ESPN

The Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) will host the 2013 Prep School Classic this coming Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 19 and 20, at the Kroc Center in Dorchester.

The event will consist of seven games featuring fourteen top area prep school programs. Each game will showcase future college stars and commits, all competing in the heart of the Boston community.

“BABC is excited to once again host the Prep Classic,” said Jay Demings, BABC’s Director of Operations, in a press release. “We feel we have compiled the best regional prep school teams and believe that the advanced level of play will make for another memorable event.”

This is the 4th annual Prep Classic hosted by the BABC and the event marks the second time it will be held in the City of Boston.

The up-to-date game schedule is as follows:

Saturday, January 19
2 p.m. - Vermont Academy vs. Redemption Christian Academy (N.Y.)
3:20 p.m. - St. Andrew’s (R.I.) vs. Tilton (N.H.)
4:40 p.m. - New Hampton (N.H.) vs. Notre Dame Prep
6:00 p.m. - Beaver Country Day vs. Worcester Academy

Sunday, January 20
2 p.m. - Kimball Union (N.H.) vs. Marianapolis Prep (Conn.)
3:20 p.m. - Brimmer & May vs. Northfield Mt. Hermon
4:40 p.m. - Rivers vs. Pingree

As an addition to the event, BABC will also host two make-up games from the weather-delayed BABC Holiday High School Classic. On Monday, January 21, Brighton will face University (Conn.) at noon followed by Capital Prep (Conn.) against Cambridge 2 p.m. Both games this day will take place at New Mission High School, 655 Metropolitan Ave., in Hyde Park.

The 2012 BasketBull Hoops Fest tips off Thursday at noon with two days of prep school basketball, followed by an additional two days of Catholic school matchups.

All games will be played at Holyoke Community College. For more information on the tournament, CLICK HERE.

BasketBull Director Colin Tabb passes along the full schedule, as well as players to watch over the four-day event:

Thursday, Dec. 20
Noon - Cheshire Academy (Conn.) vs. Worcester Academy
1:45 p.m. - Williston-Northampton vs. Masters School (Conn.)
3:30 p.m. - Jean de Brebeuf (Canada) vs. Wilbraham & Monson
5:15 p.m. - Suffield Academy (Conn.) vs. Northfield-Mt. Hermon
7 p.m. - ALMA Academy (Canada) vs. Cheshire ACademy (Conn.)

Friday, Dec. 21
Noon - St. Thomas More (Conn.) vs. Wilbraham & Monson
1:45 p.m. - Jean de Brebeuf (Canada) vs. Williston-Northampton
3:30 p.m. - Masters School (Conn.) vs. Cheshire Academy (Conn.)
5:15 p.m. - Northfield-Mt. Hermon vs. ALMA Academy (Canada)
7 p.m. - East Longmeadow vs. West Springfield

Saturday, Dec. 22
2 p.m. - Holy Cross (N.Y.) vs. St. Joseph Central
3:45 p.m. - Bishop Hendricken (R.I.) vs. St. Theresa's (Canada)
5:30 p.m. - Holy Name vs. Springfield Cathedral
7:15 p.m. - Bishop Kearney (N.Y.) vs. St. Peter's Prep (N.J.)

Sunday, Dec. 23
Noon - Jean de Brebeuf (Canada) vs. Holy Cross (N.Y.)
1:45 p.m. - St. Theresa's (Canada) vs. Springfield Cathedral
3:30 p.m. - St. Raphael (R.I.) vs. Catholic Memorial

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rene Castro – Worcester Academy - 2013 – Butler
Peter Miller – Northfield Mt Hermon - 2013 – Princeton
Anthony Dallier – Northfield Mt. Hermon - 2013 – Yale
Zena Edosomwan – Northfield Mt. Hermon – 2013 - Harvard
Denzel Gregg – St. Thomas More – 2013 – Fordham
Dylan Haines – St. Thomas More – 2013 – undecided
Marquis Moore – St. Thomas Moore – 2013 – undecided
Chinonso Obokoh – Bishop Kearney – 2013 - Syracuse
Trevis Wyche – Saint Peter’s Prep – 2013 – St. Peter’s
Charles Correa – St. Raphael’s – 2013 – undecided
Tarik Smith – Cheshire Academy – 2013 – undecided
Eric Suder – Cheshire Academy – 2013 – undecided
Tank Roberson – St. Joseph Central – 2013 – undecided
Kamali Bey – Wilbraham and Monson – 2013 – undecided
Thomas Rivard – Worcester Academy – James Madison
Skylar White – Northfield Mt Hermon – 2013 – undecided
Donte Gittens – Masters School – 2013 – undecided
Austin Carter – Masters School – 2013 – undecided
Kendall Jackson – Suffield Academy – 2013 – undecided
Max Risch – Williston – 2013 – undecided
Goodluck Okonoboh – Wilbraham and Monson – 2014 – Undecided
Kerem Kanter – Wilbraham and Monson – 2014 – undecided
Matt Cimino – Worcester Academy – 2014 - undecided
Cane Broome – St. Thomas More – 2014 – undecided
Sem Kroon – Northfield Mt. Hermon – 2014 – undecided
Gerard Adams – Catholic Memorial – 2014 – undecided
Godspower Ogide – Bishop Kearney – 2014 – undecided
Thomas Bryant – Bishop Kearney – 2015 – undecided
Josh Sharma – Northfield Mt. Hermon – 2015 – undecided
DJ Baptiste – Wilbraham and Monson – 2015 – undecided
Luis Montero – Wilbraham and Monson – 2015 - undecided
David Watkins – Catholic Memorial – 2015 – undecided
Darrick Boyd – Springfield Cathedral – 2015
Mustapha Heron – Wilbraham and Monson – 2016
Tyonne Malone – Williston - 2016

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Many of the top postgraduate basketball programs in the country were at Albertus Magnus College this weekend for the annual National Prep Showcase. Sunday’s schedule brought some of the of the tournament’s best matchups, featuring games that included NEPSAC powers Brewster Academy (N.H.), New Hampton School (N.H.), Lee Academy (Maine), Northfield-Mt. Hermon, Tilton School (N.H.), and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

In total, over 130 Division 1 basketball coaches attended National Prep Showcase to watch some of the top high school hoopers in the nation.

There were no players of higher profile than 6-foot-8 senior forward Noah Vonleh, who helped lead his New Hampton squad to an 82-66 victory over Lee Academy. Vonleh was a dominant presence on the glass and efficient scorer in the post, but he also had plenty of freedom to perform given the great play of his supporting cast: point guard Travis Jorgenson, and guards Anthony Pate, Lincoln Davis, and Mike LeBlanc.

Jorgenson, a senior point guard from Kansas City who decommitted from Missouri earlier this fall, may have been the most consistent player on the floor for New Hampton. He hit several long outside shots and on many occasions fed New Hampton’s slashers and bigs with beautiful feeds that ended in dunks or layups.

“Travis makes us go, he completely controls the tempo,” Huskies head coach Pete Hutchins said, “When he makes a mistake, you’re shocked. He has everyone’s confidence, especially in his ability to go out and lead our team.”

Pate and Leblanc both stepped up with pressure defense, and also came up in the clutch with two three-pointers each in the second half. Davis, a strong guard who got to the rim at will throughout the game, constantly kept the defense in check.

“We just want to focus on taking great shots, and playing a game the way that we practice,” Hutchins said. "If we do that...and play with a level of toughness, I always think we should feel really good about what we should be able to accomplish.”

Vonleh, the No. 8 player in ESPN’s 2013 rankings, recently ended his highly-contested recruitment by committing to Indiana on Nov. 10.

“I don’t know how much it impacts his performance on the court. I think in every other aspect of his life, like for him and his mom, I’m sure [committing] makes things a lot easier,” Hutchins said.

Sharpshooters, Stand Up: Northfield Mount-Hermon senior Sam Donahue knocked down six threes on Northfield’s way to a 17-point win over La Jolla Prep (Calif.). Widely considered as one of the best shooters in New England, Donahue attracted constant attention on the perimeter from La Jolla’s defense, opening things up for scorers Skyler White and Josh Hearlihy.

Rhode Island native Lee Messier had six 3-pointers of his own in a losing effort for Tilton in their closely contested matchup Kiski. The Rams were down by as much as 22 points midway through the second half, but thanks in part to Messier’s four second-half threes, Tilton was able to make the game much more competitive.

Clean Sweep For Kiski: Brewster and Tilton have been NEPSAC royalty the past few years, but apparently nobody mentioned that to the squad at Kiski School (Pa.). Kiski knocked off Brewster 79-77 on Saturday night, behind 29 points from senior Rashad Richardson.

Kiski came with the same type of effort defensively on Sunday afternoon, beating Tilton 94-86 despite a furious second half run by the Rams, who were led by Kansas signee Wayne Selden (33 points) and Messier.

WMA young, but talented: Wilbraham & Monson’s 6-foot-4 freshman Mustapha Heron has already established himself as one of New England’s most promising hoops talents, as has 6-foot-7 sophomore guard Luis Montero. Heron was WMA’s leading scorer in its showdown with New Jersey’s Blair Academy on Sunday afternoon, scoring inside and out, showing a presence on the defensive glass, and nailing two shots from behind the arc.

Montero, considered one of the top college prospects in New England, moves exceptionally well for a 6-foot-7 player with such length. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he will be one of their best players this season as he becomes better acquainted with the players and style of play at Wilbraham.

Brewster Reloads: Syracuse-pledge Chris McCullough is the highest profile player in the lineup for the talented Bobcats, but he isn’t the only highly-touted division 1 prospect that will be featured. Brewster has great size up front with McCullough, NC State commit Kyle Washington, and West Virginia commit Elijah Macon, as well as guards Ron Patterson (Syracuse), Jared Terrell, and Kevin Zabo.

Northfield-Mt. Hermon senior center Peter Miller has verbally committed to Princeton University for the 2013-14 season, his coach with the Middlesex Magic AAU club, Mike Crotty Jr., told ESPNBoston.com.

"I am thrilled for Peter to be attending one of the world's most prestigious universities, and I believe that he has an outstanding opportunity to make an impact on their basketball program immediately," Crotty said in a statement.

The 6-foot-10 Miller is a Winchester resident, and played two seasons at Winchester High before transferring to NMH and reclassifying to the 2013 class over the summer of 2010. Last March, he was part of a Hoggers squad that downed a favored Brewster Academy (N.H.) juggernaut to win the NEPSAC Class AAA championship.

Crotty offered more thoughts on Miller and his commitment in an email statement:

Peter has played in our program since he was 12 years old. I have coached him for years, and was able to coach him with my father, Mike Sr., before he passed. Peter has blossomed into a tremendously skilled 6-foot-10 big man, who possesses great touch around the basket and shooting the ball from the perimeter. Over the past two years he played with Middlesex Magic standouts like Pat Connaughton, Pat Ackerman, Joey Glynn, Connor Mahoney, Bryan Hurley, and he has gained a lot of toughness as a rebounder and a defender. This season, his last in a Magic uniform, was an amazingly successful one as he captained and anchored a team that won the Division 1 Massachusetts State Championship as well as the Basketbull Hall of Fame National Invitational Championship. Peter averaged 13 [points], 15 [rebounds], and 4 [blocks].

Future Northfield-Mt. Hermon forward Zena Edosomwan was among the most impressive players this week at National Basketball Players Association's Top 100 Camp in Charlotte, N.C.

This past March, following his senior season at Harvard-Westlake High (Studio City, Calif.), the 6-foot-8 Edosomwan committed to Harvard over scholarship offers from UCLA and USC. He will first do a post-graduate season for coach John Carroll at Northfield-Mt. Hermon before enrolling at Harvard in the fall of 2013.

Today on Basketball Recruiting Nation, analyst Reggie Rankin has high praise for the big man.

To read Reggie's full take, CLICK HERE (Insider only). Below is an excerpt:

Edosomwan is a very strong post player who runs the floor well and attacks the basket with great force. The Harvard commit is a great area rebounder and any guard that attempts to knock the ball out of his hands risks dislocating a shoulder. He finishes drop-off passes above the rim with power and drop steps through contact like a hot knife through butter. Edosomwan also displays a nice soft touch and body control around the rim, sets rock solid screens and plays with great energy and effort on both ends. Edosomwan will need to continue to hone his skills and develop his post moves, but his upside is scary.

"My strength is my aggressiveness. I can always control my effort. I need to continue to work on my versatility and conditioning," he said.

Edosomwan doesn't complain about touches but makes the most of the ones he gets. The big fella knows what he is and excels at it. He will be a force from the second he starts to compete in the Ivy League, not to mention the elite education he will receive. I think the future is extremely bright for Edosomwan on and off the court.

ESPN's Adam Finkelstein recaps the top performances from the NEPSAC Boys Basketball Tournament's Class A, AA, and AAA Finals, last weekend at Endicott College.

You can view the entire entry here on ESPN's Basketball Recruiting Section. Here's the highlights:

Standout prospects
Nik Stauskas (Mississauga, Ontario/St. Mark’s)
2012, SF, 6-6, 205
College: Michigan
Stauskas finished with 19 points but his impact on the game far exceeded that total, as he not only scored the ball in different ways but also facilitated for others in both pick and roll as well as drive-and-kick action. While the complete versatility of Stauskas’ offensive repertoire was on full display, the most impressive part of his performance was that innate star quality that allowed him to make big play after big play at the most pivotal moments of the game.

Nerlens Noel (Everett, Mass./Tilton)
2012, C, 6-10, 215
Noel’s biggest contributions once again came on the defensive end, where he not only anchored the team with his shot-blocking presence but also showed his ability to defend a dominant low-post player as he utilized his quickness and agility to prevent Kaleb Tarczewski (Claremont, N.H./St. Mark’s) from being able to establish any type of seals on the low post. Offensively, his 10 points included one incredible alley-oop finish which he caught literally above the box, in addition to a number of high-level passes.

Chris McCullough (New York, N.Y./Salisbury)
2014, PF, 6-9, 210
McCullough scored a game-high 26 points in the class A final, continuing to show his potentially lethal combination of length, athleticism and skill. McCullough brought good energy throughout the game, running the floor and being active on the offensive glass, while continuing to show a consistently expanding offensive repertoire. He was a consistent threat at the 3-point line, turned the corner in big-to-big ball screen action, and then iced the game with great poise at the free throw line.

Surprise performer
Spike Albrecht (Crown Point, Ind./Northfield Mount Hermon)
2012, PG, 6-1, 180
Albrecht showed great resiliency and endurance, playing all 40 minutes of an incredibly hard fought AAA final and serving as the team’s primary ballhandler from start to finish. He was at his best down the stretch, knocking down a deep 3-pointer and two clutch free throws in the game’s final 30 seconds. Albrecht is a cerebral point guard who is super crafty inside and is especially adept at keeping his dribble.

Keep an eye on
Rodney Sanders (Linden, N.J./St. Thomas More)
2012, SG, 6-4, 185
Sanders' Division I stock has consistently grown over the last couple of months and it got another boost on Sunday. The big southpaw guard showed an ability to make shots in bunches from behind the 3-point line, which provides only added value for a utility guard who can impact the game by defending multiple perimeter positions, playing with a very high motor and showing general versatility on the offensive end.

BEVERLY, Mass. --- After sinking five clutch overtime free throws in Friday’s semi-final win over No. 1 seed Brewster Academy, it was only fitting that Northfield-Mt. Hermon point guard Spike Albrecht be on the line when it mattered most in Sunday’s Class AAA Championship game at Endicott College.

After a back-and-forth battle that saw both teams exchange leads in the second half Albrecht put the finishing touches on a tournament MVP run as he calmly sank both free throws with 2.9 seconds on the clock to help lift NMH (29-5) to a 74-70 victory over St. Thomas More (Conn.). The win earned NMH their first NEPSAC Class AAA Championship.

“As soon as I missed the first one my teammates all said to get it back to him and he will make them,” said Albrecht, a native of Crown Point, Ind. “I was fortunate enough to get that second chance and make both of them.”

NMH led by as many as seven points, 67-60, with 4:23 remaining in the second half but the Chancellors would not give in as guards Torin Childs-Harris and Barrington Stevens both sank late 3-pointers to help cut the NMH lead to one possession with under a minute to go.

After an NMH turnover under their own basket Stevens had a chance to tie it with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game but his shot rimmed out resulting in a forced foul and Albrecht’s made free throws that sealed the victory for the Hoggers.

“They went on a nice second half run that was similar to Brewster the other night,” said Albrecht. “We needed to make plays, fight through, battle and we did.”

NMH received strong first half efforts from post players Ethan O'Day (eight points, six rebounds in first half) and Evan Cummins (nine points, four rebounds in first half) as they took a narrow 36-35 lead to the half.

Guard Rodney Sanders was the main weapon for St. Thomas More on the evening, as he scored 14 of his team-high 23 points in the first half with four made 3-pointers on the evening.

With O’Day in early second half foul trouble and Cummins contained to one second half point NMH relied on their guard play to carry the bulk of the offensive work load. After being held scoreless in the first half NMH guard Sam Donahue hit three late second half 3-pointers and fellow guard Anthony Dallier (9 points) also provided strong defense and rebounding from the guard position.

Stevens scored 16 points for St. Thomas More and Denzel Gregg also added eight points and four rebounds for the runners-up.

“This is a record breaking team in many ways,” said Carroll. “This is a group of guys who decided early on that they could make a run at this and the chemistry that this group had made them such a special group.”

Bench productivity: With O’Day in early second half foul trouble NMH received a lift from their bench, in particular forward Peter Miller, who scored seven points on the evening and provided strong post defense in the second half.

“We talked about it before the game that nobody is alone today,” said Carroll. “There is always somebody there to have your back and we talked about somebody being in foul trouble and somebody having to step up. It was not a surprise that they stepped up and responded and each guy has a very valuable piece of this win today.”

Albrecht’s MVP run: It was quite the week for the post graduate from Indiana. Albrecht scored a team-high 23 points to go along with six assists and two steals en route to being named tournament MVP.

“We knew we deserved this one but we had to go out there and earn it,” said Albrecht. “I am glad for my teammates, my classmates and all of our coaches.”

Albrecht also had a huge game in the semi-final upset win over Brewster as he scored 16 points and five of his team’s nine points in overtime.

Up Next: NMH and St. Thomas More will both take part in the eight team National Prep Championships beginning Tuesday at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn.

NMH will take on Hargrave Military Academy (Va) at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, while St. Thomas More will take on Notre Dame Prep in another quarterfinal matchup at 2 p.m. on the same day.

“Tonight is a big win for us and it will give us a big lift of confidence heading into next week’s National Championships,” said Albrecht.

Class AAA
Northfield-Mt. Hermon 74, St. Thomas More (Conn.) 60
MVP: Spike Albrecht, NMH

Class AA
St. Mark's 59, Tilton (N.H.) 53
MVP: Nik Stauskas, St. Mark's

Class A
Salisbury (Conn.) 72, Choate Rosemary Hall (Conn.) 60
MVP: Ryan Frazier, Salisbury

Class B
Beaver Country Day 60, Rivers 56
MVP: Jeff Spellman, Beaver Country Day

Class C
Hyde (Conn.) 64, Hebron Academy (Maine) 53

Class D
Hoosac School (N.Y.) 64, MacDuffie 57

BEVERLY, Mass. –- Spike Albrecht is one clutch player.

Scoring only 11 points in regulation, the 6-foot-1 guard hailing from Crown Point, Ind. stuck his neck out in overtime, taking three trips to the line and going 5-6, including 2 with 2.7 seconds left in the game, lifting Northfield Mt.-Hermon over previously-undefeated Brewster Academy (N.H.), 87-83, in overtime during the semifinal round of the NEPSAC Class AAA basketball tournament at Endicott College.

“It was fatigue, both teams were feeling it,” said Hoggers head coach John Carroll. “The team that had the most left in the tank was going to win, and it looked like it was our guys.”

The teams played point tag for nearly the entire game, first knotting it up at 5 early in the first and lastly at 82 with 2:49 left in overtime. NMH (28-5) won the tap to begin overtime at 78, but a block by Brewster’s Jakarr Sampson thwarted that effort. The Hoggers’ Evan Cummins lit up the board with a free throw at 4:15, sinking one to put them ahead at 79-78. A Brewster miss and an Albrecht rebound resulted in a three by Anthony Dallier -- with an assist from Cummins -- to put them ahead 82-78.

After Cummins missed two free throws, Sampson grabbed the rebound and came down the other end of the court with a put-back, plus the foul, to tie it up at 82. He was unable to complete the three-point play, however, and the game remained even.

The next points would again come from Albrecht, hitting two free throws with 32.5 seconds left in the game. Down 84-82, Brewster’s Mitch McGary went to the line with 17.3 seconds left, made the first but clanged the second. Anthony Dallier got the rebound for the Hoggers, and once again Albrecht was fouled. He was unable to sink both this time, but it was enough to put the Hoggers up by 85-83 with 12.8 seconds to go.

The Bobcats (30-1) were able to get the ball off the Albrecht miss. Down at the other end, Semaj Christon drove to his right but lost control of the ball after colliding with Cummins; Albrecht scooped up the loose ball and immediately was fouled.

With 2.7 seconds left, and with all of the pressure on his shoulders, Albrecht coolly strode to the free throw line and let the ice drip onto the ball, sinking both free throws and putting the game indefinitely out of reach at 87-83.

“He’s the guy that keeps us together, he’s the guy who makes clutch plays,” Carroll said. “When he stepped to the line with that time left, there was no doubt in my mind that they were going in.”

O'Day, What a Day: Although Albrecht carried the Hoggers during overtime, it was Evan O’Day’s 31 points, including five points within the last three minutes of regulation, that gave Northfield Mt. Herman the spark they needed to carry the game into overtime and upset the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

"We've been preparing for these guys for a while," O'Day said. "They beat us by eight at our place the first time. We definitely scouted, did the work. Definitely hats off to Coach Carroll and [assistant coach John] Halas, for doing the scouting report. They really made us work, and we were prepared for them this time for sure."

Big Spike Albrecht was able to score 5 of his team’s nine points in overtime, not because he is a scoring assassin, or has to prove to scouts that he will perform for them because they’ve committed resources to his future, but because he has a big heart.

Albrecht was willing to sacrifice his body in the lane, was able to drown out the noise from the crowd as well as that little voice of doubt that rings whenever a pressure situation pressure situation presents itself, and come through for his team when they needed him to.

“It was nice,” said Albrecht of being fouled and having a chance to shoot uncontested shots. “I always enjoy going to the line at the end of the game. I pride myself on making free throws because that’s what wins games.”

Up Next: NMH will face St. Thomas More (Conn.) in Sunday's Class AAA Final at Endicott at 4 p.m. The Chancellors are coming off a thrilling victory of their own, beating New Hampton on a buzzer beater in the Class AAA semifinal following NMH's win.

The Hoggers beat St. Thomas More in both of their regular season meetings, both by six points oddly enough -- 90-84 on Jan. 13, and 76-70 on Feb. 8.

ESPNHS' Ben Rohrbach previews the Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year race for Massachusetts, today on the Gatorade Player of the Year blog. Among the favorites listed are Concord-Carlisle's Mike O'Brien, and Noble & Greenough's Oliver White.

Rohrbach writes:

Mike O’Brien
Senior midfielder, Concord-Carlisle (Concord, Mass.)

2011 Team record: 15-3-1 (Division 2)
2011 Team standing: Lost Division 2 state championship game

2011 Goals: 20
2011 Assists: 3
2011 Points per game: 1.00
Career goals: 46
Career assists: 11

Academics: A average
Collegiate destination: University of Pennsylvania

How he’s played herself into the State POY conversation: Tallied four goals and one assist in Concord-Carlisle’s seven-game run to the Division 2 state championship match. Directly responsible for 23 of the Patriots' 63 goals (36.5 percent). 2011 Boston Globe Division 2 Player of the Year. 2011 NSCAA State Player of the Year. 2011 NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-American selection. Three-time Dual County League All-Star.

Oliver White
Senior forward, Noble & Greenough School (Dedham, Mass.)

2011 Team record: 13-3-1 (Independent School League)
2011 Team standing: Lost in New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A quarterfinals

2011 Goals: 15
2011 Assists: 6
2011 Points per game: 1.24
Career goals: 41
Career assists: 16

Academics: B average
Collegiate destination: School Name (commitment)

How he’s played herself into the State POY conversation: Directly responsible for 21 of the Bulldogs’ 45 goals (46.7 percent). Two-time ISL Offensive Player of the Year. Two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection.

Make no mistake, the Gatorade State Boys Soccer Player of the Year race isn’t over yet. Time remains for one standout student-athlete among thousands to rise to the top of our list. Here are some more of many who’ve been in the conversation throughout the 2011-12 campaign.

Devin Devoy: Senior forward, Bishop Feehan (Attleboro, Mass.)
Zachary Herivaux: Freshman midfielder, Beaver Country Day School (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Jack Hilger: Senior midfielder, Hopkinton (Mass.)
Jonathan Mendoza: Senior midfielder, Northfield Mount Hermon School (Gill, Mass.)
Chris Murray: Senior midfielder, Canton (Mass.)

DORCHESTER, Mass. -- Guarding a deeply-talented Northfield Mount Hermon boys' basketball team can be a challenge on its own, but when the Hoggers charge the court it is a whole new beast.

An afternoon matchup against Worcester Academy was further proof of this method for NMH coach John Carroll on Sunday.

Rushing the ball to its big men off turnovers and using pressure to create mistake, Northfield rolled past Worcester 64-49 in BABC Prep Classic at the Kroc Center in Dorchester.

“You always want to give a change of pace,” said NMH coach John Carroll. “When teams score they tend to settle for a few seconds and that is when we are looking to attack. We know they try to burn the (clock) when they have the ball.”

The Hoggers (14-1) pulled ahead in the game off a pair of runs late in the first half and never looked back.

Mounting their streak down 15-13 with ten minutes left in the first half, Northfield senior Spike Albrecht drained a 3-pointer in motion then set up teammate Sam Donahue for five more points off counter-attack jumpers. Forcing slip-ups with the press, Northfield's Evan Cummins drew contact underneath to close off the tear three minutes later with a 25-15 lead and a free throw.

“We are more conditioned than most teams so we are always looking to run,” said Ethan O'Day, a NHM senior and a Vermont commit. “We have been having trouble getting off to strong starts lately, but we eventually started knocking down shots.”

Nine straight points slipped in during the final three minutes of the half put the game out of reach for Worcester Academy (6-5).

Aided by an in-motion trey by senior Ryan Oliver, Albrecht broke a low-post one-on-one layup then stole the inbound for points to send NMH into half up 34-19.

“We wanted to crowd their shooters and make them put the ball on the deck”, said Hilltoppers coach Jamie Sullivan. “We tried a 2-1-2 against their 1-2-2 defense, but they were succeeding in slowing us down. They used a three-quarter court press to prevent us from rushing and with their length were able to get deflections.”

Worcester Academy came out intense in the second with four points off turnovers from junior Rene Castro, but were unable to mount a strong enough run to topple a 15-point deficit. Senior Andrew Scocca's six points and five rebounds were a positive for the Hilltoppers in the final half.

O'Day and Albrecht each tallied 13 points for the Hoggers, while O'Day also grappled eight rebounds. Cummins, a Harvard commit, scored ten points and ripped down seven rebounds.

Castro, who scored 10, was the only Hilltopper to reach double digits.

“We had a huge size advantage down low that Evan and I were able to take advantage of,” said O'Day

NHM played without starters senior and Dartmouth commit Tommy Carpenter, who faced a separated shoulder, and junior DeKeeba Battee, who suffered a bruised knee.

Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) Director of Operations Jay Demings forwards along some information regarding this weekend's BABC Prep School Classic, this Saturday and Sunday at the Kroc Center in Dorchester.

BOSTON -- This weekend’s Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) Prep Classic at the Kroc Center in Boston will not only feature some great games, but will give fans an up-close look at the elite-level basketball talent that permeates the New England region.

In the event’s first matchup on Saturday, two talent-laden teams in Notre Dame Prep and the Tilton School (NH) feature two potential NBA lottery picks in Notre Dame’s Steven Adams and Tilton’s Nerlens Noel.

Adams is a seven-foot center from New Zealand who just arrived at Notre Dame Prep as a post-graduate and will make his debut on Saturday. He is signed to play at the University of Pittsburgh for the Fall of 2012. Only a junior, Noel is a 6’11’’ center from Everett, MA who is ranked second in the class of 2013 by ESPN. Both players have drawn serious attention from NBA scouts.

“I have yet to see Steven Adams play live but, based on all accounts and video I’ve seen, this is a can’t-miss matchup between him and Nerlens," said BABC’s Director of Operations, Jay Demings. “Many of us are familiar with Nerlens’ skill set, but fans will get to see how Adam’s size, strength and skills translate to the American game. Experts believe that both players are certain future NBA lottery picks.”

The two-day event will also feature many signed Division 1 collegiate players and those that are expected to make their college choices soon. The field of teams include the following committed players:

Myles Davis - ND Prep - Xavier
Adonis Filer - ND Prep - Clemson
Mandell Thomas - ND Prep - Fordham

Georges Niang - Tilton - Iowa State
Dominique Bull - Tilton - Missouri
Kevin Crescenzi - Tilton - Dartmouth

Evan Cummins - NMH - Harvard
Tommy Carpenter - NMH - Dartmouth
Ethan O’Day - NMH - Vermont

Nick Lund - Rivers School - Claremont McKenna

Akosa Maduegbunam - Winchendon - Penn State
Tevin Falzon - Winchendon - Sacred Heart

Jake Fay - Brimmer & May - Fordham

Others to watch:

Tilton - Goodluck Okonoboh, Wayne Selden, Jr., John Witkowski, Cameron Durley
Wilbraham & Monson - Kamali Bey, Jaylen Brantley, Marcel Pettway, Djery Baptiste
Worcester Academy - Matt Cimino, Rene Castro
Marianapolis Prep - Kristian Medina, Nigel Sydnor, Bobby Ahearn
Brimmer & May - John Powell, Adrian Oliveira
Rivers School - Shaquor Sandiford, Kyle Reardon, Andrew Kaufman, Carlin Haymon
Boston Trinity - Elijah Okagbare, Zach Petion
Winchendon - Tre Tipton, Tom Bajda, Malique McLaren, Malcolm Smith
Putnam Science - Oscar Assie, Tyree Robinson, Jonathan Joseph, Dayshon Smith
Notre Dame Prep - Sam Cassell, Jr., Nehemias Morillo
Northfield Mount Hermon - Ryan Oliver, Lucas Van Nes, DeKeeba Battee

St. John's Prep senior forward Sam Kurker leads the list of locals on the NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings of North American skaters.

Kurker, who has 10 goals for 14 points through seven games with the Eagles, was ranked 41st on the list released Wednesday morning.

Kent School center Cristoval Nieves was the highest ranked player with New England roots, ranked 31st.

Here's the complete list of New England skaters making the grade:

31 Cristoval Nieves, Kent School, 6' 2.75" 184, C
41 Sam Kurker, St. John's Prep, 6' 1.5" 198, RW
60 Brian Hart, Philips Exeter, 6' 2.0" 216, RW
94 Chris Calnan, Noble & Greenough, 6' 1.75" 188, RW
98 Devin Tringale, Lawrence Academy, 5' 11.75" 195, LW
103 Cam Darcy, U.S. U-18, 6' 0.0" 189, C/RW
112 Danny O'Regan, St. Sebastian's, 5' 8.75" 162, C
118 Frank Vatrano, U.S. U-18 (Longmeadow, Mass.), 5' 10.0" 218, C
127 Doyle Somerby, Kimball Union, 6' 5.0" 220, D
131 Brendan Collier, Malden Catholic, 5' 9.0" 168, LW
145 Adam Gilmour, Noble & Greenough 6' 2.5" 194, RW
170 John Stevens, Salisbury, 6' 1.25" 175, C
172 Alex Rauter, Choate-Rosemary Hall, 6' 0.25" 175, LW
180 Zachary Pryzbek, Salisbury, 6' 3.0" 196. LW
194 Alexander Gonye, Deerfield Academy, 6' 0.25" 162, LW
201 Bron Loiselle, Northfield-Mt. Hermon, 6' 0.25" 173, C
202 Tyler Wood, Noble & Greenough, 6' 2.5" 189 D
206 Brendan Silk, U.S. U-18 (Wakefield, Mass.), 6' 2.75" 191, RW

Goaltenders:

24 Joe Young, Boston Advantage AAA (Hanover, Mass.), 6' 1.5" 160
31 Dawson Sprigings, The Gunnery,, 5' 11.0" 190

The Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) sends along its schedule for the Fourth Annual Prep School Classic, to take place on Jan. 14 and 15 at the Kroc Center in Dorchester.

Courtesy of BABC Director of Operations Jay Demings:

Saturday, Jan. 14
Tilton (N.H.) vs. Notre Dame Prep, 3
Wilbraham & Monson vs. Marianapolis (Conn.), 4:45

Sunday, Jan. 15
Brimmer & May vs. Putnam Science (Conn.), 1
Northfield-Mt. Hermon vs. Worcester Academy, 2:30
Rivers vs. Boston Trinity, 4
Marianapolis (Conn.) vs. Winchendon, 5:30

Former Longmeadow High two-way football star Patrick Scott has committed to Middlebury College for next fall, his father (and Longmeadow assistant) William Scott wrote in an email to ESPNBoston.com.

Patrick spent this past fall as a post-graduate at Northfield-Mt. Hermon

"Patrick is excited about going Middlebury & playing for Coach Bob Ritter," the elder Scott wrote. "The main reason for the extra year was to put him in a position to qualify academically to go to a NESCAC school."

At Longmeadow, Patrick was a two-year starter at both left offensive tackle and defensive tackle, and captained the 2010 squad that won the Western Mass Division 1 Super Bowl, helping the cause with a 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He was a two-time AA League All-Star, and was also on the 2008 Super Bowl champion squad.