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

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 wings looking to make a splash in a new uniform for their 17U campaigns.    Firmly in the thick (if not at the forefront) of conversations as the top overall prospect in the state, Jackson will look to cement his status nationally this spring and summer under the bright lights of the EYBL circuit. Having starred the past two summers for [program_tooltip program_id='2078697' first='Philly' last='Pride'] on the UAA, Jackson has blossomed into a jumbo guard capable of operating across the positional spectrum on either end of the floor. He's a dangerous shooter off the catch who can get hot in a hurry, but really shines as a cerebral playmaker and has added a further dimension as a dynamic transition scorer. A physical late-bloomer, Jackson should continue to reel in high-major offers as he continues to come into his own athletically over time.     A native of Belgium who asserted himself among the state's very best this past winter, Hodge looked comfortable while feeling his way into things in his debut with a Shoreshots group looking to make major noise on the Under Armour circuit. Similar to Jackson (profiled above), he shines with his ability to toggle up and down the lineup on both ends of the floor depending on matchups and surrounding personnel. Hodge is an advanced a driver as you'll find in the region, blending his size and physicality with a polished skill level and high-level processing ability on the move. While not the quickest, he routinely impacts on the defensive end with his understanding of angles and instinctive hands. If the growth he showed as a perimeter shooter over his debut weekend is any indication of things to come, Hodge could cement himself before long among the very best on the UAA.     One of the bigger sleepers from the western side of the state, it could be argued that Bruce-McCrommon possesses as high a ceiling as any junior in the WPIAL. Still a bit of a ways from putting all the pieces together, he'll look to take the next steps forward on the MHC this spring after previously playing mostly locally with the 412 Ambassadors. A smooth, slender wing guard with dripping length, Bruce-McCrommon stands out with his natural scoring ability from all three levels while showing an ability to generate his offense efficiently within the flow. He brings a polished off-ball skillset with his ability to run off screens and read the floor on the move before elevating cleanly over smaller defenders. Very young for his grade and with high-level bloodlines (both parents and several family members played D1), Bruce-McCrommon could be on breakout watch heading into the spring and summer with his new club.     Easily among the more naturally gifted prospects in the entire region, Butts put together some tantalizing stretches over the course of last spring and summer's EYBL campaign, and will now take his talents to the HGSL looking to vault up D1 recruiting boards. Butts stands out immediately as a natural ballhandler and playmaker at his size, stringing dribble moves together on the perimeter and showcasing advanced passing vision on the move. He shows high-level flashes as a shotmaker from deep, both off the catch and on self-created attempts, while starting to blossom both physically and athletically to be able to make more of a routine impact near the rim. It will be a big grassroots season for Butts to show he can keep his motor running hot and adapt his game into tighter structure, but there's no denying the talent is there in spades for the right mid-to-high level program to harness down the line.     Already a hidden gem tucked away somewhat off the radar in South Jersey, Gibson had his recruitment sputtered by a midseason injury that would wind up costing him the rest of his senior year. Now slated for a post-grad year at a to-be-determined prep school, the well-rounded swingman will look to place himself back onto scholarship radars with Uptown Hoops of the MHC. A lengthy scoring guard with good size and pop in his legs, Gibson intrigues with his ability to thrive as a feature scorer in high school while also standing out with his efficient complementary game in previous AAU settings. As the go-to guy with Uptown, he should clearly benefit from the increased exposure within a starring role, and still at just 17 years old, it wouldn't be shocking for a high-academic D1 program to take a chance on him as a developmental piece in the 2026 class.

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 wings looking to make a splash in a new uniform for their 17U campaigns.