Season In Review: Further '27 Prospects Who Raised Their Stock

The conclusion of New Jersey's state tournament brings a standout high school season to a close, with every group champion now crowned. It was a remarkable year—defined by consistent standout performances, lasting individual impact, significant development, and rising recognition across the state. With that in mind, let's highlight more class of 2027 prospects who made the biggest waves and saw their stock rise this season.    A legit 7-footer with the necessary physical tools to carve out space on the interior and to be extremely impactful in the paint on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, Zach Destine took a tremendous leap in his development, with his production significantly elevating throughout the course of his junior season. As Destine continued to get stronger and refine his skillset, he consistently leveraged his length to be impactful with his activity around the basket in a multitude of ways— excelling as a true rim protector altering and block shot attempts at the rim with solid timing and anticipation skills, soft touch around the basket paired with solid footwork in the low post to either make a move or turn and finish at the rim, crashing the glass for second chance opportunities and securing boards on the defensive end, and effectively rim running in transition.     A versatile all around guard who is capable of handling responsibilities at either guard spot and served as an intricate piece to Union's turn around season under first year head coach Erick Loften-Harris, [player_tooltip player_id='3544210' first='Reed' last='Flood'] proved he can impact winning in multiple ways on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he provided value as a capable scorer from different areas on the floor, getting to his spots off the bounce with pace while also demonstrating an ability to be threat from three point range, knocking down outside looks as a spot up shooter. Unselfish and willing to make the right play, Flood put together moments that highlighted his ability to be make the extra pass and be a solid connective passer. On defense, Flood competed with intensity, applying pressure on the perimeter, disrupting passing lanes, and finishing with strong rebounding numbers for his position.     A lengthy and high energy big who impacts the game through constant activity on both ends of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2421371' first='Akeem' last='Paul']'s junior season saw him match the intrigue that surrounds his skillset with true on court production. More polished defensively, where he excels with well timed shot blocking, strong rebounding, and the ability to disrupt passing lanes thanks to his mobility and fluid movement for his size, Paul continued his assertion on that end of the floor showing more consistent flashes of being a defensive anchor for this Payne Tech group. On the offensive end, while still a work in progress, that's where Paul's skillset probably saw the most growth— showing an increased comfort in putting the ball on the floor and attacking driving angles while continuing to become more proficient around the basket as a finisher, running the floor in transition, being efficient in the dunker spot, and capitalizing on second chance opportunities on the offensive glass. A big with the intriguing physical tools, Paul's development will definitely be interesting to track over the coming months going forward.     Part of an impactful South Plainfield front court that provided a legitimate interior presence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, Boreas Jawula took significant strides in his development, especially with his production seeing a tremendous increase throughout the course of his junior season. Growing more confident in his skillset and with the game truly starting to slow down for him, Jawula leveraged his strong frame and intimidating physicality to make his presence felt on the interior— finishing through contact, using his strength to move defenders off the block while displaying an improving touch around the rim while taking noticeable strides in his footwork and overall technique in both the low and mid post.     An extremely fast point guard with blazing end to end speed who possess dynamic tempo controlling ability with the ball in his hands, [player_tooltip player_id='2201949' first='Ayyub' last='Wilson'] although undersized thrives at being aggressive in getting downhill and getting deep in the paint. Seeing his first extended action with this Arts program for the first time pretty much since his freshman year, Wilson reaffirmed his reputation as a quick and relentless downhill attacker— using his explosive first step to beat defenders to attack tight driving lanes and finishing creatively around the basket, showcasing his ability to turn the corner and convert tough looks at the rim. As the primary ball handler for this Arts group, Wilson also showed strong playmaking instincts as the season wained, effectively navigating PnR actions, delivering timely pocket passes to rolling bigs and creating opportunities for open shooters out on the perimeter while mixing in scoring finishes. A key factor in his long-term upside is his perimeter shooting, and he showed progress and improvement in that area, as he looked more comfortable with a quicker release and capitalized on open three point opportunities.     A key piece of Newark Tech's dynamic backcourt serving as a veteran scoring presence for this new look group under new head coach Jimmy Salmon, [player_tooltip player_id='2201961' first='Va'Shaun' last='Harper'] provided consistent shot making and a reliable scoring presence from the two guard spot throughout the course of his first season at Newark Tech. Putting that skill on full display across several loud scoring performances, Harper demonstrated he can knock down perimeter shots off the catch as an off ball spot up shooter, create space in the mid range off the dribble for smooth in rhythm pull ups, and effectively attack driving lanes as they develop in the flow of the offense— proving he's capable of getting to his spots and score from different areas on the floor.     A true knock down shooter widely recognized for his dangerous perimeter shooting and floor spacing ability, particularly with quick and compact shooting release, [player_tooltip player_id='3453266' first='Julian' last='Paradise'] more often than not distinguishes himself as a potent marksman from deep. Comfortable and efficient from beyond the arc, Paradise thrived as a versatile outside shooter who consistently found his groove and converted at a high rate spotting up for catch and shoot opportunities, sprinting to the corner in transition, or relocating within the half court. The part of Paradise's game that saw the most significant growth was his ability to counter that outside shooting touch to be a more all around offensive impact— using his shooting gravity to his advantage, highlighting his continued growth as a driver to attack closeouts in the half court, getting to the rim with increasing confidence, and applying pressure in transition with that same emerging assertiveness.

The conclusion of New Jersey's state tournament brings a standout high school season to a close, with every group champion now crowned. It was a remarkable year—defined by consistent standout performances, lasting individual impact, significant development, and rising recognition across the state. With that in mind, let's highlight more class of 2027 prospects who made the biggest waves and saw their stock rise this season.