Northeast Hoop Festival - Saturday Standouts I

The NERR Northeast Hoop Festival took place this weekend at a variety of locations throughout Massachusetts.   Annually serving as an event that kicks off the travel season, this year's version was filled with high level talent from across New England and beyond.   We spent the entire day on Saturday at Dana Barros in Stoughton, catching numerous games while taking note of the incredibly amount of talented prospects in the gym.   This will serve as the first of a two part recap of the day's standouts, with five prospects covered below and five more covered tomorrow.   [player_tooltip player_id='2470928' first='Michael' last='McNamara']   McNamara, a product of Thayer Academy, impressed on Saturday while running with the 17U Middlesex Magic UAA squad. A 2027 forward, McNamara stands out on the floor with his combination of positional size, length, and mobility. At 6'9", he has the ability to make plays on the perimeter or around the rim and impressed on Saturday with his ability to knock down shots in catch and shoot situations. He's a fluid mover that does a nice job of attacking closeouts, showing that he can finish with his length at the rim. Playing up an age group didn't impact his ability to contribute offensively or defensively, as he made his presence felt in passing lanes and on the defensive glass. He should be a stock riser this spring and will definitely attract Division I attention during the live periods.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325733' first='Jaeden' last='Roberts']   Roberts, a guard at Putnam Science Academy, stood out with his play for the 17U Team New England Basketball Club group. A prospect in the class of 2026, Roberts continues to make high level plays on both ends of the floor, showing athletic pop and feel for the game indicative of a scholarship level prospect. At 6'2", he has good perimeter size and plays with the same edge and toughness he had when he was an under-the-radar prospect at Burke. He's terrific attacking the basket in the open floor, where he can finish plays above the rim or through contact with some creativity. The lefty is shifty, has serious wiggle off the bounce, and shows good floor vision in the half-court. His tenacity on the defensive end makes him a high level on-ball defender that can create easy offense in a hurry. He continues to cement himself as a quality Division I prospect that should draw the attention from a variety of conferences this spring and summer.   [player_tooltip player_id='2396726' first='Jaylin' last='Williams-Crawford']   Williams-Crawford, a wing from CATS Academy, made his presence felt on both ends of the floor while playing with the 17U Expressions Elite EYBL group. A 2026 prospect, Williams-Crawford was the best overall defender in the gym on Saturday. At 6'7" with long arms and a wiry frame, he has the ability to guard every spot on the floor, shutting down opposing guards on the perimeter and making things difficult for forwards in the paint. His instincts on that end of the floor are next level as he repeatedly makes plays on the ball and in passing lines, while utilizing a high motor to control the defensive glass. Offensively, his game continues to evolve and he impressed by being in constant attack mode, getting to the rim in the half-court and in transition. He crashes the offensive glass, makes plays off the bounce with his quickness, and shows signs of shot making ability. He looks the part of a Division I prospect, and I'd expect, is someone that will see a major uptick in his recruitment on the EYBL circuit.   [player_tooltip player_id='2696663' first='Christian' last='Chartier']   Chartier, a newly reclassed guard at Phillips Exeter Academy, was an offensive standout for the 16U New England Storm HGSL squad. A 2027 wing, Chartier impressed with his ability to make shots from behind the arc on Saturday. A long and lean prospect, he does a great job of moving without the ball and finding ways to get himself open in the half-court. At 6'6", he has the size needed to be able to get his shot off over defenders and showed signs of a willingness to play through contact at the rim when attacking bad closeouts. Not just a scorer in catch and shoot situations, he impressed with his ability to make movement threes, doing a good job of running the floor hard in transition and quickly getting his feet set on the catch. While he stood out for his offensive efforts, he also gave great effort on the defensive end, showing an understanding of how to be disruptive in passing lanes and a good amount of fight when guarding bigger opponents in the paint. He's a high academic prospect that will surely begin to attract college attention this spring and has a high ceiling due to his shot making ability.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325746' first='Amir' last='Jenkins']   Jenkins, a product of Worcester Academy, controlled the game for the 17U BABC 3SSB group. A 2026 guard, Jenkins has had a meteoric rise over the last 12 months and did nothing on Saturday but cement his status as one of the top guards in his class. Arguably the top prospect in the gym, the 6'2" guard plays with terrific effort and intensity, both traits that are amplified by his athletic gifts and feel for the game. He was a terror on the defensive end of the floor, at the top of the press, creating turnover after turnover and repeatedly finishing those plays with loud dunks in transition. He's a dynamic on-ball presence that knows how to get by his defender in isolation situations, shows a great understanding of how to navigate ball screens, and continues to evolve as a shot maker on the perimeter. On top of all the skill, he's an intense competitor that seemingly only wants to do one thing, and that's win basketball games. Already a high major recruit, he should have his pick of college programs come the end of the summer and, when it's all said and done, should be in the argument as a Top 10 point guard nationally in his class.

The NERR Northeast Hoop Festival took place this weekend at a variety of locations throughout Massachusetts.