ESPN

Providence College became the first school to offer a scholarship to Windsor (Conn.) Class of 2015 hoops standout Jared Wilson-Frame last night. The offer comes following his strong play on consecutive weekends at the Nike EYBL circuit in Los Angeles, Calif., and Hampton, Va.

Wilson-Frame, who visited Providence unofficially earlier this month, was ecstatic about receiving his first offer.

“It’s really exciting to know that a school wants to give you a chance where you can get a free education and play basketball at a high level,” Wilson-Frame said.

He has been well-known on New England’s high school basketball scene as one of the region’s best players, especially after leading Windsor to a 49-6 record over the past two seasons. This season, the small forward was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Team.

In an attempt to become a better-known prospect on a national scale, he accepted the invitation to play with Expressions Elite this summer.

“That’s one thing I always said to myself. I always go on ESPN or on Twitter and I’ll see kids getting offers who I have played against--kids who I honestly feel like I have played at their level or better," he said. "That really motivated me to want to play at a higher level."

Wilson-Frame is considering the prep school route next school year, but says for now he is focused on finishing this year strong academically and continuing to build his name on the AAU circuit. Expressions Elite has made quite a splash at Nike EYBL, sitting at 9-0 after the first two weekends of play.

“They’re good guys off the court," he said. "Our whole team was hand-elected, so we hadn’t played together before. But now we’re always on each other [off the court], joking and laughing…it really is a family environment."

The second half of January featured a flurry of activity with regard to New England players committing to colleges. Some of the notable commitments:

"Everett High School wide receiver/defensive back Jakarrie Washington to Wisconsin: Recruiting writers were scrambling last week when word leaked that Washington would be joining the Badgers, since he was relatively unknown outside of Massachusetts. He had no other scholarship offers at the time of his commitment. What Washington does have is speed. He has reportedly run the 40 in 4.4 seconds. He's also versatile. He caught 33 passes for 439 yards and nine touchdowns last season, when he also carried the ball 75 times for 697 yards and 15 touchdowns.

"St. John's Prep running back Alex Moore to Pennsylvania: Many thought Moore would join teammate Lucas Bavaro at Dartmouth, but he selected Penn – the first school to make him an offer. Moore, perhaps the best two-way player in Massachusetts last season, helped St. John's Prep win the EMass Division I Super Bowl and claimed the third annual ESPN Boston “Mr. Football” award, which is given annually to the best player in the state. Moore, who will likely play on the defensive side of the ball in college, made 67 tackles (five for loss), recorded four interceptions and forced four fumbles during his senior season. He also rushed for 857 yards and 14 touchdowns, and caught 20 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

"Windsor (Conn.) defensive end Cole Ormsby to Connecticut: Ormsby committed to UMass in June, but switched that commitment last week. Ormsby led the state with 17 sacks last season, when Hand defeated Windsor 23-6 in the Class L championship game. He completed his senior season with 85 tackles.

SIGN HERE

Wednesday is National Signing Day, and ESPNU will have 10 hours of coverage beginning at 9 a.m. At least 17 of the nation's top uncommitted recruits are expected to announce their college decision live during the telecast. Rece Davis and Dari Nowkhah will host the coverage from Charlotte, N.C.

ESPNU will have reporters at the following schools: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Texas, Texas AM and USC. The station will also air a two-hour preview show on Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m.

THESE GUYS ARE COMMITTED

Nine of New England's top 10 recruits (as rated by ESPN) have verbally committed to college programs. Six of the 10 players are from Connecticut, and the four others are from Massachusetts. Here's where those players will be playing next season:

John Montelus, OG (Everett High School): Notre Dame
Maurice Hurst Jr., DT (Xaverian Brothers): Michigan
Tim Boyle, QB (Xavier): Boston College
Noel Thomas, ATH (St. Luke's): Connecticut
John Van Allen, OLB (Avon Old Farms): Harvard
Sadiq Olanrewaju, OT (Salisbury School): Virginia
Cory Jasudowich, ILB (Cheshire Academy): Connecticut
Tevin Montgomery, OT (Tabor Academy): Boston College
Jack McDonald, OG (BC High): Virginia.

Note: Thomas, who played for his father at St. Luke's in New Canaan, Conn., enrolled at UConn for the spring semester. Thomas played wide receiver, quarterback and running back in prep school, and finished his career with 4,888 yards of offense and 53 touchdowns. He is expected to play wide receiver in college.

BULLDOG MENTALITY

Michael Dulac, Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year for the 2012 season, has committed to play for Division I Bryant University. The Bulldogs compete in the Northeast Conference.

Dulac, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound lineman, led Hartford High School (White River Jct.) to three consecutive Division I championships. He started on each side of the ball in all 43 games of his high school career.

Dulac reportedly had offers from eight schools, and selected Bryant over Dartmouth.

NEW HAMPSHIRE LANDS LINEBACKER

Proctor Academy fullback/linebacker Odaine Franklyn committed to the University of New Hampshire on Thursday.

Franklin made 48 tackles last season. He also rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Proctor finished the season with an 8-1 record.

Franklyn, who was recruited to play linebacker, was a three-year starter for White Plains (N.Y.) High School before he enrolled at Proctor Academy. He had scholarship offers from Akron and Albany coming out of high school.

Recruiting information regarding high school or prep school players in New England can be sent to Roger Brown at rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

He’s the leading scorer on the number-one ranked team in Connecticut, the next great player out of the Connecticut Basketball Club AAU program, following in the footsteps of Detroit Pistons forward Andre Drummond, former McDonald’s All-American Kris Dunn, and Capital Prep’s USC commit Kahlil Dukes. Jared Wilson-Frame has led the Warriors to a perfect 8-0 record so far this year -- including a tight win over New Mission, the third-ranked team in ESPN Boston’s boys hoop top 25 poll, at the BABC Holiday Classic.

Wilson-Frame came onto the scene on a regional and national scale last January at the Hoophall Classic, where he scored 16 points to lead Windsor to a win over Springfield Central, the eventual state champion in MIAA Division 1. To further that reputation, the muscular 6-foot-5 junior forward scored 45 points last year against Kuran Iverson’s Northwest Catholic squad, finishing the game with 9 three-pointers in all. In the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class LL state tournament, Windsor fell short of Dunn’s New London team despite a double-digit second half lead; the Warriors finished the season 25-3.

Since his big year, as well as breaking out this summer on the AAU circuit, he has heard college interest from Division 1 programs such as Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, and Virginia Tech. We sat down and talked with him about playing against New Mission, AAU friendships, his father-son relationship with Windsor Coach Ken Smith, and what he likes to do in his free time.

Q: You guys were recently ranked as the top team in the state of Connecticut by the Hartford Courant. How much stock do players take in team rankings like that?
A: “When it comes to rankings, we understand what we are, that we’re number one, we see it. But we don’t take it as ‘Oh we’re number one so we can turn it on or off whenever we want.’ We take it a different way, knowing that were number one, teams are coming to play us every night like it’s a championship game. Every team, every time we step up on the court, we have to take it like it’s our biggest game of the season because who doesn’t want to beat the number one team in the state? I know I sure would if we weren’t number one.”

Q: How does having that target on your back change your mindset going into each game?
A: “Well, in Connecticut basketball, Windsor has always had a target on their back because we’re so known for being successful every season, we’re known for beating teams that we weren’t supposed to, winning so many games each year. We already have a target on our back, now this just makes us realize it even more than we’re ranked number one.”

Q: When you aren’t playing high school ball, you play AAU with CBC (Connecticut Basketball Club) in the summer, what kind of friendships evolve within an AAU team when you guys are with each other all summer like that?
A: “I’ve made a lot of friendships; I first played for CBC before they even had a sponsorship when I was like 9 or 10 years old. That’s where I first met Levy[Gillespie], Kahlil [Dukes], Andre [Drummond]. From there it was a family environment, the whole organization, they realized that we all have to play for the same team. Whenever Andre was gone Kahlil had to step up and be that guy, when Kahlil is gone, me and Levy are going to have to step up. We just learned from each other, really just have a lot of love for each other as brothers.”

Q: How often to you see your AAU teammates on the court during the season, and what’s it like going head-to-head against your friends?
A: “We don’t see Kahlil or Levy at all during the season [Windsor is in Class LL, for the state’s largest schools, while Capital Prep is in Class S, the state’s smallest], but I played against Kris [Dunn] last year in the state playoffs, and you just don’t really look at them as your friend anymore. Off the court we have a strong relationship, and I still talk to Kris once in awhile to see how he’s doing. But that game when you’re going up against somebody who you already know, there are no friends on the basketball court. You can’t let that get to you and you can’t give them an advantage just because you have a close relationship. When it comes to the court, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re still my opponent, you’re trying to beat me as badly as I’m trying to beat you.”

Q: You have a close relationship with your high school coach, Ken Smith. What are some things you have learned from him?
A: “Only people who really know me know this, but Coach Smith, for all purposes necessary, is my father for me in my life. He looks out for me, he takes care of me when I may not be feeling good, he’s let me stay at his house for weeks because things at home for me weren’t going great. He’s just a great person to me, all my life. My older brother played for Windsor, and ever since he’s just brought me in, taught me the game, taught me situations, and really taught me how to be a man, period. He’s taught me basically everything.”

Q: Being one of New England’s top public school players obviously didn’t come easy, what kind of workouts do you do in the off-season?
A: “Being around Kahlil [Dukes], Kahlil is probably the hardest working basketball player I know, and the hardest working person I know, period. Talking to him, I used to rarely do anything once I got back from AAU in the summer, and now you would never catch me anywhere but the court. Even if it’s outside, I don’t care, I have a park near my house where I go when I get back from the summer. Losing to Kris Dunn and New London last year in the playoffs, I missed two free throws that could have won the game. I had that in the back of my head all summer, and every time I went to the park this summer I’d make 500 free throws before I even started my actual workout.

"Coach wants me to become a more well-rounded ballplayer, so my workout was a lot of ball handling, a lot of shooting drills, doing box-out drills with some of our big men. Every basic skill that comes with playing basketball, I worked on it.”

Q: What kind of things have you, as a leader on your high school team, done to create chemistry?
A: “Usually the story with public school is that the kids grew up there and know each other already. I’m not going to lie, some of the guys on our team didn’t really like each other, didn’t hang out, and we didn’t know each other personally much. But the motivation of playing for Windsor and playing for Coach Smith really brought us together. The tradition creates a bond for us. We realize now, that at the end of the day that to stop playing with each other is to quit, and none of us are going to quit, so we came together.

"Before out actual scrimmages, I called the team in the locker room and we had a team-only players meeting, coaches didn’t even know about it. And the thing is we were supposed to be practicing, but we were in the locker room talking it out, for like an hour and forty minutes, just expressing to each other how we need to be a family because there have been a lot of great Windsor teams that could have won championships and didn’t, and we don’t want to be one of those teams that could have won a championship. We want to get it done this time.”

Q: Who is the toughest team you guys have seen so far this season?
A: “The team up in Massachusetts we played, New Mission, they’re definitely the toughest team we’ve faced. They have size, they kids who can score the ball, and they’re just gritty, grimy, and their playing style reminds me a lot of our playing style: we’re going to get after it on defense, and then do whatever we want on offense because you just aren’t going to stop us. They came out the same way we came out, they didn’t really know who we were, and they didn’t care who we were, just like we didn’t care who they were. We just came out and played basketball. At the time, one of starting bigs wasn’t even playing, so that was tough early on in the game.”

Q: What teams or players are you particularly looking forward to playing against?
A: “I say this to my team all the time: every team that we play has to be our rival. Every team we play has to be that team we hate that beat us last year. We have to play hard against everybody because every team is going to play us like it’s their last game. I’m not really looking in particular to play a certain team, whatever team is on the opposite side of the court, that’s it.”

Q: Outside of basketball, what other interests do you have?
A: “One of my biggest things is writing, I like writing a lot and I do it all the time. After games I’ll go home and write about how it went. I like to write my thoughts, I have poems in my journal and stuff like that allows me to be free and express myself. I like to draw too, I draw a lot of basketball related things.”

BOSTON -- Junior phenom Jared Wilson-Frame led the way for Windsor (Conn.) with 28 points in their BABC Holiday Classic showdown against New Mission, and the Warriors were able to hold off a barrage of points from the Titans in the final minutes, escaping with a 74-71 win.

“Well it’s a tough environment to play in, it’s a good little gym and they’re a good team,” Windsor coach Ken Smith said following the game. “I’m pretty sure they’re going to make runs. I watched them play the other night [against Mansfield], that’s a good team you got there and I’m sure this is going to be a springboard for them.”

New Mission trailed by as many as 10 points late in the fourth quarter, but were given a nice boost by Isshiah Coleman in the paint. In the game’s final minutes, the senior forward cleaned up on the offensive boards and put back six of his 10 points on the afternoon.

The Titans (4-3) were able to cut the deficit all the way down to one in the closing seconds on a steal and fast-break lay-up from Percio Gomez, but were slow to commit a foul on the ensuing Windsor (5-0) possession and had to settle on sending Wilson-Frame to the line rather than senior Jaquan Harrison.

After Wilson-Frame hit both free throws to extend the lead to three, New Mission, with 7.3 seconds left on the clock, looked to leading scorer Juwan Gooding (18 points, six assists) to send it to overtime. Windsor was ready though, triple-teaming Gooding behind the line as the sophomore tossed up a prayer that found the backboard and the rim, but not the net.

Following the game, New Mission head coach Cory McCarthy attributed his team’s loss to their performance at the free throw line (7 of 21), and the effort on the boards by his bigs.

“I’m not upset about the loss at all,” McCarthy said. “That’s something that the players have to put on themselves. They have to say to themselves ‘I have to get better, I have to do better, I gotta help our team win’, and that’s what it came down to.”

“I like Windsor a lot, I like what they did, and I’d play them a hundred times if we could. At the same time, I feel like we didn’t stay true to who we were today.”

Guarding Windsor: Entering today’s game, Windsor averaged just under 80 points per game, including a 94-point performance two weeks ago against South Windsor (Conn.).

The Warriors are led by Wilson-Frame, a 6-foot-4 junior who is drawing interest from Miami, Providence, UConn and UCLA just to name a few.

Included in his 28-point performance was a put-back that put a halt to a 7-0 scoring run in the closing minutes for New Mission, two free throws that found nothing but net with the game on the line in the final seconds, and a silky-smooth drive to net throughout the game that is surely leaving scouts drooling.

“We came out in a diamond and one [press]," McCarthy said. "It was pretty effective against him but he hit some huge hero shots. He played Superman for them tonight and he delivered. I thought our diamond and one bothered him early, and then when Nate [Anderson] came out of the game we had less length on him.”

McCarthy was also quick to credit Windsor point guard Tyler Rowe who, despite being listed at just 5-foot-6, gave New Mission fits on the glass and on the floor through out the afternoon.

“He was tremendous, every decision he made was 100 percent right," McCarthy said. "He was totally efficient, and I have no problem with that.”

Grueling three-day swing: No matter what the future may hold for this year’s New Mission team, no one can look back at the end of the season and say they played a soft schedule.

For that reason, McCarthy likes his team’s chances going forward.

In the past three days, the Titans have taken on a Christ The King team thought by many to be No. 1 in the state of New York; beaten previously-undefeated Mansfield, ranked number No. 4 in ESPNBoston.com's statewide poll; and hung until the final minutes against a Windsor team that is also ranking in at No. 4 in Connecticut.

“You will see in the middle of January, how much better we are because of this,” McCarthy said of the three-day stretch. “This is no disrespect to anybody else, but we won’t see three more teams as good as the three teams we just played for the rest of the year.

“If we can play above, or at that level that we played at for the last three days, I’m confident of where we will be in the end.”

Asked what his motivation was to schedule three straight games against three teams of that capability, McCarthy pointed to building his team’s character.

“I just want my guys to get tougher," he said. "I want to deflate some egos. If we start reading the clippings, and thinking that we’re better than everybody else...It humbles guys.

“So we see that sort of level. Can we match that level? Can we win on that level? I think we can, I think we have some little things that we can work on to get it done."

Xavier High School held its opponents to no more than seven points in 12 of 13 contests last season, when the Falcons went 13-0 and won the Class LL state championship. Nine starters from that defensive unit graduated, making defense Xavier's biggest concern entering the 2013 season.

That side of the ball has been anything but a problem through two games, however.

Xavier has allowed seven points in its two contests – victories that extended the program's winning streak to 28 games.

The Falcons have been particularly stingy against the pass. Xavier's Nathan Gonzalez and Max Tylki each had an interception during a season-opening 44-0 triumph over Notre Dame-West Haven, and the Falcons didn't allow any yards passing in last weekend's 49-12 victory over North Haven.

Boston College-bound quarterback Tim Boyle has guided on offense that has had little trouble finding the end zone. Boyle, who suffered through a injury-plagued junior season, has completed 24 of 38 passes for 433 yards.

Xavier, the No. 1 team in the state's media and coaches' polls, is attempting to become the first team to win three consecutive Class LL championships.

Last weekend's results for the Connecticut's top 10 teams, as ranked by the Hartford Courant:

1. Xavier (2-0): Beat North Haven, 49-0. Up next: Fairfield Prep.
2. Hand (2-0): Defeated Hillhouse 37-19. Up next: Cheshire.
3. Staples (2-0): Knocked off Bridgeport-Central 49-6. Up next: McMahon.
4. Ansonia (2-0): Beat Woodland 47-16. Up next: Derby.
5. Windsor (2-0): Defeated Bristol Central 49-7. Up next: Bristol Eastern.
6. Greenwich (2-0): Topped Bassick 48-2. Up next: idle.
7. Ledyard (2-0): Defeated Killingly 35-18. Up next: at Windham.
8. Berlin (2-0): Snuck past Rocky Hill 25-14.
9. Holy Cross (2-0): Beat Watertown 28-13.
10. Glastonbury (2-0): Had no problem beating Newington 63-28. Up next: at Conard.

(Read full post)

WILBRAHAM -- The knock on Western Massachusetts football is that, despite the number of athletes in and around Springfield, they typically don’t get to experience the in-season matchups that warrant serious looks from NCAA Division I football programs.

That may change following the region’s terrific showing at the Super 7 Showcase Saturday, held by Elite Athlete Development at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Featuring many top-level recruits from Connecticut and New York, the top players from the Springfield area had the opportunity to compete against competition that’s on another level compared to what they’ll see during the high school football season. A quick glimpse at the post-camp awards will prove that they certainly didn’t waste the opportunity.

In fact, some of the names likely to make headlines this fall, dominated the camp and showed they can play with other top northeast recruits.

Springfiel Central’s Aaron Owens took home the camp’s Most Valuable Player Award. The incoming senior, who was used in various capacities for the Golden Eagles last season, showed an ability to stay with the camp’s receiving corps, which included Manchester (Conn.) tight end Andrew Isaacs and Tottenville (NY) wide receiver Malique Belfort --- who combine to boast 12 Division I offers.

Owens was also in perfect timing with Central quarterback Cody Williams, who took home hardware as the showcase’s Top Offensive Player.

All told in addition to Owens’ and Williams’ honors, Springfield players garnered four top positional awards. Central’s Shawn Lockett won top offensive lineman while Sha’ki Holines of Commerce took home the top defensive lineman award. Commerce’s Hasan Graham was the No. 1 linebacker and Rishawn Harris of Putnam won the event’s top defensive back award.

HOLINES UNVEILS LATEST OFFER
Holines made news earlier this summer with a verbal commitment to UMass. Given his showings at camps similar to the Super 7 Showcase, he’s bound to get even more interest and offers leading up to signing day.

UConn is the latest school to offer the 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman/linebacker.

He received the camp’s top defensive lineman award for his ability to dominate the 1-on-1 positional drills.

Holines has also received attention from the University of Maine.
Holines was instrumental in the Red Raiders’ turnaround and run to the Division II Western Mass. Super Bowl last season. He recorded 132 tackles with six sacks and four fumbles recovered.

CONNECTICUT YOUTH SHINES
Two of the more talked-about players from the Super 7 Showcase were from the Nutmeg State.

Arkeel Newsome, an incoming junior at Ansonia, took home the top running back award. Given his 2011 accomplishments, it’s easy to see why.

The shifty back ran for an eye-popping 3,763 yards and scored 62 touchdowns as Ansonia went 14-0 en route to the Class M state title.

Newsome already has offers from UConn and UMass and that list is likely to grow.

Isaiah Wright, who’ll be just a sophomore this fall at Holy Cross in Waterbury, made a number of great plays at the wide receiver position.

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
Two players from Staten Island were as impressive as any duo at the Super 7 Showcase.

Belfort, the 6-foot-4, 170-pounder from Tottenville, took home the camp’s top wide receiver honor. He was equally effective on deep balls as he was going across the middle. His unique combination of height and speed made it hard for defenders all day long.

Belfort is mulling offers from numerous BCS schools, including Arizona State, Boston College, UConn, Illinois, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Virginia.

Naby Sylla hails from nearby Port Richmond High School and was equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball. The 5-foot-8 cornerback earned the camp’s top defensive player award and showed great speed and instincts in one-on-one drills and the 7-on-7 portion of the event.

Sylla has interest from UConn, West Virginia, Albany and Syracuse.

AWARD WINNERS
The camp awarded numerous honors following the camp. The complete list is as follows:

Camp MVP: Aaron Owens RB/DB, Central (MA)
Top Offensive Player: Cody Williams QB, Cental (MA)
Top Defensive Player: Naby Sylla CB, Port Richmond (NY)

Offensive Line
2nd Place: Ismael Figueroa, Springfield Central (MA)
1st Place: Shawn Lockett, Springfield Central (MA)

Defensive Line
2nd Place: George Blake, East Longmeadow (MA)
1st Place: Sha’ki Holines, Commerce (MA)

Tight End
2nd Place: Raishawn Finney, Ansonia (CT)
1st Place: Andrew Isaacs, Manchester (CT)

Quarterback
3rd Place: Blake Rise, Stafford (CT)
2nd Place: Kayjuan Bynum, Putnam (MA)
1st Place: JaQuan McKnight, Ansonia (CT)

Wide Receiver
5th Place: Mecca Gonzalez, Putnam (MA)
4th Place: Isaiah Wright, Holy Cross (CT)
3rd Place: Tavis Frasier, Putnam (MA)
2nd Place: Sam Blake, East Longmeadow (CT)
1st Place: Malique Belfort, Tottenhill (NY)

Running back
2nd Place: Wayne Lowery, Putnam (MA)
1st Place: Arkeel Newsome, Ansonia (CT)

Linebacker
2nd Place: Kyle Soja, Chicopee Comp (MA)
1st Place: Hasan Graham, Commerce (MA)

Defensive Back
3rd Place: Devontae Sewell, Commerce (MA)
2nd Place: Terrell Huff, Windsor (CT)
1st Place: Rishawn Harris, Putnam (MA)

Adding to what has already been an impressive season for Connecticut power Windsor High, the Warriors' star sophomore forward Jared Wilson-Frame has been named the East Region Player of the Week today by ESPNHS, following an explosive performances over Hartford power Northwest Catholic. Wilson-Frame went off for 45 points -- including nine 3-pointers -- in the win.

Windsor's two games against Massachusetts opponents were wins -- a 98-68 thrashing of New Bedford at the BABC Holiday Classic in December, followed by a 61-55 win over Springfield Central (ESPN Boston's No. 1 team in the state) at the Hoophall Classic in January. In both of those contests, Wilson-Frame was a major contributor.

ESPNHS breaks down their selection of the 6-foot-3 Wilson-Frame on the Basketball Blog:

EAST

Jared Wilson-Frame, Windsor (Windsor, Conn.)
The 6-foot-3 sophomore wing exploded for a personal-best 45 points as the Warriors defeated Northwest Catholic (West Hartford, Conn.) 74-65 in the semifinals of the Central Connecticut Conference Tournament. Wilson-Frame, a touted junior high football-basketball player before he stepped onto the Windsor campus, converted nine 3-point field goals in the game. An All-CCC honoree, he followed up with 23 points in the 105-72 tournament final win over Manchester (Conn.). The Warriors take a 23-1 record into the state tournament starting this week.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Up by four points with about a minute and a half to go Saturday against Springfield Central, Windsor (Conn.) High's Andrew Hurd dribbled the ball up over halfcourt.

Together with his teammates, they worked the ball around the floor, bringing the shot clock down to five seconds. Two seconds later, Jaquan Harrison hit a layup to put his team ahead 59-53 with under a minute to go.

That proved to be the dagger, as the Warriors went on to win, 61-55, to kick off day three of the Hoophall Classic, at Springfield College's Blake Arena.

Windsor (8-1) led the whole game until 1:33 left in the third quarter, when Central senior guard Chris Prophet (16 points, 7 rebounds) converted a three-point play to put his team ahead 43-40. Windsor quickly answered back with a basket of its own, but Central (8-1) took the 1-point lead into the final quarter.

It was then that Windsor went on a 10-2 run to take the lead right back.

“We didn’t play as good as we could have played, I thought we could have played a lot better,” said Windsor coach Ken Smith. “Springfield Central is a very good team. They’re the best team, they say, up in this area, so I thought we fought real hard. We didn’t give up.”

One could not help but think of the slogan on the back of the shirt Smith wore on the sideline during the game: “How bad do you want it?” When things got tough for Windsor, was when it picked its game up the most.

“The third quarter was that adversity. They fought to the bitter end, and that’s what we ask them to do, and they did it.”

Central almost caught a break with 4:12 left in the game. Down 52-50, Windsor committed its seventh foul of the half, meaning that for the last half of the fourth quarter, Central would be shooting foul shots. Almost on cue, Windsor stretched its lead to 8, negating any effect its foul troubles might have gave them.

“That’s just how Windsor is,” said freshman Jared Wilson-Frame, who contributed 15 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Warriors. “If we get down, we’re going to come back. We’re going to come back and pick our heads up. We never get down on anything.”

Central's Tyrell Springer was just behind Prophet in the scorebook with 15 points and 7 rebounds of his own.

Controlling the glass: One of the biggest reasons Springfield Central kept the game close was its success on the defensive glass. Early on, not only did the Golden Eagles prevent Windsor from getting second-chance scoring opportunities, but its big men allowed the guards to get out in transition and create plays. When it pushed the ball up the floor, it lead to missed Windsor defensive assignments and easier baskets. Windsor tried to match the pace, but Central just ran its breakouts more effectively.

Although Central out-rebounded the Warriors 53-44, it was Windsor that was better on the glass down the stretch, preventing Central from getting those tip-ins and other opportunities it was getting in the first half.

“We don’t really have a big, strong guy this year,” said Wilson-Frame. “One of them is a junior (Jaquan Harrison) and one of them is a senior (Theodore Lee) who wasn’t even on the varsity last year. We’re working with them to get them tougher, but to me they played a strong game today.”

“They killed us on the glass in the first half, so we had to make an adjustment,” said Smith. “What really helped us we got their big guy (Kamari Robinson) in foul trouble. When he got in trouble, that limited it, but sometimes with kids, they relax. That’s what hurt us also.”

Fab Frosh: Wilson-Frame made a statement for himself as a freshman with his performance on a big stage. With his 6-for-12 showing from the floor, he turned a lot of heads and proved himself to be someone to watch as he moves forward in his high school career.

“He has a lot of upside,” said Smith. “My thing is building his character. He needs to have good character if he’s going to play for me, and he needs to work hard and have a good work ethic. I don’t think he realizes how good he really could be. If he even felt like he was a lot better, he would have played a lot more and did a lot more things. But he has to play defense first. If he’s not going to play defense, we’re not going to play him.”

CHELSEA, Mass. -- Connecticut power Capital Prep may not have the size of many elite high school basketball programs, but –- as the Raiders of West Roxbury can attest –- they sure can run.

Led by standout guard Kahlil Dukes, Capital (4-1) used its speed to overpower Westie on both ends of the floor, en route to an 83-65 win at the BABC Holiday Classic Invitational, at Chelsea High School.

“That’s the way we play,” Capital head coach Levy Gillespie said. “It gives us an advantage because we don’t have a particularly big team, but we have a quick team. We can pressure people full-court most of the game … and on offense these guys love to score.”

Providing the greatest chunk of this scoring was Dukes, who led all scorers with 30 points. Coming off a 51-point performance in the Trailblazers’ double-overtime win over Classical on Monday, the junior showed tremendous pace on, using quick moves to slice through the Raider defense for easy layups.

Dukes also showcased his range, knocking down several 3-pointers from the baseline. He was also seen hitting three's from beyond NBA range with ease during halftime.

The Capital speed was evident not only on the fast break, but on the defensive end as well, as the Blazers employed a full-court press for almost the entire game, frustrating the larger Raiders team into forcing errant passes.

While Capital held a comfortable lead for a majority of the game, the nail in the coffin was hammered in during the third quarter.

Trailing by nine after one period, West Roxbury remained in striking distance with clutch outside shooting by sophomore Markus Neale and a strong presence under the basket in senior Sterling Brown.

Neale and Brown, the Raiders’ two captains, led the team in scoring with 18 and 15 points, respectively, and the deficit remained at 10 at half.

The Blazers brought the hammer down in the third, however, as Dukes (9 points in the quarter) got some help down low from bruising senior forward DeWayne Wynn (12 points in the third, 20 total).

“I think we came out of the half feeling kind of confident, we had a 10-point lead,” Gillespie said, “and the objective obviously was to push the ball. I think after halftime we were able to do that much more; we had guys that were open and [we got] four or five layups right under the basket, which really worked in our favor.”

Capital built a 67-42 lead after the third frame before bringing in its reserves and coasting to an 83-65 victory.

The Trailblazers return to action Friday when they host Bullard-Havens Regional (Conn.). West Roxbury will play New Bedford on Thursday in Chelsea for its final game of the BABC Invitational.

Windsor (Conn.) 98, New Bedford 71

The theme of Connecticut dominance continued in Game 2 of the Invitational, as Windsor (Conn.) High shot the lights out in a 98-71 rout of New Bedford.

Eight different players scored in the first half for the Warriors (12 total), as Windsor built a 23-10 lead after the first quarter. An 11-point halftime margin ballooned further in the third, as senior guard Andrew Hurd nailed four 3-pointers, the last of which gave Windsor a 66-40 lead with 2:30 left in the third and brought the New Bedford reserves into the game.

Hurd (20 points) was one of five Warriors to finish in double figures.

Junior guard Rylin Collazo carried the Whalers, leading all scorers with 24 points, including a bucket from beyond half court as the first half expired.

New Bedford will face West Roxbury on Thursday at 4 p.m. in the final game of the tournament for both teams.

The Boston Amateur Basketball Club released the schedule for next week's annual Holiday Classic at Chelsea High School.

Courtesy BABC Director of Operations Jay Demings:

BOSTON, MA - The Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) is proud to host the 2011 Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament from Tuesday, December 27 through Thursday, December 29th at Chelsea High School in Chelsea, MA.

This year’s Holiday Classic will feature 11 teams throughout three divisions with schools representing Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Proceeds from the tournament are donated by the BABC to create scholarships for Chelsea High students. To date, Chelsea High School has been the recipient of nearly $70,000 in scholarships since the tournament’s inception in 1996.

This year’s tournament schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 12/27
4:00 PM - Gm 1 - Malden Catholic vs Everett
5:30 PM - Gm 2 - Cambridge vs Bishop Guertin (NH)
7:00 PM - Gm 3 - New Mission vs St. John’s Prep

Wednesday 12/28
4:00 PM - Gm 4 - West Roxbury vs Capital Prep (CT)
5:30 PM - Gm 5 - New Bedford vs Windsor (CT)
7:00 PM - Gm 6 - Reading vs Loser Gm 1

Thursday 12/29
2:30 PM - Gm 7 - Winner Gm 1 vs Reading
4:00 PM - Gm 8 - New Bedford vs West Roxbury
5:30 PM - Gm 9 - Loser Gm 2 vs Loser Gm 3 (Class A Consolation)
7:00 PM - Gm 10 - Winner Gm 2 vs Winner Gm 3 (Class A Final)

The Basketball Hall of Fame has unveiled the schedule for the 11th Annual Hoophall Classic, annually one of the nation's top high school invitationals, at Springfield College's Blake Arena, and once again it's a loaded list.

Traditionally held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend, the invitational has now expanded to five days, with a slate of local Western Mass. teams facing off on Thursday to kick things off.

St. Mark's, Oak Hill (Va.), Findlay Prep (Nev.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.), St. Anthony (N.J.), St. Patrick (N.J.) and DeMatha Catholic (Md.) all return for the second straight year, and all will be involved in key matchups. Some of the more enticing local matchups include Northwest Catholic (Conn.) and its prized 6-foot-8 junior Kuran Iverson takes on national power DeMatha, led by ESPNU 100 stars Jerami Grant (Syracuse) and James Robinson (Pitt).

A trio of New England prep school matchups also highlight the weekend, with Tilton (N.H.) and Brewster Academy (N.H.) squaring off early Sunday evening, followed by Notre Dame Prep and New Hampton (N.H.). Monday afternoon, Wilbraham & Monson will face St. Thomas More (Conn.).

Here is the complete schedule for the weekend:

THURSDAY, JAN. 12
4 p.m. - Springfield Commerce vs. Springfield Sci-Tech
5:30 p.m. - Springfield Cathedral vs. Central Catholic
7 p.m. - Springfield Central vs. Springfield Putnam
8:30 p.m. - Mahar vs. Hampshire

FRIDAY, JAN. 13
3 p.m. Sabis vs. Springfield Central (Girls)
4:30 p.m. - Sabis vs. New Leadership
6 p.m. - West Springfield vs. Cicero North (N.Y.) (Girls)
7:30 p.m. - East Longmeadow vs. Christ the King (N.Y.) (Girls)
9 p.m. - East Longmeadow vs. Longmeadow

SATURDAY, JAN. 14
Noon - Springfield Central vs. Windsor (Conn.)
2 p.m. - St. Patrick (N.J.) vs. LaVerne Lutheran (Calif.)
4 p.m. - Gonzaga College (D.C.) vs. Riverside Academy (La.)
6 p.m. - Oak Hill (Va.) vs. Prestonwood Christian (Texas)
8 p.m. - Northwest Catholic (Conn.) vs. DeMatha Catholic (Md.)

SUNDAY, JAN. 15
10 a.m. - Our Savior New American (N.Y.) vs. Mount St. Joseph (Md.)
Noon - St. Thomas More (Conn.) vs. Wilbraham & Monson
2 p.m. - St. Mark's vs. Friends Central (Penn.)
4 p.m. - Tilton (N.H.) vs. Brewster Academy (N.H.)
6 p.m. - Notre Dame Prep vs. New Hampton (N.H.)
8:30 p.m. - Skills Challenge

MONDAY, JAN. 16
11 a.m. - St. Anthony (N.J.) vs. Miller Grove (Ga.)
1 p.m. - DeMatha Catholic (Md.) vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
3 p.m. - Simeon (Ill.) vs. Findlay Prep (Nev.)
5 p.m. - Christ The King (N.Y.) vs. Mater Dei (Calif.)
7 p.m. - Granby vs. St. Joseph's (Pittsfield)

CHELSEA, Mass. -- Sophomore Isiah Robinson grabbed 13 rebounds and dropped 13 points, including seven in the last the two minutes of the game, to lead No. 1 St. John’s Prep past No. 6 New Bedford, 81-77, in the Class A final of the BABC Holiday Classic on Wednesday.

““He was huge today,” said St. John’s Prep coach Sean Connolly. “All tournament he was. I think it was his coming out party.”

“Isiah is a great addition to our team, especially with Mackenzie Burt going down,” said Pat Connaughton, St. John’s (5-0) leader scorer on the day with 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Robinson’s only points in the first half were on a continuation foul and free throw he made at the end of the first quarter, but that was not due to oversight according to Connaughton.

“We were trying to get in sync offensively,” said Connaughton. “When we were talking on the bench, the coaches were saying that the roll is open for the big man so I tried to look for him a little more… then everyone started to look for him a little more. He attacked the glass, which was huge, he made his free throws, which was huge, and he just had a huge game.”

With 1:50 left in the fourth quarter, New Bedford’s (4-1) Jonathan Fortes made a lay up to bring the Whalers within two at 73-71. After a missed shot, Robinson grabbed the rebound and put it back in to give his team a four point lead, 75-71, at 1:37.

“Coach has been telling for the past couple of days to crash hard,” said Robinson. ““I know coach had trust in me, he has been on me these last few days, talking to me about helping the team out. “

New Bedford’s Jules Tavares made one of his two threes on the day at the 1:00 mark, making the score 75-74. On the next possession, Connaughton put up a shot and missed, but the sophomore Robinson got the rebound, went back up and was fouled. He sank both free throws, making it a three point game at 77-74. Down the other end, Tavares was fouled, but missed on the 1-1 free throw, and Connaughton got the ball but was fouled with 28 seconds left. He made the first shot but missed the second. New Bedford got the ball, but it went through the hands of Fortes, giving St. John’s the ball back.

Robinson was fouled again, this time missing his first and making his second free throw, with the game now at 79-74. New Bedford junior Steven Wynn took a wide open three pointer and missed, but as Connaughton brought the ball up the court, he was given a charge call, turning the ball back over to New Bedford with 10 seconds remaining. From the corner, New Bedford’s Cameron Walker hit a three to make the game 79-77 with 3.1 second remaining. The ball was given to Robinson, who ended game at the free throw line.

“I wasn’t really a good free throw shooter last year,” he admitted after going 9-11 from the line. “Over the summer, I worked on it with my uncle. “

WINDSOR TAKES CONSOLATION
In the Class B consolation game, Windsor (Conn.) beat No. 18 BC High, 91-53. At the end of the game, Windsor’s Ohemeng Kyeremateng (3 points) missed a free throw and coach Ken Smith got the whole bench going with a clapping session, telling him that the team needed the free throw. To many, this may seem confusing, as the team was up by nearly forty, but to Smith, the score of the game was not the point of needing the free throw.

“Those are game winners,” said Windsor coach Ken Smith. “We’re not preparing to win a game; we’re preparing to win it all. Preparation is preparation, the score means nothing to us, it’s how we play, that’s what I preach.”

Senior Mike Fraylon did play, and he did score on the day. 21 points, four steals and two assists, Fraylon admits that he can work harder and have better games.

“The only reason I started missing is because I got tired,” said Fraylon. “I’ve got to run more in practice.”

Controlling the ball for the team was junior Andrew Hurd who had six steals, three assists and 17 points (5 tres and a field goal).

“We just try to contain the ball and have everyone deny their man,” said Hurd. “I wasn’t doing too well on the ball, but I was able to help my teammates on the pickup and stole the ball.”