Skylands Prospects To Watch

Alex Fydryszewski

November 4, 2022 @ 11:23 PM

Western New Jersey is often overlooked by the media and fans but is producing more talent than ever as its rural landscape, for generations defined by rolling hills, family farms and country lanes is becoming chewed up in the massive suburban explosion that continues to spread across the state. This means explosive population growth, bigger schools and deeper talent pools coming into the area as a result. Today we look at several players to keep an eye on out in the Skylands.     Connor Duggan | G  | Voorhees   Duggan came on the scene last year as a junior and helped push the Glen Gardner school to a solid 17 win season. He has good ball handling skills. He's a good lead guard who can also score, run the fast break to the foul line to create the most options and facilitate. He can finish around the basket and is also pesky on defense. He had 17 vs Kittatinny, 16 vs Warren Hills and 15 vs Pburg.   [player_tooltip player_id='1150280' first='Tommy' last='Flaherty']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tommy-flaherty/"></a><a></a> | G | Warren Hills   A scorer who plays north-south and gets at the basket with the ball in his hands. He's a tough on ball defender who isn't afraid to dive after loose balls or take charges. He'll be a four year varsity player for the Streaks and has a chance to flirt with 1,000 points. Season high of 29 vs Bernards. He also added 24 vs Wallkill Valley.   [player_tooltip player_id='1216351' first='Francis' last='Denvir']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/francis-denvir/"></a><a></a> | 5'8” | G | Delaware Valley 2024   Good ballhandler who in spite of being undersized uses his knowledge of the game to be able to drive the lane and finish through contact. He's a solid shooter from the perimeter who has a unique follow through on his shot that can draw defenders in to committing fouls. With two years to go he could develop into a prospect that regional D3s would like to talk to. His top games as a sophomore were vs South River(21), Hillside(25) and RFH(12). He also added nearly 70 assists on the season.   Justin Kolpan | 5'10” | G | Delaware Valley   Denvir's backcourt colleague is also a prospect to watch. He's a tough defender. He's a facilitator who can also hit shots when called upon, though Denvir does a lot of the heavy lifting on offense. He had 10 assists vs South Hunterdon and Warren Hills. From a scoring perspective, he went for 23 in a blowout win over Kittatinny and 17 in a loss to Hunterdon Central.   [player_tooltip player_id='1464420' first='Matt' last='Schwartz']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/matt-schwartz/"></a><a></a> | 6'3” | G | Hunterdon Central 2024   A lefty wing who can run the floor well, get to the rim off the dribble and hit shots from spots all over the floor. His top skill is as a catch-and-shoot guy in the corner. He was an underclass contributor on a senior filled team, so he'll be able to show his skillset in a broader spectrum as a junior. He had 17 vs Gill St Bernards and 12 vs Immaculata, an indication of his potential. Expect to get to know this name.

Western New Jersey is often overlooked by the media and fans but is producing more talent than ever as its rural landscape, for generations defined by rolling hills, family farms and country lanes is becoming chewed up in the massive suburban explosion that continues to spread across the state. This means explosive population growth, bigger schools and deeper talent pools coming into the area as a result. Today we look at several players to keep an eye on out in the Skylands.