Hershey Jumpoff-Colby's Wednesday Notebook

On Wednesday I took the trip up to Harrisburg, Pa and took in some action at the Hershey Jumpoff, hosted by Marquee Hoops. Concentrating on the games in the afternoon that featured MD/DC teams, there was plenty of notes to share on various teams and prospects who stood out in their contests.   Pat McDonough leads District BC 16s to win   District BC 16U faced off against a very good New Heights squad that has made a statement thus far in their time playing on the Marquee Hoops Circuit. However when you line up against a guard such as 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1370506' first='Patrick' last='McDonough'], it requires you to bring maximum effort on every possession. The 5'10 floor general was outstanding in controlling the pace for his team offensively, ensuring execution in half court sets and burying three's with any open look that came his way. He was a pest defensively who made opposing ball hander's life difficult, which put the cherry on top of a great two-way performance as he finished with 25 points in a win. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1768965' first='Cannon' last='Greene'] wasted no time on his catches out on the perimeter before finding a sliver of a driving lane, using his brute frame to bully his way to the rim and finish through contact. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1956059' first='Jayson' last='Frost'] was a nice complement to McDonough and Greene with his outside shooting that spaced the floor. Both Greene and Frost scored nine a piece in the win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1956065' first='Jackson' last='Britt']'s big outing   Mid-Atlantic had two 2025 prospects playing up on the 17U age group and both shined. Leading the way was [player_tooltip player_id='1956065' first='Jackson' last='Britt'], a 6'3 guard who can really get it going from deep with a fluid stroke. Britt isn't limited to shooting from three. In fact, he put the ball on the floor numerous times as defenders closed out wildly to prevent him from getting up another triple. He showed good body control and surprising craft in his playmaking and finishes once he got into the heart of the defense. The other rising junior who stood out for Mid-Atlantic was [player_tooltip player_id='1598809' first='Mason' last='Ellison']. A 6'4 guard with a tendency for high-flying finishes, Ellison's best work came in the open floor where he was throwing down lobs or taking the ball from end-to-end before using his finesse layup package. Key contributors were missing for Mid-Atlantic and combined with going against a tough, scrappy Philly Pride 302 group, the game resulted in losing on a three-pointer with five seconds remaining.   TTO National 17U dismantles their opposition   Before TTO National took the floor I had some time to speak with head coach Chuck Henry. Among a list of things that he was focusing on heading into their game against Dream Canada, defense was at the top. It's safe to say his team executed the game plan as they'd go onto win by a final score of 71-19. Each player had their moment in contributing to the dominant win, but 2024 Chris Henderson's downhill prowess and 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1580728' first='Elijah' last='Adegbenro']'s versatility were on full display throughout. Henderson brings a strong frame at 6'3 to shed defenders on drives, but also keeps the defense honest with his ability to knock down three's if there is too much space. Adegbenro is a low maintenance offensive producer who made his presence felt on sharp cuts, quick catch-and-rips and sprinting the lanes in transition. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1759731' first='Tavyahn' last='Faison'] acted as a great connecting piece and applied relentless pressure from the point guard spot. 2024 Nigel Howard was another prospect who moved very well without the ball for easy scores, 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2231849' first='Joseph' last='Coleman'] was a two-way impact from the backcourt, 2024 Rulian Stewart converted on some smooth pull-up three's and 2024 Kahuranaki Treaher used his size and athleticism at 6'8 to man the glass.   District BC 17s escape   The District BC 17s group faced off against Metro Boston in a tough win. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1259627' first='Machi' last='Chester'] came out determined to leave his fingerprint on the first stretch of the game and was effective in doing so by starting things off with a dribble-up three in semi transition. He showed steady flashes of playmaking as he split the top line of the 2-3 zone and found open shooters with crisp passes. Along the way, Chester had some turnovers that made things tough for his team, but his 15 points ultimately helped secure the victory. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1241901' first='Blake' last='Neal'] was spectacular in passing lanes. He'd anticipate similar to a safety on the football field and quickly commit to shooting the lanes, sparking his own fastbreak opportunities. If he wasn't throwing down one-handed slams, Neal was finishing with either hand as defenders attempted to contest behind him.   Runnin' Mavs coast to win   The Runnin' Mavs coasted to a win against Long Island Lighting Select in a final score that indicated a much closer game than it was. 2024 southpaw lead guard Letre' Yawn's slashing and playmaking played a key role. Yawn is one of those point guards who can score it at a pretty high level when comfortable, but understands how to set his teammates up in order for their team to run full force. 2024 Mike Lonergan, a high school teammate of Yawn at Archbishop Spalding, provides the necessary floor spacing with a lethal three-point shot. The cohesion between the two doesn't take long to surface. 2024 Brian Griffin helped Lonergan with the long-range shooting as he buried a couple of triples in the game while 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2333547' first='Nzube' last='Etolue']'s versatility and workman-like approach on the glass as a 6'3 utility guy kept momentum in their favor.

On Wednesday I took the trip up to Harrisburg, Pa and took in some action at the Hershey Jumpoff, hosted by Marquee Hoops. Concentrating on the games in the afternoon that featured MD/DC teams, there was plenty of notes to share on various teams and prospects who stood out in their contests.