Sunday was the third and final day of the NEPSAC Showcase, featuring a shorter slate of games with many of the New York and New Hampshire teams back at their campuses. While there wasn’t the same volume of games, the quality only got stronger as teammates began to get familiar with each other and the coaches implemented schemes. The games themselves were closer, bringing out the competitive edge in every prospect. But the true purpose of day three is to show scouts how you rebound from the grind of playing multiple games already over the weekend, and empty the tank to leave a lasting impression. These three Syracuse recruits definitely made an impression that the Orange staff will take with them on the 350-mile trip back to the dome:
Jaxson Terry, CATS Academy, 2026
I had the opportunity to watch Terry each day at the showcase, and his early-morning performance against the Darrow School today was his best from Babson College. Facing a team with multiple talented opposing scorers, Terry patrolled the inside exceptionally well. When he was asked to cover a guard, he let his footwork do the talking and gave a quality closeout while also positioning himself to recover if there happened to be a pass inside. He altered shots that otherwise would’ve been easy layups and won every “Tip drill” rebound. After grabbing a rebound in the first half, Terry bolted down the side to jumpstart a fastbreak for his team. He made a nice dribble-move at the basket to evade a defender and score, with this energetic play then catapulting his squad to a 7-0 run. Terry used screens to find mismatches for himself; When he located a mismatch, he went to the paint and confidently called for the ball. This allowed him to show off his magic hat full of post-moves and fadeaways. He closed the game for CATS by scoring four paint points in the last two minutes and causing a turnover on the press. Terry attended Syracuse’s Elite Camp last summer, displaying the Orange’s clear interest. His top offers are from Big East programs such as Providence and Xavier.
Antonio Pemberton, Brewster Academy, 2027
Electric doesn’t even begin to describe Pemberton’s perfomance. He excelled as the primary ball handler and the leader of the transition offense. Pemberton, after receiving the ball from his forward, immediately begins to push the ball up the floor and attack. He understands that fastbreak opportunities are precious; He made the most out of every one of them today by forcing the defenders towards him and then feeding a teammate for an easy bucket. His playstyle can tire out an opposing defense. In the second half, Pemberton knocked down various mid range shots against defenders one on one. He has a nice package of dribble moves combined with a fluid shot. He is able to set the tempo of a game and keep defenders guessing with his array of playmaking abilities. Pemberton has a dynamic year-round recruiting stage, playing on a nationally ranked Brewster team that just graduated a player to Duke. He currently holds Rutgers, Oklahoma State, and Maryland offers as a rising junior. Syracuse has expressed a lot of interest and was in attendance for multiple Brewster games this weekend.
Tavin Penix, Winchendon School, 2027
In his debut weekend with the Winchendon School, Penix had his most dominant game on Sunday. He was comfortable in both off-ball and on-ball situations, and stayed aggressive throughout the game. Despite being listed as a guard, Penix usually defended opposing big men and forced a few turnovers by poking the ball free on a post up attempt. He drove into the paint with a clear purpose; He was rewarded with hard-nosed buckets or trips to the free throw line. When Penix did match up against a bigger player in the paint, he used various spin moves to pivot himself towards other options and keep the possession alive for his team. Penix moves to a larger recruiting stage with Winchendon, and will continue to play NEPSAC teams year round. He had Albany and Marist as his top offers before, but his play in this weekend’s showcase has given him another division one offer in Stonehill. As a Syracuse local and a member of the Syracuse Hoop Roots AAU team, he has ties with the Orange that will keep him on their radar. I expect Penix to quickly become a household name in the recruiting world as he begins his junior season with Winchendon.
While there are more recruiting events later in the summer, attention begins to turn back to the current Syracuse squad as players arrive on campus for summer practices. Winning is the best negotiator in the recruiting process, and Coach Autry looks to bring the Orange back to their winning ways with a reloaded squad for this upcoming season. However, it was important that Syrcuse had eyes on some of the northeast’s best prospects this weekend. Syracuse will surely be in the mix for these top players. Now, the countdown until preseason basketball begins!
