Louis Bleechmore: The 6-foot-7 Class of 2019 guard/forward has become more explosive with his ability to soar to the rim and finish in extravagant, authoritative fashion. Bleechmore’s blend of instinctive play and deft 3-point shooting has helped him surface on the mid major Division-I market. He’s earned an offer from Bryant and continues to entertain an uptick in interest from the likes of Yale, Fairfield, and several others.
Bleechmore possesses a feathery outside shot and an ability to hit tough, contested shots. Packing muscle on has been an essential phase in his evolution from an unknown to a higher profile guy. With his ability to get into the lane and throw down that momentum-bolstering dunk, he’s incorporated some thrill factor to his game. The Class of 2019 prospect needs to continue to flash his killer instinct, as several coaches have implored him to realize his potential.
In registering his presence this season, the onus is on Bleechmore to take some ownership of this team. That means buying into the leadership component and being an influential figure who others tend to feed off.
Johannes Kirsippu: The 6-foot-2 guard is the top-ranked Class of 2021 prospect in Estonia for a reason. Beyond his deep and deft 3-point shooting, Kirsippu possesses elite level know how in his ability to carve through defenses and score. He’s become more crafty as he adjusts his shot while penetrating the teeth of the defense.
Kirsippu is a score in bunches type, a guy who can really thrive once he hits a few shots in succession. If he can continue to make consistency a livelihood and eventually put his vertical leaping on the same level of his speed and burst, he will entertain myriad Division-I opportunities.
If he can avoid foul trouble for the long haul, he’s got the potential to be a consistent go-to scorer and a calming source who can deliver in crunch time. Kirsippu showed last season he can dictate the flow of a game when he catches the hot hand, as he turned in a 38-point and a 43-point game.
Gerald Jarmon: The 6-foot guard is an embodiment of an all around scorer who is constantly in attack mode. The Pennsylvania native has shown an ability to read a defense and create offense for himself based on that. With his shooting, transition 3-point shooting, and ambidextrous scoring around the rim, Jarmon has the type of go-to offensive arsenal capable of breaking games open once he gets hot.
He’s improved incrementally defensively, taking more pride in holding scorers below their scoring average and neutralizing scorers. Impacting a game defensively has helped him His evolution as a defender and a guy who provides a spark with his on-ball defense will be instrumental in his growth this season. The scoring has always been there.
Khayden Stewart: The 6-foot guard from Toronto is adept at playing the right way, making the right read or delivering a fireball pass to a jarringly open teammate. This is perhaps the unique attribute which separates him from others. Stewart has opened up his 3-point shot, as evidenced with his four 3-pointers during the Stuff The Basket Showcase at Mercersburg High School this weekend. He’s got a calming influence to his game, with his ability to see the floor and kick in timely passes. A 15-point scoring performance during SCS’ 79-70 victory over KOA Prep on Friday night should persuade Stewart call his own number more often.
Aime Ciza: The 6-foot-7 forward has a wealth of upside to his game. Being left handed, being able to score the ball at all three levels, and being able to put it on the floor allows the Class of 2021 prospect’s game to align with the multi-faceted style desired at the next level.
Ciza has been a featured piece on the glass, a necessity given Scotland’s guard-laden lineup. As he develops more of a back to the rim game looks to impose his will, he will certainly demand more touches in the post. One area of his game that has grown is his ability to finish through contact and also draw contact on his surges to the rim.
Ciza has been playing the five primarily, albeit he has the potential to eventually emerge into a swiss army knife type who can operate in multiple flow offenses. His outside shot has improved dramatically. Ciza’s calming and rarely ever rattled demeanor bodes well for a youth-laden team that needs to keep emotional outbursts to a bare minimum.
Oli Jacquot: The Australia native is similar to Stewart with his IQ and innate feel for the game. Jacquot has been a floor leader who can dish and also hit straight-away 3-pointers with consistency. He’s provided a meaningful boost with his veteran leadership, an attribute which allows him to be poised during tense moments and turn in timely buckets. He brings what is essentially a lost art in today’s game with his mid range production, as he’s comfortable sticking shots from 10-15 feet out.
Amiko Khazalia: The combination guard has flashed a nifty handle and an ability to see the court exceptionally well. He still needs to get more shots up and show the type of shooting he’s capable of. With his competitive juices and his ability to corral rebounds well for a guard, he adds to a fleet of gritty guards who know how to push the tempo up a few notches. Khazalia possesses the ability to shoot the ball from outside and guard both backcourt positions. Subscribing to the role of orchestrator, he’s been able to facilitate and get the proper spacing and find guys at the opportune time while dealing the ball.
Zak “Pops” Sarmady: The 6-foot guard is one of the more consistent shooters in the program. He brings energy off the bench and reliability, going full throttle with defensive tenacity and his presence on the glass. His work ethic and maturity are two aspects which will ready him for the rigors of the next level. He’s got a high-arcing shot, an unconventional shot that he’s finely tuned throughout his stay at Scotland. He continues to improve.
Austin Brain: The 6-foot-9 behemoth has really bought into the team concept and the notion of being a self-starter and handling the workload. He’s become more aware of the size he possesses and the distinct advantage this gives him over smaller defenders. Brain can simply overpower foes with his size and space-eating ability, as it gives him a commanding interior presence. He’s gone from rough around the edges to adding some significant polish to his game.
The key is understanding the man-child presence he brings with his size in the paint. Brain has also improved with his ability to catch and face. At the raw stages of his development, he needed to hone in on securing the ball first, rather than overthinking and trying to score the ball before he catches it. This is a habit many unpolished bigs have a tendency to fall into. Brain has steadily shown progress in this particular compartment of his game.
Luca Tsurtsumia: As a 3-point shooter, the Class of 2020 prospect has shown potential. His shot and range and perhaps the two most notable facets of his game. While he’s become more reliable as a defender, he’s worked his way into game speed and added strength and know-how since adapting more to the sped-up style of the American game. He still needs to diversify his scoring, as becoming more of an instinctive scorer on the drive would supplement his dependable outside shooting.
Jed Nicol-Darmady: The Australian guard has been a pleasant surprise this season, with his ability to provide scoring punch off the bench and make timely plays.
Darmady is a composed guard who can apply defensive pressure and also rebound it well. With his knack for getting free for tip-ins and putbacks, he’s been instrumental in scoring on second chance possessions. With his want and desire to be good, and the fact that he takes to coaching as well as anyone on the team, there is a promising future ahead.
Jonah Wantenaar: Another Australian guard, Wantenaar brings long distance shooting and the ability to knock down shots. He still needs to be more consistent in his day to day work, albeit he’s got the type of energy and catch-and-stick profile to add significant contributions as a sparkplug off the bench. Early season injuries may have halted his progress to an extent, albeit the two-guard has bounced back.
Oftentimes, prep team head coach Chris Chaney preaches the importance of not getting complacent and not taking things for granted.
Given the number of games played, plus the tinkering of starting lineups, no substitution patterns or playing time is concrete. Head coach Blake Kingsley preaches the same philosophies, as it is essential that everyone stays ready throughout the long haul of the regular and post season. With a fleet of guards capable of sticking shots, this is as evenly matched a team as you will find at this level. Jockeying for the position of starter should increase the in-practice competitiveness throughout.
Henrique Rossiter: Provides hustle points and is capable of low post scoring as a freshman. He’s still learning the niceties of the American game, though he’s shown progress with his ability to play sound defense and guard bigger and more physically imposing players.
He’s just 15 and there is certainly a learning curve he needs to master during his first season in the states. With his energy and activity on the boards, he’s been steadily improving and ramping up with his presence off the bench. This team is learning to be dependent on depth and can play 11 guys comfortably at certain junctures. Guys like Rossiter make a big difference when supplying quality bench minutes.
Liam Parker: Another Australain guard, Parker has improved an unconventional shot and bought into the player development process. He’s emerged as a more cerebral player who can provide hustle plays and snatch rebounds over taller players. With the lineup featuring mostly guards, Parker has used his size to front the post and implement a physical brand in the trenches.
