MA Players to Look Out For
There have been many freshmen and sophomores who have found a niche on their respective teams. As the year has progressed, these underclassmen have become more confident and have shown a ton of potential over the last month. As we…
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Continue ReadingThere have been many freshmen and sophomores who have found a niche on their respective teams. As the year has progressed, these underclassmen have become more confident and have shown a ton of potential over the last month. As we get close to the end of the 2021 high school season, let’s look at a few players who we should keep an eye out for in the spring and summer.
Ryan Luccarelli – Norwell High – 5’10” – SG – 2024
Luccarelli put on a show against Abington recently with a 26-point outing. A performance that included 6 three-pointers, and he was shooting with so much confidence. When you hear that someone lights up the scoreboard with 6 threes, it is assumed that the player is your typical catch-and-shoot sniper. The 5’10” freshman is the exact opposite. He is more of a slasher who butters his bread by strong drives to the hoop. He makes a habit of trying to initiate contact to get his rhythm at the free-throw line, and once established, Luccarelli will step out to the three-point line. He can catch fire quickly on offense and has the potential to be a consistent 20-point scorer. Following up his 26-point masterpiece with an 18-point encore vs. Carver, it is safe to say the Norwell 2 guard feels comfortable and confident scoring the basketball. A player looking to develop his perimeter game even more in the off-season, Luccarelli will be an athlete who should be exciting to watch going forward.
Gargey Suryadevara – Westborough High – 6’7” – PF/C – 2024
The 6’7” big man from Westborough skillset is old school where he has mastered the hook shot in the post. Suryadevara is the classic back-to-the-basket big man who has tremendous touch inside and can dominate the opponent on the block with right and left-handed hook shots. The freshman center is not a black hole when receiving the ball down low and reads double teams well. Always knowing where the help defense is coming from, Suryadevara can locate the open shooter spotting up. Therefore, he becomes a great quarterback for your offense because you can run plays through him and trust that he will make the right decision to create scoring opportunities for his team. His ability to step out and hit mid-range jump shots consistently makes him difficult to defend, not to mention he is a money free throw shooter as well. Capable of hitting threes, Suryadevara is making the conscious effort to become lethal from beyond the arc so he can dominate defenses on all three levels. When you take into account his athleticism and energy on defense, he has the potential to be a terrific all-around player.
CJ Happy – Wachusett Regional High – 6’8” – C – 2023
Happy grew 4 inches from his freshman to sophomore year, and he has used his size and strength to overpower the opposition. An athlete who put a lot of time into the off-season to develop his game showed no fear in his first career varsity start posting a near double-double of 9 points and 13 rebounds. Adding 6 assists and 3 blocks, Happy gave a taste of what he can do on a nightly basis. He is too strong and athletic inside, so it is almost automatic when he backs defenders down in the post. If teams try to front him on the block, he catches the entry pass, keeps the ball high, and displays the body control and concentration to still score even with the weak side defense shifting over. What is frightening for opposing teams is that his face-up game is developing and looks more confident by the game. Happy can put the ball on the deck and drive to the hoop. Using brute force, he can move any defender in his way by driving his shoulders into their chest before finishing with the softest touch. He also makes for an excellent option on the high post because he can face up and see over the defense to scan the floor to make a play. A willing passer, Happy is a big you can run your offense through in the high or low post, and he helps make Wachusett’s offense fluid and efficient. With his perimeter game developing, it will be exciting to watch the 6’8” sophomore as Wachusett continues their shortened season.