As numerous recruits are hanging in the balance regarding their ensuing hardwood destination, a number of New York prospects are pursuing and considering the prep/post graduate option.
As a versatile 6-foot-8 forward with the ability to adapt to multiple positions, Class of 2025 Malik Gasper (New Rochelle, NY ‘25) is coming off the most prosperous stretch of his young career.
Gasper, a workmanlike rebounding presence who piled up myriad double doubles and several games of 15 rebounds or more, won a Section 1 Class AAA title with New Rochelle this winter and a BCANY Summer Hoops festival last summer.
A focal point with a catch and post-game, feathery touch, and an adeptness for blocking and altering the trajectory of shots as a rim protector, Gasper posted gaudy numbers during his final season in Section 1. He was able to impact games in a variety of ways, emerging as a stat sheet stuffer while culminating his high school career with NYSSWA Third Team All-State honors. As a potential sleeper recruit, Gasper announced this past week that he will spend a post graduate year at The Knox School on Long Island. Given the current landscape of the NCAA and gauging the hesitance college programs have expressed in taking true freshmen while feeding the frenzied transfer market, the post graduate route will likely be taken by more and more 2025 recruits throughout the country.
The Knox School thrived during its foray into the elite level post graduate landscape this past season, registering a 35-7 overall record, winning an Empire 8 championship, and earning a berth in the National Prep Championships in the Sweet 16.Now, with an entirely new roster in the process of being re-tooled and several enticing prospects utilizing the prep year to enhance the exposure process, Knox will continue to mold together a nationally reputable power. Under head coach Jared Grasso, he of major ties to the local NYC area as a once tireless recruiter as Associate Head Coach at Iona and later head coach at Bryant, Knox has tapped into the local market.
Beyond Gasper, a unique mismatch threat and willing passer, the program will feature another local product in 6-foot-5 guard/forward Rob Phelps Jr. (Bedford Academy, NY ’25) As a long lefty with a slithery, stealth style and the ability to levitate above the rim, Phelps Jr. was an inside-outside scoring presence these past two seasons at Bedford Academy in Brooklyn. Phelps Jr. gathered a handful of double doubles this past season in the PSAL. Like Gasper, he can't be pigeonholed as a single position--as he's employed in multiple schemes on both sides of the ball. A Queens native, Phelps is able to spread the floor out with long range shooting. His offensive game has continued to take root, as Phelps Jr. has developed into a proficient pull-up threat. Evoking space creation off the dribble and gaining significant elevation on his shot, Phelps Jr. is able to utilize the mid-range game to his advantage. Boasting a high academic pedigree, Phelps possesses the intangibles and wide-ranging skill set of an Ivy/Patriot League recruit. As a younger senior in the 2025 class, re-classifying to 2026 was ideal for the All-State guard.
For 2025 Christ the King guard Cam Ziegler (Christ the King, NY ‘25), who has bought into the off-season workload, the prep route will go through Mount Zion Prep in Maryland. Ziegler showed flashes during his stay at Christ the King, impacting the game as a shot-maker with positional uniqueness at 6-foot-1. He's refined his game by discovering the power of his first step, evolving into more of a downhill attacker, and operating offense as a facilitator. After spending two years on a pair of talented and guard-laden Christ the King teams, Ziegler will look to gain strength and simulate the collegiate experience while at Mt. Zion. The program is known for its development of previously obscure recruits, having helped accelerate the growth of alum such as the Indiana Pacers Obi Toppin and RJ Luis, who was Big East Player of the Year at St. John's this past season
