As Providence and the rest of the college basketball world close out the regular season over the next two weeks, playoffs will also take place for high school and prep teams over the next month.
We have covered Providence’s class of 2022 signees (Jayden Pierre, Quante Berry, and Christ Essandoko) rather extensively over the past six months, but today we’ll focus on some of the emerging New England prospects to keep an eye on. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of every local player the Providence staff is recruiting, but to highlight a few impressive players in the deep classes of 2023 and 2024 in New England.
While much of the focus this spring will be on the transfer market, it will be interesting to track how PC benefits on the recruiting trail from the outstanding season they are experiencing.
Probably the highest profile local recruit that Providence is frequently mentioned with is Brewster Academy’s Taylor Bowen. Bowen is a 6’9 five star wing prospect who was on PC’s campus twice in October, and returned in January to see the Friars host Marquette (a high level game played in front of a great crowd).
Bowen recently called Providence “kind of a second home” and shared that he has been training with Corey Wright Jr. — the son of Corey Wright, who played on PC’s 1997 Elite Eight squad. Bowen, Wright Jr. and another outstanding 2023 prospect in Gavin Griffiths, out of Connecticut, visited PC together in the fall. Bowen has spoken of how much he would enjoy playing with Griffiths (his summer teammate with Expressions) at the next level. Griffiths is a top 70 player in his own right.
Bowen’s Brewster team is, once again, filled with talent. Another 2023 Brewster product to keep an eye on is 6’6 Reid Ducharme. Ducharme possesses the skill and shooting ability expected of someone who has grown up in a big-time basketball family. He is a sharpshooter who plays with BABC in the spring and summer.
According to Brewster head coach Jason Smith, both Ducharme and Bowen are averaging over 25 minutes a game and scoring in double figures this season. Smith added that both are doing well in the classroom. PC has offered Ducharme a scholarship.
Vermont Academy has a potentially big-time prospect in combo guard Andre Mills. Mills is a class of 2024 prospect, and Vermont Academy head coach John Zall shared how productive Mills has been at the highest level of NEPSAC basketball (AAA): “(He is) extremely focused — improving his ball skills and shooting daily. Through 18 games he is second on our team in scoring at 16.5 PPG, (and averages) 4.4 RPG. He has made the most threes on our team (36) and has the most steals (32).”
Zall noted that there is only one other player in the class of 2024 that starts at the AAA level. Vermont Academy has a chance to end up anywhere from the third to the seventh seed in the upcoming playoffs, with a team starting four underclassmen.
Mills will have a chance to surpass Brooklyn Nets guard Bruce Brown’s school scoring record (over 1600 points) before he graduates.
Vin Pastore has taken over what is now a very competitive team in Bradford Christian Academy (MA). His group features a pair of class of 2024 stars with Providence offers in Kur Teng and George Turkson. Teng is ranked 31st in the recently released 247 Sports rankings for the class of ‘24. Turkson isn’t far behind at 63rd.
The 6’4 Teng is a Manchester, NH native, while Turkson hails from Lowell, MA.
Teng was recently featured on 247 Sports and spoke of his impressions of Providence.
Bradford Christian has a pair of upperclassmen that PC followers could get to know over the next couple of years in Brown commit AJ Lesburt and point guard Sam Kodi, who visited Bryant last week, according to Pastore.
Bradford Christian is 20-5 on the year.
Teng, Turkson, and Mills will all be coached by Pastore and Brimmer and May head coach Tom Nelson with Mass Rivals this spring and summer. Nelson, a former guard at Holy Cross, coached AJ Reeves in high school and has long been his mentor.
Nelson picked up the 100th win of his career over the weekend, and is leading a Brimmer team that should reach the NEPSAC AA playoffs with a 9-5 conference record.
Two of Nelson’s most recent products are Gianni Thompson, a freshman at Boston College, and point guard Kyrell Luc at Holy Cross. The 5’10 Luc has been a bit of a revelation for Holy Cross, as he was just named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the fifth time. The 5’10 lefty can really score.
Nelson’s latest Brimmer player to keep an eye on? 6’9 stretch four Bryce Dortch out of Somerville, MA. Dortch, also a member of the class of 2024, is an athletic big who could very well become a high major player. Nelson describes the developing Dortch as long, very mobile when running the floor, and capable of putting the ball on the deck. Dortch and Nelson were recently at the Dunkin Donuts Center to see Reeves and the Friars.
great read!