Live from Babson College: Kur Teng and Bryce Dortch Impress in the Scholar Roundball Classic
The NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) AA is loaded with high major prospects this season, highlighted by the likes of Worcester Academy duo TJ Power (Duke commit) and Tre Norman (Marquette), and Papa Kante from South Kent (Michigan) in the class of 2023.
Power had been on the radar of high major coaches forever, and his stock really took off after Worcester Academy won the AA title last March, followed up by an outstanding spring and summer shooting and playmaking for BABC on the Nike EYBL circuit. Power is The New England Recruiting Report’s top player in the class of 2023 from the region, edging out Tennessee commit JP Estrella and Florida State pledge Taylor Bowen — both of Brewster Academy.
New England’s 2024 class has all sorts of upside — and a lot of the best players in the class took to the floor on Sunday night at the Scholar Roundball Classic at Babson College.
All four are Mass Rivals teammates — Kur Teng and George Turkson of Bradford Christian Academy (BCA), and Bryce Dortch and Andre Mills from Brimmer and May. Both BCA and Brimmer are led by Mass Rivals coaches, with Vin Pastore leading a BCA team that fell on a last-second shot against Worcester Academy in the NEPSAC AA title game last March. Long-time Brimmer and May head coach Tom Nelson may have his most well-rounded group yet, highlighted by 6’8 Dortch and the addition of the explosive Mills.
I wrote about these four prospects last February, and again when they took home an Adidas title in July.
Teng, a top 30-40 player nationally in the class of 2024, possesses an offensive game that is equal parts mature and beauty. It’s rare to find a player at this stage who is just so comfortable from the mid-range and beyond the arc. Teng comes off screens like a player five years his elder, and simply doesn’t miss when left open. Providence was in on Teng early, but Michigan State appears to be making a major push. Teng visited East Lansing earlier this fall, and On3.com called the Spartans a “heavy favorite” for him earlier this week.
Tom Izzo and his staff were on the campus of Babson on Sunday night to see Teng. They had to have been impressed with his 18 point first half performance, that included 4-4 shooting from deep. His mid-range game is just lethal.
The eye-opener for me was Brimmer junior Bryce Dortch. With way the game is trending now, the 6’8 Dortch is going to be really valuable at the next level due to his length and skill with the ball in his hands. I had seen him a week prior, but on Sunday night Dortch was on a different level — getting into the lane consistently and finishing on loud dunks and nifty layups. He ended his night with 19 points.
The athletic Mills has been a welcomed addition to Brimmer after spending last year at Vermont Academy. The lefty is a competitor and an above average athlete. He threw down a vicious one-handed dunk in transition.
Turkson’s game is built on defense and toughness, and seems tailor-made for the Big East. His development over the next two years will be well worth following. He flashed his mid-range game on Sunday.
Below is Sunday night’s game condensed to five minutes. Others to keep an eye on are Northwestern commit Jordan Clayton and Maine commit Isaac Bonilla of BCA and Quinn Nelson, Brimmer and May’s 6’10 center who is headed to The Citadel.
BCA Roster: #0 Drew Brander, #2 Jayden Colon, #4 Umari Seney, #5 Isaac Bonilla, #10 Sean Njenga, #11 George Turkson, #13 Jordan Clayton, #15 Owen Crowley, #24 Kur Teng, #25 Jed Maina, #30 Anthony Troncellito
B&M Roster: #1 Ta'quan Williams, #2 Andre Mills, #3 Bryce Dortch, #5 Daemon Thomas, #21 21 Windston Legentus, #11 11 Xoren Livingston, #12 12 Ryan Hurst, #15 15 Edrick Quezada, #23 Elijah Kinney, #24 Cam Thorton, #34 Quinn Nielsen
Great to have random recruiting articles like this ! Keep up the solid work!