Big Jersey Basketball Showcase I Notables

Returning for its second year of action, Big Jersey Basketball hosted its first showcase of the 2025-2026 calendar season at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ over the weekend. Showcase I featured matchups amongst some of the state's best programs— battles between St. Peter's Prep and Gill St. Bernard's, Rutgers Prep and Don Bosco, and Hudson Catholic and Christian Brothers Academy. With a number of high profile prospects across all three matchups, let's dive into some prospects that delivered standout performances this past weekend.    Every bit of the definition of an unselfish playmaker who demonstrates advanced feel for the game coupled with elite court vision, [player_tooltip player_id='2504904' first='Izayah' last='Cooper'] impressed with the poise he showed as a ball handler and offensive initiator in the different ways he finds to create plays for his teammates. Quick and dynamic with the ball in his hands with an extreme willingness as a facilitator, Cooper routinely got deep in the paint and made the right reads finding cutters and spot up shooters out on the perimeter in rhythm. Countering his consistent playmaking ability, Cooper kept the defense honest, putting the ball in the basketball himself when the offense called for it— converting on soft touch runners and floaters in the paint as well as flashing his perimeter shooting ability off the bounce from three point range.     A fundamentally sound basketball player with optimal positional size and tremendous feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2202020' first='Avery' last='Lynch'] delivered a standout performance that highlighted the intriguing aspects of his offensive skillset. Lynch not only impressed as a knock down shooter, converting on in rhythm looks from three point range but also in his ability to be an excellent mover off the ball—very often cutting backdoor in the half court and even crashing the glass on the offensive boards. Countering his three point shooting ability, Lynch also shined attacking open driving lanes and closeouts off the bounce and displaying excellent footwork and touch around the basket.     A tough and gritty competitor who plays with a fearless mentality on both ends, [player_tooltip player_id='2202018' first='Rocco' last='Loomis'] stood out as one of the many bright spots in Rutgers Prep's backcourt— a dangerous and confident dead eye spot up shooter. Loomis got into a strong rhythm from beyond the arc, knocking down multiple threes throughout the course of Rutgers Prep's victory over Bosco Saturday afternoon. Comfortable displaying poise as a decision maker and flashing his playmaking ability, Loomis also complemented his sharpshooting ability with aggressive closeout attacks to deliver timely and sharp passes to open shooters out on the perimeter, creating a number of potent drive and kick threes for his teammates.     Emerging as another backcourt standout for Rutgers Prep, Bryce Williams was another guard who delivered a standout performance, particularly with his spot up shooting ability from beyond the three point arc against Bosco Saturday afternoon. Excelling off the ball and providing legitimate floor spacing ability on the offensive end of the floor, Williams shined knocking down a number of open looks off the catch, particularly benefiting off a lot of the dribble penetration that Rutgers Prep's guards generated.     A skilled and versatile forward with rare fluidity at his size, [player_tooltip player_id='2107943' first='JP' last='Skoric'] made an impact by consistently applying rim pressure out of Bosco's various offensive actions, attacking closeouts off the bounce from the perimeter and out of face up game. Skoric used his size and length to finish efficiently— displaying soft touch on finger roll layups, smooth pull up jumpers in the paint, and crafty reverse finishes with dexterity around the basket. Skoric also displayed his finishing ability in the open floor with a number of powerful above the rim finishes in transition.     A multi faceted weapon who impacts the game on both ends of the floor as a dynamic defensive difference maker, versatile scorer, and effective overall playmaker, [player_tooltip player_id='1595680' first='Mason' last='Santiago'] displayed much of the versatility and toughness that allows him to make plays all over the floor. Santiago delivered consistent scoring of his own—attacking downhill with purpose, using his strong frame and physicality to finish through contact with strength and with crafty touch in the paint— evident of his ability to consistently get to the free throw line over the course of Saturday's action.     A high usage guard with a grittiness and scrappiness to him and frequently tasked with initiating St. Peter's offense and also creating offense for himself, [player_tooltip player_id='1609109' first='Richie' last='Rosa'] found a nice rhythm in the way he was able to use his quickness off the bounce to consistently get in the painted area. Rosa, for the most part, got going finishing soft touch floaters in the paint and converting on tough and crafty finishes at the rim from different angles in traffic.     [player_tooltip player_id='2397968' first='Connor' last='Junker'] turned in a standout shooting performance, particularly with the open looks he buried from three point distance. A dangerous marksman with deep range and a quick and confident release, Junker consistently knocked down open looks, punishing the defense for late contests and poor closeouts. Showing versatility and confidence as a shooter, he proved effective both as a movement shooter and in spot up situations, maintaining a rhythm throughout the course of Gill's matchup against St. Peter's and never looking back.

Returning for its second year of action, Big Jersey Basketball hosted its first showcase of the 2025-2026 calendar season at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ over the weekend. Showcase I featured matchups amongst some of the state's best programs— battles between St. Peter's Prep and Gill St. Bernard's, Rutgers Prep and Don Bosco, and Hudson Catholic and Christian Brothers Academy. With a number of high profile prospects across all three matchups, let's dive into some prospects that delivered standout performances this past weekend.