Tripp spent a year at JUCO South Plains College in Texas and then the last three seasons at the University of the Pacific, where he led the Tigers with 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds en route to the West Coast Conference (WCC) Defensive Player of the Year Award and All-WCC First Team honors in the 2019-20 campaign.
He attended St. John’s University as a freshman, earning the Big East Rookie of the Year award while averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Balde averaged 7.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in 13 contests during the regular season and added 9.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg in five playoff tilts for the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Queens Borough Champion Wildcat squad.
Randy Crosby, Khalil Brantley, Tahron Allen, Jaquan Carlos, and Dior Davis are PSAL players to watch in 2020-21.
Brantley led the PSAL with 34.6 ppg in 2019-2020.
A solid bench player, Nelson had displayed the ability to make an impact in big games this past season, including dropping in 17 points in a Lion 95-76 win over perennial powerhouse Thomas Jefferson.
Allen enjoyed an impressive Public School Athletic League (PSAL) season, averaging 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 14 contests during the regular season. He added 12.7 ppg and 7.75 rpg in four playoff games before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the season.
Considered one of the top New York City players by high school insiders at his position, Johnson excelled as a Lion in the 2019-20 season, dropping in 11 points, 8.16 assists, and 5.58 rebounds per game in 12 contests. He also added 15.25 points, eight dishes, and 7.25 boards per game in four PSAL Class AA playoff tilts before the season came to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
"The high IQ sharp-shooting stretch-4 missed his entire senior year with an injury and has worked tirelessly to get back. We are proud of you, Kev - the best is yet to come," Brooklyn Collegiate High School Boy's Basketball wrote in Tweet.
Simpkins averaged 15.80 points, 5.85 rebounds, and 3.35 assists per game in 14 contests during the 2019-20 regular season. He added an average of 16.25 points, 7.75 boards, and 3.75 helpers in four games in the playoffs.
