The National Prep Showcase, widely considered to be the nation’s premier prep school event of the regular season, returns to New Haven, Connecticut and Albertus Magnus College this weekend.
The field features top prep programs from around the country, all of whom are beginning their journey to contend for the 2020 national prep championship.
The event is always a major attraction for college recruiters and NBA scouts alike. In fact, 20 NBA teams have already requested credentials for this weekend’s event.
Yurview will be streaming six select games live from the National Prep Showcase over the weekend.
Here’s a preview of those match-ups:
Friday, 1:30pm – Putnam Science Academy (CT) vs. The Skill Factory (GA)
TSF National will be making their first appearance in the National Prep Showcase after being one of the nation’s fastest rising prep programs in recent seasons.
7-foot-2 big man Kai Sotto is extremely talented and already on the NBA radar. Fellow 7-footer Jordan Wilmore is committed to Missouri while the perimeter attack is led by the likes of Christian Wright, Koby Jeffries, Markeith Browning, and Zakhar Vedishchev.
They’ll have their hands full in their first match-up though as they face a Putnam squad that is annually one of the nation’s best. Texas A&M bound guard Hassan Diarra is one of the toughest and most aggressive attacking guards in the country. The Mustangs also boast one of the most improved players in New England in NJIT bound wing Mekhi Gray.
Elijah Everett and Jaylen Murray form a potent one-two punch in the class of 2021 while there is a long list of uncommitted division I prospects in 2020 includes Terrell Ard, Josh Gray, Vlad Goldin, Marty Silvera, Julian Dozier, and Johnnie Williams among others.
Feels unreal to officially be an AGGIE ‼️‼️‼️#Gigem
— Hassan Diarra (@hassan_diarra11) November 13, 2019
Friday, 4:45pm – Brewster Academy (NH) vs. Mt. Zion Prep (MD)
Brewster Academy may have won their latest National Prep Championship a year ago, but they’ll have retribution on their minds in this one as this is rematch of a game won by Mt. Zion at this very event a year ago.
Syracuse bound forward Woody Newton is back to lead the way for Mount Zion as part of a loaded frontline that also features a pair of unsigned prospects in 6-foot-9 forward David N’Guessen and 6-foot-10 center Jo Smith. Otis Frazier III is another unsigned key contributor for Mount Zion as the explosive big wing is beginning to attract increasing high-major interest.
Brewster returns Kentucky bound Terrence Clarke and Minnesota bound guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. but has added a handful of other nationally ranked prospects as well including Matt Cross (Miami), Kadary Richmond (Syracuse), DeMarr Langford Jr. (Boston College), and Marcus Dockery (Maryland). UMass bound guard Javohn Garcia is another player to keep an eye out for on the Bobcats.
Friday, 6:15pm – Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) vs. Link Year Prep (MO)
This will be a clash of two extremely well-coached programs. NMH already has a pair of Ivy commits in Sam Silverstein (Harvard) and Zach Taylor (Brown) while Luca Lukacevic, Moses Ngodock, Ben Callahan-Gold, and Darius Ervin are other remaining division I prospects in the class of 2020. Junior forwards Jack Molloy and Gus Larson are two long-term prospects with tremendous talent.
Link Year is led by a pair of UNC Greensboro commits in Jarrett Hensley and A.J. McGinnis. Hensley is a highly talented late-blooming forward and an absolute steal at the mid-major level while McGinnis is a shot-maker with a high-ceiling of his own. Boise State bound Kesean Pryor could be another potential mid-major steal with guard skills at 6-foot-9.
Link Year also features Connecticut native Trey Hall, who will be making his homecoming after heading to Missouri for his post-graduate year.
I have committed to Boise State University! pic.twitter.com/92nbYNkFuy
— Kasean Pryor (@KaseanP) September 23, 2019
Sunday, 12:00pm – IMG Academy (FL) vs. Vermont Academy (VT)
IMG Academy features future Providence College guard Alyn Breed along with UNLV pledge and top 100 national prospect Nick Blake. Mikeal Brown-Jones, who is committed to VCU, won a Geico National championship last year with IMG’s high school team and has similar aspirations on the prep level this year.
Kenyon Martin Jr., the son and namesake of the former New Jersey Nets forward, is currently planning to pursue professional opportunities next season but would be one of the best available prospects left in the country if he were to reconsider college. 6-foot-7 jumbo wing Darius Miles remains uncommitted in the class of 2020 as does Noah Hutchins, an explosive combo-guard from upstate New York.
Vermont Academy is entering their first season in the NEPSAC AAA ranks. They feature a pair of D1 signees in Jake Cook (Long Island) and C.J. Jones (Boston University) but have division I prospects in all four classes. Bijon Sidju and Raphe Ayres remain unsigned in 2020 while the juniortrio of Nana Owusu, Josh Bascoe, and Tyler Andrew all have early division I suitors. Sophomores Chisom Okpara and Keyonte Beals are two highly talented youngsters to keep an eye on.
Sunday 1:30pm – Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) vs. Cushing Academy (MA)
Sunrise Christian Academy makes the trip from Kansas with one of the deepest rosters in all of prep school basketball.
6-foot-10 big man Blaise Keita is back from last year’s team and an absolute force in the middle. He’s surrounded by a deep and versatile supporting cast. Jeremiah Oden is an athletic and skilled 6-foot-8 forward who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. Micah Thomas and Tyrin Lawrence form a devastating tandem in the backcourt while Collin Moore and Mykell Robinson are an equally potent one-two punch on the wing.
They’ll face-off against a Cushing Academy squad that has been one of the top teams in NEPSAC AA for the last three years. Junior point Bensley Joseph runs the show and is surrounded by a pair of Ivy League pledges in Malachi Ndur (Brown) and Isaiah Gray (Cornell) along with unsigned 2020 prospects Toby Okani, Dan Braster, and Coby Gold. Alexis Reyes is another junior with substantial early recruitment.
COMMITTED 🐻❤️ pic.twitter.com/y1GZklnRs5
— Malachi Ndur (@therealmalachiN) October 2, 2019
Sunday, 3:00pm – New Hampton School (NH) vs. Blair Academy
Two young but highly talented squads will match-up in the last of six televised games on the weekend.
Blair is led by Virginia signee Jabri Abdur-Rahim, a consensus top 50 ranked prospect in the country. That isn’t the only major talent on Blair’s roster though.
The junior tandem of Jaylen Blakes and Akoldah Gak both already hold numerous high-major suitors while there’s a similar tandem in the sophomore class with Avon Old Farms transfer Kyle Cuffe and seven-footer Lual Laul Manyang. Luke Kolaja, who will be playing his college basketball less than five miles away at Yale, is also an import player for Blair.
First year head coach Andrew Gale has a pair of dynamic sophomores to build around at New Hampton in Kyle Hicks and Alex Karaban. Unsigned 2020 prospects Jahmyl Telfort and Canberk Kavsuk are key pieces up front while Fairfield native Matt Becker will look to deliver a big performance in his homecoming.
100% committed #gohoos ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/REkuYPdudk
— Jabri (@jabri404) July 10, 2019
CATCH SIX GAMES STREAMING LIVE ON YURVIEW.COM
Schedule for Friday, November 22:
1:30 pm ET – TSF National (GA) vs. Putnam Science Academy (CT) 4:45 pm ET – Mt Zion Prep (MD) vs. Brewster Academy (NH) 6:15 pm ET – Link Year Prep (MD) vs. Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)
Schedule for Sunday, November 24:
12:00 pm ET – Vermont Academy(VT) vs. IMG Academy(FL) 1:30 pm ET – Cushing Academy(MA) vs. Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) 3:00 pm ET – Blair Academy(NJ) vs. New Hampton School(NH)
