Some NJ 15U Prospects Making Noise This Spring

With the spring recruiting period in the rearview as the calendar turns to June and focus shifts to the upcoming scholastic live periods, here's a recap of several 15U prospects from across the Garden State who put themselves on the map with their play on the grassroots circuit over the past several weeks.    Stepping into the starting lineup from day one for a team with eyes on a state title, Moore wasted no time acquitting himself to the varsity level while looking perfectly comfortable taking on older competition. Back with his age group this spring, the southpaw lead guard has been a consistent standout while showcasing his expansive two-way repertoire. Moore plays with an infectious energy in the backcourt, constantly looking to make things happen on both ends but staying mostly under control in the process. Despite struggling with his jumper, he's been a consistent double-figure scoring threat with his potent downhill game while making steady strides in his facilitating and game management as a floor general. With an older brother heading to Manhattan this fall, Moore has already received D1 traction of his own with a chance to rise onto high-major boards before too much longer.     The Rens' 15U group has been off to a hot start this spring, with a 6-2 record through two sessions of EYBL competition, and Johnson's productive play on the wing has been a chief reason why. With extensive varsity reps under his belt already, Johnson has had stretches of dominance with his blend of skill, power, and explosiveness as a downhill attacker. Averaging over 15 points and seven rebounds, he's been remarkably consistent with double-figures in all but one game and at least seven boards in all but two. Known for getting on the rim with impunity, the rugged southpaw has also begun to slowly incorporate a stretch element from the perimeter, knocking down a handful of standstill 3's that will be key towards keeping defenses honest as others catch up physically and athletically. There will be questions to answer at that point but Johnson's productivity and impact on winning have nonetheless positioned him as one of the premier rising sophomores in the region.     You may have had to look closely depending on the game, but the flashes were there in spades for Brunson as he stepped right into the rotation for a talented but young and ultimately injury-laden Argonauts group. The finished product is still a ways away, but the rapidly-growing southpaw swingman has made key steps towards putting the pieces together while playing with his age group this spring. Blessed with elite positional size and graceful athleticism, Brunson glides about the floor while playing with a poise and feel unbefitting of a wing his age. The scoring numbers haven't been gaudy as he's had trouble getting clean shots to drop in, but the impact in the floor game has been undeniably key to the Rens' hot start to the spring. High-majors would be wise to file the name away for the future as Brunson's ceiling appears very high and he continues taking gradual steps forward toward making it a reality.     Wucherpfenning spent his freshman season largely waiting in the wings while his older brother helped lead Bergen to a state championship before moving onto Fairfield after graduation. Little brother has announced himself this spring as a prospect certainly worth watching for in his own right as his Beasts group has looked like one of the finer independent 15U teams in the region. Similarly to his brother, Wucherpfennig is built with natural power and deceptive athleticism, but he plays more of an interior-oriented game. He's been consistently smashing heads on the 15U level, bullying opponents en route to easy buckets inside. Young for his grade, his best basketball still looks to be ahead of him which could be a scary sight for the rest of the state that thought it was through contending with Wucherpfennig's for Bergen.     Lyu looked to be more of a traditional low-post presence upon first arriving in the States, finding effectiveness right away at the varsity level. In the midst of stretching and leaning out a bit, the Chinese big man has also meaningfully expanded his game in the process, putting his growing skillset on display consistently over the course of the spring. The young forward has still been effective around the rim but has also flashed comfort stepping out to the perimeter as a shooter while most notably impressing with his skill and balance while navigating with the ball off the dribble. We'll be looking to get a better grasp of his long-term defensive outlook in future evaluations but the well-rounded offensive skillset Lyu already puts on display figure to have him on D1 boards sooner rather than later.

With the spring recruiting period in the rearview as the calendar turns to June and focus shifts to the upcoming scholastic live periods, here's a recap of several 15U prospects from across the Garden State who put themselves on the map with their play on the grassroots circuit over the past several weeks.