Assessing Peter Kiss in the 2022 NEC Championship Game

March 8^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

Today, I took the time to watch Peter Kiss and Bryant square off against Alex Morales and Wagner to see which of the two teams would end up winning the 2022 Northeast Conference Tournament.  It was expected to be a close match, but Bryant jumped on Wagner early and never relented. 

Bryant’s 6-5 senior guard, Peter Kiss turned in a tremendous performance, as he scored 34 points, and he also made 4 threes, scored on plenty of highlight reel-worthy dunks, and turned in a strong all-around showing to lead his team to get the win over Wagner.  However, the ugly fight in the stands that happened amongst some fans caused a long stoppage late in the second half, which overshadowed his terrific play.  Here are my thoughts on how Kiss and other various prospects fared in this game.

Peter Kiss put forth a fantastic performance to lead Bryant to a win over Wagner, and he led his team to get an automatic bid for the 2022 NCAA Tournament.  He really put on a show, as he did everything well tonight.  He did a tremendous job of taking the ball to the hoop to score, and he scored on a series of high-flying breakaway dunks.  He shot the ball very well, he made good passes, excelled as a rebounder and defender, and he made high-motor, intense plays throughout the contest.  Kiss really played well throughout this game, and he played with a flair and swagger that may make him an intriguing prospect for the NBA.

Kiss showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He would run the floor and drive the ball aggressively in transition, and he would score on a slew of layups and dunks to help his team.  He is an athletic, high-motor guard that would score on powerful dunks, he also scored on a reverse 180 dunk, and he also caught a lob to score on a thunderous, jaw-dropping alley-oop dunk late in this match.

He also did a good job of knocking down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  Despite having a less than stellar three-point percentage this season, Kiss shot the ball very well from the outside.  He showed a knack for scoring on smooth, pull-up threes, and he also made a corner three off the catch.  On the downside, he would sometimes miss on tough step-back, mid-range jumpers off the dribble.

He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble.  Kiss was much more effective at scoring on fast break drives, but Kiss also showed that he can score on aggressive, right-handed drives to the hoop.  Sometimes though, he would rush his moves, which would lead him to miss shots in traffic, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls.  He also was able to use a spin move when posting up to draw free throws, but sometimes he would get his shots blocked when trying to post up around the basket.

Also, Kiss showed off adequate playmaking skills in this game.  Kiss is a very good passer on the break, and he can throw long, accurate passes to set up scores for them.  He can quickly get the ball to open shooters, and he also drove up the court and threw a crisp, lob pass to help his teammate score on an alley-oop dunk.  He also was able to make drive and kick passes, and he also found a cutter another time, and Kiss was able to make an assortment of passes to get the ball to his teammates.  On the downside, sometimes he would dribble around for too long, and he can sometimes be a bit of a ball-stopper on offense.  Sometimes, he would handle the ball and then get balls stolen away from him.  He also chased down a ball to get an offensive board, but then stepped out of bounds shortly afterwards, which was a shame because he would’ve scored on a turnaround hook shot off of a put back had that call not been made.

Plus, he also showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball.  Kiss would chase down balls to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he would sometimes push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.  Plus, he also played solid defense in this game.  He did a terrific job of getting steals, and he would be in good position to force turnovers and get stops for his team.  Kiss would often run in to intercept passes to get steals.  He also managed to jump on a loose ball, and he also rotated to poke a ball away to get a steal another time.

He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.  He also managed to successfully draw a charge once, and he also deflected a pass out of bounds late in this contest.  On the downside, sometimes he would sag too far off of shooters and not contest shots, which would lead his team to allow opponents to score on threes.  Other times, he would over-rotate and be too aggressive in trying to make plays, and he would sometimes take bad gambles that would lead him to commit fouls or wind up out of position.

In general, Peter Kiss had a tremendous showing to lead Bryant to a win over Wagner, and to get to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.  He is an underrated prospect, and he is an athletic, energetic swingman that showed that he can score and defend, especially in big games.  He will still need to improve his jump shot, and he will need to continue to play well in the postseason, but Kiss is a talented prospect that could be a good find for an NBA team in the 2022 draft.

Bryant’s 6-4 junior guard, Charles Pride also played very well in his team’s win over Wagner.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he is an athletic, high-motor combo guard that did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball.  He had a strong game to help lead his team to get the victory, and he will be a player to watch next season.

Pride showed a satisfactory ability to knock down outside shots.  He didn’t take many of them, but he was able to make an open, spot-up three smoothly on the break, and he also drew free throws on a pull-up, mid-range jumper another time.  He also did a fairly good job of scoring on quick, left-handed drives on the break.  He also managed to score on a left-handed baseline drive, and Pride tended to favor going to his left to do so.  Pride will take on the contact to draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line, but sometimes he would take tough, rushed shots in traffic that would lead to misses.

He was a bit turnover prone on offense.  On one good play, Pride was able to throw an accurate long outlet pass on the break to create a scoring chance for his teammate.  However, he can be a bit turnover prone at times.  He threw a long outlet pass that sailed out of bounds once.  He also would struggle to handle the ball when pressured, as he had a ball poked away, and he also mishandled the ball off of a cut and lost it out of bounds another time.

Pride did a fantastic job of rebounding the basketball, and he was pound-for-pound, the absolute best rebounder in this game.  He grabbed 17 rebounds, which is an impressive haul, especially for a 6-4 guard.  Sometimes, Pride would push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds.  He also defended well, and he was able to deflect a pass out of bounds.

Overall, Charles Pride had a good showing in his team’s win, as he scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against Wagner tonight.  He showed that he can knock down outside shots, and he was aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop to score off the dribble, as well as off of hustle plays.  He also did a magnificent job of rebounding the basketball.  Pride will be Bryant’s best player next season, and he will be expected to be their go-to scorer for the 2022-23 season.  He will need to trust his outside shot more and play more under control to finish more plays around the basket, but Pride is a high-motor combo guard whose strong team play will make him a prospect to watch next season.

Hall Elisias also played very well in his team’s win over Wagner, and the 6-8, sixth-year senior big man did a tremendous job of blocking shots and defending in the paint to help his team throughout the contest.  While he wasn’t nearly as noticeable on offense, his strong defensive impact really made it difficult for Wagner to get going all game long.

Elisias played good defense in this game.  He rotated to block a plethora of shots, especially off of drives, and he would usually swat balls to his teammates.  He also was able to stay with a post player, and he then blocked the shot hard to a teammate.  Elisias did a very good job of blocking and contesting shots in the paint to force numerous misses, and he also poked a ball off of an opponent to get a steal another time.  Sometimes though, he would give up deep position when defending in the post, which would lead him to allow scores.  Other times, he would reach in and bite on pump fakes, which would lead him to wind up out of position.

He didn’t look to score often, but he made both of his shots on offense.  Elisias thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  He ran in to score on a tip-in off of an offensive rebound.  He also scored on a roll to the rim. He wasn’t too noticeable as a playmaker, but Elisias would set screens for his teammates and then roll to the rim.  However, he also had a ball poked away that led him to turn the ball over once.  He also was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor to help his team chip in on the glass.

Overall, Hall Elisias did a great job of blocking shots and defending in the paint.  He wasn’t as much of a factor in the other areas, but his tremendous interior defensive play proved to be really helpful for Bryant in this game.  As for his pro prospects, he is an undersized big man that didn’t show a whole lot of offensive skills, so he probably is a long shot for the NBA.  Still, he is an energetic big man whose strong shot blocking and interior defensive skills could enable him to carve out a lengthy playing career in professional basketball.

Wagner’s 6-8, fifth-year senior big man, Raekwon Rogers played well in his team’s double-digit loss to Bryant.  His team really struggled to match up to Bryant, but Rogers played hard, and he made solid hustle plays and he generally excelled as an interior player when he was on the court.

Rogers showed a solid ability to score in the post.  He is a patient player that would use dribble moves and get deep position on the block, and he would score on layups, jump hooks, and dunks.  On another play though, he made a quick rip move, but had his shot blocked that time.  Also, he thrived at scoring on backdoor cuts.  Rogers also took an open three-point shot, but missed on his lone three-point shot from beyond the arc.

On the downside, he was fairly turnover prone on offense.  He tended to commit turnovers in the post, despite doing a good job of scoring from the block when hoisting up shots.  He was called for a traveling violation once, and he also lost the ball another time.  He also had a ball poked away that led to another turnover, and Rogers generally struggled to handle the ball when facing significant ball pressure.

Also, he was able to haul in his fair share of rebounds on both ends of the floor, and Rogers was quite active at chasing down balls to help his team get offensive boards.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Rogers is an active help defender that will look to roam to make plays.  He would poke balls to get steals and deflections, and he also rotated to block a shot out of bounds.  However, sometimes he would be too aggressive, which would lead him to commit touch fouls on the defensive end.

Overall, Raekwon Rogers is a strong, mobile big man that can score around the basket, and he is an energetic player that would make hustle plays on both ends of the floor.  On the downside, he is an undersized big man that doesn’t seem to have nearly enough perimeter skills, and he will need to improve his outside shot and be a more disciplined on-ball defender in games.  He might not have the game to make it to the NBA, but his game could enable him to be effective as a professional basketball player overseas sometime in the near future.

I watched this game primarily to get a look at Wagner’s 6-6 swingman, Alex Morales, who is also the two-time NEC Player of the Year.  Unfortunately, Morales did not play well at all, and he scored just 3 points and missed all 16 of his field goals in his team’s blowout loss to Bryant.

Morales is an aggressive player that will look to drive the ball to the basket.  He really struggled to score off the dribble, and he often had trouble in dealing with Bryant’s help defenders.  He’s not particularly fast or especially quick, and he had a great deal of trouble in dealing with Bryant’s shot blockers.  Morales would sometimes get past the first man, only to be met with a taller, bigger defender at the rim.  Morales would often get his shots blocked, and other times he would miss wildly around the basket.  Sometimes though, he would drive into the contact to draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line.

Also, he did not shoot the ball well at all in this game.  Morales missed all of his threes and mid-range jumpers.  He couldn’t find his shooting touch, and he missed shots both off the catch and dribble.  He took open and contested shots, but it didn’t matter in this match, because he would end up missing his field goals.

He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills.  Morales showed that he can throw sharp interior passes to find open teammates around the basket, and he also can make passes off the dribble.  Sometimes though, he would make careless moves that would lead to turnovers.  Morales lowered his shoulder on a drive and pushed off that led him to commit a charging foul.  He also threw a hasty low pass that got intercepted.  Another time, he lost the ball after getting an offensive rebound.

In addition, Morales did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He would often chase down balls to get numerous boards on both ends of the floor.  On one play though, he made a silly reach-in foul when going for a defensive board that led him to commit his fourth foul of the match.

Defensively, he struggled in this game.  For the positives, Morales is an active help defender that will look to get blocks and steals on the floor.  He was able to block a shot off a baseline drive to a teammate early on, and he also would poke balls away to get steals and deflections.  He also managed to deflect a pass out of bounds another time.  However, Morales tended to give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to give up three-point baskets.  He also struggled to defend quicker opponents, as he would foul opposing ball handlers and get beat down court to allow baskets in transition.

Overall, Alex Morales may have turned in his worst game of the season at the worst time of the year, and he turned in an abysmal performance, especially on offense.  He’s not especially fast or quick, so he had trouble scoring early on, and things quickly snowballed from there.  At higher levels, Morales will need to be more of a jump shooter and facilitator, and he will need to show that he can defend upper-echelon opponents on a consistent basis.  He will need to take some time to transition to the pro game.  He didn’t look to be much of an NBA draft prospect today, but his strong track record and production in college basketball could enable him to carve out a long playing career in professional basketball.

Bryant’s 6-8, fifth-year senior big man, Greg Calixte also played well in his team’s win over Wagner.  He defended well, and he also was able to make some solid hustle plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory. He didn’t take many shots, but the athletic big man thrived at scoring on hustle plays, and he possesses a good scoring touch around the basket.  He caught a lob pass to score on a riveting, alley-oop dunk.  Calixte also ran in to score on a tip-in another time.  Sometimes though, he would be a bit turnover prone.  He threw a low pass that led to a shot clock violation.  Another time, he drove to the hoop, but committed a charging foul on offense.

Also, Calxite showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball, and he was especially active at crashing the glass to get offensive boards.  He also played solid defense.  Calixte ran in to intercept a long pass to get a steal, and he also tipped a ball to a teammate to help his team get another.  He also blocked a shot off of a drive to a teammate, and he also rotated to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss another time.  However, sometimes he would tend to commit fouls off of drives due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Greg Calixte had a solid showing, as he primarily excelled as a defender, and he is an athletic, energetic big man that made good team plays to help his team on the court.  He may be quite limited offensively, and he’s also undersized to play inside, so he might not be much of a prospect for the NBA right now.  On the other hand, he has excelled in his role on his team, and his defense and shot blocking skills could enable him to carve out a playing career in professional basketball.

Bryant’s 6-6 fifth-year senior point forward, Luis Hurtado had a solid showing in his team’s win over Wagner.  He didn’t take many shots, but thrived at scoring on strong, left-handed drives to the hoop.  He is a savvy playmaker that thrived at finding his teammates on the move and passing off the dribble to notch assists. Also, he was able to haul in several defensive boards to chip in on the glass. 

Defensively, he looked to be fairly average.  He was able to draw a charge to help his team get a stop on the break.  However, he didn’t always seem to be in position defensively, but his team also played zone defense, so some of that could have been partially due to the scheme he was in defensively.  Overall, Hurtado is a tall, playmaker that can rack up assists, and he plays good team basketball.  He may be quite limited as a prospect for higher levels as he may not provide much else, but his size, playmaking skills, and basketball IQ could enable him to carve out a playing career in professional basketball.

Wagner’s 6-7 senior forward, Jahbril Price-Noel made quite the impression, as he excelled as a shooter and scorer late in this game.  He did a very good job of making open, deep threes off the catch.  He also managed to score on a nice, reverse layup off a backdoor cut.  He struggled to consistently score off the dribble, though.  He showed that he can contest jumpers to force misses, but he also struggled to defend quicker opponents on the ball.  Overall, Price-Noel hasn’t had an amazing season, as he hasn’t shot the ball well prior to this game, but he played well in this match, and he was one of the better players for Wagner in this contest.