We had many extremely close games and strong performances. There were a few performances that stood out among the rest. Here we have the top performances of the tournament, in the All Showcase First and Second Teams.
2014
All Showcase First Team
Cam Earle- South Hadley
Did everything for South Hadley as he led their comeback against Granby. Finished with a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds. Earle kept his composure during the late stages of the game, hitting clutch shots and free throws. 28 is the second highest scoring performance of the showcase.
Aidan Hirsch- Northampton
Hirsh is a dynamic scorer with a plethora of devastating moves. He scored from all over the court. Literally. He was stroking NBA range threes and getting to the rim consistently en route to a 30 point performance in a hard fought loss to a very tough Amherst team. 30 points was the showcase best.
Conor Cronin- Hampshire
Cronin was dominant in the paint. Not only did he have an arsenal of finishing moves, but he ripped down any rebound that was in proximity. He scored most of his 19 points off of second chance rebounds. He finished with a double-double as he added 18 rebounds to his 19 points. He was simply a force underneath.
Brendan Bzdel- Hampshire
Bzdel was smooth controlling the ball and pacing the offense for Hampshire. He was able to score at wil off of the dribble as he dropped a cool 27 points, third highest in the showcase. He played both sides of the ball very well. His hard-nosed defense forced a few turnovers.
Juan Rivera Jr. – Renaissance
Rivera overshadowed the impressive performances by Cronin and Bzdel by hitting a buzzer beater running three pointer off the glass to win the game. Rivera was critical at the end of the game, not just only for his winning shot. He made 3 key steals down the stretch and hit most of his late game free throw attempts. He ended the game with 21 points and with the top play of the tournament.
Did everything for South Hadley as he led their comeback against Granby. Finished with a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds. Earle kept his composure during the late stages of the game, hitting clutch shots and free throws. 28 is the second highest scoring performance of the showcase.
Aidan Hirsch- Northampton
Hirsh is a dynamic scorer with a plethora of devastating moves. He scored from all over the court. Literally. He was stroking NBA range threes and getting to the rim consistently en route to a 30 point performance in a hard fought loss to a very tough Amherst team. 30 points was the showcase best.
Conor Cronin- Hampshire
Cronin was dominant in the paint. Not only did he have an arsenal of finishing moves, but he ripped down any rebound that was in proximity. He scored most of his 19 points off of second chance rebounds. He finished with a double-double as he added 18 rebounds to his 19 points. He was simply a force underneath.
Brendan Bzdel- Hampshire
Bzdel was smooth controlling the ball and pacing the offense for Hampshire. He was able to score at wil off of the dribble as he dropped a cool 27 points, third highest in the showcase. He played both sides of the ball very well. His hard-nosed defense forced a few turnovers.
Juan Rivera Jr. – Renaissance
Rivera overshadowed the impressive performances by Cronin and Bzdel by hitting a buzzer beater running three pointer off the glass to win the game. Rivera was critical at the end of the game, not just only for his winning shot. He made 3 key steals down the stretch and hit most of his late game free throw attempts. He ended the game with 21 points and with the top play of the tournament.
All Showcase Second Team
Ty Nichols- Putnam
It is tough to stand out on a team with the talent of Putnam, but Nichols was a huge factor for the beavers. He punished them in transition and was deadly around the rim. He complemented this with strong defense. He helped Putnam to beat a very strong Fitchburg team. He finished the game 18 points on the stat sheet, but influenced the game way beyond that.
Jada Glasgow- Amherst-Pelham
Glasgow was a spark in the win for Amherst-Pelham girls. She consistently converted from 3 point range. She led the Amherst team with 23 points. She also added some strong defensive blocks to her overall strong performance.
Jese Molin- Granby
Molin scored almost half of his points from the line, as went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. He was strong in getting to the rim, converting a few “and 1’s,” as well as scoring from all around the basket. He also hit a big 3 to beat the third- quarter buzzer. He was the go-to man for Granby all game. He finished the game with 23 points.
Nick Slattery- Mahar
Slattery was able to slash to the rim as well as show off his impressive range in Mahar’s win over Belchertown. He was hustling and diving all over the court, crashing the boards hard, and making punishing free throws down the stretch. Seemed to never get tired, even after giving his all for the entire game. He was the leader and playmaker of this Mahar team. He finished the game with 21 points and 9 rebounds, just missing a deserved double-double.
Meikkle Murray- Amherst-Pelham
Murray is a very athletic swingman for the Amherst squad who defeated Northampton. He was a force around the rim, constantly finishing in traffic and getting to the free throw line. Murray supplied great defensive play for Amherst playing excellent two way basketball. Murray also pulled down an impressive nine rebounds to go along with his team high 15 points.
It is tough to stand out on a team with the talent of Putnam, but Nichols was a huge factor for the beavers. He punished them in transition and was deadly around the rim. He complemented this with strong defense. He helped Putnam to beat a very strong Fitchburg team. He finished the game 18 points on the stat sheet, but influenced the game way beyond that.
Jada Glasgow- Amherst-Pelham
Glasgow was a spark in the win for Amherst-Pelham girls. She consistently converted from 3 point range. She led the Amherst team with 23 points. She also added some strong defensive blocks to her overall strong performance.
Jese Molin- Granby
Molin scored almost half of his points from the line, as went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. He was strong in getting to the rim, converting a few “and 1’s,” as well as scoring from all around the basket. He also hit a big 3 to beat the third- quarter buzzer. He was the go-to man for Granby all game. He finished the game with 23 points.
Nick Slattery- Mahar
Slattery was able to slash to the rim as well as show off his impressive range in Mahar’s win over Belchertown. He was hustling and diving all over the court, crashing the boards hard, and making punishing free throws down the stretch. Seemed to never get tired, even after giving his all for the entire game. He was the leader and playmaker of this Mahar team. He finished the game with 21 points and 9 rebounds, just missing a deserved double-double.
Meikkle Murray- Amherst-Pelham
Murray is a very athletic swingman for the Amherst squad who defeated Northampton. He was a force around the rim, constantly finishing in traffic and getting to the free throw line. Murray supplied great defensive play for Amherst playing excellent two way basketball. Murray also pulled down an impressive nine rebounds to go along with his team high 15 points.
Honorable Mentions
Devonte McCall-Amherst-Pelham
Marco Gabrielli- Quabbin
Temitope Bailey- West Springfield
Marco Gabrielli- Quabbin
Temitope Bailey- West Springfield
