Syracuse Visits Haverhill High

Noah Vonleh Gets Visit From Syracuse

Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim visited Haverhill High School on Wednesday to witness the Hillies Open Run. The Mass & NH High School Basketball Report was also in the gym to watch Haverhill and Rivals sensation Noah Vonleh. Vonleh, the 6'7" wingman who turned 15 years old in August, was impressive again. Vonleh showed us why his handle is such a weapon and showed a great shooting stroke off the pull-up and from behind the arc.

Vonleh has as big an upside as any player in New England and continues to get better each and every time we see him. I think it's fair to say the Coach Boeheim will be back to Haverhill sooner rather than later.

Middlesex Magic Fall Classic Brings Out Talent

Pat Connaughton

The Middlesex Magic Fall Classic held at Babson College this weekend featured some of the best AAU programs in New England including BABC, Rivals, RI Hawks, Bay State Magic, and the host Middlesex Magic. The tournament consisted of over 70 teams from 11u - through the open division. The Mass & NH High School Basketball Report was there and these were the five high school stars who stood out to us.

Pat Connaughton (6'4", Saint John's Prep - 2011, Middlesex Magic) - Connaughton showed some signs of why he will be playing basketball at the University of Notre Dame next fall. Connaughton had a couple of great finishes at the rim as he elevated above the crowd on more than one occasion to dunk the basketball. Connaughton was also a physical presence on the floor as he has a great basketball body. What is clear in watching the talented guard is that he is competes hard and he is a winner. His skill set needs some work especially in the area of putting the ball to the floor. He also needs work on his lateral movement to assure he will be able to cover guards at the high major division 1 level.

Jake Laymen (6'8", King Phillips - 2012, BABC) - Laymen seems to get better every time we see him. The 6'8" wingman looked very comfortable knocking down shots from the perimeter and putting the ball to the floor in both transition and the half court set. Laymen's stock is on the rise as he has an excellent upside. Laymen needs to play more physical and be more aggressive on both ends of the floor.

Noah Vonleh (6'7", Haverhill H.S. - 2013, Rivals) - Vonleh grows a bit taller each time we see him and his skill set gets a little better. Vonleh has one of the best skill sets of all big men in New England, especially in his handle, which has become a real weapon for him. We saw Vonleh go to work from the wing on several occasions this weekend slashing his way to the basket after a series of pretty moves. Vonleh also continued to show us that his jump shot is quickly improving. Vonleh,who just turned 15 in August, has a great body and huge frame, but he is not quite strong enough to carry that for the entire 32 minutes. The key to Vonleh, is simply time. Given he stays healthy, he will be one of the best recruits to ever come out of New England. He has upside on top of upside.

Peter Miller (6'9", Winchester H.S. - 2012, Middlesex Magic) - Miller had a good weekend as he had some nifty moves around the basket and showed he is able to knock down jumpers inside of 10 feet. Miller has made some improvements from the summer already and we expect to see his stock continue to rise over the next Spring and Summer. Miller needs to become more aggressive on both ends of the floor. He must continue to work on his body so that he is better able to mix it up with post players a the college level.

Jonathan Perez (6'0", Lowell H.S. - 2013, Rivals) - Perez showed us that he may be one of the best scorers in his class. Perez has always been known as a physical slasher who can get in the paint and cause problems. Although his slashing and finishing was evident this weekend, it was his improved jump shot that caught our eye. Perez's jump shot is so much improved that it is now a weapon for him. Perez is an excellent scorer, but he sometimes tries to to hard to score. The result is that he sometimes makes unwise decisions with the basketball. He needs to let the game come to him.