by Kevin McCaskill Jr.
12/22/21 * 10:40 AM
(SPRINGFIELD) - Last week, the biggest event in Western MA was BASKETBULL HoopsFest. HoopsFest is a showcase of Prep school basketball talent,mainly from the Northeast. This year, teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada played in the showcase.
BASKETBULL is operated by Colin Tabb. Tabb is also the Men’s Basketball HC @ Western New England University.
DAY 4
On Day 4, Saturday 12/18, I watched the last three games of the night which featured two Western MA programs: Northfield Mount Hermon [National & Prep teams] and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.
Northfield Mount Hermon National played Lee Academy, from Maine. NMH National beat Lee 74-51.
(Dunk by Blair Thompson)
Wilbraham & Monson played Woodstock Academy, from Connecticut. W&MA won easily 83-53. Deven Austin and Sean Seymour both led the team with 11 points.
(Kyle Filipowski drains a 3 against Woodstock)
(Kyle Filipowsk)
(W&MA #15 Nikias Schoenerstedt)
Northfield Mount Hermon Prep played their first game of the week against ISA (OH).
NMH Prep won a tightly contested game 75-68.
The standouts in that game for NMH Prep were Asad Syed (2023, also on the National team) and Harrison Carrington (2022).
Syed is a very good PG. He is under control and makes accurate passes. He rarely made a bad pass in the two games I saw this weekend. He moves well without the ball also. He scored 10 points against ISA.
Carrington is an interesting prospect. He is a 6’7” wing player that can drive to the basket and hit the 3. He scored 11 points against ISA.
DAY 5
Sunday, 12/19, was the last day of HoopsFest. There were five games scheduled for Sunday.
In the first game of the day, The Lawrenceville School (NJ) rolled over St. Luke’s (CT) 66-36. TLS Guard Hampton Sanders scored a game-high 14 points.
St. George’s (RI) beat Winchendon (MA) 72-61. Jake Bender (St. George) had 21 points, hitting five 3s. Mike Myrie scored 20 points for Winchendon.
Lee Academy (Team 1) (ME) bounced back from the loss to NMH National on Saturday and got a win over ISA (OH). Lee won a close game 57-54. Demir Kandic scored a team-high 12 points for Lee. Kelvin Turner scored five 3s for ISA; he had 15 points.
The premiere Prep program from Franklin County closed out HoopsFest. Northfield MH National played Vanier College Prep (Canada); NMH Prep played Lee Academy (Team 2).
NMH National beat Vanier CP handily, 82-57. This was the best game Blair Thompson played of the weekend, even though he was great in every game. He can score from anywhere on the floor. He also plays the game with intensity, that doesn’t go over the line. He is having a memorable last season before he goes to Columbia.
In the last game of HoopsFest ‘21, NMH Prep played Lee Academy (Team 2). The first half was tightly contested. NMH Prep separated in the second half and cruised to an easy victory 83-61. NMH Prep 2023 Forward Will Franks hit seven 3s; he scored 23 points.
BASKETBULL produced another great event in Springfield, MA. Thank you to BASKETBULL and The South End Community Center.
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