Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest: Day 2 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second day of the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest saw big performances as players looked to lead their teams to victory throughout the day. Here are the top standouts from the second day of the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608257' first='Ian' last='Williams'], 5'10 CG Archbishop Carroll 2026</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams was absolutely dynamic with the ball in his hands as he helped lead the NJ Scholars 15U team into the semifinals of the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest. The 5'10 guard used his tight handle and lighting quick first step to blow by his defender off the bounce and finished through contact around the basket. Williams was able to create separation off the bounce and found his teammates in the halfcourt. He pushed the tempo nicely in transition and moved his feet well on the defensive end. Williams is a speedy lead guard whose ability to get into the paint will help his stock in a big way this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188620' first='Shareef' last='Jackson'], 6'7 PF Roman Catholic 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson was the most impressive player at the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest as he showed off his versatile game. The 6'7 forward has a soft touch around the basket and was able to consistently draw contact in the paint. Jackson has a good face-up game as he can put the ball on the floor and knocked down a pair of jumpers from behind the arc. He rifled outlet passes to start the break and ripped down rebounds at both ends of the floor. Jackson is a skilled forward prospect whose stock should rise with more performances like he had this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411642' first='Evan' last='Romano'], 6'2 SG St. Rose 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Romano had a strong performance on day two as he made key plays for them throughout the game. The 6'2 guard has a good release on his jumper and knocked down multiple jumpers from behind the arc. Romano moved well without the ball in his hands, freeing himself up for open jumpers and layups in the half court. He got back in transition on defense and showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim at times. Romano's ability to knock down jumpers from behind the arc is something that will help his game in a big way this spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991365' first='Dante' last='DePante'], 6'3 PG Central Catholic 2023</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DePante had a standout performance for the NJ Shoreshots HGSL team as he showed the ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. The 6'3 guard used his handle effectively as he was able to get into the paint consistently and finish through contact. DePante rarely got sped up by on-ball pressure and wasted little motion in his release. He ran the offense effectively and was able to get deflections on the defensive end. DePante is one of the top available prospects in the 2023 class in Pennsylvania and put it on display at the Spring Jam Fest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Chima Okeoma, 5'11 PG Union Catholic 2023</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Okeoma had a strong day for the [program_tooltip program_id='2078569' first='Jersey' last='Force'] 17U HGSL team as he showed his explosion off the bounce. The 5'11 guard has a tight handle, which he used to blow by his defender and get to the rim. Okeoma made good decisions with the ball in his hands and was able to get to his spot on the floor. He used his quick hands to get steals on defense, which led to runouts in transition. Okeoma is a scoring lead guard who knows how to get into the paint and finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other Players to Know:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411404' first='Darius' last='Adams'], 6'3 SG Manasquan 2025 (PSA Cardinals)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271440' first='Ben' last='Rill'], 6'8 PF Central York 2025 (York Ballers)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1865348' first='Jaen' last='Chatman'], 6'1 CG East Stroudsburg 2025 (NJ Panthers)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jay Alexander, 6'2 W Aquinas Institute 2026 (Expressions)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1406990' first='Lukas' last='Schmid'], 6'2 SG Blair Academy 2024 (NJ Panthers)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->