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The Putnam Science Academy girls' team, left, and boys' team, above, in the "open gym." Courtesy photos.
Both the boys' and girls' basketball programs have been on the court for open gyms at Putnam Science Academy for close to two weeks, and one thing is jumping out to the players.
“My first impression was the amount of talent we have,” said Bulgaria native Ines Goryanova, one of Devin Hill’s top newcomers. “So many people can contribute to the team and that’s what makes us better.”
“These first couple of weeks, I think they passed my expectations because I didn’t know the (open gyms) were going to be as competitive and as challenging as they are,” said Duane Thompson, who at 16-years-old is one of the youngest and most impressive players in the early going on the boys’ side. “Everyone out here is good at doing something on the court, and we have a few players who can really do it all.”
The open gyms are part of the lure of PSA, which has the reputation and networking with college coaches, who are able to come out and watch during this recruiting period that started on Sept. 9. There were 23 colleges represented on the first day of the boys’ run, and close to two dozen have been out for the girls.
“The first weeks of practice were great,” said Genevive Wedemeyer, from Hamburg, Germany, who is another of Hill’s top additions. “The atmosphere in the gym is crazy. We’ve only got good vibes while practicing and that’s great.
“Each person got her strengthen and weaknesses, but everyone is standing out in their own showing what they can do and how they can help our team to achieve our goal as a team. We all are talented girls with big dream we are trying to achieve, so everyone is putting in the work.”
Darryl Simmons, back to run point for Tom Espinosa’s prep team, is one of three returnees (along with Mohamed Dioubate and Miles Rose) and has been impressed with a lot of the newcomers. He mentioned Thompson, Desmond Claude, Barry Evans, Arturo Dean, and Lee Hubbard among those who have caught his eye.
“Those guys have stood out to me a lot,” he said, “just with the way they have been scoring at all three levels and how they have tons of energy on the floor to make other players on the team better.”
Goryanova has enjoyed watching new teammate Molly Moffit, a member of the Class of ’22 who holds a handful of offers already.
“Molly is an amazing player and knows what to do and when to do it,” Goryanova said, “and is always supporting her team even if they are losing, which is what a great teammate would do. She is a great leader and I’m super glad to be able to have the opportunity to play with her.”
As the players continue to bond off the court, which they are, the chemistry will continue to grow on it.
“Everyone is playing hard, working our tails off, and just competing at the highest level,” Simmons said. “We’ve got a long way to go but the work has begun.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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