Miami Holiday Invitational: New Jersey Notables

With the Christmas holiday fully behind us, that means all eyes have shifted focus to the numerous holiday tournaments taking place both in state and for those programs traveling out of state. A handful of New Jersey programs traveled down to the Sunshine State for this year's Miami Holiday Invitational— with the likes of Seton Hall Prep, Roselle Catholic, St. Peter's Prep, and Union Catholic all partaking in a competitive slate of matchups over this past weekend. With that being said, let's dive into some prospects that delivered standout performances and how they faired against some Florida's better programs.    An aggressive downhill attacking guard who gets in the paint with blazing speed and often times is tasked with orchestrating offense for Seton Hall Prep, [player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez'] impressed with the strong moments he put together that highlighted his ability to impact the game with his decision making. Gonzalez stood out taking command of the offense— attacking the gaps of Sagemont (FL)'s zone to create advantages, being an outlet in the middle of the zone and moving the ball, using his speed in transition to get the ball ahead of the defense, spraying the ball out to open shooters, and even dissecting different PnR coverages. Maintaining a healthy balance between facilitating and scoring, Gonzalez also mixed it some crafty finishes around the basket while also flashing his spot up shooting ability from three point range, knocking down a number of catch and shoot threes.     With the dynamic of Seton Hall Prep's backcourt, [player_tooltip player_id='2884521' first='Bryce' last='McCray'] often times finds himself thriving in a role the requires reliable off ball shot making and secondary ball handling and decision making. A confident left handed shooter, McCray is a legitimate perimeter threat with extended range and a quick and clean release on spot up looks and that was very much fully on display over the course of both of Seton Hall Prep's games in Miami. With the gravity that he attracts as a perimeter shooter, McCray impressed in the different ways he attacked closeouts to get in the paint and convert on a handful of soft touch floaters and crafty layups around the basket.     An ultra smooth, efficient and versatile shot maker with a ton of skill, [player_tooltip player_id='2504780' first='Infinite' last='Sincere-AmenRa'] has an advanced understanding of punishing opposing defenses as a shot maker. Sincere-AmenRa thrived from beyond the arc, highlighting his effectiveness as a confident and sharpshooting spot up shooter. Beyond his shot making ability, he displayed key shooting intangibles that elevate his impact far beyond makes and misses—remaining shot ready at all times, sprinting to the corners in transition, and relocating effectively while moving without the ball in half court sets.     A valuable interior presence who provides tremendous value with his activity around the rim on both ends of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2716491' first='Alex' last='Ante'] demonstrated his ability to be a difference maker with his play in the paint. Ante showcased his ability to be a strong inside finisher— particularly as a rim runner, diving to the basket in half court sets, while also generating second chance opportunities on the offensive glass. Anchoring Seton Hall Prep's defense, Ante was also highly effective crashing the boards and coming down with rebounds and altering and blocking shot attempts at the rim.     A tough and confident shot making guard with the decision making ability and IQ to be an impactful and reliable ball handler, [player_tooltip player_id='2504745' first='Chase' last='Bray'] put together a strong performance that fully highlighted his offensive skillset, particularly in Roselle Catholic's matchup's against Wilson Academy (GA). Bray is a confident and dangerous perimeter shooter who often times exemplifies deep range accuracy, consistently knocking down open catch and shoot looks from beyond the three point arc. Beyond his shot making prowess, Bray also showcased important shooting intangibles that significantly enhance his overall impact—consistently staying shot ready, sprinting to the corners in transition, and relocating effectively while moving without the ball in half-court actions. Serving as an additional ball handler within Roselle Catholic's offense, Bray showed the ability to facilitate and create opportunities for others, doing enough as a playmaker to keep the defense honest.     A consistent producer in Roselle Catholic's offense who often times find himself thriving as a shot maker, [player_tooltip player_id='1963393' first='Tyrease' last='Hunter'] was much of himself over the course of both of Roselle Catholic's matchups in Miami. He displayed a diverse scoring attack that highlighted majority of his offensive skillset— converting on open looks a spot up shooter from three point range, getting to his spots off the bounce and knocking down in rhythm mid range pull ups, and even demonstrating flashes of his ability to create his own offense off the bounce.     A typically dynamic shot creator with plenty of flair, [player_tooltip player_id='1729825' first='Trey' last='Lewis']' weekend in Miami saw him highlight somewhat of a different dimension to his skillset— primarily being effective knocking down outside shots, particularly off the catch and hitting smooth mid range pull ups, a rather more efficient approach to the game than he normally has. In combination with his shot making ability being on full display, Lewis also flashed some of his creativity off the bounce when the offense called for it— breaking his defender down off the bounce and creating offense for himself.

With the Christmas holiday fully behind us, that means all eyes have shifted focus to the numerous holiday tournaments taking place both in state and for those programs traveling out of state. A handful of New Jersey programs traveled down to the Sunshine State for this year's Miami Holiday Invitational— with the likes of Seton Hall Prep, Roselle Catholic, St. Peter's Prep, and Union Catholic all partaking in a competitive slate of matchups over this past weekend. With that being said, let's dive into some prospects that delivered standout performances and how they faired against some Florida's better programs.