Hoop Group Spring Showdown: Saturday 16U 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 16U division.    "Controlling the vibes" for the Shoreshots in a dominant opening display against fellow UAA squad Philly Pride, Gonzalez put on a show while displaying an increasingly dynamic skillset at the lead guard spot. Jet-quick with an airtight handle, he made it look effortless at times while navigating to his spots on command. Gonzalez was a frequent visitor to the middle of the paint, showcasing an advanced ability to finish using his nominally weak left hand. Perhaps most important as it pertains to his college translation, the dribble-drive dynamo showed off a shooting stroke that continues to grow increasingly dangerous and confident with each viewing. Still a bit under the radar even in conversations among the state's top guards in his class, Gonzalez could experience a bit of a breakout as coaches begin turning more attention to the rising junior class over the course of the next year. He certainly looks fit to run a D1 team one day with a chance to creep towards the mid and high major levels over time.     One of the most pleasant surprises on the day was the play of Donohue, who was a key secondary contributor alongside Gonzalez in the Shoreshots' dominant season-opening win. Possessing great size and a sturdy frame on the wing, Donohue looks to be a dynamic threat with his ability to space the floor as a prolific knockdown shooter off the catch. Donohue shows hints of fluidity in his frame, and also flashes some ability off the bounce along with a nice activity level defensively and on the glass. With D1 bloodlines (his mom is in the Hall of Fame at Marist) and a smoothly translatable skillset, Donohue looks like a surefire scholarship-level prospect with a clear chance to play himself onto D1 radars in further viewings this summer.     It's hard to miss Kuqo on a 16U floor, certainly outside of a shoe circuit setting, as he towers over most opponents with his next-level size and length. Coming off a season in which he was a deep reserve after transferring into eventual state champ Bergen Catholic, the rising junior displayed an effective skillset to pair with his physical gifts. Most notably, Kuqo shows a consistent and increasingly dynamic 3-point stroke as a valuable floor-spacer from the frontcourt, highlighted by a rare ability to hit shots on the move at his size. He also presents a natural deterrent at the rim with his size and length along with blossoming mobility when stepping away from the rim against smaller players. The son of a longtime overseas pro, Kuqo looks like he'll have a chance to emerge as yet another D1 big from a Bergen program that's produced a slew of them over the years.     Emerging from the JV ranks down the stretch of the season as Middle made a run to the sectional title game, Farrow showed no signs of slowing down as he took the reins of his Shoreshots group in a narrow loss to a talented [program_tooltip program_id='2078573' first='NJ' last='Beasts'] team. More of an off-ball threat in high school, he impressed stepping onto the ball with a nice degree of polish off the bounce while manning the controls of the offense. With nice size and athleticism at this stage, Farrow also displays a smooth stroke out to the perimeter and nice intensity on the defensive end. The son of a former Middle great, Farrow looks set to help fill the void left by Rider-bound [player_tooltip player_id='1411627' first='Jamir' last='McNeil'] next season and has a chance to emerge as the next scholarship-level guard from the program.     Helping complement the play of Gonzalez and Donohue on the perimeter in the Shoreshots' blowout win, Akwue was effective on the interior with his athleticism and relentless activity. A native of England, he was productive playing off his guards as a finisher and release valve en route to emphatic finishes above the rim. He carried his junkyard work over to the other end as an effective interior defender and rebounder. A rising senior but very young for his grade, Akwue will continue cutting his teeth at the 16U level with plans to take a repeat or post-grad year to join the 2027 class. Still getting used to the speed of the game at this level after moving to the U.S. a couple years back, he boasts clear scholarship-level talent and should emerge on the recruiting scene as he continues to sharpen his skillset and instincts.

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 16U division.