September was quite the month in boys basketball recruiting around New England.
After a bit of a slow summer in which only a handful of boys made their college pledges, it really picked up steam over the last month. With the grassroots season over, many seniors across the region used August and September to begin their official college visits, and several proceeded to announce their commitments over the course of September. Some did so in a concerted effort to get it over with before the season starts so that the decision isn’t hanging over them during the fall and winter.
Some of the biggest names from New England came off the board in September. Keyshuan Tillery, the electric point guard entering this third season at New Hampton, announced his commitment to Cincinnati. St. Thomas More star London Jemison (Bloomfield, Conn.) is heading to Alabama. Phillips Exeter sharpshooter Ryder Frost (Beverly, Mass.) committed to Notre Dame last week.
There was a lot to keep up with during a busy month when it seemed like there was a new commitment every day. Here are five thoughts I have from boys recruiting in September.
Ebuka Okorie is a steal for Harvard
Soon after he made his official visit, Ebuka Okorie (Nashua, N.H.) committed to Harvard on Sept. 24. I love this pickup for the Crimson. Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker, a former point guard himself, has a long history of recruiting talented guards to Cambridge, and Okorie is the type of high IQ, smart point guard who should excel with him. It’s a great fit.
I also think it’s a steal for Harvard. There’s a feeling that Okorie, who transferred to Brewster Academy’s national team for his final high school season, was under-recruited. At just 6 feet tall and not particularly big, Okorie’s size was probably the biggest reason he didn’t get more interest. But his coaches say that his basketball IQ, feel for the game and ability to impact winning has always been ahead of his peers. And now, his body is starting to catch up to his skills.
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James Cormier, Okorie’s head coach at Cushing for the last three years, has watched the guard’s development closely. When he met him in the eighth grade, Okorie was “really small.” But his mental gifts and hunger to learn the game made up for it. Cormier remembers times when Okorie isolated himself at lunch, watching full games to understand the full context and nuances of the sport. He’s committed to his craft, whether it’s studying the game or initiating his own workouts.
“I think Ebuka is truly driving the bus,” Cormier said. “He really wants to be great.”
Okorie’s advanced mental capacity separated him, and that area only grew because he couldn’t rely on his physical traits. His game matured, too. He went up against players older than him, even at 14 years old, and held his own. Leo Papile, his coach at BABC, says now that he checks all the boxes as a complete player – a standout distributor, scorer and defender, in addition to his leadership qualities and emerging skills as a dangerous shooter. Cormier said Okorie struggled defensively early on because of his size. He now excels on that end with the combination of him getting bigger and his quickness to bother opposing guards – something he believes colleges undervalued in his recruitment. As Okorie’s body, game and mind continue to develop, his remaining potential is through the roof.
“I think Ebuka is probably the most underrated prospect that I’ve coached in the last five or six years,” Cormier said.
The right fit for Alex Wilkins
Alex Wilkins, Brooks’ 6-foot-5 star point guard, chose to commit to Furman on Sept. 13 over a list of finalists that included mid-majors in Davidson and Duquesne. The Boston, Mass. native told New England Basketball Journal that among other things, he prioritized his relationships with the coaching staff. He wasn’t just saying that.
Wilkins, in many ways, is mature beyond his years. He’s a very talented point guard who could go to schools – both at the high school and college level – that are perceived to be better than where he is. Brooks head coach Kenya Jones said that after last season, he met with Wilkins to discuss the possibility of the guard moving up to a higher class in NEPSAC. Wilkins cut him off, telling him he wasn’t going anywhere.
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There’s a feeling from the outside that Wilkins could have gone to a bigger college with more exposure than Furman. But his values are different. Wilkins’ maturity and leadership qualities have struck Jones.
“I’ve had some people ask me, ‘Why did he choose Furman? He could have gone higher than Furman,’” Jones said. “Well, the kid looked at it and said, I want a place where I have a great relationship with the coaches, where I can improve, where I’m going to get minutes, where I feel comfortable. All of it. … He had so many offers. He sat and sifted through all of them. He’s incredibly, incredibly thoughtful.
“… He doesn’t play video games. His mind is just on school and basketball. There are no distractions. He looks you in the eye. He’s the first to shake your hand. I’ve been here for 18 years; I’m not sure if I’ve ever come across a kid that has that all together.”
Ryder Frost’s familiar trajectory
Ryder Frost’s rise from a lightly recruited Division 1 prospect last summer to Notre Dame commitment last Friday is impressive, and his path reminds me of two current NBA players from New England who have been in his shoes.
Like Frost, Pat Connaughton and Duncan Robinson’s basketball roots were developed under Michael Crotty on the Middlesex Magic. Connaughton also went to play at Notre Dame, while Robinson played a postgraduate prep school season at Phillips Exeter, where Frost is now a senior after leading them to a Class A title last season.
Robinson’s rapid rise from Division 3 Williams College to the NBA is well-documented, and Frost’s development somewhat mirrors that ascension. The Beverly, Mass. was barely being recruited at the Division 1 level last summer and he cracked the national recruiting rankings last month. Robinson and Frost’s shooting ability certainly mirror each other. Frost shot an absurd 45 percent from deep on the AAU circuit this summer.
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If Frost eventually makes it to the NBA like Connaughton and Robinson, it will be because of that elite shooting ability. That’s a long way away, but it’s certainly a possibility given his ability and continued work ethic that has gotten him to this point, and that should only grow at the college level.
“He’s got Duncan Robinson aspirations,” Crotty said on the HoopWise podcast last month. “He wants to be a shooter of that ilk. Like, I think that guy can shoot the ball for a long time and be a great player and play as a pro afterwards.”
As for Connaughton, Frost told me that they have met before and was hopeful to connect with him again after he made his Notre Dame commitment.
A big month for New Hampton
New Hampton has high hopes in 2025 with their eyes firmly set on a NEPSAC Class AAA championship. But September allowed the program an early chance to celebrate, as their big three of Keyshuan Tillery, Mason Blackwood and Nasir Meyer each committed to colleges.
Tillery – ranked No. 48 by ESPN – is heading to Cincinnati, where his reputation as a tough, two-way guard will fit in well at a school known for its scrappy, hard-nosed players. Blackwood committed to Penn State, where the 6-foot-7 wing should fit well in head coach Mike Rhoades’ system.
Meyer is lesser known than those two, but his decision was interesting. The long 6-foot-7 guard committed to Wyoming despite offers from bigger name schools like Marquette, Xavier and Arizona State. A late bloomer, Meyer should have the opportunity to play big minutes right away for the Mountain West school.
Who’s left?
While September was hot, there are still some notable names from New England still on the board. Kelvin Odih (Providence, R.I.), who transferred from South Kent to SoCal Academy, recently visited Rutgers and his decision is still pending. Brewster’s Dwayne Aristode, who recently visited Duke, hasn’t decided, either.
Of course, all eyes will continue to watch AJ Dybantsa (Brockton, Mass.), who has now gone on four of the six visits he scheduled for this summer and fall. He visited Alabama last weekend and was in attendance for the Crimson Tide’s epic football win over Georgia, and he has upcoming visits to Baylor and BYU over the next two weekends.
Alabama is an intriguing option. Preston Murphy, one of Dybantsa’s former coaches at Expressions Elite, is an assistant at Alabama and was in pictures from Dybantsa’s visit. The Tide also have had recent success developing wings into NBA players, including Brandon Miller. If Dybantsa cuts his finalists down again, I would expect Alabama to make the cut. I wonder if fellow New Englander and Expressions alum London Jemison, who committed to Alabama on Sept. 21, is recruiting Dybantsa to join him?
Dybantsa is still expected to make a college decision in February.
