2017 Herch Classic
By Derrick Irving @BC_Recruits
Recruit The Bronx was on hand to watch Day 1 of the 14th Annual Hersh Classic at Thomas Jefferson HS in Brooklyn, NY. The annual Pre-High School season tournament is run by Bud Pollard, Head Coach of Thomas Jefferson HS Orange Wave . The teams that participated are as follows:
Bedford Academy (Brooklyn A) Curtis High (Staten Island A) Eagle Academy (Bronx AA)
WHEELS (Manhattan AA) George Westinghouse (Brooklyn AA) Brooklyn Law & Tech (Brooklyn A)
KIPP NYC (Bronx A) Susan Wagner (Staten Island A) Benjamin Banneker (Brooklyn A)
Fannie Lou Hamer (Bronx B) MSIT (Staten Island A) Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn AA)
Here are our top prospects:
Wahad Johnson 2018 5’11 Point Guard Bedford - confident 3pt shooter not afraid to pull-up from 30 ft out, crafty scorer and finisher, creates good separation off the drive, good pull-up jumper. Needs to be more focused on defense and distribute the ball more. Won MVP of Game 1.
Gary Sykes 2018 6’6 Power Forward Bedford - big body can carve out space down low, good rebounder. Needs to work on his low post offense and increase his vertical.
Marcus Ryan 2018 6’1 Wing Bedford - non-stop motor on both ends, can hit the open three, pesky defender. Needs to be more under control on the court and work on his handle to be a two-guard.
Frankie Williams 2019 5’10 Point Guard Fannie Lou Hamer - keeps head up on the break, good handle and court vision, can shoot from 3. Needs to look for his shot more and finish better around the rim.
Charles Davis 2018 6’2 Wing Fannie Lou Hamer - athletic, can get up and throw it down, long arms, ok finisher thru contact. Needs to work on his jumpshot and gain muscle.
Anthony Rose 2020 6’3 Forward Fannie Lou Hamer - long arms, displays good effort on the boards, active defender. Needs to be a more consistent finisher inside and more aggressive on offense.
Larry Moreno 2018 5’11 Point Guard BK Law & Tech - can heat up from three in a hurry, confident lefty scorer, creates good separation off the dribble, quick release on his jumpshot. Needs to add muscle. Won MVP of Game 2. Committed to St. Francis College (Brooklyn).
David Grady 2018 6’5 Small Forward BK Law & Tech - can defend positions 1-3, displays good discipline and timing on the defensive end of the floor, explosive leaper, can be a point-forward at times, showed a little improvement in his outside shot. Needs to be a more consistent outside shooter and get a quicker handle.
Rodney Summers 2019 6’0 Guard KIPP - strong athletic body, attacks the basket strong defenders bounce off of him, not afraid of contact, decent court vision. Needs to work on his jumper and be a consistent finisher on the drive.
Nick Taylor 2018 5’11 Guard Wagner - quick hands on defense, can score in bunches, high IQ player, can create his own shot, good deceptive handle. Needs to distribute more. Won MVP of Game 3.
Blaron Lata 2020 5’9 Guard Wagner - attacks the basket strong, good awareness at his age, very active on both ends. Needs to gain muscle and work on getting a tighter handle.
Gabriel Holly 2021 5’6 Point Guard Benjamin Banneker - speedy guard, tough Brooklyn guard with good court vision, heart over height, not afraid to drive to basket and take contact. Needs to add muscle and height over the next 4 years, needs to work on his jumper.
Kevin Greene 2018 5’10 Point Guard WHEELS - quick and shifty lead guard, can blow past defenders off the dribble, can finish on the drive thru traffic, good passing skills, sneaky athleticism can get up and stuff it. Needs to focus more on defense, can get sloppy with the ball at times. Won MVP of Game 4.
Raheem Ragsdale 2018 6’4 Small Forward WHEELS - long and athletic, can defend positions 1-3, solid on and off ball defender, stays with play on both ends. Needs to work on his jumper and his handle to be more effective on offense, and gain muscle.
Ryan Pye 2019 5’9 Guard WHEELS - pesky perimeter defender, good handle, good pull-up jumper off the dribble, sneaky athleticism. Needs to be more consistent from three point range.
Jamahl Humbert 2018 6’4 Small Forward MSIT - explosive leaper, active defender, can finish thru contact, good passer. Needs to work on his jumpshot and be more aggressive driving to the basket.
Keysean Faulkner Smith 2018 6’9 Center MSIT - very long arms bothers a lot of shots, good form on his free throws, has some lift for his size, still very raw. Needs to add muscle and stamina to be effective at the next level.
Kalique Mitchell 2019 6’4 Guard MSIT - aggressive on the offensive end, can get the basket thru smaller guards, decent handle. Needs to work on his jumpshot.
Yarayah Evans 2018 6’5 Small Forward George Westinghouse - explosive dunker, hustles on both ends, regularly gets put back dunks, good defender. Needs to work his jumpshot and his handle.
Floyd Samuels 2018 6’0 Guard Eagle Academy - good court vision, decent 3pt shooter, positions himself well to take charges. Needs to get a tighter handle and be more aggressive on defense.
Jahmir Appleton 2018 6’6 Power Forward Eagle Academy - big body, can finish thru contact, decent interior defender, good rebounder, good passer. Needs to trim down more and increase vertical.
Malik Martin 2018 6’4 Wing Curtis HS - good handle, good pull up jumper, active on defense and very vocal on that side of the floor, athletic build, can create his own shot, makes good passes, can finish thru contact, High IQ player.
Muhammadu Diokhan 2018 6’2 Shooting Guard Curtis HS - corner 3pt sniper, crafty scorer, can get hot from 3, good on ball defense. Needs to be more aggressive on defense.
Stephen Moncriffe 2018 6’5 Power Forward Thomas Jefferson - strong body, carves out space in the paint, good rebounder, can finish thru contact inside. Needs to trim down a little more and work on his midrange game.
Jaquan Carlos 2021 5’11 Guard Thomas Jefferson - good handle, deceptive speed, has a nice pull-up jumper, decent defender. Needs to work on his 3pt shot.
Marcus Burnett 2020 6’5 Wing Thomas Jefferson - good size at his age, good triple threat moves, quick first step can get by defenders to the basket, decent 3pt shooter, good handle. Needs to be a more consistent outside shooter and gain muscle.
Michael Encarnacion Perez 2018 6’9 Center Thomas Jefferson - very long and lanky frame, can block shots, decent rebounder, shows some athleticism. Extremely skinny, needs to add muscle to be effective on the next level.