oozing with potential. The young man can run the floor and has a good set of hands. Enough said about his future. As of now, Taylor struggles a bit offensively has he has not quite figured out how to score the basketball. Time will take care of this and we are certain that this young man will be something special.

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Mabor Gabriel (Trinity High School, NH, 2013) - The 6'6"Gabriel is a work in progress. He can really run the floor, put the ball to the floor, and knock down the open three. Gabriel has a great future ahead of him.

Colin Richey (Whitinsville Christian School, 2013) - The 6'1"Richey is an efficient point guard who makes his team better. Richie is an old school point guard who looks to pass the basketball first. Richey needs to continue to sure up his handle and become a more proficient scorer.

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Mike Auger (Hopkington H.S., NH, 2013) - The 6'5" freshman has a great basketball body as he is strong and athletic. Auger has shown great progress over the Spring period and is is one of the top freshman in New Hampshire. Auger showed at camp that he is a tough and physical young man that can rebound and score even when he is thrown into a talented field.

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Alec Brennan (Weston, 2013) - As we said yesterday, the 6'7" Brennan continues to get better every time we see him. Today Brennan continued where he left off yesterday running the lanes, rebounding aggressively, and finishing around the basket.

St. Michael's Vermont Host First Day of Girls Live Period

Natalie Gomez

Tuesday marked the first day of the division girls collegiate viewing period for prospective high school basketball players . Many of New England's top AAU clubs and players gathered at the beautiful campus of St. Michael's College for a one day showcase run by Lone Wolfe Athletics. There was no shortage of talent in the gym and know shortage of coaches as many of the regions top division one, two, and three universities made there way to Vermont.

The day started off with the NE Crusaders Blue, Mass Frenzy , Rhode Island Breakers, NH Rivals, Bay State Jaguars, and NE Crusaders White all playing at the same time on consecutive courts. In these games, many of the top prospects from Mass and New Hampshire were on the floor.

Court 1 featured a great match up between NE Crusaders Blue and the Mass Frenzy. These two teams slugged it out for 32 minutes. The Crusaders were lead by there talented front court trio of New Hampshire's Danielle Walczak , Karima Gabriel and Maine's top prospect Nikki Taylor. The Crusaders used there size and brute force to seal a victory over the Frenzy . However the Frenzy gave the Crusaders all they could handle. The Frenzy are anchored by the play of there 6 ft forward Mariah Lesure. Her play this spring has placed among the top prospects in all of New England. Lesure has tons of upside and she seems to get better every time we see her play . She can play inside and outside and has the ability to finish in traffic. Lesure has the ability to dominate games during crucial times. Look for her to be on the radar of many college coaches.

Court 2 featured the Rhode Island Breakers taking on the Bay State Jaguars. Both teams are very deep and there was no shortage of size out there on the court. The Breakers were lead by Mass top junior Natalie Gomez and Gabie Polce. Both Polce and Gomez used their ability to put the ball on the floor to create open opportunities for teammates and themselves. The Jaguars were lead by another highly regarded Mass guard in Briana Hunt. Hunt is a very crafty ball handler who can shoot and who has the ability to create and finish at the rim. However her play was not enough to best the top team in New England.

Court 3 feature the NH Rivals versus the NE Crusaders White. The Crusaders were lead by Merrimack College bound Melissa Miller and New Hampshire's Allie Wagner. The Rivals were able to take control of the game from the start. Rivals were lead by the play of Madeline Blais and Lizzy Ball. Blais who continues to prove she is one of the top shooters in New England was able to connect of 4 threes from down town . Blais finished with a game high 22 . Lizzy ball ran the show for the Rivals with an array of drives to the basket. Ball was able to find teammates for open looks as well as getting herself to the rim to finish. Ball also has proven to be a lock down defender wreaking havoc on the defensive end for her opponents. Ball finished with 15 pts.

Tuesday also marked the highly anticipated return of super sophomore Nicole Boudreau of Andover High School. Boudreau was sidelined this past AAU season with a stress fracture in her back. Boudreau has the ability to score in bunches. She has range well beyond the three point arc and she also has the ability to attack the rim and finish . She is a big time scorer and competitor. In high school, she plays along side breakers Natalie Gomez. Arguably these two together are the top high school backcourt in New England. The two have already won a MAII Division 1 State Championship. Boudreau looked rusty at times through out the day, but she showed flashes of greatness and everybody knows how good she is.

Division 1 Coaches And Players At Hoop Mountain

Pat Connaughton Impressed At Hoop Mountain Camp

The first day of the Boy's Live Division 1 Period kicked off today as many division 1 college coaches made there way to Stonehill College in Easton, MA to check out New England's best talent. The Mass & NH High School Recruiting Report made there way to Stonehill to take it all in. Those division 1 colleges in attendance included Boston College, UMass Amherst, St. Bonaventure's, Bryant, UNH, BU, Lafayette, Stony Brook, Sacred Heart, Yale, Georgia Tech, Drexel, Siena, URI, Fairfield, Long Island University, and Quinnipiac.

The talent at the camp was also exceptional. There were many division 1 prospects that were prep school students, but this report only covers those that play in the Massachusetts or New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Associations. Those high school prospects that caught our eye included the following:

Pat Connaughton (St. John's Prep, 2011)- The 6'4" small forward was exceptional again as he demonstrated that he could score inside and out. Connaughton also distributed some on the money passes as well. Connaughton has already been offered by Bentley (division 2) and has interest at the division 1 level. The bottom line with this kid is that he's a winner.

David Madol (Trinity High School, NH, 2011) - The 6'5" Madol was excellent today as he showed us a bit of everything. Madol rebounded the ball above the rim, led the transition, knocked down the three, and had some big time athletic plays. Madol has already been offered by Southern NH (division 2) and has interest at the division 1 level. If he keeps playing like this, he is surely destined for division 1.

Kachi Nzerem (New Mission, 2011) - Nzerem was a physical presence on the court today as he had some impressive takes and finishes at the rim. Nzerem plays hard and with a purpose.

Jake Layman (King Phillips, 2012) - Layman again showed that he is a special player with a hugh upside. At 6'8" tall, Layman has an impressive looking stroke from behind the three point line and can finish around the basket. Layman is plenty athletic as he can get up and down the court and raise above the rim. This junior to be has a big upside as he is already a division 1 prospect.

Alec Brennan (Weston, 2013) - The 6'7" Brennan continues to get better every time we see him. Today Brennan played aggressively bringing in some big time rebounds. Brennan also showed that he can finish around the basket and he can run the lanes. Brennan also showed us a much improved jump shot from the perimeter. He's the new guy on the block, but already this sophomore to be is considered a division 1 prospect.

High School Boy's Propects Hit Camps

Hoop Mountain Live Camp Kicks Off Today

The Mass & NH High School Basketball Report visited the Boston College and the Harvard University prospect camps last week where much of the local boys basketball talent participated in one or the other. These camps are great places to get ready for the live period while introducing oneself to a division 1 coaching staff. Sometimes it can even turn into a scholarship offer as it did for Marlboro's Zach Auguste who was offered by BC during the camp.

It's Monday, July 5th, one day before the division 1 live period opens up and the day that much of the local talent will check into the popular Hoop Mountain camp at Stonehill College in Easton. These young men will all be hoping to catch the eye of one of the many college coaches that will visit the camp. Tomorrow, many of the East Coast division 1 basketball coaching staffs, as well as division 2 and 3 staffs, will descend on Stonehill College to check out the talent. The Mass & NH High School Basketball Report will be there to let you know what players and what coaching staffs make there way to Easton.