State Tournament Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The State Titles have been handed down and the time to start reviewing the season is upon us. The Prep Hoops NJ Podcast this week will focus on the champions and the all state players. Who were some of the players we saw in states that had big games?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400481' first='Preston' last='Brown']</strong> | G | Paterson Eastside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown may be one of the most underrated guards in the state. He can elevate on his jumper, has a high release point and solid shooting form. He's a quick guard who can break down defenders to create his own shot. He can get at the rim but his best is when he's beyond the arc. We saw him dominate Linden in the first half of the North Jersey Group IV final as he went for nearly 20 with an impressive shooting performance. Brown is one of the top available senior guards in the state, a scholarship level shooter....Along with his teammate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1402079' first='Bryce' last='Stokes']</strong> | G | Paterson Eastside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big bodied guard who is deceptively quick, he also put on a show against Linden, matching Brown shot for shot as Paterson Eastside made a statement against the Tigers. Stokes could get to the rim with ease and body up smaller guards but, like Brown, lurks around the perimeter as a serious scoring threat. The two scored nearly the same amount of points on the season(Both were in the 580s). He's one of the top available guards and would be a good fit for a scholarship program as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jekhi Burnam</strong> | F | Linden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burnam was mature beyond his years in the win over Newark East Side in the sectional final. The freshman played with the poise of a senior. He didn't force any shots and played within himself. His overall stat line may not jump out but he was 5-7 from the line, including a crucial 2-3 from the line in the final seconds--He got fouled on 3 point attempt and was able to show ice in his veins to give Linden the win. He's shown himself to be a threat inside the post and also out beyond the arc, as he hit over 30 threes as a freshman. He's going to be a major player for the Tigers to build around the next few years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1402082' first='Ray' last='Zamloot']</strong> | G | Caldwell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior drove the bus for Caldwell all the way to the state Group II final and he had a solid performance when we saw him vs Ramsey. It was a low scoring affair but the lefty guard's 10 points was enough to provide the distance in the Caldwell win. He's a very good ballhandler and was patient in the halfcourt. He was able to facilitate as Caldwell looked to burn clock towards the end and as he expands his offensive game with both hands he'll be a contributor at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Christian Pierre Louis</strong> | G | Roselle Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most underrated player in the state is also the most under-recruited player in the state. We saw him a couple times in states and he continued to prove that he's the best on-ball defender in New Jersey. Active hands, quick feet and he's a pest on top of the press for RC. He's had some D1 interest but incredibly not a single school in the Northeast has offered. Whomever gets him will have the steal of the 2023 Class in Jersey. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->