Who are the best players in the Metro East region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
Columbia’s got this new guy… #51… just joined but he plays like a 5th year grad student…
I play at Cornell (#6), so I can only speak to players on teams we’ve played this season.
First team:
Cornell #31 Davith “DC” Chan - most unguardable player in the region even with one hand, and it’s not close. Great throws and lefty flicks. Yes you!
Cornell #88 Iram Liu - lockdown defender with a huge bag of throws. Leader of our D line offense and can break any mark at will with his arounds. Extremely consistent and calm on the disc. Always smiling.
Columbia #51 Danny Klein - this guy does it all for UpLo, massive hucks, very difficult to guard
Cornell#99 Milo Rappoport - dominates deep space, comes down with every skyball, calm on the disc and nice arounds, has skied every team we played
RIT#2 Ryan McManus - great athlete, tons of throws, leader of their offense, played every point
Ottawa#9 Logan Keilor - extremely fast and good at frisbee
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad - quick and nice hucks; leader of Ottawa offense (and defense). Really nice pulls.
Honorable Mentions:
Rutgers #3 Tyler Mackey - Really solid throws, nice hucks, quick and difficult to guard, played almost every point for Machine
Cornell #21 Nat Chin - Wizard on the disc, can hit you anywhere on the field with any throw, extremely quick on the mark, ton of hand/foot blocks, pretty layouts
Rookie of the year:
Cornell #17 Max Majersik - Great offensive IQ and extremely calm on the disc, never turns it, already has solid throws, great defender, will win a sky duel, gonna to be scary for years to come
Honorable Mention:
Cornell #5 Ethan Roitman - Extremely fast, good in the air, always comes with with crazy catches, also sick layout Ds
I also play at Cornell (#18), so I can also only speak to players on teams we’ve played this season.
From the buds:
Cornell #31 Davith Chan: Unguardable, insane speed and quickness. The engine of our offense all season, a shame that he was very limited for the series.
Cornell #8 Jacob Groner: Incredible cutter who can beat you under, beat you deep, and can drop back in the handler set when needed. Much of our offense ran through him at regionals.
Cornell #6 Thomas Meyer: Another huge part of our offense, so fast and good in the air. Also has an automatic around backhand.
Cornell #99 Milo Rappoport: Probably the best deep threat in the region.
Cornell #88 Iram Liu: The heart and soul of the d-line, incredible player on both sides of the disc. Someone who we could match up on their best cutter and depend on to make game-breaking throws off a turn.
Other Cornell players who deserve a mention: #21 Nat Chin, #20 Dylan Winchell, #23 Ben Nusbaum, #1 Simon Alford
From other teams:
Syracuse #17: Really solid handler, great hucks and quick in the small spaces
Syracuse #33: Another handler with nice throws, also made some nice defensive plays against us
Columbia #51: Everybody knows Danny from Williams, but he’s working all the same magic at Columbia and leading their o-line
Princeton #46: Their center handler and leader on offense, had some really nice break throws against us
Toronto #87: Had some really nice throws and was difficult to guard in the cutter space
Ottawa #9 and Ottawa #83: Logan and Maxime are clearly the two leaders on a very good Ottawa team. Kudos to Ottawa as an entire team though- we put a lot of special attention on Logan and Maxime and they beat us using their depth.
RIT #2: Great insides and hucks, definitely their top guy
Rookie of the year:
Cornell #17 Max Majersik: For all the same reasons Thomas said above ^. Honorable mention to Cornell #5 Ethan Roitman, extremely quick o-line cutter who makes some jaw dropping catches in the air
Only been in this region for a year so I don’t know everyone that well and I didn’t get to see everyone play, but massive respect to
Columbia- Luke Holtzman, Will Chung-Park, Vincent Harwood, Daniel Esler
Ottawa- Logan Keillor, Maxime Ayad, and Terron Ross
Cornell- Davith Chan, Dylan Winchill, Ryan Rockett
Yale- Micah Derringer, Owen Hacker
UConn- Evi Ashkenazi, #12 (idk his name)
Rutgers- Tyler Mackey, Vishal Anand
Toronto- #80, #87
Binghamton- James Pardo
Hi everyone. I play for Cornell #20, here to put some respect on some names:
From Cornell:
#31 DC - The metro beast. I’ve spent four years unable to do anything against this man in practice with or without his right hand. He can hit any throw anywhere and is always open.
#21 Nat Chin - He lays out for everything, gets it and then cooks you in a 7 cut. Also an incredibly smart defender.
#88 Iram Liu - Has some of the most consistent throws of anyone I’ve played with, and is also so fast.
#99 Milo Rappoport - A key piece of the buds offense and defense who catches everything and never turns it.
From Syracuse:
#11 Aemon Connelly - Very smart defender who will also handle and cut deep quick effectively.
From Ottawa:
#9 Logan McManus - Has some sick layouts and is quick as hell. Also seems chill.
#83 Maxime Ayad - Has a lot of aura and nice hucks and deep cuts.
From Rutgers:
#3 Tyler Mackey - Great player, great spirit - will huck and play very chilly zone o offense.
From RIT:
#2 Ryan McManus - Throws some crazy stuff and they’re low key nice.
Honorable mentions:
Cornell’s Thomas Meyer, Ryan Rockett, and Ren Kondo Kinai,
Binghamton’s James Pardo, Columbia’s Danny Klein
#88 from Cornell here. Wanted to recognize some individuals for their achievements this year:
Coach of the Year: Sam Garncarz from Cornell: first year as head coach, so passionate and so smart
Shoutout our assistant coaches too: Brian Marland, Luke Colwell, and Dan Vandam
First team:
Cornell #31 Davith Chan: Player of the Region, Unguardable first step, Beautiful throws
Cornell #8 Jacob Groner: Insane bids, Clutch asf, Pretty throws
Cornell #21 Nathaniel Chin: Unmarkable break throws and prolly gets the most hand blocks in the region, loves to layout, also loves to eat
Cornell #99 Milo Rappoport: One of the best deep cutters in the country and comes down with everything
Cornell #6 Thomas Meyer: Fast asf, locks down on defense, going to see his name everywhere next year
Ottawa #9 Logan Keillor: Sick bids and very smart player
Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad: Great pulls and throws, nice stache
Second team:
Cornell #20 Dylan Winchell: Super reliable with the disc, deep threat from the handler space, better stache than Maxime
Cornell #1 Simon Alford: Great pulls, monster bids, natural leader
Rutgers #3 Tyler Mackey: Great throws, hate to see him go down early at Regionals but clear leader for Rutgers
RIT #2 Ryan McManus: Super reliable, sick insides and hucks
Princeton #28 Mark Gazzero: Princeton’s top dog, fast and strong cutter
Syracuse #17 James Tibolla: Great hucks in the wind, shifty in the small spaces
Binghamton # James Pardo: Bing’s guy, massive respect to him over these last four years
Honorable Mentions: Columbia #51 Danny Klein, Cornell #23 Ben Nusbaum, Cornell #0 Ren Kondo
Rookies:
Cornell #17 Max Majersik: we got another big boy
Cornell #5 Ethan Roitman: insane deep threat and sick layout d’s
Mark Gazzerro #28 for Princeton here. Princeton had a tough year injury-wise (lost 6/7 juniors and a grad student midway through the year) but I wanted to shout out some of our standout players who I feel deserve recognition as well as the guys I was impressed by that we played.
Princeton #46 Brendan McCluskey - Princeton’s center handler, an excellent playmaker that anchored our offense. Can do everything on the field and has pretty much every throw in his bag, maybe the most well rounded player in the Metro east. Great hucks, decision making, defense, you name it.
Princeton #1 Jason Chinitz-Mital (FOTY) - Has to be the freshman of the year in our region, may have gone under the radar because of Princeton’s underperformance this year, but he was truly exceptional for us. Freshman don’t typically carry the offensive load that he carried for us, so if you played Princeton this year, you would know him from his play but probably didn’t realize he was a freshman. Our second handler on o-line, has amazing hucks, must have hit me for 2-3 deep shots a game and also came down with every 5050 he got thrown in the deep space. Also has the nicest bids on our team. Keep an eye out for this kid, he is going to be a problem for years to come.
Princeton #7 Dane Utley - Our only active junior, was fighting a hamstring injury for our last few tournaments this season, but dynamic deep cutter and phenomenal defender.
Cornell #31 DC: High motor guy, very shifty with great throws. Was a shame he got hurt right before regionals but this kid is a dog
Cornell #88 Iram Liu: Deep bag of throws, shifty handler that is tough to guard and plays great defense.
Rutgers #3 Mackey: Excellent well rounded handler, has some of the nicest hucks in region
Rutgers Iggy: Has been through the wringer with injuries but maybe the best athlete in the region. A menace on defense and one of the hardest covers in the region, even though he was limited playing this year he deserves his flowers.
Ottawa #9 Logan Keilor: Shouting him out from last year, kid is extremely fast and a huge part of what has made Ottawa special. Ottawa #83 Maxime Ayad: Best pulls in region as of last year. Very good handler that improves the guys around him.
Toronto #87: (Not 100% sure on number but tall main cutter for them) Great cutter, one of the tougher guards in the region that was a very reliable thrower Yale Micah Derringer - Yales best player and the central cog of their offense. He was impressively reliable getting open late in the stall count and making the right throw to keep possession and flow. Sneaky underrated
Yale Hacker - Not sure anyone challenged me more on defense than this kid, athletic and dynamic cutter on offense too.
Binghamton James Pardo - Dog. Great competitor, dynamic handler and one of the best in region.
Micah #18 from Yale here - haven’t posted before but figured it was time. In no particular order…
Couple Yale guys to shout out:
#3 Owen Hacker - has been a dominant cutter for Yale. Anchors the D-line and not afraid to go every-other on a turn and punch in a break
#8 John “socks” Kiely - quietly our steadiest player. Best hands on the team, will throw a full-field dime and quietly walk off the field because it’s the norm
Rookie: #43 Nic Spangler - came in and immediately became one of our main o-line handlers. Not afraid to take charge of the offense and go every other, excited to see his development in the next few years.
Other quick hits:
Syracuse #17 James - huge range of throws, was able to open up the entire field any time he had the disc
Albany #0 Chris - been a good time battling it out for the past few years. One of the best one on one defenders in the metro east
Uconn Evi - Another fun matchup for the past few years, Evi is an anchor in the backfield for Uconn with a huge range of throws and an awesome attitude
Ottawa #83 Max - also an incredibly quick defender with confident throws in the 30mph wins to move through zones and right down the field
Columbia #51 Danny - bit of a tough game to see his full skill in the 30mph wind, but had incredibly confident throws nonetheless and clearly the main driver of Columbia’s offense
Princeton #46 Brendan - Princeton’s every-other handler and force of their offense. Also realized we used to battle it out in middle school which is pretty cool. Shoutout Chicago
Definitely some deserving guys I’m missing here, but it’s been a pleasure playing against y’all for the last four years!
What’s up all Owen Hacker #3 from Yale weighing in on this. Haven’t gotten to see a lot of guys in the region but will speak to the players I have faced.
Yale #18 Micah Derringer - Micah was the heart of the Yale team all season. Anyone who has played him knows his throws are on par with anyone in the region. That’s to go along with great bids and super dynamic cuts.
Yale #43 John Kiely - Our go to o-line cutter. He’s not the flashiest player at all times but will always get open and his inside throws open up Yale’s offense.
Syracuse #17 - this guy was giving us fits on Saturday of regionals. Great flick hucks and a deep throwing bag.
Ottawa #83 - didn’t really get to see this #83 at his best because of the wind Sunday, but even in those conditions his throws were confident and impressively consistent.
Princeton #46 - I know Princeton had a tough year injury wise but #46 was really a brightspot for that offense. Great patience, throws, and athleticism. Put me in jail on defense once or twice on Saturday.
Columbia #51 - Got to play Danny twice last year while he was with Williams and so I know how good he is. Again, Sunday wind didn’t make anyone look great. But he was one of the only guys out there able to move the disk forward and was clearly the center of that offense.
Binghamton Pardo - Saw this Bing team twice at ECI. Pardo had great downfield throws, some insane bids, and was just an all around nice guy.
Rookies:
Yale #43 Nic Spangler-Torres - Came into Yale’s offense and almost immediately took on a massive role as center o-line handler. Incredibly consistent insides and around that anchored our offense all year. Definitely one of if not the best rookie in the region this year.
Ton of other deserving guys but these were the ones that stood out to me. Look forward to duking it out again next year in the region.
Whoops meant to say Yale #8 John Kiely
If you’re not talking about Ryan Rockett we’re not watching the same game out there. He walks into your trap and takes over your trap (the Metro East division). Brought the physicality of the New England developmental division with him, you can’t teach that!!!
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DC (Cornell)
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Logan (Ottowa)
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Maxime Ayad (Ottowa)
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Nathaniel Chin (Cornell)
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Milo Rappoport (Cornell)
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#2 on RIT
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#17 on Syracuse
HMs: Thomas Meyer (Cornell), Iram Liu (Cornell), #33 Syracuse, the grad student on Uplo, #10 on Ottawa, and Dylan Winchill (Cornell)
Rookie of the year: Max Majerski (I spelled his last name wrong) Big boy valuable all around knows what he’s doing with the disc in his hands too, going to be a force to be reckoned with next year.
I play at Binghamton (#19). I’m shocked more people aren’t talking about Binghamton’s #77 Matt Nieto. He was easily the center of our offense and had some of the best bids I’ve ever seen. He played at least 80% of our points at Regionals and was still the best player on the field almost every one of those points.
He is an incredibly difficult player to mark with his wide array of break throws, his go to strat on deep hucks was skying multiple people, and any turn our O line had he would get back with a chest high layout. If you still need convincing go watch his Callahan video.
Other players I’ve seen this year:
Binghamton #1 Neil Costa: best hucks and farthest hammers in the region no question
Binghamton #5 Leo Fell: biggest motor in the region. No one wants it like this guy. Already one of the best defenders I’ve played against. He’s gonna be absolutely filthy in a few years
Binghamton #30 Jon Appel: speaking of high motors this guy outworks everyone you know. Just trust me. Unparalleled quickness and break throws with a surprising vert for such a small guy
Yale #18: there’s no marking this guy. Don’t bother, it’s impossible
Syracuse #17: center handler of a very good Syracuse offense. And then if they turn it over he’ll get a layout D on you
Buffalo #52: very solid handler. Been getting exponentially better every year since I’ve known him. Sky is the limit
Buffalo #40: played through a quad injury in the series and didn’t even flinch. Very solid handler and one of the best defenders I’ve played against. Also a very nice guy
Rutgers #3: centerpiece of Rutgers. Incredibly reliable in their dominator. Also he’s got cool hair
(I’m only talking about people I’ve played against and I only played in the spring so sorry if I missed people who deserve it)
I had the opportunity to coach the team from SUNY Binghamton this season, and saw a lot of really great talent in the MetroEast, a region that gets a lot of (undeserved) flack.
James Pardo- a dog and true competitor. Plays strong on both sides of the disc.
Matt Nieto- a hell of a nice guy who also happens to be able to jump through the roof and has a crazy set of throws. If you haven’t seen his callahan video, it does most of the explanation.
Ryan Labonte (bron)- This guy battled injuries all season, but was a powerful piece of the team when he was healthy. He could get open at will, and loved doing the dirty work of keeping the offense flowing.
Leo Fell- I was floored to learn he was a Sophomore. He’s got one of the best understandings of the game of anyone I’ve met, is a menace on defense, has great throws, and would play every point if needed.
Neil Costa- The lynchpin of our offense. He has some of the most powerful throws i’ve seen not only in the metro east, but across my experience in ultimate.
With consideration of the other teams we played, there were certainly a few guys who stood out.
Syracuse We couldn’t get away from playing Syracuse this past season. #17 James Tibolla was an absolute nightmare to gameplan against. He had an extremely deep bag, played the game at an incredibly high level, and knew when to be conservative and when to be aggressive.
Yale We got to see Yale a few times in Delaware and I was not surprised to see them in the Semis at regionals. #18 Micah Derringer was an obvious leader and a great competitor. Loads of talent, loads of spirit.
Here to glaze my Rutgers teammates and others for All-Region that caught my eye throughout the season.
Tyler Mackey #3: Mack has leveled up from just an elite thrower to one of the best handler defenders in the region making him a great two way player. If he never went down during Regionals, I think the bracket, maybe even winner would be completely different. Not much needs to be said, he plays for Empire…he’s Him.
Vishal Anand #7: Biggest guy on our team and center handler. Mr. Aura himself. Vish underwent a complete transformation this past summer and really turned into a complete player in such a little amount of time. Handler Vish is something I never thought I’d say, but he flourishes in the backfield with his inside backhand and shifty footwork. Force him out and you’ll regret doing that too. Good luck next year Metro East, Vishal and another summer might turn him into the best player ever.
Gianluca Pagano #14 : The LeBron when Kevin Love and Kyrie went down in 2015. Definition of heart, ferda, leader, teammate, friend and brother. GP was the last standing playing captain at Regionals which can be a very daunting task for others, but not him. Kept spirits high when they were calculated not to. Played his last college tournament the way any Coach or leader would want: with heart, passion, and left it all on the field, a part of his hamstring might even be on the field still. Extremely proud of this one for how much work he put in to this team for the past 4 years. Machine is incomplete without our Scuig.
Gerard Bryson #40: GB MF 40 baby. Gerard switched his number back to his high school #40 and its almost like he never left. Never ditch 40 again. G is probably one of the most versatile, experienced, and intelligent players in the region. With nasty chest high bids, sick hucks, extreme close out speed, tough match up assignments and this never before seen endurance and grit that he so hardly worked on on a weekly basis. A+ teammate grade too man: I’ve never had such a genuine, loving, and caring teammate before in my years of playing. After every point this kid had the nerve to say “I’m trying out here man, for you.” Damn near cried after every time he said that. He’ll die for the disc, as long as it makes you happy (ask him about his first tattoo). Thank you for playing this season G. Ultimate Frisbee needs GB40.
Ryan Jawor #77 (ROTY) the most fierce rookie I have ever encountered. He came in to Rutgers so unbelievably athletic, sound and intelligent with the amount of years that he played prior. As a freshman, he pushed seniors to be better, and that’s hard to do. He started the year out on O and would shred offenses with his lank, speed, and grit. Due to some injuries, we had to dial him back to D, which he so happily took, and leveled up our D-line exponentially. Took match ups personally, bought in on defense, and his willingness to learn was such a breath of fresh air. The confidence on this one is gonna take him very far in this region and everybody is going to know that very soon. Machine is in extremely good hands for years to come.
All Region (other teams)
Syracuse #11: fast, quick, shifty and can throw. Never had a complete answer for him.
Yale Micah Derringer: backbone of a super close Yale team. throws, quickness, funny, speed, spirit, non chalance, he’s got it all. Wish I couldve matched up with you one last time, would’ve been a lot of fun.
Cornell DC: I glaze you every year bro I love you to death. hope you keep playing so we can be on the same team one of these days
Bing James Pardo: Great guy, better player. You and your extremely crazy bids were missed at regionals. Keep blowing people up whilst having a smile on your face as you usually do.
Princeton #46: I liked to called you fake Tristan Yarter, but you play very similar which is a compliment Very complete player: strong, tight throws, smart, and consistent.
If only I never played pick up basketball… Thank you everyone for making me think I was a really good frisbee player, but in reality I was just in the Metro East. Good luck Ottawa at Nationals…rooting for you guys.
#40 on Bing here. Sucks that we didn’t get to see all the sick competition at regionals this year, so I’m just gonna shout out some guys that definitely deserve some recognition from what I saw and who I’ve played against over the years. Starting with my Bing Boys.
Binghamton
Matt Nieto (#77) - Just go watch his Callahan video if there is any doubt in your mind this kid isn’t a top talent in the region. Most athletic bids ever, insane hops, unstoppable quickness, deep shots, defense. Matt stepped up into a giant role this year and did more than we could ever ask him to. Great friend and leader too.
Ryan LaBonte (#31) - Unfortunately had to deal with injuries this year, but upgraded his game so much from last year to be one of the biggest deep threats in the region. Insane skies and Ds every game. When Bron was in the deep space, no one was coming down with it but him.
Neil Costa (#1) - Throws. Neil might’ve become the best hucker in the region this year. I’ve seen this dude put up full field upwind flick hucks in 40mph wind. It doesn’t even make sense. So shifty and can hit every throw in the book whenever he wants. Not really sure how any team could stop that.
Leo Fell (#5) - It’s crazy this kid is only a sophomore and he’s playing like a 5th year. Literally lockdown on defense and deadly in the air. Gonna continue to be a serious problem in the region the next couple of years.
Rutgers
Iggy - Literally haven’t gotten to play against this kid since sophomore year, but he actually might have the most athleticism in the region. And he is super chill and has dope style. The Callahan video was nuts too. Hope to see him in club for years to come and try not to get highlights farmed on me.
Mackey - Has been a menace since day 1 in college. Probably has been asked to do the most for his team out of anyone in the region, and it shows. This dude is quick, has the crispest throws of all time, and will lock you down in the handler space. Plus the hucks are nutty.
Cornell
DC - Probably the most unguardable player in the region. Not much more else to say other than no matter what he’s doing on the field, he’s probably doing it better than everyone else.
Iram - Dude is really quick and will clamp you on defense. Super complete player who doesn’t really make mistakes.
Dylan Kenniff - dope
Syracuse
Tibbola - One of the best handlers in the region hands down. Quick, explosive, and was honestly the biggest problem every time we played Cuse this year.
Conneely - This kid is FAST, and I honestly don’t think he gets tired. Loved matching up against him. Hits inside flicks so consistently too it’s annoying.
Other Teams
We didn’t really play many other teams in the region unfortunately, but I do wanna give a few more nods.
Buffalo: Graham - this kid is a straight chiller and is a beast at frisbee. Does so much for Buff.
Yale: Micah, Owen - both explosive as hell. Very hard to guard, and super reliable with the disc.
Columbia: Danny - endless motor, shifty, incredible throws.
Carleton: Don’t know his name, but that one tall dude is so good it’s nuts.
Ottawa: Logan, Max - backbone of the Ottawa team for a reason. Gonna kill it at Nationals.
Rutgers #82 Evan “Nave” Ragone
Evan Ragone is one of the most dedicated players on Machine. Very few people care about ultimate like he does. It was his first year on A and he made his opportunity count. He took every practice seriously. Going 100% in the drills, practicing like he plays, making the most of every moment. He puts in effort off the field. One of the most active posters in our workout chat. Constantly working on improving himself, whether it is the basics like catching and throwing, to improving his athleticism working on his cardio and strength training.
His passion for frisbee is apparent even off the field. One time in class, he was talking to me about Xs and Os. The professor was literally handing out the midterm but he had to let me know about a defensive scheme he was cooking up. To be completely honest, frisbee was the furthest thing from my mind in the moment but the fact that he was giving it serious thought in this situation just made me laugh. He lives, breathes, and sleeps frisbee.
He gives it his all on the field. I see him go for crazy layouts every time he’s on the field. He is a rock in our handler set and a staple in our end zone set. He is also loud and supportive on the sideline. Evan embodies the meaning of tenacity. No matter what happened the previous day, he is ready to go hard the day of. Truly he is TRR. I love you Goon.
Here to talk about my Rutgers boys and some others from the region.
Chris Iglesias #1 - never playing pickup with him ever again. One of the most efficient players on our team. Always gave 1000% I’ll miss him
Tyler Mackey #3 - enough said give this man his flowers. Mister do it all he’s like that.
GP Scuig Fuhaltoogan Pagano #14 - the big dropppppp. bro always makes the big play when it matters. He’s so inspirational and always knows what to say to get his team going. There is no tomorrow.
Arthur Wailar #12 - a summer with Grossbergs did him right. You always want to play with a guy art he’ll make every small play and keep your head straight when things are going south. Great guy great throws.
Danyur Han #69 - bro went finally remembered his roots and brought out the inner Taco Bell in him. Enjoyed handling with my boy. He can find anyone downfield and you can’t stop his around backhand. He challenged me every day to get better this season.
Gerard Bryson #40 - the roomie connection was real this year. He put in this most work this year and really took his game back to the level every one had talked about. So glad I got to see him stay healthy and play out there.
Rest of region
Yale
Micah - bro was not worried at all on universe in the semis mad respect
UConn
number 16 O’Sullivan? - smooth throws and ran UConn offense at Eci
Columbia Danny - very smart thrower went pretty much every other in our sectionals finals.
Syracuse
Number 11 - super fast cutter with crafty throws as well. Tough cover always