MADE Hoops East Warmup: Unsung heroes

MADE Hoops continued its Northeast spring event season with its East Warmup event kicking off Friday night at Spooky Nook in PA, featuring hundreds of teams from the MADE circuits, the EYBL, and beyond. See below for a handful of prospects who caught our eye while shining within their roles.    At the circuit level, AAU generally offers a key look at players who are the go-to guys for their high school teams having to adapt to different roles alongside other talent, oftentimes a more representative sample for their roles at the next level. Some players wilt under the change in scenery, but Harken shows a consistent ability to excel. Operating primarily with the ball in his hands as the go-to scorer at Malvern, he adapted seamlessly to a glue-guy role in his spring debut alongside a collection of high-major prospects with [program_tooltip program_id='2078709' first='Team' last='Final']. Accustomed to having the ball in his hands, instead he shined as a cutter, transition scorer, and spotup shooter while playing tough-nosed positional defense. His ability to produce efficiently across roles and situations should make Harken a priority among academic D1 programs over the next couple years.     The bigs justifiably draw much of the attention for 6th Boro, which features two high-level unsigned senior bigs, but Gokbert consistently shined with his heady playmaking while running the show at the point. Facilitating the offense as a dependable, high-IQ ballhandler, he navigated to spots consistently while keeping his head up to survey for open teammates to hit on time and on target. He shows comfort playing in ball screen situations or sliding off-ball as a shooting threat to let his bigs operate. With wiry strength and nice positional size, Gokbert looks like a potential sneaky late add for a scholarship-level program looking for depth at lead guard.     Maxwell-Grimes will never be the star of the show in the [program_tooltip program_id='2078609' first='New' last='Heights'] backcourt, as that role is rightfully reserved for five-star Deron Rippey, but he was nonetheless a consistent contributor to winning in triumphs over two EYBL clubs on Saturday. A tough-nosed New York guard, he flourishes playing both on and off the ball while taking efficient shots and striking a masterful score-pass balance. He doesn't offer much physical force, but brings nonstop energy and is a pest looking to speed up opposing guards with his ball pressure. Look for him to garner scholarship-level looks with his hard-nosed approach.     He caught the eye in limited viewings after moving cross-country from Veritas Prep (CA) this past season, but Valencia looks ripe for a breakout if his play on Saturday is any indication. Coming off the bench for Durant, he capably shoulders a number of different responsibilities based on situation and surrounding personnel. With size to bang in the frontcourt but the skill and deceptive fluidity to play along the perimeter, he looks to be a valuable jack-of-all-trades who could potentially take on more of a heavy playmaking load in other contexts. The Ecuadorian swingman is certainly on the scholarship radar from this point forward.     The flashes were all there throughout the winter, and heading into the summer Cudjoe continues to offer glimpses of his long-term upside while sticking to the confines of his defense-first role. Now a member of the 2027 class, he covers ground with a level of grace and twitchiness that's nearly unmatched among sophomores his size, consistently deploying his physical tools effectively on both ends. Cudjoe profiles as a valuable and versatile defender up to the high-major level, with his offense continuing to come along as an efficient play-finisher with a foundation to build on off the dribble. The upside is high with Cudjoe's ability to stay on the court as a valued glue-guy while developing the rest of his skillset.     Making his spring debut after moving over to the City Rocks, Jones had no issue effectively bringing his physical, blue-collar style into a setting. The numbers weren't gaudy, but he was a consistent factor in the paint on both ends while carving out space as a rebounder, screen-setter, and opportunistic interior scorer. His ability to defend larger players with his strength and physicality will be key for a City Rocks team that lacks a true low-post presence. While he plays more of a feature role in the winter, Jones' ability and willingness to do the grunt work is sure to earn him valuable points in the eyes of college coaches.     A deep reserve in the winter for powerhouse St. Frances, Fisk looks to be a potential diamond in the rough if his early play this spring is any indication. It came as part of an emphatic blowout win, but Fisk came off the bench and showed an intriguing auxiliary skillset in the backcourt as an efficient complimentary guard. He has great length and striking movement skills while playing with consistent energy and activity, showing a nose for being in the right spots around the ball on both ends. Toss in a reliable catch-and-shoot stroke from 3 and you have the makings of a potential breakout utility guard for scholarship-level programs to begin monitoring.

MADE Hoops continued its Northeast spring event season with its East Warmup event kicking off Friday night at Spooky Nook in PA, featuring hundreds of teams from the MADE circuits, the EYBL, and beyond. See below for a handful of prospects who caught our eye while shining within their roles.