GDay Middle School Combine helps players show skills

GDay Middle School Combine helps players show skills

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

ROCHESTER, NY – Western New York is beginning to wedge itself into the basketball conversation across the state. The GDay Middle School Combine brought some talented players together in search of the next name to represent on the national level.

Players from across the Empire State, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia and Pennsylvania laced them up to display their skills over the weekend. The Class of 2024 and 2025 put on a show to create recognition.

Here are some players worth tracking their developments.

2024 Emmanuel Okintondo | Washington D.C.

This rising prospect was stellar through the entire showcase. At 6-foot-7, Okintondo excelled at all the stations demonstrating tremendous athleticism. The first impression he makes is on the defensive end of the floor where he snatched down rebounds from outside of his normal area. He also shined in the open floor finishing above the rim several times. His touch around the rim was soft. He is a player where continued development will be essential for the future.

2024 Mason Capolongo | Ithaca, NY

This young guard is a heady guard. He showed the ability to play both ends of the floor comfortably. Capolongo handled defensive pressure with ease. He moved his feet and used angles to cutoff opponents. Offensively, his ability to score from all three levels was impressive regardless of who was defending him. Showed plenty of consistency.

2024 Israel Bosenge | Washington DC

At 6-foot-7, this athletic youngster was dominant inside. His wingspan allowed him to cradle rebounds from within and outside of his area. He dominated the interior on the offensive end with some impressive moves to finish over contested opponents. His game today is more effective in the open court. Look for his game to mature with more time in the gym.

2024 Dominique Bailey | Virginia

This was one of the bigger guards at the combine. He was built like a high school sophomore or junior with his game to match. Bailey absorbed contact with ease. He never looked rattled with the physicality, while protecting the ball in traffic or at the rim. His court vision was off the charts with dime passes for comfortable scoring opportunities.

2024 Bruce Wingate | Syracuse, NY

Watching this guard play is enjoyable. Wingate has a winning attitude and plays hard on every possession. He is a physical player capable of scoring with ease. His energy is demonstrated on defensive end. He does not allow opponents any breathing room. His constant quick feet and hands were an issue. This is a sleeper prospect in this assembled talent.

2024 Edmari Binion |Rochester, NY

His broad shoulders and big body made him an instant presence on the hardwood. Once the basketball was passed to him the skills were displayed. Binion had big hands to squeeze the basketball off the glass. His footwork around the rim was impressive because the 6-foot-6 youngster finished with either hand. He is sneaky athletic.

2023 Shontez Andreson | Rochester, NY

An athletic and highly skilled player with plenty of natural skills on the hardwood. This 6-foot-5 lanky forward with a strong handle. His decision making is strong and nothing is forced. He plays with a grace and fluidity on the court like a cool breeze in the summer. His game resembles that of another Rochester native and current University of Washington standout Nahziah Carter at the same age.

2025 Lashard Lowry Jr. | Rochester, NY

Played with plenty of heart throughout the showcase. He showed the ability to finish inside among taller players. Lowry was shifty in traffic and danced through the lane for some nice passes. He was relentless on either end of the floor.

2024 Zaccar Johnson | Rochester, NY

Being a mid-range shooter is a lost skill some players do not possess at this age. This is not the case for Johnson. He can score from all three levels on the floor. His ability to hit jumpers with consistency helped open the floor for him during the scrimmages.

2025 Torr Sorensen | Lynchburg, VA

The only thing missing in his name right now is the letter H. This is not for any lack of hustle. It is for his flowing blond hair, which makes him resemble Thor. Sorensen does drop the hammer through with his competitive nature. He has a strong knack for scoring, which included wowing spectators with his footwork. He never looked uncomfortable with the ball in his hand. The Southern hooper played with BIG energy all showcase. He has a strong basketball IQ.

2024 Marcqell Freeman | Rochester, NY

Despite experiencing leg pains from growth spurts, this floor general showed plenty of mental toughness. He danced with the ball in traffic between defenders and poised against pressure. His floater in the lane in the lane was hard to defend. Then you mix in his jumper defenders were off balance.

2024 Jeremiah Neely | Buffalo, NY

Big body scoring machine is the best way to describe this youngster. Neely knows how to get buckets from anywhere on the floor. His footwork around the basket and touch made him difficult to guard. He is a scoring machine from all over the floor.

2025 Jay’on Alexander | Rochester, NY

The smoothness in his game has substance. He is confident in his ability to get teammates the ball. His communication on both ends of the floor. Alexander is a floor general with a game that will translate well in high school next season.

2024 Luke Little | Ithaca, NY

A long lanky guard with the ability to shoot the ball well. He is efficient at getting to the basket on the right side of the court. His determination does make him tough to guard. He is also a facilitator. Little’s game will come up big as he develops.

2024 Davion Lipscomb | Rochester, NY

This high volume scorer knows how to fill up the scoresheet. Lipscomb absorbed punishment in getting to the basket. Every movement he made was downhill to the rim. He also mixed in jumpers along the way to help keep defenders off balance.

2024 Anthony Ellison | Newfield. NY

Ellison is everything a team needs: a rebounder. He used his broad shoulders and strength to cradle missed shots on both ends of the floor. Many also resulted in him finishing those scoring opportunities. His game will continue to improve because of the motor demonstrated to crash the glass.

2025 Levi Kulik | Webster, NY

His ability to shoot the ball was impressive. Many of the shots cut through the net with ease. He had a quick catch and release. Defenders had a hard time keeping up with him because he moved well without the basketball. He demonstrated the ability to be a lockdown defender.

2024 Camron Dhilly | Buffalo, NY

This lanky forward did not need the ball in his hand to be effective. He made winning plays or game-changing plays throughout the showcase. Dhilly was just all over the floor and in constant movement. When he received the ball in scoring position he made sure to finish.

2024 Aiden Wine | Albany, NY

This 6-foot-5 forward could be the next big prospect from the state capital. The stoic look on his is one of business. He battled on both ends of the floor. The mid-range jumper was fluid and consistent. He was always anticipating the next play frustrating defenders.