Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest-Saturday Notebook

This weekend at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, Pa, Hoop Group hosted their Fall Jam Fest event featuring teams from the mid-Atlantic region. I was fortunate enough to attend the morning and afternoon session where there was no shortage of talent. For this notebook, I’ll go through the teams that I caught and players that stood out. Boo Williams-Marsh This Boo Williams squad collected two wins in the early morning slots of 830AM and 940AM. It’s always fun for me getting to the gym for the first game because it really shows which players are always ready to go. The 2022 duo of [player_tooltip player_id="736190" first="Jaden" last="Daughtry"] and [player_tooltip player_id="848071" first="Mikhail" last="Pocknett"] didn’t take long to assert their dominance. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jaden-Daughtry.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1047492" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jaden-Daughtry-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Daughtry is a 6-foot-6 southpaw who impacted their games in a number of ways. He’s versatile on both ends and where it really came to light was how he led the fast break after collecting defensive rebounds. Daughtry made plays off the bounce in the half court where he would get into the mid-range area, stop on a dime and knock down shots or floaters.It was no surprise to find out that six Division I programs have already offered the L.C. Bird product. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Mikhail-Pocknett.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1047494" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Mikhail-Pocknett-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Pocknett reigns from Wilmington, North Carolina and brings a hardhat approach as well as a 6-foot-6 frame. He routinely scored on his looks in the paint and was effective at moving without the ball and making himself available as the defense rotated. Pocknett told me a handful of Division I programs are reaching out to him and judging from the potential he has, my guess is they manufacture into offers soon. 2021 Davian Coleman is a 6-foot-8 center who showed some valuable characteristics in a big. He played with great energy by being a constant presence on the glass both offensively and defensively. On multiple occasions, he corralled offensive rebounds for easy buckets that helped swing the momentum in his teams favor. Coleman, who also is a lefty, took advantage of his opportunities from the charity stripe.As he continues to work on his body and athleticism, Coleman should be in store for a productive collegiate career. He holds two Division II offers currently. NEPA Elite-Basalyga NEPA Elite faced a tough Boo Williams team and followed up with a very solid York Ballers squad. Both games resulted in losses, but there were still a couple of prospects who stood out along the way. 2022 Jason Shields is a 6-foot-4 guard who must be accounted for at all times. He was deadly from beyond the arc in the first half against Boo Williams and while he slowed down after, still remained confident and knocked down shots when his team was in need. He has a quick release that doesn’t need time to gather off the catch and at his size, should be on the radar of coaches looking for shooters in the Pennsylvania area for 2022. 2022 point guard Austin Finarelli is a guy who can fill a couple of vital roles for the AAU stage. While he doesn’t overwhelm you athletically, he plays with high basketball IQ both with and without the ball. The 6-foot guard showed good understanding of what plays to make depending on the momentum and course of the game. He knocked down open three’s and finished soft floaters on his drives. Finarelli should end up being an attractive point guard prospect to the slew of Division III programs in the PA area. York Ballers I’ll start by saying the York Ballers is always one of my favorite teams to watch given the quality depth of college prospects in their program. While each player specializes in a certain area, all have extremely high basketball IQ and can shoot the basketball 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="991006" first="Kai" last="Cipalla"] intrigued me with his brute strength at 6-foot-3 and ability to guard multiple positions with ease.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Kai-Cipalla.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1047488 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Kai-Cipalla-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> On top of playing extremely hard, Cipalla communicated effectively on both ends. He has a football player type of build and it was on display when he’d get downhill and finish through contact. When he wasn’t driving to the rim, Cipalla was knocking down mid-rangers off the bounce or cashing in on three’s off the catch. A bevy of Division III programs are hoping to land Cipalla where he should be an instant impact for any program he chooses at that level. 2021 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="991165" first="Nolan" last="Hubbs"] ran the show as the floor general in York’s two victories. At 5-foot-11, Hubbs is a heady lead guard who showed clear understanding in how to manage a game.He pushed the pace in transition and made sure his team got into sets while in the half court. When driving lanes presented themselves, he took advantage and finished strong and kept his defender guessing after converting on a few triples throughout the way. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="991116" first="Alon" last="Gorham"] shared the backcourt with Hubbs and provided floor spacing as he was taking advantage of three’s at a steady rate through their two games. Gorham showed solid court vision in transition with advance passes to teammates for lay-ups and provided good energy defensively. 2021 forward [player_tooltip player_id="991115" first="Aiden" last="Hughley"] provided the size and physicality at 6-foot-6. Listed at 220 pounds, Hughley used it to his advantage to gain inside position and secure rebounds on both ends. He utilized soft touch on his over the shoulder hook shots and was consistent in running the floor. SJ Hoops Elite 2021 Joshua Rivera wasted no time getting to work in their opening game against K-Low Elite. Although they would ultimately lose, applied pressure offensively scoring a game-high 17 points. The 6-foot-7 wing is versatile, athletic and a dynamic scorer who is a threat from all three levels. Rivera holds seven Division I offers. K-Low Elite K-Low split their games, but one thing was for sure in both and that was their effort. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="991136" first="Griffin" last="Barrou"] was the best shooter in the gym and one of the best I’ve seen all summer. Barrou is a 6-foot-4 guard who most exceptionally well without the ball and showcased elite footwork getting into his shot. If I had to guess, he was nearing 10 made three’s in the two games and all came off catch-and-shoot scenarios. Shooters often times get categorized as one-trick ponies and while he isn’t the most athletic player on the floor, Barrou was serviceable defensively even when the opposing team tried isolating him. I’d vouch for Division II programs to track him and maybe even low-major Division I’s who need shot-making. 2021 forward [player_tooltip player_id="990938" first="Anquan" last="Hill"] had a productive day. He’s very skinny, but has tremendous length to go with a 6-foot-8 frame. He did most of his damage in face-up scenarios in the post, but also stepped out beyond the arc at the top of the key and knocks down three’s comfortably. Adding muscle and being more aggressive will be the indicators college programs will look for, but he’s oozing with potential. Hill holds offers from Bryant, Drexel, Mount St. Mary’s and Saint Joseph’s. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="956578" first="Chris" last="Evans"] was another long-range sniper on display for K-Low. The 6-foot-1 guard still has some work to do with his body, but consistently made the opposition pay for even an inch of daylight. He shot the three with range off the catch and brought valuable effort to the defensive end. Team Delaware Temple commit [player_tooltip player_id="990937" first="Hysier" last="Miller"] may have been the best prospect top-to-bottom I saw. He made a boatload of three’s in a variety of ways, most of which came in transition where he’d stop on a dime and pull-up regardless if a defender was in his face. He got downhill on a routine basis and created separation before rising up for lay-ups. What I liked most was Miller’s leadership. He was clearly his team’s best player, but he wouldn’t allow his teammates to get down on themselves. He was enforcing positive feedback and you could tell it made a difference by watching their efforts for the following possessions. Team Choo <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jordan-Pennick.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1047489" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jordan-Pennick-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="954640" first="Jordan" last="Pennick"] has been on a roll this spring and summer. Every time I watch this team, he’s the catalyst and scoring in a variety of ways. In dominant win over East Coast Power he led the way with 16 points . The 6-foot guard is also a standout on the football field and he lets it be know with the physicality he brings to the position. If I was a Division II program, I’d be all over Pennick as he could very well play into the low-major conversation. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jamai-Felt.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1047490" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Jamai-Felt-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2021 forward Jamai Felt has been covered in-depth here on Prep Hoops and for good reason. He gave me even more reason after holding a personal dunk contest in their win over East Coast Power. Felt finished a two-handed poster over a defender and followed with a one-handed flush off of a lob in transition from Pennick. The 6-foot-8 southpaw was blocking shots left and right while controlling the defensive glass and locating streaking guards quickly. Felt holds Division I and Division II offers and could be the best kept secret in Baltimore for the 2021 class. Boo Williams-Meech <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Jacob-Cooper.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1031682" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Jacob-Cooper-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="697140" first="Jacob" last="Cooper"] put on an absolute clinic from the point guard position in their tough win against K-Low. The 5-foot-11 guard is as tough as they come and a threat to score from anywhere on the floor. The game was filled with controversy between the refs and K-Low’s coaching staff, but Cooper stayed focused on the task at hand and made plays as his way of chirping back. There was no stat-keeping for this game, but he had to eclipse the 20-point mark. He holds five Division II offers. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Elijah-Kennedy.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1031683" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Elijah-Kennedy-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2021 Elijah Kennedy is Cooper’s backcourt mate who brings firepower that is tough for opposing teams to handle. He’s 6-foot-4, left-handed and one of the best shot-makers that were on display. When Kennedy makes a shot it demoralizes his match up because more often than not, he just finished hitting them with a killer crossover or a mean step-back. Kennedy gets tremendous lift and can play well above the rim in transition. Kennedy currently holds one Division I offer and two Division II offers. If I’m a low-major Division I program who needs a shot-maker, I’m taking a good long look at what Kennedy can provide.