The Evans Awards: National Prep Showcase

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

MORE FROM NPS: What we liked on Saturday | Teams that should feel good

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Some of the best prospects from the Northeast descended on New Haven this weekend for the National Prep Showcase. Recruits headed to Michigan State, Northeastern and UConn stood out during the event, along with a few other standouts that boosted their national stock.

We already knew that Malik Hall had the goods or he wouldn’t have been ranked in the top-50 of the Rivals150. However, he might be a bit underrated nationally considering the work that he has put in recently and his already premier talent. Hall is more athletic, even more skilled and continues to be capable of producing on both ends of the floor. Throw in the fact that he is going to a system that relies on frontcourt versatility and what you have with the future Michigan State product is a college-ready forward that is a face of the program type of guy in East Lansing.

Hassan Diarra walked into the National Prep Showcase with a decent college recruitment but college interest in him should skyrocket in the months ahead due to his toughness and grit. Bruised and scarred in his Friday evening matchup, Diarra actually had to leave his team’s game twice - once to get stitches - due to excessive bleeding. Nicks and gashes weren't going to hold him back as Diarra played with a purpose all weekend long and his team was better because of it. He is an all-league defender just waiting to happen and comes in your throwback Big East type that Jamie Dixon or Rick Pitino would have loved to have had in their backcourt.

It has to be Jalen Lecque. There were over a half of a dozen NBA scouts in attendance for both of Lecque’s games in Connecticut as he could be just the next to enter the NBA Draft without setting a foot on a college campus. A 6-foot-2 guard that is one of the most explosive prospects that has graced a prep playing floor in recent years, there was plenty of good with the New York native. His development as a playmaker has hit another gear as he threw a number of impressive passes on the go that he had failed to just see in the past. His jumper remains a work in progress but his competitive DNA, athleticism and ability to impact the game on either end remains intact. All that it takes is one franchise to fall in love with him as it is more of a 50-50 split as to whether Lecque will see the NC State campus next fall or instead try his hand at the professional realm.

Lester Quinones got it done in each of his games over the weekend and the most positive takeaway from those outings was his ability to take the right shot instead of settling like he had at time in the past. Friday, Quinones had it all on tap as he hit four of his eight perimeter attempts leading to 30 points. The following day, Quinones was in attack mode, getting to the foul line 12 times and notching 20 points. He has remained adamant about not signing until April and while LSU would love nothing more than to end things this week, if he does stick to his plans, expect for a heavy contingent of name brand programs to enter the picture during the winter months.

James Bouknight's commitment was a coup for the Huskies, though it did not feel as such at the moment. Hindered some by minor injuries in the past, Bouknight is at full strength now which is a giant problem for his opposition. He can make shots to the perimeter, convert on difficult attempts in the lane and also distribute as a secondary playmaker. On Sunday, he finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Bouknight looks primed for college stardom and he's the perfect starting point to help Dan Hurley restore the culture in Storrs.

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Having already created a solid profile on the international platform this summer at the FIBA U18 European Championship with his native Russian unit, Pavel Zakharov is not a hidden, unknown name. Now, after being in the United States for three months, Zakharov is beginning to get his bearings down which is bad news for those are asked to stop the near 7-footer. His hands are as good as gold and so is his toughness, interior scoring abilities and passing skills. He put it all together on Sunday and logged 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Slated to be a member of the 2020 class, Zakharov wasn’t too comfortable speaking about his recruitment but, behind closed doors, much of the talk has surrounded the Gonzaga Bulldogs program where he would immediately find a comfortable landing spot thanks to his diverse skillset and high energy play.

Optimism reigns supreme in the early signing period as programs see the fruits of their labor play out with the work that they had invested on the recruiting trail. That definitely should be the case at Northeastern this fall as the Huskies should be celebrating the pledge of Tyson Walker. He is undersized but makes up for it with his speed, grit, defense and floor setting skills. There is a lot to like about Walker and his steady production was impressive over the weekend. Walker averaged 16 points, 5.5 assists and five rebounds in Connecticut and should be a rock-steady option at lead guard for Northeastern.