NPSI: Evans' Saturday Takeaways

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Some of the very best were on display at the National Prep School Invitational where a number of class of 2018 prospects have begun to put their high school playing careers to bed. We recap the day in Providence by highlighting the play of Notre Dame-bound Nate Laszewski, David Duke’s value at Providence, the future role of Cole Swider at Villanova and we gain greater respect for the rim protecting skills of Rivals150 junior Max Lorca.

Is there a better marriage between a 2018 prospect and a college program than Nate Laszewski and Notre Dame? I think not. The 6-foot-8 forward came out on fire Saturday hitting his first three perimeter attempts while also throwing down a highlight dunk in traffic in the first five minutes of his evening game. While he still has some time to go before he fills out entirely, Laszewski does not lack for toughness compared to others with a rather thin body type. Mike Brey, known for his open, free playing offense, should be the ideal head coach to get the best out of Laszewski.

The Northfield product finished with MVP honors thanks to his eight made 3-point jumpers, equating to 30 points. The top-75 senior continues to better his game and while the Irish have hit a road bump of late, Notre Dame fans should feel fine with the upcoming enrollment of Laszewski.

Headed to Villanova in the fall, Cole Swider did not start things off on a strong note Saturday. A 6-foot-8 forward that will likely fill the small ball 4-man’s role next year on the Main Line, Swider has never been one to shy away from competition. Facing off against Laszewski, Swider failed to score in the lane and couldn’t find his shot throughout his first 20 minutes of play. That was changed swiftly as he came out on fire, finishing with 27 second half points, buckets coming off of the catch and shoot, hard line drive and dunks, and put-back conversions.

Alongside Omari Spellman in the frontcourt next season, Swider should bring a bevy of versatility and toughness that has come to be the calling card for successful frontcourt prospects at Villanova. Thanks to the emergence of Mikal Bridges this season, Swider may have an immediate opportunity to show just how well-rounded but also willing he is to play whatever role that may be set out for him within the Big East program next winter.

The five-man for an absolutely loaded but also extremely well-coached Northfield Mount Hermon squad, Max Lorca has found his niche within head coach John Carroll’s system this winter and because of it, has flourished. While he will never be a go-to scorer on the block, Lorca is one of the better rim protectors in his 2019 graduating class. His instincts are off the charts and so is his quickness in getting off of his feet for the rebound attempt or finish. Blessed with tremendous length, a quality motor and the ability to play for long periods without needing a sub, Lorca continues to cement his standing as a Rivals150 prospect.

This winter, Lorca has visited Penn, Harvard and Georgetown, as he is hearing from the entire Ivy League and on a continual basis, as others including Baylor, Ohio State and Florida have remained in touch. In a rather down 2019 class, Lorca remains set to lead a high-major recruitment this summer finishing his travel career with the PSA Cardinals program.

On the adidas circuit, Akok Akok, a 6-foot-8 pogo stick of a forward, finished in the top-five of blocks and 3-point percentage; that is unique, something that we call a unicorn type of prospect. While he still has major room for growth, Akok displayed just how high his basketball ceiling is on Saturday nailing two catch and shoot jumpers, converting an impressive 12-foot runner off of the glass and more than holding his own around the basket as a rim protector and traffic rebounder.

Following his team’s win, Akok told Rivals that Providence, Louisville, Tulane, UConn and Texas Tech are just a few of the many that have done a good job recruiting him to date, as a visit to see Ed Cooley’s bunch is one that he hopes to take in the weeks ahead.

Providence has sneakily become one of the more consistent, winning programs on the east coast thanks to the workmanlike ability of Ed Cooley in getting the best out of his kids. While the Friars’ head coach is one of the better developers of talent, he has also evolved into a force on the recruiting front, the latest coup being David Duke. Needing to replace Big East assist leader Kyron Cartwright following this season, Duke looks more than ready to step in and take over the playmaking duties for the program.

A dominant on-ball defender with the size to guard multiple positions on the perimeter, Duke has not stopped improving. He finished his day with 12 points and seven assists, displaying everything that Cooley may be looking for in the fall: someone who can make others better and hopefully get the program to, what could be, their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Last month, 6-foot-3 guard Kyle Lofton took an official visit to St. Bonaventure, a trip that went smoothly and has the Bonnies in a good spot for the long and efficient facilitator. With the pressing need of replacing outgoing seniors Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley, Lofton would have the chance to step in and immediately stabilize a backcourt that will need an infusion on playmaking and scoring. However, head coach Mark Schmidt may have some competition on his hands and despite having to reschedule his visit to UMass this weekend, the Minutemen remain in a good spot and will likely host the Putnam product in the nearby future. Dayton is another that has begun to show interest as it looks like Lofton will play his college ball within the Atlantic 10; the next step is finding out the appropriate locale.

The younger brother of Providence freshman guard Makai Ashton-Langford, while the former top-50 guard was known for his downhill abilities with the basketball, his sibling is more of an explosive athlete that can be groomed into a lockdown wing defender. Holding a lone offer from Iona at this point in time, Demarr Langford takes pride in doing many of the smaller things for his Putnam Science Academy squad. Showcasing a college ready frame but just a sophomore in high school, Langford is far from a finished product but it does look as if he’s more than capable of being included within the Rivals150 in the years ahead.