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Live from the NEPSAC Championships

Bruce Brown

Sunday’s NEPSAC championships at Rhode Island College saw the emphatic end to the career of one of the region’s best players, and a coming out party for perhaps another future star.

The first time this writer saw Bruce Brown was March 2013 when he was a relatively unknown commodity. Brown had yet to take to the prep circuit, and his outside shot wasn’t nearly what it is today, but his competitiveness is what stood out that afternoon.

Brown and BABC were taking on the highly regarded Mass Rivals backcourt of Kaleb Joseph and Jalen Adams. In a game with established prospects like Joseph, Adams, Terance Mann, and Bonzi Colson, Brown stood out for his tenacity, but little did anyone expect him to turn into the offensive force he is today.

Brown put together as complete a game as you’ll see at this level, scoring 35 points (18 minute halves) on loud dunks, quick trigger 3s, and fearless drives to the basket in Vermont Academy’s 69-61 win over Cushing Academy.

Vermont Academy came in the top seed, and also features future Xavier power forward Tyrique Jones and rising 2017 wing Christian David (a Friar recruit who turned his ankle early and was lost for the game), but this day belonged to Brown, who simply wouldn’t be denied after losing in the NEPSAC AA title game to Tilton a year ago.

No breathing room was to be had in the first half, with the largest lead being’s Cushing’s 5-0 start. The rest of the half remained a one possession game, but Brown took over early in the second at Vermont pulled away.

Ed Cooley and Brian Blaney were in attendance as not only was David playing, but Cushing guards Makai Ashton-Langford and Wabissa Bede. Bede flashed his ability to free himself off of the bounce for deep jumpers, and Ashton-Langford attempted to push the pace (with a beautiful scoop shot going down in the first half), but neither played their best game for a Cushing team that struggled to score against a defense that packed the interior.

The day was capped with a terrific back-and-forth contest between perhaps the two most well coached teams in all of the NEPSAC in St. Thomas More and Northfield Mount Hermon.

The Class AAA title game saw terrific performances by the likes of Christian Vital (an outstanding shooting performance once again), 2017 NMH guard Kellan Grady (18 points, solid floor play), AJ Brodeur, and top 20 2016 power forward Omari Spellman. Yet, it was a youngster who stole the show.

Northfield Mount Hermon sophomore Nate Laszewski was electric from deep — putting together one of the best championship games in recent memory by connecting on seven 3 pointers, as NMH pulled away late, 95-85 for the title.

The 2018 product is already ranked 2nd in New England by NERR, and he’s been on the radar of schools like Providence, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin since last summer.

Spellman, the massive Villanova prospect, and Brodeur went head to head in a good matchup on the interior. Brodeur scored around and under Spellman on a few occasions thanks to solid footwork in the post, while Spellman showed a very good face-up jumper from medium range and beyond the arc.

Rhode Island native Tomas Murphy, a 2017 forward, picked up two early fouls in the first half and did not play in the second.

The one to watch for Providence fans could be Grady, who is still a somewhat under-appreciated prospect considering his talents and the stage he plays on. Over the past year the heady guard has received offers from Rhode Island, Towson, Creighton, Yale, Penn, Davidson, St. Joseph’s, and Northwestern and should see his stock rise this summer with the New England Playaz.

He was hurt for part of last summer, but the 6’3 guard looks like he could swing between positions. Grady shoots the ball very well. He is a Massachusetts native who attended Catholic Memorial before transferring and reclassifying last spring. He was a key member of a Catholic Memorial team that won a state title in Massachusetts.

Twitter: @Kevin_Farrahar

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

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