Rider Team Camp: Emerging prospects

Rider University hosted its annual team camp this weekend with dozens of high school and AAU teams descending upon the Lawrence Township campus for an eventful day of games. After taking in several sets of action, we'll continue coverage with a look at several prospects who showed signs of starting to emerge going forward.    After breaking into the rotation for the first time consistently last season as a junior, Jones will be on the move for his senior year with the impending closing of Immaculate Conception (NJ). Suiting up alongside some familiar faces from his time in AAU, Jones showed good signs of progress while slotting into a potent Morris Catholic lineup that looked ready to make noise again in Non-Public B this coming year. A long and athletic hybrid forward, he shined in the open floor whether filling lanes in transition or attacking some into space off the dribble. He's an active finisher, rebounder, and defensive playmaker with the tools to eventually translate to the scholarship-level if he can add strength and refine his skill game. Jones could be an interesting prep school candidate or a hidden gem for small-college programs in the area.     Perkins showed flashes over the course of the year last year, his first in the U.S. after relocating from his native New Zealand, but looked bigger and better while showing an alluring skillset in his most extensive run yet during Middle's summer opener. A modern forward with standout size and developing athleticism, he showed impressive inside-out ability offensively. He looks to be a natural shooter with a soft touch out to the arc, and while he'd clung to the perimeter a bit too much in the past, was effective on Saturday in using his size as an interior finisher and rim protector. Things are still coming together for him, but with high-level bloodlines in his favor and an enticing foundational skillset, the finished product could look quite interesting for Perkins down the line.     He got his feet wet with Life Center down the stretch of the season after arriving midyear from Archbishop Carroll (DC), but with a full offseason under his belt heading into his junior year, looks like he could be ready to emerge as a consistent force in the frontcourt. A Congolese forward still relatively new to the U.S., he brings an intriguing blend of size, physicality, and mobility with far more of an underlying skillset than most in his rim-running mold. Massengo flashes comfort out to the perimeter whether stretching the floor as a shooter or catching on the move into a controlled finish inside. His biggest impact Saturday came on the other end where he shows consistent commitment to rebounding and protecting the rim with the tools to do both at a D1 level in time.     The flashes of brilliance were there throughout Hamilton's freshman season, even while battling injuries throughout his first year in the U.S. following a move down from his native Canada. He showed signs on Saturday of continuing to emerge while sliding into an energy role off the bench with the arrival of multiple older transfers. Having previously made most of his impact based off his length and athleticism, he flashed improved shooting touch with the body control to offer an alluring long-term upside as a shot-maker if he can learn where to get his looks in the flow. He continued to shine on the other end as an active and instinctive defensive playmaker across multiple positions. He's still somewhat of a ball of clay but routinely offers enticing looks at what the finished product could one day look like.     Farrow has been waiting in the wings for the past couple years, building up his game at the JV level while biding his time behind a cadre of talented older guards at Middle. After starting to come on down the stretch of the year as a sophomore, he looks ready to ascend into the starting lineup if his play on Saturday is any indication. A high-octane scoring guard, he brings good size to the backcourt with the ability to create offense at all three levels. While he's more of a natural scorer, he's also shown glimpses of an on-ball game that could point to upside at the scholarship-level if tapped into further moving forward. The son of a former Middle and small-college standout, Farrow looks set to emerge in his own right while coming into his own as an upperclassman.

Rider University hosted its annual team camp this weekend with dozens of high school and AAU teams descending upon the Lawrence Township campus for an eventful day of games. After taking in several sets of action, we'll continue coverage with a look at several prospects who showed signs of starting to emerge going forward.