2024 Junior Elite 75 Recaps pt. 5

Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Junior Elite 75 returned this past Friday March 22nd in Foxborough Massachusetts, as 5th-8th graders took the court to put their skills on display. The gym was loaded with future talent in the New England region that we were thrilled to welcome to our Elite 75 showcase series.
 

As we wrap up the recaps, we truly thank all of the prospects, families and schools who made the trip over to Mass Premier last week for our first Junior Elite 75 in many years! Stay tuned for future events for the middle school group!

2028 & 2029 Standouts

Benjamin Heyward plays a balanced game, demonstrating a solid handle and a variety of moves to create scoring opportunities, particularly excelling as a strong finisher around the basket. He can also score from outside and makes high IQ, winning plays. 

Trae Ford plays with a tight handle and utilizes his length effectively on both ends of the court. With a keen sense of anticipation and defensive positioning, he contributed to his showcase team by disrupting opposing offenses and making timely steals.

Armani Demello utilizes his strong, smaller frame to make a significant impact on defense, showcasing tenacity and physicality on the court.

Billy Kinney, standing at 6'4" in seventh grade, utilizes his lengthy wingspan to impact the game defensively and competes effectively around the basket, showing promising a future in his overall game.

Ryan Frigiani stood out as a versatile shooter that gets into his shots quick and knocks them down. He gets downhill quick, can finish around the basket with both hands, and plays with a very high motor.

Ayden Medeiros is a quick and twitchy guard that competes on both ends of the court, utilizing his speed and defensive intensity to make an impact. Medeiros uses his speed and handles to navigate around the defense.

Logan Sullivan stands out as an aggressive defender, who is very good at making steals and finishing strong on drives, while also showcasing shooting versatility and movement off the ball.

Jeremy Green has shifty ball-handling abilities, utilizing his craftiness to carve up defenses and secure rebounds with tenacity and determination. Green can self-create and generate space from his man using his handles and quick release.

Anthony Manley, despite his shorter stature, showcases impressive dribbling skills and scoring ability as a shooter, while also displaying some passing chops and decision-making on the court.

Brandon Doherty excels as a solid point guard, utilizing his defensive positioning and distributing skills to facilitate plays and keep the offense flowing. He also contributes with his reliable shooting touch from downtown.

Makaid Pabon contributes as a solid shooter who effectively spaces the floor and has a solid understanding of the game, playing a pivotal role in keeping the offense buzzing and putting up points.

Sahib Singh utilizes his handles and body to fend off defenders, demonstrating finesse around the basket and has a good feel for making the right passes to cutting teammates.

2030 & 2031 Players to Know

Johnny Putignano exhibits craftiness with the ball, utilizing his handles and shiftiness to create opportunities off the dribble, distribute effectively to cutting teammates, and relentlessly finish around the rim. Putignano has a budding game in the class of 2031. 

Jordan Paliling exudes confidence as a three-point shooter and overall player, with quick feet on defense to stay with his man.

Myles Olmstead showcases exceptional speed, excelling as a driver and demonstrating toughness as a consistent finisher at the rim. 

Nate Pantera displays unselfishness as a passer, minimizes turnovers, and poses a threat with his shooting ability.

Erick Diaz-Casiano Jr is a reliable three-point shooter who also makes an impact on defense by altering and blocking shots using his advanced size at 5’8” in the class of 2030.