The National Prep Showcase took place this past weekend in New Haven, Connecticut, and it brought in some of the top prep programs throughout the east coast. A few of the better signed senior recruits like Omari Spellman and Deriante Jenkins suited up but it was guys like Marcus Ottey and Levi Cook, those coming in the uncommitted variety, that displayed quality worth and production for colleges remaining in the hunt for 2016 recruits.

MARCUS OTTEY, G, SPIRE INSTITUTE, 2016: No one had a better weekend from beginning to end than Marcus Ottey. The 5-foot-10 guard is a super explosive lefty guard that gets downhill with the basketball in a hurry and sure doesn’t shy away from contact whenever it is evident. While he isn’t the greatest shooter in the world, Ottey can knock down open jumpers but he seems best suited attacking the basket. In his final outing on Sunday afternoon in Connecticut, the Canadian guard finished with 38 points in a very efficient manner, which should bodes well for his open recruitment at the current moment.

LEVI COOK, C, ELEV8 BASKETBALL ACADEMY, 2016: The big man, who was originally committed to West Virginia, had two great showing over the weekend after getting back onto the floor for the first time for over several months because of an ACL injury. Cook noted that he has lost 50 pound and he looks a lot more springy and mobile in running the floor and in producing within traffic in the paint. Cook had it all going in a quick spurt on Sunday where he nailed three turnaround jumpers from the short corner and then hit on two catch and shoot attempts from 17-feet. One of the best big men available on the east coast, the West Virginia native showed a lot of value in Connecticut at the 5-spot on the floor.

ROBERT MARTIN, SF, TILTON ACADEMY, 2016:  Martin had just one game at the NPS event this past weekend but he sure didn’t let the heightened platform get away from him. While Martin doesn’t have a true position on the floor, the Pennsylvania native just does so many things for his squad that it is difficult to not respect what he brings to the hardwood. He plays with no ego, has gotten much more athletic and explosive in the lane, and comes up with loads of rebounds. Despite the loss, Martin finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds and looks like a solid recruit for some of the better academic programs on the east coast this winter.

KOUAT NOI, F, MONTVERDE PREP, 2016: With programs like LSU, FGCU, and VCU showing interest, Kouat Noi eclipsed the 20-point barrier in both of his outings over the weekend and displayed toughness and a motor in doing so. The Australian forward has worked on his jumper some but is most comfortable slicing to the basket off the catch from out top. He seems to be all over the place and gets into great spots off the ball for catch and finishes at the basket. Noi is a pest on the glass and although his squad went down in defeat on Sunday, the Montverde Prep star finished with 25 points and six rebounds and is a guy that can play either forward spot at the next level.

ALEEM FORD, F, IMG ACADEMY, 2016: A very versatile and fluid athlete out of the frontcourt, Ford had a lot of the coaches in attendance scratching their heads in attempting to find out who the Peach State native really is. Standing at 6-foot-7, the senior recruit is a pick and pop forward who can put the ball on the floor some and comes up with his fair share of rebounds on the offensive glass. He has deceptive ball skills within the half-court setting and with a lackluster recruitment thus far, Ford displayed enough long-term potential that might allow for more college programs to get involved with him in the nearby future.

LEWIS FREEMAN, SG, FORK UNION MILITARY ACADEMY, 2016: Entering the event with just interest from UVA-Wise and Marist, Lewis Freeman was quite the impressive off guard at the Albertus Magnus gymnasium. Built with long arms, a solid physique, and some explosion off his left foot at the basket, Freeman scored the ball efficiently and in various ways all throughout both of his contests. He never forces the issue and displays a quality, balanced jumper that he can hit with range and consistency out to beyond the 3-point line. A native of the Hampton Roads region out of southern Virginia, Freeman is a promising scoring guard who can dabble in a little bit of everything in the backcourt who should see a better recruitment in the coming weeks.

RECRUITING ROUND-UP

Tilton star Robert Martin mentioned offers from Bryant, UNC-Greensboro, and Jacksonville, with further interest coming from Rice.

Coming into the weekend with a mid-level recruitment, Spire guard Marcus Ottey mentioned offers from Valparaiso, UIC, Detroit, Toledo, American, and New Mexico State, with further interest from VCU, UTEP, Virginia Tech, and UNLV.

Elev8 big man Levi Cook is currently hearing the most from Virginia Tech, Providence, FIU, and Long Island.

Programs like Richmond, Ohio, Hofstra, and USC Upstate are currently involved with IMG forward Aleem Ford.