MEDFIELD, Mass. — Last year, Medfield girls basketball coach Mark Nickerson launched the first Eastern Mass. Showcase as an attempt to put some of the state's top MIAA talent on display for college coaches. A driving motivator for Nickerson: to show MIAA athletes that they can receive college exposure, including to Division 1 schools, without having to leave for NEPSAC.
The first go-round went well by all accounts. But Nickerson leveled up the event — now the Eastern New England Showcase — this year. Twenty-four stars from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island took the court for a 40-minute game open to spectators and streamed live on the Medfield HUDL account.
"I talked to the girls briefly before they went into the classroom pregame, and I just said, 'I don't call this an All-Star game for a reason. All-Star games tend to be fluffy. People are just showboating and firing up shots,'" Nickerson said. "I said, 'I want you to compete hard. This is a showcase. You're supposed to be showing people how good you are. And it's not just about scoring; it's about defending, rebounding and passing, moving the ball quickly, all that stuff."
Here are 10 standouts from the showcase.
