5 Boys Basketball Players we missed the 25 to Watch.
Hearst Connecticut Media/Designed by Pete PaguagaThe 25 boys basketball players to watch list includes a group we think will make an impact on a given season and are worth checking out in person at some point.
There is no exact science to this — not everyone you list is always going to pan out. Then there are several more players you consider, then decide to leave off. Not everyone can make it.
Below are five players we missed on the preseason list who responded by making impressions game in and game out.
Norwalk, Jr.
Stats: It’s been a tough season for Norwalk with just two victories, but Brown has been a bright spot. He went off for 54 points in an 88-82 double overtime loss to Greenwich. Brown is averaging 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals for the Bears in what has been quite the balanced FCIAC thus far.
Windsor's Quintin Floyd (2) runs the offense while Ridgefield's Ben Klotz (23) defends during the CIAC Div. I boys basketball quarterfinals in Ridgefield on Monday, March 14, 2022.
Dave Stewart/Hearst Connecticut MediaWindsor, Jr.
Stats: Floyd shined at the Spalding HoopHall Classic, earning Player of the Game laurels thanks to a triple-double (11 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) in a victory over Springfield Central. He had 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to earn Player of the Game honors in the GHPA Classic in December - opposite a 26-point performance from Jaysean Williams. Floyd is averaging 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals per game for the fifth-ranked Warriors.
Jamie Leggett from St. Paul scored 30 points, including the 1,000th of his career, in St. Paul?s 69-65 overtime victory against Oxford Jan. 20, 2023.
Contributed photoSt. Paul, Sr.
Stats: Leggett has appeared a handful of times in the weekly GameTimeCT top performers list. That includes this week, when Leggett scored 30 points, including the 1,000th of his career, in St. Paul’s overtime victory against Oxford. Leggett is averaging 24.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists in an improved and balanced NVL this season. Leggett is looking to play baseball in college next year.
East Catholic guard Luke Reilly (1) scores around Notre Dame forward Tajae Jones (22) non-league boys high school basketball action Monday, December 19, 2022 at Mohegan Sun Arena. East Catholic came back in the second half for the 62-50 win. (Sean D. Elliot/Special to GameTimeCT)
Sean D. Elliot/For Hearst Connecticut MediaEast Catholic, Sr.
Stats: Reilly isn’t going to impress you with numbers - the scoring is spread out - but he can impress you with his defense. He defended Quintin Floyd in the game at Windsor Jan. 6, helping hold the junior guard scoreless. He draws that defensive assignment often: his dad - Luke Reilly - calls him “the defensive stopper.” Reilly Jr. also makes free throws when it counts and, when teams help on teammate James Jones, he can knock down the perimeter shot. Reilly Jr. contributes the things that don’t always appear in the box score, but will go a long way if East Catholic is to repeat as CIAC Division I state champion.
Basketball action of the CIAC Div IV Basketball Championship between Bloomfield and Granby on Sunday March 20, 2022 played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Gregory Vasil/For Hearst Connecticut MediaBloomfield, Soph.
Stats: Williams recently exploded for 52 points in a victory over Rocky Hill. That included 13 three-pointers. Williams is quick to the basket and has been a major cog in the Warhawks’ seven-game winning streak, including a 92-88 victory at Windsor. That win vaulted the Warhawks into the GameTimeCT top 10 poll at No. 9. Williams is averaging 23 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game for Bloomfield.