Hoop Group Spring Showdown: Saturday 15U standouts

As the calendar turned to April, the grassroots season kicked off in the Garden State this weekend with a strong local event at Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, NJ, featuring a handful of premier programs across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. After taking in several sets of action on the opening afternoon of the event, we'll continue coverage with a look at Saturday's top performers that we saw in the 15U division.    Fresh off a standout freshman season as a key starter in an otherwise senior-laden lineup, Moore looked to relish the opportunity playing back against his age group while standing out consistently with his dynamic play in the backcourt. Leading his PSA squad to a season-opening 2-0 day, the southpaw shined both on and off the ball while setting the tone as a leader with his maturity and intensity. A natural scorer with the ability to fill it up from all levels of the floor, Moore continued to show his long-term upside as a lead guard with a handful of high-level reads including several live-dribble passes with his off hand. Stepping into the grassroots season, Moore continues to track as one of the region's premier guard prospects in his class thus far.     Debuting with PSA after helping lead Coatesville to the state quarterfinals, Hiller showed the blend of current production and long-term upside that have him in discussions as the region's top overall 2028 prospect at this early stage. Having already shot up while also shedding a ton of baby fat over the past year, Hiller continues to look taller and more slender with seemingly each viewing. As advanced a shooter as you'll find at his age, he buried a number of shots from long range showcasing his textbook mechanics and lightning-quick release. Hiller also is starting to find more consistent opportunities to use his size and blossoming athleticism throughout the floor game. His well-rounded skillset at his size, highlighted by the prolific shotmaking, make it easy to see why the 14-year-old has already earned the attention of numerous high-major programs.     Coming across the bridge from Paul VI (NJ), Adedeji featured at the JV level and cut his teeth as a deep reserve on Judge's PCL and state championship team. Just 15 years old, the rising junior looks set to burst onto the scene sooner rather than later if his debut with his [program_tooltip program_id='2078697' first='Philly' last='Pride'] group is any indication. Still coming into his own physically, Adedeji brings a modern inside-out skillset, most notably a smooth and consistent stroke out to the arc. He also shows the ability to use his size, length, and blossoming athleticism to impact the game near the rim on either end. The flashes he shows off the dribble in two narrow losses point to a really intriguing upside if all can come together over time. We look forward to seeing more from Adedeji in more extensive viewings to come as he seems sure to be a factor on the recruiting radar before too long.     Coming along quickly while earning his way into the rotation for the Public League champs and state semifinalists, Johnson looks to be among the next up in a long line of Imhotep guards to move on to the D1 level. Still barely 14 and a half, the southpaw looked comfortable operating on the ball, shining as both a scorer and playmaker while showcasing a silky game off the dribble. He shows advanced vision and maturity in his reads for his age while boasting a lengthy frame that's already added several inches since we first saw him last summer. Johnson also looks to already be a consistent shooter from the arc with flashes of long-range pullup ability. We're eager to see the jumps he continues to make as he looks to be an early X-factor for the national powerhouse Panthers heading into his sophomore year.     Having played up on the 15U UAA circuit a year ago and cut his teeth as a varsity starter for his entire freshman year en route to a sectional title, Cooper made things look easy at times while slicing and dicing off the bounce en route to a 2-0 day. The cat-quick lead guard got to his spots with regularity, showcasing his ability both as a scorer and setting the table for his teammates. When the moment was biggest, with the clock ticking down in overtime, Cooper dribbled the length of the floor for a tough and-one at the rim to knock off [program_tooltip program_id='2078697' first='Philly' last='Pride'] in an early UAA preview. While he's not blessed with overwhelming size or athleticism at this stage, his quickness off the dribble and consistency in his reads are sure to attract the attention of college coaches in years to come.

As the calendar turned to April, the grassroots season kicked off in the Garden State this weekend with a strong local event at Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, NJ, featuring a handful of premier programs across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. After taking in several sets of action on the opening afternoon of the event, we'll continue coverage with a look at Saturday's top performers that we saw in the 15U division.