WESTON, Mass. — Kenya Jones almost couldn’t believe his eyes. Earlier this spring, when the coach was drafting for his team in the Summer Draft League, it was his turn to pick in the third round when he noticed Christian Pastore was still on the board.
“I was like, ‘What? He’s still left in the third round?’” Jones said. “Christian was still there and I was like, ‘Yup, this is it.’”
Jones, Pastore and Beast Squad never looked back, and on Thursday night at Rivers, their hidden gem led them to glory. Pastore, the electric 2028 point guard from Billerica High School in Massachusetts, poured in 33 points on seven 3-pointers to fuel Beast Squad to an 88-58 victory over Shamrocks to capture the Elite Division Draft League championship.
Pastore won the league’s first Mike Babul MVP award, named in honor of the late Thayer head coach who died in December.
“He’s a coach’s dream,” Jones said. “On this level, guards are going to win it for you. If you can have the headiest guard who’s going to make the right decision and you can shoot like that, no matter his size, that’s what you get. He deserves that. He deserves the MVP because he’s been doing that all season long.”
The Draft League completed its second season, which started June 17, on Thursday. Co-founded by Kyle Butler and Chris Giordano last year, the league offers a unique development experience for young hoopers ranging from third through ninth grade as they get high-level instruction through weekly games from prep school coaches. The Elite Division includes rising high school freshmen and sophomores.
MORE: Inside the 2024 launch of Summer Draft League
Jones, who is the head coach at Brooks, won his second championship of the year after leading his school to the NEPSAC Class B championship in March. But he was effusive in his praise of his team, which rolled from the start of the season. While he instructed them during their 15-minute pregame windows every week, he said they already knew things he didn’t have to teach.
“I hope it means more for them than it does for me,” Jones said. “It’s fun for me. … Honestly, the credit goes to them, because these kids just know how to play basketball.”
Here are five standouts from Thursday night’s championship game.
Christian Pastore, Beast Squad
Billerica High School
Class of 2028, 5-7 guard
Pastore, if you can believe it, actually said he was nervous before Thursday night’s championship game, and took 400 shots before he got to the gym at Rivers. He certainly wasn’t shy. He scored Beast Squad’s first eight points of the game, and that got him in a groove. Pastore, even at 5-foot-7, does a great job of finding space for his shot with his quickness and sharp handle, and several of his triples came off the bounce. The threat of his perimeter game allowed him to drive in the paint and make plays for others, too, as he piled up six assists. It included one dime where he was stopped on a drive, but played off two feet and found a cutting teammate for a bucket. Pastore was nearly automatic from deep on Thursday, and he was a reliable decision-maker with the ball. He was a deserving MVP.
Pastore said his experience as a top option for Beast Squad this summer will go a long way in his development.
“It just gave me a little more confidence,” he said. “I don’t usually take as many shots, (I’m) usually the second option. It gives me confidence to know I’m up there with them.”
Tighe Arache, Beast Squad
St. Paul’s
Class of 2029, 6-3 guard
Pastore admitted he was a little surprised to win MVP because he thought Arache would get it. The incoming St. Paul’s freshman had a case, scoring 23 points with five rebounds and six assists in the win. Arache has a long 6-foot-3 build with a natural ball-handling ability, and he was dangerous in the open floor. He got downhill often, and had great poise with his rim reads. He was patient on a jump stop, letting a defender fly by him for an easy layup. He got to the rim with his weak hand and drew a foul. Arache grabbed a steal and took it the other way for a three-point play, he made a great cut and was rewarded for a layup, and he demonstrated an ability to play off two feet. I also loved a play where he swatted a block, then led a break and made a perfect bounce pass in transition. Arache has a mature feel for the game.
Max Maturah, Beast Squad
Brooks
Class of 2028, 6-1 guard
Maturah has great balance and control with the ball, and he always has his head up looking to make a play. He finished with four points in the championship, but he didn’t need to score to be effective as he put constant pressure on the defense, found his teammates (four assists) and was active on the glass (six rebounds) and defensively. And make no mistake – he can put the ball in the hoop when he needs to. My favorite play of the night came when he made a hesitation move to blow by a defender in transition before finishing a pretty reverse layup. Expect another leap from Maturah this winter at Brooks after being a member of last season’s Class B championship team.
Caden Nunez, Beast Squad
Eaglebrook School
Class of 2029, 5-11 guard
Nunez’s off-ball movement was really impressive. He scored 14 points with several of his buckets coming on really smart cuts, including one where he found himself wide open in the middle of the paint and was rewarded with an on-time pass from Arache. He also beat the defense in transition on one play, where again, Arache found him. Nunez made a big hustle play, too. Beast Squad started the second half slow after building a 16-point halftime lead, which required a timeout from Jones. But they pulled it together, and on one play, Nunez grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a second-chance triple from Pastore. That helped them regain momentum, and they never looked back.
Jetari Veal, Jr., Shamrocks
Rivers
Class of 2029, 5-10 guard
In his new home gym, the incoming Rivers freshman looked like a natural. Veal scored 15 points and added five rebounds and a pair of assists, showcasing a commanding and confident presence as the Shamrocks’ lead guard. He took the space that was given to him and he was never afraid to attack, like when he corralled a defensive rebound and took it coast to coast, creating an opening with a sharp crossover dribble at half-court before drawing a foul at the basket. He also hit three 3-pointers, including one where he drilled a catch-and-shoot triple, then ran back on defense to deflect an outlet pass out of bounds. The Shamrocks were down 18 at that point in the second half, and that hustle showed me a lot about Veal’s competitiveness.
