Pitt Jam Fest-Friday Night Notebook

<p>Adam Ayalew, Houston Wilson and myself were all in attendance for the opening night of Pitt Jam Fest. As we attempted to spread the wealth and take in as much action from local prospects as possible, I break down some of the games that I watched and who caught my eye.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/KJ-Gardner.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437373" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/KJ-Gardner-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Global Squad vs North Metro Elite (17U)</strong></span></p> <p>2023 Springdale Prep/Global Squad guard [player_tooltip player_id="1164831" first="KJ" last="Gardner"] was the clear standout from this game. The 6-foot-1 southpaw caught the attention of multiple Division I coaches in attendance thanks to his blend of speed, athleticism and ability to impact the game in a multitude of ways as a combo guard. He was key in helping his team to a win in this matchup and showed his scoring versatility as a mid-range threat off the dribble, finishing above the rim in transition and breaking down his man in quick iso situations with quick crossovers to create space.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Jeannot-Basima-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437374" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Jeannot-Basima-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Both Yale and Columbia were in attendance for 2023 John Carroll/Global Squad guard [player_tooltip player_id="957030" first="Jeannot" last="Basima"] and as usual the 6-foot-3 guard was assertive as a driver. Instead of always looking to finish, he did a nice job of keeping his eyes up for cutting teammates who he was able to find for lay ups or locate with kick out passes for open three’s. Basima is always going to crash the glass aggressively and defend at a high level. Did did both in the win over NME.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tyson-Oghene.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437375" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tyson-Oghene-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>2022 St. Maria Goretti/Global Squad guard [player_tooltip player_id="1358510" first="Tyson" last="Oghene"] has a nice outing as he freed himself up around the perimeter as other’s penetrated an made himself available for catch-and-shoot opportunities. He also had a couple of nice drives where he drew contact and finished or earned trips to the charity stripe. Oghene is being recruited by a handful of Division II programs and should be coming to a decision in the next month or so. He’ll be a nice addition as he brings positional size at 6-foot-5 and versatility on both ends.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team Takeover National vs NJ Roadrunners (17U)</strong></span></p> <p>2024 The Patrick School/NJ Roadrunners forward [player_tooltip player_id="1400499" first="Caleb" last="Embeya"] was the first prospect to catch my attention in this contest. Despite his team ultimately coming up short, he was a massive presence inside both offensively and defensively. He tries to dunk anything around the basket whether or not a defender is in his way. He uses his brute strength and bullish frame to establish position or create contact and separation for short hooks. Defensively he comes with good timing as a shot blocker and rebounds the ball with purpose.</p> <p>2023 McKinley Tech/Team Takeover point guard [player_tooltip player_id="957046" first="Terrell" last="Webster"] caught my eye in the win over Roadrunners. He’s confident with the ball both as a playmaker and shooter from beyond the arc. He cashed in on a couple three’s off the bounce early in the game to help establish an early momentum for TTO while spearheading a chaotic full court press defense that resulted in deflections, turnovers and run-out opportunities.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team Melo vs New England Storm (16U)</strong></span></p> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1225257" first="Acaden" last="Lewis"] had his hands all over this game as Melo escaped with a 6-point victory over a tough New England Storm group. The 6-foot-1 lead guard put together a highlight tape in this game alone with his array of crafty plays in the open floor both as a scorer and playmaker. If he wasn’t getting to the rim and finishing creatively with either hand, Lewis was operating in ball screens making his defender pay for going underneath or taking his man off the bounce where he’d get a paint touch and finish with high-arcing floaters. Lewis was also a factor on the defensive end as he finished with multiple steals thanks to active hands and anticipation in passing lanes. Lewis recorded 17 points.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Drew-McKenna.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437369" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Drew-McKenna-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>2024 Glenelg Country/Team Melo wing/forward [player_tooltip player_id="1225253" first="Drew" last="McKenna"] tied Lewis with 17 points of his own. He got started right away by scoring inside and out to help set an early tone for his team. His versatility is evident at 6-foot-7 and was on display further when he’d collect defensive rebounds and lead the break himself. He pursued rebounds at their peak, created deflections off the ball and brought energy to help his team hold onto the win.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tre-Green-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437370" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tre-Green-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Team Melo vs Albany City Rocks</strong></span></p> <p>2023 Team Melo guard [player_tooltip player_id="1277444" first="Tre" last="Green"] got to work right away in his team’s blowout win over City Rocks. The 6-foot-3 southpaw is a legitimate three-level scorer who rarely takes his foot off the gas. He finishing the game with 30+ points and put the ball in the basket just about every way imaginable. Green should be a valuable addition to Bridgton Academy next season.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Kamal-Francis.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437371" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Kamal-Francis-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>2023 Glenelg Country/Team Melo point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1280950" first="Kamal" last="Francis"] had a productive outing as the conductor of this Team Melo squad. He pushed the pace in transition for quick buckets for both he and his teammates. On multiple occasions he buried three’s off an in-bounds play where he’d come off screens in the corner where he had good prep getting into his shot. He was a menace defensively and was the cause of a handful of turnovers while defending the ball. He rebounds well as a point guard and always has his eyes up looking to advance the ball up the floor.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Omarion-Reid.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1437372" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Omarion-Reid-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>2023 Mt. Carmel/Team Melo forward Omarion Reid was unguardable in this game down low. The 6-foot-6 big body forward used his frame to demand the ball on the block where he’d catch, power dribble and find himself directly under the rim as his defender bounced out of bounds. He brought good energy as a rim-runner and collected over a handful of rebounds in the win. Reid also recorded a couple of blocks in the effort.</p>