2024 CIAC Division I Quarterfinal Standouts

By David Cordova,

On Monday, we went north to look in on the CIAC Division I state quarterfinals, held at Fairfield-Warde High School in Fairfield, Connecticut. In addition to its very prestigious prep and boarding school basketball scene, Connecticut also has thriving and well-followed state association basketball running under the guise of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. High school teams vie for state championships in five levels of play. Division 1 is the top level and features the state’s strongest Catholic high school teams and its perennially strongest public school teams.

This year, two of the Division 1 quarter-finals featured games between St. Bernard Catholic High (Uncasville) versus Kolbe Cathedral High (Bridgeport) and East Catholic High (Manchester) versus Notre Dame-Fairfield High. Both games were close and competitive. But in the end, the St Bernard Saints the ND-Fairfield Lancers would advance on to Semi-finals game.

Below are the standouts for both games:

Najimi George 6-3, Small Forward, Kolbe Cathedral High School, Class of 2024 - A small forward that is very strong and athletic and will hold his own on the floor. Finds ways to help his team as an undersized post player who can also put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. Is able to step out and shoot on the perimeter.

Marquise Owens, 5-8, Point Guard, Kolbe Cathedral High School, Class of 2024 - A guard that is a true playmaker and looks to get his teammates involved in the game. Has a penchant for controlling the tempo of the game for his teammates. Is able to attack in transition and will drive to the basket and is a great finisher. Has a nice shooting stroke.

 

Zachary Giddens, 5-10, Shooting Guard, Kolbe Cathedral High School, Class of 2024 - A guard that has the ability to dominate in many ways with his scoring. Is able to fight off screens to anticipate passes in order to get to the basket. Is able to shoot from long range and is able to pull up from the free-throw line and hit crucial shots.

 

Amyre Gray, 6-0, Point Guard St. Bernard High School, Class of 2025 - A guard that has plenty of court vision and is good for making the right plays when the occasion presents itself. Is a great distributor on the floor and can attack in transition, and is a good finisher. Has a penchant for shooting from three-point range or from the perimeter.

Troy McKelvin, 6-6, Forward, St. Bernard High School, Class of 2027 - A forward that is long and agile and finds ways to be effective on the floor. Is able to drive to the basket and can finish efficiently. Is able to run the floor well and can crash the boards for rebounds. Has a nice shooting touch from three-point range.

Tyler Mangual 6-4, Forward, St. Bernard High School, Class of 2025 - A forward that is very skilled and has the ability to make clutch shots in crucial moments. Has a nice shooting touch from three-point range and is able to absorb contact whenever he is going to the basket for a layup. Will get to the free-throw line and will definitely help his team obtain points from the charity stripe.

Samson Reilly 6-2, Shooting Guard, East Catholic High School, Class of 2024 - Reilly is both the coach’s son and he hails from a long line of Connecticut basketball royalty. He has a penchant for scoring in many ways. Is a deadly shooter that will trust his shooting instincts, as he will bury the opposition from deep. Is also able to drive past the opposition and will look to get to the free-throw line by drawing fouls. Is always able to get open on the perimeter.

Brayden Jones 6-6, Forward, East Catholic High School, Class of 2026 - A forward that has great post moves and plenty of athletic ability. Has great hands and has the ability to obtain blocks and rebounds when in the low post. Is able to put the ball on the floor and also can muscle his way to the basket, as well as throw down dunks in the post.

Raymond Rodriguez 6-1, Point Guard, East Catholic High School, Class of 2024 - A guard that has the ability to make his presence felt on both ends of the court. Has a penchant for playing tough defense on the opposition and will force a player to turn over the ball. Has the ability to drive to the basket and is a good finisher. Has plenty of speed on the court and will use that to his advantage when it comes to the fast break.

Kamryn Salters 6-3, Small Forward, Notre Dame Fairfield High School, Class of 2025 - A small forward that is able to help his team out tremendously in multiple areas. Is a player that can crash the boards in order to get rebounds. Has a penchant for driving to the basket and is a solid finisher on the offensive end. Uses his physicality and strength to hold his own on both ends of the floor, whether it has to do with scoring or defense. Has a penchant for making passes that will aid in offensive opportunities for his teammates.

Josh Charlot 5-8, Point Guard, Notre Dame Fairfield High School, Class of 2027 - A guard that has plenty of heart and is able to make his presence felt when on the floor. is able to stick with the opposition when on the defensive end, as he is able to obtain steals or force turnovers. Uses his quickness efficiently and loves to get to the basket efficiently. Is a good distributor, as he is able to find his teammates when they are able to get free, so that he can give them opportunities to score.

Nate Charlot 6-1, Shooting Guard, Notre Dame Fairfield High School, Class of 2024 - A guard that is able to be an asset to his team during crucial moments on the floor. Has a penchant for making big plays on the court and is able to capitalize on scoring opportunities, as he is able to drive to the basket. Has the ability to make shots from three-point range.

Parrish Edmond Jr. 6-4, Forward, Notre Dame Fairfield High School, Class of 2025 - A forward that is able to make great plays on the court. When one part of his game isn’t working, he is able to make an impact in other ways, such as obtaining rebounds and helping his team on the defensive end. Is a player that puts his athleticism to good use and can make great plays on the offensive end, such as finishing at the rim.