Hoophall Classic: New Jersey Notables

A premier annual showcase and one of the most anticipated national events on the high school basketball calendar is the Hoophall Classic— featuring some of the top nationally ranked prospects in the entire country. Held every year in Springfield, MA the Hoophall Classic serves as one of the most respected stages for some of the country's most elite talent. With two of New Jersey's elite programs in Blair Academy and Bergen Catholic taking part in the weekend's high level competition, let's dive into some prospects who delivered standout performances over the course of this past weekend's action.    A legitimate combination of potent positional size and strong shoulders coupled with elite length, [player_tooltip player_id='1595675' first='Julius' last='Avent'] turned in an impressive performance that highlighted his ability to physically dominate around the basket. In Bergen Catholic's OT victory over Catholic Memorial (MA) Sunday morning, Avent capitalized on the heavy number of touches he saw on the offensive end, particularly in the low post— showing a good understanding of fighting for certain angles on the block to get open and utilizing both his back to the basket game and face up game to use his physical tools to convert on easy layups at the rim. Avent also showcased some of what his mid post game looks like as well, attacking driving angles and imposing his physicality on defenders to finish strong at the rim. Just completely dominating on the interior, Avent also capitalized off second chance points on the offensive glass for impactful cutbacks and opportunities at the free throw line. Pivotal to his long term success at the next level, Avent also flashed his spot up shooting ability, knocking down a pair of open looks from three point range.     In Blair Academy's commanding victory over TMI Episcopal (TX), Deron RIppey Jr. set the tone defensively— fueling defensive intensity with relentless ball pressure while consistently fighting over ball screens to be disruptive at the point of attack. Rippey Jr.'s approach on the defensive end of the floor that saw him be ferocious on the ball against opposing ball handlers and be in the right position(s) as a help defender were the spark plug for a lot of easy offense, often times showcasing his athletic leaping ability for emphatic above the rim finishes as well as easy layups in transition on the other end.     Dynamic with the ball in his hands and possessing a strong command of the offense coupled with his ability to often times effectively control the pace of the game, the astute [player_tooltip player_id='2342638' first='Jaden' last='Brown'] showcased much of his ability to make things happen particularly with a lot of the plays he made in the open floor in Bergen Catholic's matchup against Catholic Memorial (MA). Aggressive in putting pressure on the rim in transition, Brown consistently took advantage of long rebounds and slow transition defense to use his strength and athleticism to get to the rim for multiple potent finishes while also displaying his ability to bait defenders into contact and silly fouls to prompt numerous trips to the free throw line.     Such a great complimentary piece with a lot of the different things he does at a high level on the offensive end of the floor for this Blair group, [player_tooltip player_id='1865348' first='Jaen' last='Chatman'] was much of himself in their victory over TMI Episcopal (TX)— a true seamless offensive fit that can knock down outside shots in rhythm off the ball, generate impactful player movement without the ball in his hands, find open shooters and create open looks out on the perimeter, leverage his physically strong frame to crash the glass and come down with rebounds, and even defend the basketball with high level intensity and effort.     A combo guard, who with the dynamic of this Bergen Catholic collective group, generates a lot of his offensive production off the advantages that others create, [player_tooltip player_id='2202019' first='Alex' last='Mazzella'] thrived as an exceptional off ball threat in Bergen Catholic's early matchup against Coronado (NV). With Bergen Catholic's offensive actions producing a number of ball reversals and dribble drive penetration, Mazzella benefited from the rotations that the opposing defense were forced into once Bergen got into their actions— attacking driving angles off the bounce and converting on clean and open looks from three point distance, showcasing his lethal sharpshooting ability.     An absolutely strong and impactful interior force who immediately stands out with the stout physical frame and tools he possesses, [player_tooltip player_id='2470853' first='Kamsi' last='Awaka'] demonstrated his ability to carve out space in the paint and be a meaningful presence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. In his minutes on the floor, Blair made it an emphasis to get him touches in the low post— using his size and strength to seal his defender and not only convert on easy finishes around the basket but also absorb contact against over zealous defenders and get to the free throw line. Defensively, Awaka leveraged his length to alter and block shot attempts at the rim and win battles on the boards.     Although raw and still in the early stages of his development, [player_tooltip player_id='2833843' first='Owen' last='Wucherpfennig'] still impressed in the ways he was able to be productive in the minutes he was given, especially in Bergen Catholic's first matchup against Coronado (NV), being highly effective on the interior with his activity. Possessing ideal positional size and optimal length coupled with high energy, Wucherpfennig not only leveraged his towering length to wall up against shot attempts around the basket but also showed solid finishing ability on the offensive end, particularly catching dump offs from penetrating guards and capitalizing off second chance opportunities on the offensive glass for opportunistic cutbacks.

A premier annual showcase and one of the most anticipated national events on the high school basketball calendar is the Hoophall Classic— featuring some of the top nationally ranked prospects in the entire country. Held every year in Springfield, MA the Hoophall Classic serves as one of the most respected stages for some of the country's most elite talent. With two of New Jersey's elite programs in Blair Academy and Bergen Catholic taking part in the weekend's high level competition, let's dive into some prospects who delivered standout performances over the course of this past weekend's action.