Atlantic City: '26 Eye-Catchers

The scouts were out this past weekend in New Jersey as we got a chance to see some local talent out at Atlantic City. This article will feature a handful of rising seniors who caught my eye during my time at Hoop Group Live Finale.    Jayden was electric offensively in his matchup against HLVL. He got whatever he wanted offensively and put together a very complete scoring game. Jayden was efficient from the field and seemed like he made most of his open looks from deep. Jayden is really establishing himself as one of the DMV's top scorers, consistently putting together big games with efficiency. Led Adapt Academy to a big win with his decisiveness on the offensive end, knocking down jumpers and getting to the line with consistency.     Kaloyan impressed as a big guard that can play well on or off the ball. He ran point guard for the Washington Warriors HGSL team last weekend and led the team to a big win. Koloev stayed involved in the game by making great passes and cuts inside to finish possessions at the rim. Never seemed to rush his looks, very patient with the ball and read the defense before driving to the rim. I liked the way Kaloyan took his time as PG     Jamie came right out the gates ready to perform for the Shooters. Shot the ball with incredible range all game long, earning the respect of the defense far beyond the 3pt line. Jamie rebounded the ball well as a guard on the floor which created a lot of fastbreak opportunities. Moved well without the ball and made layups off cuts a few times during the game vs Adapt Academy. Jamie did well keeping his head up and finding different teammates open around the perimeter. Made the extra passes, keeping the ball popping offensively.     Dezmon was a consistent producer for Higher Level this weekend, accounting for some pretty big baskets against a tough Adapt squad in Atlantic City. Once again, Ainsworth seemed to be the one to make the critical baskets when the team needed it. Made a couple three pointers to keep the team in reach before heading to overtime. I always like the way Dezmon shows he is well-equipped to attack the basket and score down low. Always strong at the rim and looks to attack his mismatches. Would like to See Dezmon a little more aggressive at times offensively, as he possesses an arsenal of ways to score the ball when in a crunch. But, Dezmon stays true to his natural PG ability and focuses on running a smooth offense, picking his spots to engage.     Jake put on another couple of efficient and impressive performances at HoopGroup last weekend. Always gets himself into scoring position and seeks the most efficient means of scoring. Knocks down open jumpshots with regularity, really a big threat beyond the arc. Something I always like to see from Jake is the way he keeps himself involved in the game and gets into positions to score baskets. Rebounds with the bigs and finishes layups consistently inside, possibly the most underrated part of his game.     Gabe was active all game long for PSB in their big win last weekend. He was the engine behind a lot of what they did both offensively and defensively. Always came away with big rebounds through the crowds and ignited the break with his speed in the open floor. Gabe showcased some sneaky handles that I didn't catch last time out, seems to be working to improve his game with a big senior HS season approaching. If Gabe can maneuver his way to the cup and finish consistently as he did this past weekend, he should see ample time and opportunity to rise his ranks over the regular season.

The scouts were out this past weekend in New Jersey as we got a chance to see some local talent out at Atlantic City. This article will feature a handful of rising seniors who caught my eye during my time at Hoop Group Live Finale.