The National Prep School Invitational is always one of the last chances that we get to see some of the best go at it throughout the course of a string of days before the travel season begins. This year was nothing out of the norm and with the very best prep programs and even a few from overseas competing at the Murray Center, located on the campus at Rhode Island College, much was learned. Chol Marial may be the best in 2019, Lauri Makkanen is going to be a major problem for Pac-12 foes, and a few other nuggets were picked up along the way.

CHOL MARIAL SHOWS IMMENSE UPSIDE

There just aren’t many like Chol Marial. The 7-foot-3 center, by way of South Sudan, looked every bit the part of a future star at the highest of levels. Just a freshman at this time, the competitive big man doesn’t quite have the strength just yet, though it doesn’t stop him from banging down low for positioning, setting the tone within the interior, and also running the floor with great quickness in finishing with powerful dunks.

Guys always pop out of the woodwork but already it would seem that the 2019 class looks to be one that is full of top of the line talent. No one may have a higher ceiling or better potential than Marial as the Cheshire Academy prospect competes with an elite motor, shows off absurd length at the 5-spot, is very quick near the basket, and most of all, can use either hand in the paint on rebounds, shot blocks, and hook moves. Recently moving up to the New England region a few months back where he was originally slated to finish out his first year in the high school ranks down in the Sunshine State, Marial will be an elite, blueblood recruit one day soon. He rebounds the ball, can face up and shoot out to the 17-foot line, and is someone who changes the outset of any given contest because of his length and motor down low. Put it all together and Marial has the makings of one of the more unique prospects that the prep ranks has seen for some time now.

LAURI MARKKANEN IS A MAJOR ISSUE

While the class in tow headed to Arizona in the fall may not be as deep compared to past years, one should not question just how good and productive that Lauri Markkanen, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Finland, is and will be in college. An agile big man who works well out of the high elbow and short corner region, Markkanen was able to display the entire package of abilities this past weekend in Providence.

With the graduations of three men in the frontcourt, Markkanen may be depended upon early on by Sean Miller and his staff. The Finnish big man is one of the most polished amateur ballplayers around where he is even ambidextrous to a certain extent from 15-feet and in. He can score over either shoulder in the lane and even hit on an off-handed, running hook shot during one of his games at Rhode Island College. He has a go-to turn and face jumper that he can hit contested and is a quality and accurate passer of the ball whenever the double team comes down onto him. He wore out as the week progressed and gaining further strength in the coming months and years will be a major focus of his. Regardless, Markkanen is an elite recruit within the 2016 class and if he were to play out his high school ball in the United States, he would have been an easy McDonalds All-American selection and a guy that could be seen within most top-10 rankings.

CHEICKNA DEMBELE PRESENTS HIS CASE

Every winter, a few seniors escape out of the relative abyss and become highly monitored and pursued prospects. This past weekend in Providence, it was Cheickna Dembele, a 6-foot-10 big man at Scotland Performance Institute, that did all of that and more.

A native of Mali and having imported his talents to the United States just five months ago, there was little known about the big man, that is until this past weekend. The SPI star still isn’t a finished product, but then again, who is at this stage of the game? He definitely doesn’t lack a motor as he runs the floor very well from rim to rim and has quality hands on catches in the post and on rebounds within traffic. Where he really impressed was in his back to the rim skillset. Dembele didn’t score with his off-hand until the final few moments of his second outing, yet his counter moves and converting skills over his left shoulder with the righty hook is pristine. He even nailed a mid-range jumper from off the turn and rip and changed a number of shots on the defensive end. After his first session on Saturday, Iowa State became the first high-major program to offer Dembele as it seems that it might just be the beginning for a high-level recruitment these next few weeks and months for the Mali native.

NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON IS LOADED

It’s a bit amusing the amount of talent that head coach John Carroll has accumulated at Northfield Mount Hermon. Once a feeder program for many of the Ivy League programs nearby, the prep program has now gone the extra mile in bringing in some of the better student-athletes to its campus. Not only can each and every ballplayer at NMH qualify for some of the more premier academic schools nationwide, several of those can also compete at the highest level of college basketball.

Last year, Josh Sharma and Aaron Falzon graduated and took their talents to Stanford and Northwestern respectively. This year, AJ Brodeur seems to be the catalyst for the bunch and while he is already slated to attend the University of Pennsylvania next year, there is no doubt that the 6-foot-8 forward could help several high-major programs in the future. On a roster that goes 12-men deep at the very least, NMH comes at you in waves. They won both of their contests over the weekend by 20 points or more and eclipsed 80 points on the scoreboard in each outing.

Ian Sistare is one of the better and toughest guys still available at the off-guard spot within the New England region within the 2016 class but the 2017 class is where the depth and star power comes from. Headlined by Kellan Grady, the top-100 guard is joined by Jerome Desrosiers, Tomas Murphy, Chuck Hannah, Andrew Platek, and Matt DeWolf, all of whom lead quality recruitments at the mid-major level on up. The younger classes bring further production with the likes of sophomore guard Akeil Shakoor and one of the better upside guys in 2018 with 6-foot-7 forward Nate Laszewski. Throw in Max Lorca, who may have the greatest potential as a college prospect as a member of the 2019 class, and man, this group is entertaining to watch, they talk on each and every possession, and are one of the hardest playing bunches nationwide.

BRUCE BROWN’S ALPHA MENTALITY

Jim Larranaga and his Miami basketball program is having another quality season and is handling the gantlet that is the ACC pretty well as it sits within the top-four of the league. There is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks headed into tournament play but questions do arise looking ahead to next year. In particular, Miami loses its two-headed monster in the backcourt with Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez, giving a great opportunity for others to step up next winter. However, Bruce Brown might be that guy who fills in alongside Ja’Quan Newton as a monster duo in the backcourt chock full of versatility, size, and toughness.

Over the weekend, Brown did what he always has done: win. There is no other way to describe the 6-foot-2 guard better than stating that he is someone who can will his squad to victory. After landing MVP honors after the completion of his first contest in Providence behind 26 points on the scoreboard, the Vermont Academy senior did it again the following day, less than 20 hours later, in a double-overtime victory over a very pesky and guard-loaded Cheshire bunch. He didn’t have his best on tap on Sunday but he continued to fight and claw, which led to a game-clinching and-1 finish with his off-hand at the basket. While there is some debate over what Brown’s long-term spot is at the next level and beyond, what isn’t in question is just how productive that the future Hurricane is. He is a premier perimeter rebounder of the basketball, has tweaked his jumper some in hitting off of pull-ups out to beyond the arc, and was his typical, hard-nosed self on the drive and finish at the basket. Miami fans need-not be afraid because Brown is on his way.