Spring Jamfest Standouts
The second live period was underway this past weekend, and Hoop Group put on another big event in their Spring Jamfest at Spooky Nook in Lancaster, PA. The event featured teams from all over the east coast and was chock…
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Continue ReadingThe second live period was underway this past weekend, and Hoop Group put on another big event in their Spring Jamfest at Spooky Nook in Lancaster, PA. The event featured teams from all over the east coast and was chock full of talent for all levels, with college coaches from all over in attendance.
Here’s a look at some of the many standouts from the New Jersey teams in attendance.
Kaden Goss | 5’5” PG | Jersey Force 17U
Goss may not look the part as he’s almost always the smallest player on the court, but he flat out gets the job done every time he’s on the floor. The 5’5” lead guard is one of the toughest players I saw all weekend, and he’s a natural leader who makes his team better and is a flat out winner. He’s quick off the bounce and is able to make tough passes around and over bigger players, he’s a knock down shooter from deep and he loves competition and steps up against the best of the best.
Anthony Akande Anthony Akande 6'4" | SG Arts | 2024 State NJ | 6’3” WG | Jersey Force 17U
Akande was another impressive player in this Jersey Force backcourt, as the 6’3” off guard showed a lot of upside moving forward. He has long arms and is a natural athlete who moves well and is explosive when he gets downhill and can finish through traffic well. He showed the ability to knock down shots from deep, he was a good secondary ball handler and he competed on the defensive end too.
Shareef Jackson | 6’7” PF | NJ Scholars 16U
Jackson is part of a very talented front court for this Scholars team that won the 17U Platinum bracket, beating their EYBL rival PSA Cardinals for it. The 6’7” forward is a load in the paint and can clear out space and has soft touch with both hands around the rim, and he can step out where he can run the offense on the perimeter too. He is an excellent passer who hits cutters and shooters, he can make shots from deep and he’s a very good defender in the paint who challenges shots without fouling.
Emannuel Joe-Samuel | 6’3” WG | NJ Scholars 16U
Joe-Samuel was fantastic for the Scholars all weekend, but particularly on Sunday in the semifinal and championship game where he stepped up in a big way. The 6’3” wing is a very talented shot maker who can play on or off the ball and make difficult shots from all over the floor. He creates space well and elevates off the bounce to be able to shoot over defenders closing out, he can work off the ball and make shots from deep off the catch and he showed he can get hot quickly and take over games when his team needs him to.
Jaron McKie | 6’2” PG | NJ Scholars 16U
McKie was another Scholars guard who was huge for them in the championship game, as he did a little bit of everything to help them edge out PSA for the win. In the first half, McKie was more reserved as he handled pressure well, set the tone defensively and made plays for others and got the ball in the hands of those who were hot. In the second half he stepped up as a scorer as he showed his ability to get to the rim and to the line, and he made a lot of key shots for them from multiple levels down the stretch.