Season In Review: Additional '28 Prospects Who Raised Their Stock

The conclusion of New Jersey's state tournament wraps up an exceptional high school season, with champions emerging in each group. It was a year to remember—defined by highlight worthy performances, standout individual achievements, significant development, and growing recognition statewide. With that in mind, here's another look at several class of 2028 prospects who made a major impact and elevated their stocks this season.    More often than not tasked with running the show as the primary ball handler for this St. Mary's group, [player_tooltip player_id='2763609' first='Jake' last='Ellis'] maintained an effective balance between initiating offense and looking for his own scoring opportunities throughout the course of his first season since transferring in to St. Mary's earlier this fall, consistently applying pressure on the defense with the ball in his hands. Ellis' composure against defensive pressure routinely stood out, as did his ability to manipulate tempo and make sound decisions— providing valuable and timely scoring by getting to his spots and knocking down tough mid range pull ups with soft touch and balanced footwork while simultaneously using his quick change of pace off the dribble to get downhill for crafty finishes in the paint. Possessing a strong command of the offense, Ellis also showed his value as a potent facilitator— making patient and decisive reads in PnR situations and leveraging his court vision to deliver dump offs and create open looks from beyond the arc. Defensively, despite being undersized, Ellis was disruptive, reading passing lanes well and forcing turnovers and turning that defensive disruption into easy offense.     A powerfully and athletically built wing who's athleticism and explosiveness immediately pop, particularly with the rim pressure he generates, [player_tooltip player_id='2436976' first='Marque' last='Johnson']'s sophomore campaign not only saw him reaffirm his reputation as one of the state's most athletically gifted prospects but also add layers to his game necessary to his longterm development. Maintaining that notion as an ultra aggressive downhill attacker, Johnson was relentless in getting to the rim— blending a combination of forceful strength and rapid explosiveness to attack driving angles off the bounce for highlight above the rim finishes. More impressive though was growth in countering that aggressive rim pressure with his developing guard skills and outside shooting touch— becoming increasingly more confident and more efficient from three point range as a perimeter shooter while also exuding a stronger and more confident handle. Having taken the requisite strides in becoming a more refined wing, Johnson's development will be interesting to track going forward seeing how far his guard skills develop going forward.     Having seen extended varsity minutes for the first time this season and carving out a role as a two way impact wing who plays with a nonstop motor, [player_tooltip player_id='2414310' first='Bridgie' last='McMillan'] consistently found ways to influence winning and put together an impressive sophomore campaign, emerging as a true difference maker. Offensively, he acted as a key connector amongst a loaded group of talented scorers—knocking down open perimeter shots, excelling in transition by running the floor and finishing at the rim, and capitalizing on closeouts with efficient drives to the basket. Defensively, his impact was constant— applying pressure to ball handlers, guarding multiple positions with energy and effort, and being extremely impactful on the boards. Emerging as a vital piece in Bergen Catholic's success this season, McMillan truly embodied the qualities of a plug and play wing—bringing toughness, a team first mindset, and the ability to elevate those around him as this group was able to capture back to back Bergen County Jamboree titles as well as back to back NJSIAA Non-Public A titles.     Having legitimately carved out a role as an extremely valuable and impactful depth piece in the front court for this Bergen Catholic group that captured back to back NJSIAA Non-Public A state championships and back to back Bergen County Jamboree championships, [player_tooltip player_id='2833843' first='Owen' last='Wucherpfennig'] more often than not maximized the minutes he was given across multiple stretches of the season. Even at this early stage of his development, Wucherpfennig showed a clear ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor— leveraging his blend of positional size, towering length, and relentless motor to be a steady interior presence primarily providing rim protection with disciplined vertical contests, generating second chance points through strong putbacks on the offensive glass, attacking the defensive glass with intent to secure rebounds, and showing soft hands catching dump offs from penetrating guards.     Every ounce of the definition of an unselfish playmaker who demonstrates sharp feel for the game paired with elite court vision, [player_tooltip player_id='2504904' first='Izayah' last='Cooper']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/izayah-cooper/"></a> continued to impress with the poise he showed as a ball handler and offensive initiator in the different ways he finds to create plays for his teammates throughout the course of his first season at Christian Brothers Academy. Already having the reputation as one of the state's most potent playmakers, Cooper regularly creates high quality scoring chances for his teammates through sharp reads and quick and decisive actions. Elusive and controlled with the ball, he has a knack for picking apart down defenses as a playmaker— finding cutters in stride and delivering well timed passes to spot up shooters for clean and in rhythm looks. While his primary strength lies in facilitating, Cooper has also shown he can step up as a scorer when needed— finishing effectively at the rim with touch and creativity and knocking down open three pointers to keep defenses honest.     A skilled left handed tweener who plays with a fiery edge to him, [player_tooltip player_id='2788586' first='Andrew' last='Bena'] emerged as a legitimate difference maker this year— due in large part to not only the interesting layer he provides offensively with the unique skillset he possesses at his size for South Plainfield but also the tremendous motor and versatile impact he has defensively. A legitimate inside outside threat, Bena stood out with his offensive versatility— fighting for position for deep seals in the paint to turn and finish with control, displaying his ability to attack certain driving angles off the bounce and get to the basket, demonstrating he's a threat to stretch the floor from beyond the arc as a confident three point shooter, while also being impactful on the offensive glass for meaningful second chance opportunities. With his impressive size and length, Bena proved he has the tools to make a strong impact on the defensive end— using that physical profile to switch onto perimeter against quicker guards while also contributing inside as a rebounder and rim protector with his size and length.     Going back to as far as last spring and summer, a high level of intrigue begun to surround Milan Saurez's development with the hopes of what his long term skillset could look like. And Saurez's sophomore season that saw him dominate on the interior offered a deeper glimpse of his potential lining up with his on court production. Suarez offers a compelling blend of length, fluid movement, and mobility for a player of his size— consistently demonstrating the tools to be a true two way big who impacts the game on both ends. Offensively, through loud scoring performancess, he showed soft hands and a natural touch around the basket, excelling as an efficient finisher in the paint, whether it was making a move and fighting through physicality or just catching and finishing. Defensively, Suarez showed more consistent flashes as a dependable anchor, using his size, timing, and instincts to protect the paint by contesting and blocking shots ultimately discouraging opponents from attacking the rim while demonstrating his ability to be a dominant area rebounder, just completely snatching rebounds out the air.     Josiah Hamilton brings an exciting mix of elite length, standout athleticism, and a relentless motor, giving him the physical foundation to impact the game on both ends— and he put much of that potential on display throughout the course of his sophomore season, ulitamtely seeing an increase in his on court statistical production. With the potential to be a legitimately versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions, with his long arms and eye-catching explosiveness helping him disrupt plays—Hamilton showed strong glimpses of being able to use his active hands and sharp instincts to make an impact both on the ball and on the glass as a high energy rebounder. In transition, Hamilton thrives in the open floor, where he often showcased his ability to finish with authority above the rim. Hamilton's sophomore season was a reflection of the refinement in his overall guard skills— having shown increased comfort as a perimeter shooter and better command of the basketball as a ball handler, demonstrating encouraging flashes of improved touch and mechanics that hint at his long term potential. With plenty of room to continue developing his skill set, Hamilton should offer even more glimpses of his upside as the season progresses going into the summer time.

The conclusion of New Jersey's state tournament wraps up an exceptional high school season, with champions emerging in each group. It was a year to remember—defined by highlight worthy performances, standout individual achievements, significant development, and growing recognition statewide. With that in mind, here's another look at several class of 2028 prospects who made a major impact and elevated their stocks this season.