Metro Hoops Academy Preseason Invitational Standouts

A new preseason showcase on the New Jersey fall basketball calendar, Metro Hoops Academy hosted an invitational this past Saturday at Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, NJ. Saturday's action brought together some of the state's powerhouse programs for a intense slate of competition, with the start of the high school season right around the corner. This preseason invitational featured a mix of already established nationally ranked prospects who continued to solidify their reputations and some under the radar riser looking to boost their stock(s). With that being said, let's dive into some standout performers from Saturday's action.    An incredibly confident outside shooter who gets great lift and has a quick release on his jump shot, [player_tooltip player_id='2621316' first='Matthew' last='Kennedy'] delivered a standout performance that highlighted his ability to be an extremely impactful shot maker from the perimeter. A loud and efficient shooting performance that saw him capitalize on any ounce of space the defense gave him and exhibit a diverse shooting arsenal, Kennedy knocked down a number of smooth and fluid movement threes and effortless and easy spot up threes. Kennedy also allowed the gravity he attracts as a shooter to open up additional offense for him, using his strong bodied frame and physicality to attack closeouts and finish in traffic at the basket. In addition to providing offense in the half court, Kennedy also excelled as a playmaker in transition, whether it was finding guys ahead in transition or pushing the break himself and finishing on the other end.     An overall confident scorer off the bounce, with lethal outside ability, [player_tooltip player_id='1790209' first='Ethan' last='Lin'] shined not only in the ways he was able to demonstrate his diverse and dangerous shot making prowess but also in his ability to be a reliable offensive orchestrator. Possessing a fluid and compact release with smooth and consistent footwork, Lin proved to be just as dangerous of a spot up shooter as he is a shooter that can create a little bit of separation and knock down outside shots off the bounce. Seeing a lot of time on the ball in Montgomery's offense, Lin also stood out in his effectiveness as a primary ball handler, not only initiating offense but also attacking gaps off the bounce to collapse the defense and create drive and kick three opportunities for his teammates.     A young and productive wing with glaring upside coming off an impressive freshman season, [player_tooltip player_id='2683649' first='Michael' last='Simborski'] impressed in the different ways he's able to impact the game, particularly off the ball. Simborski generated a large amount of rim pressure in the half court, especially attacking closeouts, with a number of strong and assertive dribble drives. Simborski also flashed his sneaky athleticism, cutting back door a few times in Montgomery's sets and finishing vertically above the rim. A complement to his slashing ability, Simborski also flashed his perimeter shooting ability, converting on a number of open looks off the catch from three point range.     Often times tasked with setting the table for Newark Tech's offense, Ilijah Adams found ways to impact the game far beyond his typical playmaking duties during Saturday's action. Adams was disruptive defensively stringing together moments where he used his anticipation skills to poke the ball from opposing ball handlers and play the passing lanes to force turnovers.     Frequently responsible for initiating and organizing Seton Hall Prep's offense, [player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez'] impressed with his ability to be a sharp and precise decision maker. Gonzalez's reliability as a primary ball handler and keen capability to take command of the offense and dissect the opposing defense was highlighted by a number of reads he made with the ball in his hands, hitting different high level, on time passes in a number of PnR actions as well as finding teammates who were ahead of the defense in transition opportunities.     A dangerous three point shooter who provides optimal floor spacing ability for Seton Hall Prep's offense both in the half court and in the open floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2391282' first='Avery' last='George'] exhibited much of that skill set throughout the course of Saturday's action. A versatile shooter from the perimeter with fluid mechanics and a compact shooting release, George made defenses pay for sagging off and for late closeouts, proving to be a lethal outside shooter both as a spot up shooter as well as a movement shooter.     Continuing to provide a solid presence in the paint for Seton Hall Prep, [player_tooltip player_id='2421358' first='Daniel' last='Beazer'] showcased his impressive interior finishing skills, with efficiency and versatility as well. Beazer exhibited his ability to attack closeouts and finish at the basket while also playing through contact on the boards, by way of getting putbacks or getting to the free throw line. Beazer without a doubt demonstrated a meanigful ability to play bigger than his measureables suggest and be a difference maker inside.     A bright spot in Elizabeth's guard rotation over the course of Saturday's action, [player_tooltip player_id='2201969' first='Tahir' last='Conner'] impressed with his outside shooting ability, particularly off the catch, with deep range too. An efficient shooting performance across both of Elizabeth's matchups saw Conner convert on countless open looks from three point range. Conner should figure to contine provide optimal floor spacing ability for Elizabeth's offense heading into the start of the high school season.

A new preseason showcase on the New Jersey fall basketball calendar, Metro Hoops Academy hosted an invitational this past Saturday at Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, NJ. Saturday's action brought together some of the state's powerhouse programs for a intense slate of competition, with the start of the high school season right around the corner. This preseason invitational featured a mix of already established nationally ranked prospects who continued to solidify their reputations and some under the radar riser looking to boost their stock(s). With that being said, let's dive into some standout performers from Saturday's action.