WALTHAM, Mass. — The Summer Draft League was back to full strength at the perfect time.
Some teams were shorthanded the last two weeks because of players being out of town for the July live periods, but with the grassroots season now over, the league was more full as the playoffs began on Thursday night. Four first-round games in the Boys Elite Division – the league’s premier division – were played at Brandeis to tip off a sprint to the finish that culminates in the championship game on Aug. 13.
Team Nelson, the No. 3 seed, defeated 14-seed Team Carlson in a 69-66 thriller to start the night’s action, before No. 4 Team Francis edged No. 13 Team McGonagill, No. 5 Team Rosinski beat No. 12 Team Karpowicz by three and No. 11 Team Jones won over No. 6 Team Reddicks.
Here are eight standouts from the night Brandeis, ranging from promising prospects in the 2029, 2030 and 2031 classes.
Aviv Noah Augustin, Team Rosinski
Class of 2030, 6-1 guard
CATS Academy/Braintree, Mass.
Augustin was essentially unstoppable offensively. I estimated he had at least 30 points to lead his team to victory. He was living in the mid-range, highlighted by a stretch where he made at least four long jumpers in a row early in the second half. But as a bigger guard with speed and quickness, he also got to the rim plenty and put a ton of pressure on the interior with his downhill, physical and skilled drives. He has terrific body control and can finish with both hands.
Sean Carlson, Team Carlson
Class of 2030, 5-8 guard
Thayer/Weston, Mass.
I loved the competitiveness from Carlson, who did all he could to complete a comeback for his team – coached by his father and Thayer coach Evan Carlson – which trailed by double digits in the second half before they mounted a rally. Carlson made two huge late 3-pointers, the first to tie the game before drilling a go-ahead triple with two minutes left. The latter came on a sweet pump fake into a side-step dribble make from the wing. Carlson had at least 25 points – which included his team’s first eight of the game – and while he’s a terrific scorer, he had the ball on a string as an impressive ball-handler and delivered some great passes and assists, too. He has some really promising lead guard attributes.
Kaiden Fernandes, Team Reddicks
Class of 2030, 5-1 guard
Bridgewater, Mass.
Fernandes was one of the smallest players on the court Thursday night, but he was also among the most fearless and exciting to watch. His dribbling package and skillset is extensive, with an array of crossovers and moves in addition to high-level speed, quickness and change of directions that allows him to create separation. He made an amazing spin move between defenders that deserved a bucket, but he was otherwise effective at getting his shot off against bigger defenders, and he hit a few impressive fallaway jumpers. I was also impressed with his motor. He was active on the offensive glass and corralled several rebounds, including one where he finished a putback while in mid-air.
Jordani Fernandez, Team Francis
Class of 2031, 5-9 guard
Fessenden/Waltham, Mass.
Confidence was the word that kept coming to mind when watching Fernandez, who was always in control with the ball and unleashed a highlight reel of impressive plays. He’s an incredibly skilled ball-handler, super polished – especially for a Class of 2031 member – and already has a strong understanding and feel of footwork and how to break down defenders on the ball in 1-on-1 situations. He also made at least three 3-pointers – including a late go-ahead triple – several more from the mid-range and a few turnaround jumpers that demonstrated his impressive shooting touch. I’m buying early stock on Fernandez, whose offensive skillset is already really impressive.
Jamar Hightower, Team Nelson
Class of 2029, 5-10 guard
Boston College High School/Brockton, Mass.
Hightower was effectively the closer of Team Nelson’s dramatic win; after making an early impact on defense with multiple steals and scores, the guard made play after play down the stretch. He impressively split two defenders in transition that led to an assist, then he continuously got into the paint and put pressure on the defense, which included two plays where he jump stopped and used impressive footwork to hit turnaround jumpers. He made one on a go-ahead three-point play, then made a go-ahead free throw in the final minute.
Cullen Hughes, Team Rosinski
Class of 2029, 5-8 guard
Worcester Academy/West Boylston, Mass.
I thought Hughes was the unsung hero of Team Rosinski’s victory – he wasn’t the top scorer and he didn’t dominate the ball, but he made winning plays. I counted at least three offensive rebounds, and leading by one with under 90 seconds to go, he drilled a massive corner 3-pointer. That ended up being a key difference down the stretch in a two-point victory.
Isaiah Lys, Team Jones
Class of 2029, 5-11 guard
Rivers/Lowell, Mass.
Lys dominated from the opening tip of Team Jones’ eventual nine-point win over Team Reddicks in the nightcap, starting his performance with a swift reverse layup before creating damage on both ends of the court. He had at least three steals, played with a high motor defensively – including one play where he recorded a block at the rim before having the awareness to knock the ball off his opponent out of bounds – and he was terrific offensively. He continuously took good shots, played with patience and converted over and over in transition with his strong finishing ability and touch around the basket. He also attacked the glass for multiple offensive rebounds.
Max Ryan, Team Karpowicz
Class of 2029, 6-4 guard
Austin Prep/Melrose, Mass.
One of the best players in the league, Ryan returned from playing with BABC’s 15U 3SSB team and demonstrated why he’s one of the region’s most promising 2029s with his skill, size and shooting ability. He had a slow start shooting the ball Thursday, but he kept attacking the basket, drawing fouls and eventually got into a rhythm with his shot. He hit a step-back triple and that seemed to get him going, and he scored one mid-range bucket with a defender draped all over him. Ryan is a high-level shot creator who can get to his spots, uses jabs and pump fakes to keep defenders honest and has the ability to make difficult shots while getting to the basket with his strong drives and athleticism.
