Zero Gravity Coaches vs Cancer Brings Some New Talent to Mass
At the Zero Gravity Coaches vs Cancer Southern New England this past weekend I had the pleasure of watching 3 players from Providence, RI that will definitely have me crossing state lines to see more of their games.…
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Continue ReadingAt the Zero Gravity Coaches vs Cancer Southern New England this past weekend I had the pleasure of watching 3 players from Providence, RI that will definitely have me crossing state lines to see more of their games. The 401 Phoenix 9th grade AAU team are a well coached and exciting group of players to see play. John Helaire, Josiah Washington and Nathan Borden lead the way for this club. Not to be outdone, Massachusetts continues to prove to be an area of the country that is consistently producing impressive basketball talent. That being said, Winston Legentus is a must see whenever you have the chance.
John Helaire -PG -Tolman High -Providence, RI -Class of 2025
The true definition of a floor general, John’s court vision and laser passes will make you believe he has eyes in the back of his head. The confidence and ability of this 5’9” point guard to handle the basketball can be seen in transition or in the half court set exposing defenders with a great drive and dish talent that fills not only his stat sheet with assists but the stat sheets of his teammates with points. A quick first step opens the lane for finishes at the rim. John’s tough defense, smooth lefty jumper and high basketball IQ round out his must see game.
Josiah Washington -SF/PF -Tolman High -Providence, RI -Class of 2025
Standing at 6’0” Josiah looks to be built more like a linebacker that small forward. By looking at him you would expect the strong defense and rebounding ability. His footwork on both ends of the floor put him in position to wipe the glass clean. It’s his quick hands and ability to consistently knock down jump shots that will leave you surprised. Almost a throwback type of player he brings back the lost art of the mid range jumper pulling up off the dribble whether there is a defender in his face or not. A quick high release has the ball finding its way home through the rim. As this player grows and gets stronger one can only think that the sky is the limit. He already possesses a college build that coaches look for making him a rare commodity at his age.
Nathan Borden -SG -Davies High -Providence, RI -Class of 2025
Ask any coach and they will tell you that you cannot teach player heart, they either have it or they don’t. Nathan’s heart will never be in question, it’s clearly evident through his never wavering hustle and high motor. This wiry shooter confidently knocks down threes while defenders are draped all over him. If a defender closes out wildly Nathan simply puts the ball on the floor, goes right around him and finishes strongly at the hoop. His game doesn’t stop once he scores. Rather than just jog back on defense, he immediately picks up his man and creates turnovers in the front court. I can only compare him to a walking and talking 6-0 run that opposing coaches will need all of their timeouts to stop.
Winston Legentus -PG/SG -Bridgewater-Raynham High -Holbrook, MA -Class of 2025
Winston may be one of the best scoring guards on the South Shore of Massachusetts. The only fact that makes that statement even bolder is that he is only a freshman in high school. He garnered consistent minutes on the Varsity team at Bridgewater-Raynham this past high school season. I can say this, he deserves every minute he gets and should probably garner more playing time. He plays off the ball slashing and finding openings just as well as with the ball carving up defenses with lighting fast crossover and ball handling ability that will have you believing the ball is connected to his hand somehow. His jump shot is deadly from mid range to NBA three point range. He is an average defender but his ability to score makes him invaluable to any team. I am excited to see him play this upcoming season but my sources tell me that he is headed to the prep school ranks. I will be closely watching where he laces them up this season and so should you.