Hoop Group Summer Finale: Day 1Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The summer season is coming to a close as teams are looking to end their summer seasons on a high note. The Hoop Group Summer Finale was filled with high level play throughout the day. Here are the opening day standouts from the Hoop Group Summer Finale.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1472517' first='Alex' last='Grospe'], 5'9 PG NJ Panthers 16U 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grospe had a strong showing for the 16U NJ Panthers as he helped them go 2-0 on the day in the 16U platinum bracket. The 5'8 guard attacked the basket with a purpose as he was able to get to the rim and finish around the basket. Grospe shot the ball with confidence from behind the arc and has a quick release on his jumper. He got his teammates involved in the halfcourt and generated deflections on the defensive end. Grospe is a true point guard prospect who made plays for his team throughout the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1608257' first='Ian' last='Williams'], 5'9 PG NJ Scholars 15U 2026</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams played with both the 15U and 17U teams, making an impact in both games. The 5'9 guard has a tight handle and a quick first step, which he used to blow by his defender and finish around the rim. Williams moved well without the ball in his hands and was unafraid of drawing contact on both ends. He slid his feet on the defensive end and rarely made mistakes with the ball in his hands. Williams' stock should continue to rise with more performances like this.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1259619' first='Emmanuel' last='Okitondo'], 6'8 F DC Premier 17U 2024</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Okitondo had a strong showing for DC Premier as he made his presence felt at both ends of the floor. The 6'8 forward exploded off the floor for dunks and was able to get position down low. Okitondo put the ball on the floor nicely and shot the ball with confidence from distance. He skied for rebounds at both ends of the floor and showed the ability to defend multiple positions on the floor. Okitondo is a lanky forward prospect who will make a college coach at the next level very happy with his ability to impact the game at both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1529071' first='Jaylen' last='Harrell'], 6'6 W Expressions Elite 16U 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harrell had a good showing for Expressions Elite as he made key plays for them down the stretch of games. The 6'6 wing used his handle effectively as he was able to get to his spot on the floor and rose up with confidence. Harrell finished nicely around the rim and was unafraid of drawing contact. He moved well without the ball in his hands and slid his feet on defense. Harrell's ability to stretch the floor is something that will help his stock continue to rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1195572' first='Andreo' last='Ash'], 6'8 PF NY Jayhawks 16U 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ash rose his stock on Saturday as he showed the ability to score inside and out. The 6'8 forward used his body to get position and had a nice touch around the basket. Ash showed a good face-up game as he put the ball on the floor and knocked down an open jumper from behind the arc. He ripped down rebounds on both ends of the floor and influenced shots around the basket. Ash is a strong forward prospect whose ability to stretch the floor is something that will help his stock in a big way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other Prospects to Know:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1050399' first='Alex' last='Massung'], 6'2 PG NJ Panthers 17U 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411402' first='David' last='Munro'], 6'7 PF Epic Elite 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1197607' first='Jaron' last='McKie'], 6'2 PG NJ Scholars 16U 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1434219' first='Alex' last='Touomou'], 6'7 W DC Premier 16U 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1790210' first='Tyler' last='Hammond'], 5'10 PG [program_tooltip program_id='2078709' first='Team' last='Final'] Black 16U 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->