BeantownHoops Blog

Matt Kneece (2011) a 6′7″ Forward/Center from Shrewsbury put on an impressive display Thursday at the S.E.S. High School Boys Showcase, presented by Beantownhoops.com.  Kneece showed the ability to finish at the basket and was able to knock down shots from the arc as well.  I especially liked his toughness around the rim and his team play on the offensive end.  Look for Matt to be a key player for Shrewsbury, who finished last season as Beantownhoops.com’s #7 ranked team in Central Mass, and one of the top bigs in Central Mass next season.

Our first look at Brookline’s Stephen O’Neal (2012) was this May at the S.E.S. Showcase that we did the recruiting report for.  It was clear that the 6′1″ combo guard had plenty of game, but was going to need some time to polish his skills.  Well his time line has sped up as he had an impressive showing at our Showcase at the Cape.  Stephen has improved his ball handling skills and was relentless in attacking the basket against much taller defenders.  He will need to get stronger and he’ll be asked to contribute right away for an always talented Brookline squad.  But we expect to hear more good things from Stephen this upcoming season and we will be watching his progress closely.

One of the biggest reasons for having our Showcase at the Cape, besides enjoying the area, was to find players outside the City who might not get the attention that the Boston Area players do.  Well we definitely found one on the girls side in rising Soph Sidney Miller of Sandwich.  Sidney is a 5′7″ guard who plays a physical style on both the offense and defensive end.  She is at her best offensively when going to the basket and has the skills to be a lock down defender.  She will need to improve her jump shot from the arc and become a better on help side defense, but she has plenty of time to develop those skills.  Keep a close eye on Sidney the next few years as she projects to be a solid high school and college player.

An impressive showing by Maurice Taylor (2012) at our Showcase at the Cape last Saturday has colleges on alert.  Mo is an excellent college basketball prospect who has the athleticism, speed, and size to play at the DI level. He has good hands and was a consistent presence on the glass all day. Right now he stands at 6’4″ and looks to still have room to grow.  He has great physical tools and athleticism, and with some work this season on polishing his skills on the perimeter, he will blossom even more.   Keep a close eye on Mo as he will be one of the key cogs of a loaded Cambridge Rindge and Latin team this year.

Colin Richey continued his steady rise as one of the premier guards in the 2013 class last Saturday at our Showcase at the Cape.  The 6′2″ combo guard from Whitinsville Christian (Beantownhoops.com #3 ranked team last season) showed a variety of offensive skill and the ability to defend players of all sizes.  He still has room to grow and get quicker, but the skill set and basketball IQ are very high.  Already well known in CMass, Colin’s name is now making it’s way to the City.  Keep a close eye on Colin the next few seasons as he is sure to develop into one of the top guards in the State.

Our first player showcase brought some great talent down to the Cape last Saturday.  On the girls side, there were a lot of impressive performances, but none more than 2011 star point guard Amber Dillon of Brookline.  Amber showed why she is considered one of the top DI prospects in the state by using her quickness and unbelievable dribbling skills to get by defenders all day and then raining down jump shots with her picture perfect form.  It was also a coming out party for a couple of previously unknown prospects in 5′10″ 2012 Forward Riley Stefano of Plymouth North and 2013 guard Sidney Miller of Sandwich.  Both Riley and Sidney will be two players for college coaches to keep their eye on in the next couple of years.

The boys showcase was filled with some strong talent in all classes and Cambridge Rindge and Latin showed why they will be considered one of the top three teams in the state this season.  Andre Dottin (2011), Mo Taylor (2012), Ladon Adair (2012), and Jacquil Taylor (2013) are all Division I college talent and they showed it on Saturday.  It was also an impressive showing for players from Central Mass.  Shrewsbury F/C Matt Kneece (2011), combo guard Mac Roy (2012) from Sutton, and guard Colin Richey (2013) of Whitinsville Christian were outstanding and all of them will be making plenty of noise in CMass this season.  The best freshman at the showcase was definitely Andrew Kaufmann of the Rivers School.  A 6′5″ versatile forward, you will be hearing his name quite a bit in the next four years as a solid college prospect.

These players were not the only ones that stood out and we will be profiling different players on both the boys and girls side in the next few weeks on Beantownhoops.com.  Overall a successful event that we know will bring out the best talent in the state each year to the Cape.

2014 prospect Aaron Falzon of Newton North had a dominating tournament at the U16 European Championships.  Playing for Malta, Aaron averaged an amazing 19.6 ppg and 19.2 rpg during the five game tournament, made the all-tourney team and had a tournament high 32 points and 24 rebounds against Monaco.  Aaron is progressing more and more and looks to be a dominating figure in the Bay State League the next four years.

At 6′7″ and plenty of strength, 2012 prospect Dana Hines is looking for a breakout season in the DCL.  Dana has a soft touch on the perimeter for a big man and can step out to 15 ft. to hit the jumper, but he is definitely at his best around the basket.  He is able to use his size to fend off opponents and use his strong left hand to finish at the rim.  Playing with 2011 point guard prospect Brima Rogers will give Dana plenty of opportunities to get the ball in the post and it should add up as a strong inside/outside presence for C-C this season.  Keep a close eye on Dana as he continues to grow and improve his skills in 2010-11.

After a solid junior season for Lincoln-Sudbury, Mitch Perez (2011) is ready to make 2010-11 even better.  The 6′2″ combo guard has great touch from the perimeter and has the tools to become a defensive stopper for the Warriors.  Mitch had a good showing at the S.E.S. showcase in May and is looking to diversify his game this off-season.  Along with big man John Swords, L-S has a nice inside/outside duo to make them a contender in the DCL.  Mitch projects to play an off-guard at the next level and will be a good fit for a school looking for a perimeter scoring threat and a coachable player.

The Newton North Tigers have not been short of a talent the last few years and that trend is not going to end soon with the addition of Aaron Falzon (2014) this season.  Aaron will join his brother Tevin (2011) in the program, who is considered one of the top big men in the state.  Tevin, 6′7″,  has a unique blend of guard and post up skills and will be the focal point of the Tigers after the graduation of Greg Kelley.  Aaron, 6′6″, looks like a carbon copy of his brother combining a smooth perimeter jumper with post moves in the paint.  While Tevin looks to be a pre-season candidate for a spot on the All-Beantownhoops.com Team, it is not clear whether Aaron will be on the varsity his freshman year, giving the brothers the chance to play together.  One thing is for sure, the Falzon name will be heard of the next four years at the collegiate level (Tevin) and with Newton North (Aaron).