Familiar faces in new places: PA/NJ 17U guards

While the transfer portal has recently become all the rage in the college basketball universe, those who are accustomed to following the AAU landscape know it's fully normal for a player to be on a different team from year-to-year (if not weekend-to-weekend). With the grassroots season kicking off in full force this weekend across the Northeast, see below for profiles on a number of rising senior guards looking to make a splash in a new uniform for their 17U campaigns.    One of the top prospects on last year's 17U HGSL circuit despite playing up an age group, Chatman is fresh off a handful of high-major offers over the course of the winter and will look to solidify his standing nationally on the EYBL circuit this spring and summer. A dynamic two-way guard capable of operating on or off the ball, Chatman's most college-ready skill is perhaps his defense, where he routinely makes life hard on opposing guards while denying penetration and coming up with steals to spark transition offense going the other way. He's a consistent threat to touch the paint off the dribble, where he's grown increasingly more advanced in his reads while also turning himself into a respectable shooter to help keep defenses honest. While Chatman doesn't fit always cleanly into the box of a traditional '1' or '2', his high-level impact and contributions to winning are unquestioned.     Brooks wasted no time making his impact on the Garden State as the Philly Catholic League transfer hit the ground running immediately upon gaining eligibility while guiding the Panthers with a number of gaudy statistical outputs from the backcourt. After shining for long stretches on the EYBl circuit last summer, he'll take his talents to the MHC where he'll debut with [program_tooltip program_id='2078569' first='Jersey' last='Force'] as one of the higher-regarded prospects on the circuit. A silky-smooth southpaw with the ball on a string, Brooks routinely dances with defenders before knifing into the lane for soft-touch finishes or to set up his teammates. While he's not the burstiest athlete, his skill level and the constant threat of his long-range pullup make him a consistently tough cover for opposing guards. We'll look for him to step into more of a leadership role even with a new group, but his wide-ranging offensive skillset makes it easy to see why programs at the mid-major level and higher have already come calling.     It was around this time last year that Matos really burst onto the scene with his performance throughout the postseason for suburban power Methacton (PA). Having since transferred over to Carroll and gotten his feet wet in the vaunted Philly Catholic League, he'll now look to take on the 3SSB circuit where the southpaw will display his feathery shooting stroke on a national platform. Matos shoots as pure a ball as you'll find in the region, with clean mechanics that translate smoothly to any number of pullup or catch-and-shoot situations. Moving back to the grassroots setting, we'll look for him to continue incorporating more of the on-ball scoring game that he flashed in his underclass years, as well as continue to sure himself up on the defensive end despite the limitations brought on by his narrow frame. While there are areas for improvement, Matos looks to have found a nice fit for his final AAU season and should attract D1 coaches across a variety of levels this spring.     It's fair to say the season was an up-and-down one for Sajid, as the potent scorer posted consistently impressive individual numbers but struggled parlaying that into sustained team success before things came together for a triumphant run to the district title game. Sajid will look to keep that momentum rolling into the spring as he takes the trip down I-95 to suit up with Baltimore-based EYBL club Team Melo. With a vast array of tools at his disposal offensively, the lengthy guard can fill it up in a hurry from anywhere on the floor, using a blend of high-level shotmaking ability and a growing bag of counters off the dribble. The most important areas of progression as he looks to solidify his standing among high-major coaches are his defense and playmaking for others; he flashes in both areas but we'll hope to see more consistency with less on his plate offensively this spring and summer. Sajid should benefit from the change of scenery, as there's no doubting his natural ability and production.     There may not have been a bigger stock-riser in the entirety of the Philly Catholic League this winter than MacAdams, who rose from a low-usage complementary player into the league's third-leading scorer in just a year's time. Still feeling a bit shortchanged on the recruiting front, having just recently received his first D1 offer, he'll open up even more eyes on the biggest stage as he takes his talents to the EYBL circuit. A pure bucket-getter from all three levels, MacAdams plays with a chip on his shoulder befitting of an under-recruited prospect and a competitive fire that can't help but rub off on his teammates. Known somewhat as a shooter, he's more than capable of putting the ball on the deck as well and is a threat to finish above the rim in traffic over unsuspecting defenders. While not the quickest laterally, his able to use his strong frame to bother opposing guards on the other end. With a Patriot League offer in tow, MacAdams' ascent could just be getting started if he's able to carry his success from the winter into his 17U campaign.

While the transfer portal has recently become all the rage in the college basketball universe, those who are accustomed to following the AAU landscape know it's fully normal for a player to be on a different team from year-to-year (if not weekend-to-weekend). With the grassroots season kicking off in full force this weekend across the Northeast, see below for profiles on a number of rising senior guards looking to make a splash in a new uniform for their 17U campaigns.