The Challenge: New Jersey Eye Catchers

Preseason showcases are fully in the swing of things and last weekend, a boatload of teams from all across the Northeast gathered in York, PA at the York Expo Center for a slate of competitive matchups. Elizabeth High School and St. Benedict's Prep were the only two programs from New Jersey to compete in last weekend's action and both programs delivered overall standout performances. With that being said, let's dive into a few prospects out stood over the course of last weekend's action.    A strong and powerfully built two guard who thrives at playing through physicality, [player_tooltip player_id='1595676' first='Jalen' last='Maldonado'] excelled at using his physical frame to create space for himself offensively. Maldonado did a good job of using his body to bump defenders and create separation in order to get his shot off, particularly on a number of mid range pull ups. An exceptional threat from three point range, Maldonado got into a nice rhythm from the perimeter, knocking down open shots off the catch at a pretty efficient clip. Maldonado also made a number of plays on the defensive end, evading the space of opposing ball handlers and playing the passing lanes with good anticipation to often times turn defense into offense.     An intriguing combination of positional size and legit ball skills, [player_tooltip player_id='2508723' first='Michael' last='Postell Jr'] was aggressive in his pursuit of the basket. A habitual paint toucher, Postell Jr demonstrated his ability to get downhill off the bounce and finish around the basket with excellent touch and his glaring length, using an array of different floaters and layups. Postell Jr also had a number of strong finishes in traffic in transition.     A dangerous shot maker who can very easily get into a nice rhythm offensively, [player_tooltip player_id='2201953' first='Jayden' last='Johnson'] got into a nice flow knocking down a number of shots off the bounce from different spots in the mid range area. Doing most of work offensively from the in between area, Johnson did a good job of getting to his spots and consistently knocking down mid range pull ups and different types of floaters from different angles. Johnson was also a threat from the perimeter as per usual, knocking smooth catch and shoot threes. Having taken some strides as a true point guard, Johnson also demonstrated some of his court vision and decision making skills with a few high level reads with the ball in his hands.     Providing steady offense out the backcourt, Jack Liz impressed as a reliable scoring threat for St. Benedict's offense. Creative and poised off the bounce, Liz used an array of different change of direction moves and a keen understanding of angles to get in the paint and mix in strong finishes through contact as well as floaters with nice touch at the basket. Liz also showed flashes of his excellent court vision, making a handful of flashy and precise passes when he attracted help defenders to find diving teammates.     Transferring in from Bulgaria, Daniel Hinkov looks to be a welcoming addition to St. Benedict's Prep. In his first live game action since coming from overseas, Hinkov was much of himself in his debut performance— spacing the floor and knocking down outside shots from three point range as a spot up shooter. Hinkov did a good job of hunting his shot and staying shot ready in the corners on offense. Hinkov also mixed in a few tough finishes in transition.

Preseason showcases are fully in the swing of things and last weekend, a boatload of teams from all across the Northeast gathered in York, PA at the York Expo Center for a slate of competitive matchups. Elizabeth High School and St. Benedict's Prep were the only two programs from New Jersey to compete in last weekend's action and both programs delivered overall standout performances. With that being said, let's dive into a few prospects out stood over the course of last weekend's action.