Newfoundland Basketball on the Rise + NPH Showcase Top Performers
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For the second year in a row, the MVP of the East Coast #NPHShowcase came out of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland Basketball on the Rise
Last year it was Cole Long, and this time around, 2017 point guard Jason Thompson (Bishops) impressed throughout the three-day camp.
“He caught my attention on day one, and I watched him throughout the weekend, he worked every rep of every work out. He took it seriously,” explained Head Trainer Kyle Julius.
Newfoundland basketball is inclining and has been for the last couple of years, due to a passionate basketball community with coaches and players that are dedicated to hard work and development.
I remember watching Team Newfoundland at Nationals several years ago, and thought to myself, “man, these kids COMPETE.”
Not only that, but they are also very fundamentally sound and disciplined.
Although only a population of about half a million lives on “The Rock” you will be hearing about many names in future years that will be impacting college basketball both in Canada and the U.S.
Carl English would be the recent “big name” to come out of the most Eastern part of Canada, but surely not the last.
North Pole Hoops is very excited for the region, and will continue to keep an eye out on Newfoundland.
R.I.P Mark Jackman
Sad news came out of the Newfoundland basketball community early in the week, as word came through from NPH Showcase campers that knew Mark.
18-year old Mark Jackman, a high school basketball player at Gonzaga was killed in a car crash on Wednesday.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and community.
Uncommitted Guards
Levi Smith & Johneil Johnson are two uncommitted senior point guards that will likely take a post-grad year, reclassifying to 2016.
Smith and Johnson are both fresh off a provincial championship with perennial East Coast power Auburn Drive.
Levi is a distributor, who displayed a polished skill set at camp. Johnson plays both on and off the ball and is blessed with freakish athleticism, as illustrated by the video below.
Under the radar guards that will make a post-secondary program happy, whether that be this year or next.
Will Njoku, Chris Johnson Give Back to NEXT Generation
Will Njoku (SMU | Drafted by Indiana Pacers) and Chris Johnson (St Bonaventure | PRO Germany) are two great examples of players from Atlantic Canada that have played at a high level.
Both were in attendance at the NPH Showcase, sharing their stories and providing instruction to the next generation of East Coast prospects.
Young Gun Stand Outs
- Caleb Sooley (2019 SG)
- Finn Larkin (2019 PG)
- D’Ondre Williams (2018 G)
- Demeric Mercer (2018 G)
- Caleb Johnson (2019 G)
Most Improved
Both Duggan NIckerson-Fox and Zach Middleton are NPH Showcase alumni, who have shown major progress that must be recognized.
- Duggan Nickerson-Fox -Has improved strength significantly along with skill set. With another year of similar development, DNF will raise his stock to another level. A prospect for CIS programs to keep tabs on.
- Zach Middleton – Lefty sniper, lost 30 pounds in the last eight months and has shown a commitment to the game and development.
