Scotland Campus Sports’ Dequarius Nicholas entered the NERR National Prep Showcase without the same hype, high expectations, and heavy acclaim as the event’s numerous highly touted prospects and signees.
On Sunday afternoon at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn., it was the vastly underrated 6-foot-1 guard who turned in several significant buckets while staking his claim as one of the event’s better performers.
Nicholas willed his way to the rim seamlessly for the go-ahead 64-62 banker, a signature moment in Scotland Campus’ 76-66 upset victory over Macduffie on Sunday.
The Georgia native finished with a game-best 23 points. His second half scoring was instrumental in vaulting Scotland (7-0) to a no.3 national ranking. Chris Chaney’s team came in with an underdog status, ranked no.10 in a nucleus of national prep powers.
Originally projected as more of a defensive source, Nicholas scored it all three levels and was able to knife his way to the rim in fearless, graceful fashion. The diminutive but tough guard yanked in six rebounds and spurred the attack during a dizzying battle.
Scotland erased a seven-point first half deficit, one they trimmed to two, 34-32, at halftime.
Nicholas’ emergence on a stage of this magnitude is likely to ensure he’s no longer cloaked in obscurity.
Macduffie was led by UConn-bound guard James Bouknight.
The crafty 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard was a handful, scoring 15 points and showcasing a knack for hitting difficult shots. Richard Springs, who scored 18 points and tore down 13 boards, connected on a 12-foot jumper that knotted it at 62-all with 5:12 remaining.
That’s when Nicholas, who drilled a corner 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper while staving off Macduffie’s furious rally, went in for the go-ahead bucket with just under five minutes remaining.
“Playing in big games like this weekend’s wasn’t anything new for me,” said Nicholas, who has NEC and mid-major interest but no offer on the table yet.
“I’ve played in games like this before, so I just told myself ‘I’ve been here before.’ I needed to play like it and help my team get two very important wins. I feel like I’m capable of controlling the game and making the right plays to make sure we get the win. Being confident plays a big role in how I was able to take over the second half.”
Scotland swelled the spread to 53-42 as Weber State-commit Judah Jordan bucketed a deep 3-pointer.
Jordan, who has had several intensified in-practice battles with backcourt mate Nicholas, scored 12 points. South Alabama commit K.K. Curry, known for his methodical slashing and above the rim game, added 11 points in 17 minutes.
Despite being hampered with early foul trouble, 6-foot-9 forward and high major prospect Karim Coulibaly impacted the game with a loud 3-pointer late in the second half. Jordan Jones, who at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds is looking more svelte after working his way back from a leg injury, paced SCS defensively with four steals.
Nicholas explained that a showcase event of this caliber, with a handful of Division-I coaches spread across the stands throughout, had extra juice for him. Especially considering the post-graduate is hell-bent on proving himself as a certifiable late bloomer in the Class of 2019.
“I know that I can compete with any other player who has the offers that I don’t,” Nicholas explained.
“I always have to go in with the mindset that I have to go hard every time I step foot on the court. I’m an underdog and I have to just keep proving I can play at a high level.”
‘Tre Day: Woodstock’s Tre Mitchell, one of the event’s more highly-touted high major prospects, displayed the unique threat he poses for defenders.
During Woodstock’s 80-57 thrashing of IMG Academy (FL), Mitchell was able to pop out and stick 3-pointers during the first half. During the second, the burly forward/center showed his back to the rim game and refined skill set in being able to bully defenders similar to a 1990s NBA Center.
Mitchell scored 17 points and pulled in eight boards during Woodstock’s 88-71 defeat of Massanutten Military Academy (VA) on Sunday. UCLA, Indiana, UConn, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and a bevy of others are in aggressive pursuit of the Class of 2019 prospect.
Tony Bergeron’s team features layered depth, playing 13 guys comfortably. In this type of high powered New England prep basketball climate, you will find highly sought after Division-I prospects who could wind up playing minimal minutes or even catch a DNP-Coach’s Decision. That’s a simple portent of just how loaded up these teams are.
Class of 2020 forward Matt Cross turned in an efficient account of himself in the Massanutten win. The muscle-bound 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 26 minutes.
There’s both a swagger and a toughness associated with 6-foot guard Noah Fernandes‘ game.
The Wichita State-commit kick-started Woodstock with his 3-point shooting in the aforementioned 80-57 IMG drubbing. A heady and shifty point guard who rarely turns it over, Fernandes plays a lot bigger than his spindly 150-pound frame. The Massachusetts native scored 13 points (4-for-5 3FG), grabbed four boards and dealt out three assists on the same day he penned his letter of intent with the Shockers.
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Massanutten Military Academy’s Dereon Seabron, a 6-foot-6 guard with length, versatility, and a manipulative off the dribble arsenal, scored 18 points to propel MMA to a thorough 91-70 throttling of St. Thomas More (CT).
An intriguing piece, Seabron can defend and operate at multiple positions on the floor. His ability to play big and also permeate the frontline on hard drives were notable. Brandon Suggs piloted the perimeter game for MMA against STM, scoring a game-best 23 points on the strength of five 3-pointers.
Chad Myers’ squad has quite the under the radar piece in Nate Spurlock. As he showed at the National Prep Showcase, he’s got the tools to be a late blossoming “get.” The 6-foot-7 lefty was a staple on the glass, utilizing his physicality as Massanutten outrebounded STM by a staggering 50-29 margin. Spurlock notched a double double with 12 points and 12 boards.
Shooters: St. Louis-bound guard Gibson Jimerson and Trae Broadnax combined to score 38 of CBD Montverde’s 68 points during a 78-68 loss to Putnam Science (CT). Jimerson (20 points, 7-for-19 FG), who is similar to former Montverde sniper Cameron Healy with his range and spurt-ability shooting, caught fire during the start of the second half.
Putnam Science’s Hassan Diarra (19 points, five rebounds, four steals, three assists) connected on a pair of back to back 3-pointers that ultimately thwarted the run.
The kid who really goes unsung for Kevin Boyle Jr.’s team is James Lee. The hard-driving and crafty 6-foot-2 guard is consistently in attack mode. His up-tempo, high adrenaline style of play enables him to shoulder the role of tone-setter.
After going 0-for-3 in the first half against Northfield Mount Hermon, Scotland Campus Sports’ Austin Galuppo scored 19 second half points en route to a 79-59 victory. Galuppo hit a pair of 3-pointers from NBA range and a transition trey as Scotland came roaring back from a double digit halftime deficit.
