STOUGHTON, Mass. — It’s not often that the top shoe circuit grassroots teams from New England compete under the same roof. It’s even rarer that they play against each other. But that’s what we saw this weekend at the Dana Barros Basketball Club.
BABC, Mass Rivals and Middlesex Magic – three of the top shoe circuit teams from the region – were among the many talented grassroots squads that competed at the annual Zero Gravity Boys National Finals, and they ultimately had to go through each other in pursuit of Sunday’s championship. After each team went undefeated in Saturday’s pool play, Sunday’s eight-team 17U division bracket treated us with some must-see matchups.
BABC ultimately took home the trophy after prevailing over the Magic in the semifinals and then Rivals in the championship game in instant classics. The semifinal BABC/Magic game featured a fun, standing-room only atmosphere around Court 2 for a rare matchup between two of the region’s best before BABC held on over Rivals to claim the title after coughing up a late double-digit lead. BABC improved to 33-0 this spring as head coach Leo Papile’s group continued to cement itself as one of the country’s best grassroots teams.
Here are 10 standouts from the 17U division who caught my eye during the two-day event.
Maodo Diallo, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-9 forward
Darrow/Dakar, Senegal
BABC was on fumes late in Sunday’s final against Rivals, playing its third game of the day and fifth in the span of 24 hours with a shortened rotation after Alex Egbuonu left the game with a minor injury. They needed a spark, and Diallo gave them a nice lift off the bench. He scored double-digit points in the second half by being in the right place around the rim, whether it was getting the ball from BABC’s playmakers or being incredibly active on the offensive boards. The 6-foot-9 forward even showed his skill with a coast-to-coast layup. BABC doesn’t win the 17U title – and stay undefeated – without Diallo’s contributions.
Amir Jenkins, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Worcester Academy/Worcester, Mass.
Jenkins, as usual, was mostly impossible to defend and stay in front of with his blend of pace, quickness and change of direction. He thrived in traffic with many crafty finishes around the rim with both hands – I was impressed with a few plays in which he adjusted in mid-air – and he was a monster in transition as he got above the rim consistently. Jenkins – who won MVP of the 17U tournament – was dominant in the final.
There was a 30-second span in which he scored eight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers and a pair of free throws, and he was unstoppable with his dribble-drive penetration as he found teammates for six assists. He took BABC home to the title after they lost the lead late, as he countered Rivals’ run with a few buckets and sank two go-ahead free throws after a hard foul, which proved to be a big difference in the three-point win.
Abdou Toure, BABC
Class of 2026, 6-6 wing
Notre Dame West Haven/New Haven, Conn.
Toure is one of the most athletic prospects in the country in the Class of 2026 – and that’s where his success this weekend started. His combination of quickness, ability to drive with both hands and strength, size and physicality made him very difficult to contain for defenders, and he was successful getting to the free-throw line with his ability to draw contact. He lived above the rim all weekend with some eye-popping dunks; if he has the ball in open space, good luck. Toure is still working on the consistency of his 3-point shot, but he hit a few outside shots – and even hit a few impressive mid-range pull-ups – that show there’s promising potential there.
Nick Barnes, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Darrow/Auburn, Mass.
Confidence is one of the best words to describe Barnes, who was in control and poised as a lead guard for Middlesex Magic (Alex)’s squad. I saw him in the Magic’s Saturday victory over YSU ZGXL, and came away really impressed with how steady and fundamentally sound he was with the ball in his hands. He combines that with some sneaky quickness and shiftiness to produce an exciting guard prospect.
Barnes – who’s heading to Darrow for a postgraduate season after his high school career with St. John’s Shrewsbury – showed promise as a sturdy and strong on-ball defender with a few steals. He continuously made the right play on offense between strong, decisive moves to the basket and playmaking for others.
Jack Hynes, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-7 forward
Cushing/Milton, Mass.
After a mid-spring move from Team White Mamba to the Middlesex Magic’s top 17U team, Hynes checked in off the bench in Sunday’s game against BABC and made a nice impact. The big and skilled forward knocked down a couple of 3-pointers and played strong defense against BABC’s athletic wings. Hynes will join Cushing next season for a postgraduate season and his stock is something to monitor, especially over the next month as he closes the grassroots season with the Magic.
Brady O’Connell, Middlesex Magic
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
Cushing/Bedford, N.H.
O’Connell made our list of 2026 stock-risers a few weeks ago and he continued to show why with a strong weekend for the Magic (Lambros) squad. In a double overtime victory over Next Play on Saturday, O’Connell made all the winning plays. He drew an important charge late and hit both free throws, and then down three with 30 seconds left, he drilled a triple that sent the game to overtime. In the second extra session, his free throw hit the target score to secure the victory.
Finn McCauley, Mass Rivals
Class of 2028, 6-6 wing
Portsmouth/Portsmouth, N.H.
Rivals head coach Vin Pastore is excited about his group of young talent, and McCauley is at the center of it. It was easy to see as he made a strong impression as part of the Rivals 2027 squad that played up on the top 17U division. He made a number of plays in a statement victory over the Middlesex Magic (Lambros), where his athleticism and advanced feel for the game stood out. His most eye-catching play was probably when he made a steal and took a behind the back dribble in transition before finding teammate Ladanion Payne for two. I was also really impressed with McCauley’s finishing ability, which included a pretty reverse layup and a three-point play where he hung in the air and converted off the window.
Christian Martin, Mass Rivals
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
Wilbraham & Monson/Amherst, Mass.
Rivals’ sharpshooter was a big catalyst in Sunday’s final after they fell behind by double digits to BABC in the second half. He hit three 3-pointers late to bring them back and an impressive defensive contest of Abdou Toure at the rim ultimately led to a go-ahead bucket for Rivals in the final minutes. Martin has been a consistent performer for Rivals all spring and he came up big for them in the clutch on Sunday.
Antonio Pemberton, Mass Rivals
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Brewster Academy/Methuen, Mass.
Pemberton already has an offer from Rutgers, but it’s even clearer that he’s a high-major player after watching him this weekend. His pace, control, skill and shotmaking is unmatched by most players he’s on a court with, and he’s continuing to dominate while playing against older teams. Pemberton’s pull-up mid-range jumper was especially deadly this weekend. He had one of the most impressive stretches of the weekend in Sunday’s final, when he hit three consecutive pull-ups in Rivals’ comeback, including the final one that gave them a brief lead.
He knows exactly where he wants to go on the court for those jumpers. On Saturday, I saw Pemberton somehow find space between two defenders, then drill a fadeaway. He can get to the rim with the best of them, too, with supreme body control and smooth finishes. He was a joy to watch this weekend.
Mekhi Simmons, New England Storm
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
St. Paul’s/Waterbury, Conn.
Simmons is an athletic scoring guard who continued making winning plays throughout Saturday’s action, when he closed out a big win over Crown with his two-way impact. He ripped a steal away and converted a fast-break layup to put the game out of reach in the final minute, and he was consistently having success getting downhill, where he was crafty around the basket, showed his ability to hit turnaround pull-ups and put his teammates in positions to score. The rising senior is getting Patriot League and high-academic Division 3 interest.
