Philly Live II: New Jersey's Sunday Eye Catchers Part I

Philly Live is a premier high school basketball showcase held during the NCAA live period in Philadelphia, PA, with games hosted at the Alan Horwitz Sixth Man Center and Jefferson University. Last weekend marked the second session of the event, attracting top-tier high school talent from across the country. Players from New Jersey stood out, proving they could compete with some of the nation's best. As a major stop on the summer recruiting circuit, Philly Live offered college coaches and scouts a valuable chance to evaluate both up-and-coming talent and established prospects. This session featured standout performances from rising stars making a name for themselves, as well as highly regarded recruits who solidified their status among the region's elite. Here's a breakdown of several players who made a significant impact during Sunday's action in Philadelphia.    A remarkable performance Sunday afternoon saw [player_tooltip player_id='1595680' first='Mason' last='Santiago'] put his smooth shot making ability and his sharp decision making ability on full display. Maintaining a healthy balance between scoring and distributing the basketball, Santiago was effective at consistently making the right reads offensively and keeping the defense honest. Efficient from the field, Santiago excelled as a perimeter and mid range shot maker while mixing it up attacking the basket on dribble drives and finishing through contact. As a facilitator, Santiago displayed good court vision, reliable decision making, and good feel for the game.     A multi level scoring jumbo guard, [player_tooltip player_id='2202021' first='Aidan' last='Carter'] put his offensive skillset on full display— particularly around the basket and in the mid range area with strength and touch. When attacking the basket, Carter showed great body control when finishing through contact at the rim. A strong and confident ball handler with tremendous poise against ball pressure, Carter also showed flashes of his playmaking and facilitating abilities, getting his teammates more involved in the action.     Another creative multi level scorer in the 2028 class, Will Brunson displayed his smooth, efficient and confident shot creation off the bounce. Brunson demonstrated his ability to make shots from the perimeter, get to his in between game, and finish with finesse around the rim. Possessing elite length, Brunson was also effective as a rebounder and a shot blocker on the defensive end of the floor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1943569' first='Donnie' last='Gregory'] continued to impress in how smoothly and efficiently he gets to his spots, particularly in the mid range area off the bounce. A smooth, quick, and high release, Gregory also showcased his elite catch and shoot ability from three point range both off the catch and off the dribble. Gregory also excelled in transition runnings the lanes and finishing plays at the rim.     Expected to be an impact transfer for St. Joe's this upcoming season, [player_tooltip player_id='2895818' first='Imaad' last='Johnson'] showed flashes of what we should expect this winter. Johnson provided shot making and secondary ball handler over the course of both games Sunday afternoon. With a high release and good touch on the jumper, Johnson showed he can be a more than capable shot maker both from three point range and in the mid range area.     Another standout wing for Morris Catholic Sunday afternoon, [player_tooltip player_id='2342640' first='Austin' last='Workman'] excelled as a perimeter shot maker particularly off the catch from three point range in a variety of ways, off the catch and off the bounce. Workman also attacked the basket off the bounce and finished strong in traffic. Scoring the basketball from multiple levels, Workman also showed flashes of mid range game off the dribble.     During Sunday's action, [player_tooltip player_id='2504780' first='Infinite' last='Sincere'] excelled in transition both as a poised and patient scorer and a crisp and sharp decision maker. Sincere also moved well without the ball in the halfcourt as a cutter, finding open spaces to balance out the floor. Sincere also excelled as a finisher around the basket, finishing through contact and in traffic in the paint.     A versatile wing that can do a little bit of everything, [player_tooltip player_id='1595674' first='Aiden' last='Derkack'] stood out in the different ways he found to impact the game with and without the ball as well as on both ends of the floor. Derkack demonstrated his perimeter shot creation knocking down a handful of threes off the bounce while also being an aggressive slasher and using his length to finish through traffic and with toughness. Defensively, Derkack demonstrated his ability to guard multiple positions, rebound the basketball, and make highlight plays.     Operating as Seton Hall Prep's lead guard, [player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez'] played with aggressive approach as a downhill attacker. Gonzalez showed good change of direction getting to the basket when defenses cut off his initial attack. Gonzalez also showed excellent poise and patience with the ball in his hands, not really forcing any offense, shooting the ball from three point distance with confidence, and getting his teammates involved in the flow of the game.     Picking up where he left off at Jersey Live, [player_tooltip player_id='2910156' first='Jaidyn' last='Boyd'] continued to showcase his ability to be effective as a scorer both on and off the ball. Boyd excelled at using his strength and athleticism to be aggressive in attacking the basket and finishing with assertiveness while also showing more flashes of his perimeter shot making ability both off the dribble and off the catch. Spending time running a little bit of the point as well, Boyd demonstrated his ability to be a reliable decision maker and stronger facilitator, creating clean and open looks for his teammates.

Philly Live is a premier high school basketball showcase held during the NCAA live period in Philadelphia, PA, with games hosted at the Alan Horwitz Sixth Man Center and Jefferson University. Last weekend marked the second session of the event, attracting top-tier high school talent from across the country. Players from New Jersey stood out, proving they could compete with some of the nation's best. As a major stop on the summer recruiting circuit, Philly Live offered college coaches and scouts a valuable chance to evaluate both up-and-coming talent and established prospects. This session featured standout performances from rising stars making a name for themselves, as well as highly regarded recruits who solidified their status among the region's elite. Here's a breakdown of several players who made a significant impact during Sunday's action in Philadelphia.