2023 Small School Stock Risers

Alex Fydryszewski

July 25, 2022 @ 11:19 AM

Oftentimes, small school players get overlooked by college coaches, even when it comes to tradition rich New Jersey, specifically so at the public school Group I level. Traditionally, Parochial B held and continues to hold some of the more elite talent in the Garden State but there is a current of rising talent at the Group I and Group II levels. Today, we look at some of those players.     [player_tooltip player_id='1150271' first='Jordan' last='Summers'] | 6'7” | F |Bound Brook   Summers followed up a big junior year with a very impressive summer for the NJ Panthers 17U team. He showed that he was a fierce rebounder and could put his length to good use on the defensive end. He combines that intensity with a good mind for the game, crafty footwork in the post and a nice touch around the rim—He can also step back and shoot beyond the arc. He had 32 vs Franklin last year, among several games over 30 pts. His play over the Atlantic City Jam Fest saw Catawba College offer him and more offers should be on the way—D2s within 200 miles of Bound Brook should be banging down the doors.   [player_tooltip player_id='1013101' first='Chris' last='Ross'] | 5'9” | G | Wallkill Valley   He's a fleet-of-foot lefty guard who can handle the ball and score at multiple levels. He's unafraid to attack bigger defenders but can also pull up beyond the arc. Certainly “Under the Radar” because he's out in Sussex County. He had 30 vs Par Hills, 27 vs Newton, 30 vs Vernon and 32 vs Pope John as a junior and schools should be paying attention as he's in line for a huge senior year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1269717' first='Lazaro' last='Rodriguez'] | 6'4” | F | South River   This is going to be “The Year” for South River. They return just about every ounce of offense from a 20-8 team and will be senior heavy. Rodriguez will be the main forward in that mix. He's a very strong and physical player who can also run the floor well and play into and through contact at the rim. He's crafty under the basket and can also get after it on defense. He's going to pass 1,000 pts on opening night, barring something catastrophic and would have done so last year if the 2020-2021 season wasn't limited by pandemic restrictions. He played AAU with the [program_tooltip program_id='2078574' first='NJ' last='Bulldogs'] and also has something every college coach should love…He's a member of the National Honor Society with an nearly perfect GPA. He had 23 vs South Brunswick and 19 vs South Plainfield.   [player_tooltip player_id='1401553' first='Essam' last='Assaf'] | 6'1” | G | Elmwood Park   Assaf can do a little bit of everything as a well rounded guard but he's at his best when he's out on the open floor and can attack the basket in transition. He's also capable of scoring at multiple levels. He'll go beyond 1,000 pts sometime in December. He had over 20 pts on 9 occasions, including 28 vs Hawthorne and 27 vs Glen Rock. Colleges should be paying close attention to his senior year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1017191' first='Jake' last='Croce'] | 6'5” | F | South Hunterdon   Croce recently transferred to South Hunterdon from Notre Dame, where he was a contributor last year. He's an athletic player who can finish around the rim and play through contact, but he can also step back and hit shots from beyond the arc. He's a hard worker who fights for rebounds. He's a major shot in the arm for South Hunterdon's program and should be their unquestioned “go to” player this winter.

Oftentimes, small school players get overlooked by college coaches, even when it comes to tradition rich New Jersey, specifically so at the public school Group I level. Traditionally, Parochial B held and continues to hold some of the more elite talent in the Garden State but there is a current of rising talent at the Group I and Group II levels. Today, we look at some of those players.