Philly Live Session I Saturday Standouts
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Matt Hodge NJ #4 PF #1 HEIGHT 6'8" POS PF CLASS 2024 View Profile Matt Hodge State: New Jersey School: St. Rose Club: PSA Cardinals Matthew Hodge (St.Rose): Six-foot-eight forward Matt Hodge Matt Hodge 6’8″ | PF St. Rose |…
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Continue ReadingMatthew Hodge (St.Rose): Six-foot-eight forward Matt Hodge Matt Hodge 6’8″ | PF St. Rose | 2024 State #104 Nation NJ was a huge stock riser from the loaded Philly live session I. The class of ’24 forward has a strong build and fluidity in his movements that pops at the initial eye-test. Hodge possesses real two-way upside, making key plays on both ends of the floor in a heated battle against reigning WCAC champions, St. Johns. Offensively he was a reliable floor-spacer, often putting stretches of consecutive makes together. Hodge’s playmaking instincts and passing skills for his size is very compulsive. Excellent player out of DHO action that attacked the rim with toughness. His high basketball IQ was glaring as he made quick reads and clever plays. Defensively he displayed enough lateral quickness to stay in front on the perimeter and wall-up on drives. Displayed great effort on the glass and capable rim protection on drives. I expect Hodge to see a considerable amount of notoriety with the July live period upcoming, his latest offers being from Temple and George Washington.
Donovan Freeman
Donovan Freeman
Donnie Freeman (St. Johns): Syracuse commit Donnie Freeman has proved to be one of the most versatile scorers in the country, with his length and shooting touch. Freeman showed why he’s one of the EYBL’s leading scorers with his ability to make plays from a live dribble and ignite his own offense. His unique skill set is an essential part of St. Johns success, causing many mismatch problems opposing teams. Its easy to see why Freeman is a highly touted scorer with one of the EYBL’s best programs, but seeing him with the reigning WCAC champions gives you a different look at how impactful Freeman really can be. Freeman spent the weekend showcasing his coast to coast to ability and reliability as a floor spacer, along with his defensive versatility when guarding on the perimeter. Aside from Freeman having a long, wiry frame he excels using his length to block shots without fouling and is very disruptive once he gains leverage in the lane.
Jayden Taylor
Jayden Taylor
Jayden Taylor (Sanford School): Jayden Taylor has seen his stock rise over the spring, picking up offers from Rider, Delaware State, and Albany within the first few weeks of June. Taylor is a six-foot-eight forward with raw athleticism and an extremely high motor. He consistently runs the floor hard on both ends and uses his quick leaping ability to dictate plays around the rim. Taylor was effective as a paint protector, deterring plays from the rim with his length and divine timing. Taylor’s body and skill set are still catching up to him, but the effort and energy he exudes while on the floor is undeniable. Taylor should see his stock continue to rise over the course of his career, as he continues to grow and develop.
Logan Franz Logan Franz 6’10” | PF Rutgers Prep | 2026 State NJ (Rutgers Prep): Forward Logan Franz Logan Franz 6’10” | PF Rutgers Prep | 2026 State NJ is the anchor inside for this extremely young Rutgers Prep team. Franz oozes high-level potential as the 2026, Six-foot-ten forward blocked shots and wrestled with opposing post players for deep post position. Franz still needs to gain strength, which will come as he gets older and his body matures but this does not deter him from battling inside and playing with physicality. His length was very disruptive on both ends of the ball and he already possesses high-level instincts as a help-side rim protector.
Jacob Canton Jacob Canton 6'2" | PG Rutgers Prep | 2027 NJ
Jacob Canton Jacob Canton 6'2" | PG Rutgers Prep | 2027 NJ
Jacob Canton Jacob Canton 6’2″ | PG Rutgers Prep | 2027 NJ (Rutgers Prep): Jacob Canton Jacob Canton 6’2″ | PG Rutgers Prep | 2027 NJ is one of the best upcoming freshman guards in the country, and this weekend he showed flashes of what’s to come down the road. The savvy playmaking of the 2027 guard popped as he ran the show for this inexperienced Rutgers Prep group. Canton excelled when putting downhill pressure on the defense and creating plays for others. Quick ball handler who plays fast in transition and with poise in half-court offense. He showcased some tough shot-making in the mid-range area off the bounce and his ability to improvise when offense breaks down. Defensively he was solid when trying to keep guards in front and always seemed to be in the right positions as a help-side defender, garnering steals that led to transition buckets.
Andrew Kretkowski Andrew Kretkowski 6'7" | SF Rutgers Prep | 2027 State NJ
Andrew Kretkowski Andrew Kretkowski 6'7" | SF Rutgers Prep | 2027 State NJ
Andrew Kretkowski Andrew Kretkowski 6’7″ | SF Rutgers Prep | 2027 State NJ (Rutgers Prep): Freshman forward Andrew Kretkowski Andrew Kretkowski 6’7″ | SF Rutgers Prep | 2027 State NJ is one of the best freshman in the northeast region, with his fluid scoring ability, athleticism and toughness. Standing at six-foot-six, Kretkowski already possesses great positional size on the wing. He displayed the ability to be a reliable multi-dimensional scorer, who exhibited a smooth shooting stroke and fearlessness when attacking the rim. Due to his size, Kretkowski acts as a hybrid-style forward who can score inside and out. In transition he sprinted the floor to the corners to open up driving lanes, and give himself opportunities for spot-up threes where he cashed in. Kretkowski will be a player to keep a close eye on as he continues to progress over his high school career.
Kareem Thomas
Kareem Thomas
Kareem Thomas (Salesianum School): Athletic wing Kareem Thomas had a solid showing at Philly Live, making winning plays for Sallies with his athleticism and streaky scoring ability. Thomas excelled defensively using his length and instincts to cause turnovers, and disrupt opposing offenses. Thomas’ explosive leaping blended with his long frame are major catalysts for helping him cover ground, and make plays on both ends of the ball. Offensively he was great in transition, finishing at the rim and playing with urgency. Thomas was reliable as a floor spacer off the catch and consistently reached the earned free throw attempts with his attacking play-style. When fully engaged, Thomas is a huge sleeper recruit in this area in the class of 2024.