Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest Day 1 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest is here with hundreds of teams competing to take home a title. The opening day was full of standouts as they wanted to put their best foot forward on opening day. Here are the opening day standouts from the Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez'], 6'1 PG Shoreshots Rio UAA (Union City) 2027</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzalez put his lead guard skills on display on day one as he was able to get to his spot on the floor throughout the day. The 6'1 guard made great decisions with the ball in his hands as he made the right reads in the halfcourt and found open teammates during the game. Gonzalez used his tight handle and quick first step to blow by his defender off the bounce and was able to draw contact around the rim. He played tough on-ball defense as he was able to generate steals and turnovers. Gonzalez is a shifty lead guard prospect who knows how to make plays with the ball in his hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Meleek Thomas, 6'4 CG New Heights Lightning EYBL (Lincoln Park) 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas put on a show in Day 1 as he poured in 28 points in the showcase game. The 6'4 guard played with extreme confidence as he buried two triples in the first half from well behind the three-point line. Thomas created separation off the bounce nicely in the halfcourt and elevated for a couple of dunks as well. He used his length to generate turnovers and was able to find his open teammates in both transition and the halfcourt. Thomas is one of the top prospects in the country and he showed why on opening day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411675' first='David' last='Johnson'], 6'1 G Team New England HGSL (St. Benedict's) 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson made plays for Team New England on Day 1 as we constantly getting into the paint. The 6'1 guard used his tight handle to break his defender down off the bounce and finished nicely around the rim. Johnson showed the ability to shoot either off the catch or bounce and was able to play off the ball as well. He moved his feet on the defensive end and was able to grab rebounds against taller defenders. Johnson is a play-making guard prospect who will be one to track if he continues to play like he did on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Michael Santicola, 6'5 SF Team Wildcat HGSL (Moon Area) 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santicola had a big day for Team Wildcat as he was able to score the ball in a variety of ways. The 6'5 lefty used his quick first step to beat his defender off the bounce and was able to finish through contact at the rim. Santicola wasted little motion in his jumper and made opponents pay for giving him space behind the arc. He rarely looked rattled by on-ball pressure and showed the ability to hold his own on the interior. Santicola's stock will continue to trend up if he continues to play like this throughout the spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823214' first='Shelton' last='Colwell'], 6'5 SF NJ Panthers HGSL (Arts) 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colwell made plays for the NJ Panthers throughout the day as he was able to affect the game inside and out. The 6'5 forward was comfortable on the perimeter as he shot the ball with confidence from behind the arc and was able to beat his defender off the bounce as well. Colwell finished nicely around the basket and was unafraid of drawing contact in the paint. He fought for rebounds on both ends of the floor and worked hard on the defensive end. Colwell's ability to stretch the floor is something that will help his game in a big way over the next couple of months.</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='1776778' first='Vova' last='Trotsko'], 6'7 PF [program_tooltip program_id='2309578' first='Jersey' last='Shore Predators'] (Colts Neck) 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Trey Sagester, 6'2 CG Midwest Basketball Club Grassroots (Tri-Village) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1775140' first='Jamiko' last='Smith'], 5'10 PG Shoreshots HGSL (Hackensack) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jack Kempf, 6'8 PF Corey Graham Elite (Lockport) 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2672287' first='Riley' last='Gill'], 6'4 SF Epic Elite (Rumson Fair-Haven) 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->