Sunday, June 12, 2011

New England Renaissance Series: #15 Zach Auguste

I have spent most of my life following New England basketball. Although I have been a huge fan, it is hard to deny that New England's basketball's homegrown talent has been underwhelming at best. Boston in particular is one of the weakest cities of its kind in regards to producing NBA talent. Luckily for fans of New England Hoops, there has been a renaissance going on in the New England high school ranks. The Collective has decided to partake in this rebirth by counting down the best fifteen New England Natives in terms of talent regardless of class. When reading this countdown I urge the readers not to focus on the specific numbers given to players but rather on the overall collection of talent.

#15 Zach Auguste (2012)


Height: 6'9   Weight: 205
Hometown: Marlborough Mass
School Team: New Hampton
Travel Team: Expressions Elite
NERR Rank: 9    National Rank: NR

Auguste is one of the more debated players in the region. There is no doubt that the Marlborough native has all of the tools to be a complete player. He is extremely long, runs the floor like a deer, and has high major athleticism. This high upside is why Auguste can claim offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Providence, Boston College, and Wake Forest. The reason why he is not ranked high is because of the disparity between his talent and his productivity. Auguste struggled to adjust to increased competition at New Hampton this year. In order to continue to belong in our Renaissance series going forward Auguste will have to prove himself during next years prep season. Here is his ESPN evaluation and a highlight tape.

Auguste has an undeniably high ceiling and a ton of natural talent. He plays the game active     and alert always looking to for an opportunity to score on miss shots or his teammates penetration drop off passes. He has the bounce to make big time plays above the rim on both ends of the floor and the skill set to score points both inside and out. He runs the floor well, blocks shots, has a soft touch inside the paint, and a three-point range when his feet are set. He makes good use of a long job step to get defenders off balance and utilizes his length well in his slashing game.




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