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

In New Jersey, the state tournament has wrapped up and every group champion has been decided. This high school season was truly outstanding—packed with highlight reel moments week after week, lasting individual legacies, major leaps in player development, and rising stock across the board. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some class of 2027 prospects who delivered standout seasons and boosted their stock the most over the past few months.    In the midst of true breakout junior season that saw him aid Gill St.Bernard's in capturing not only another Somerset County title but their program's first NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship, [player_tooltip player_id='2344528' first='Jahmal' last='Dixon'] routinely proved himself to be a legitimate two way floor leader, blending strong and confident ball handling with a clear commitment to setting the table and getting his teammates involved— consistently making a strong impact on both ends of the floor, pairing offensive poise and composure with defensive intensity and physicality setting the tone as an on ball defender. Behind a number of impressive individual performances, particularly in a number of big games against some of their conference's best competition, Dixon also remained a constant scoring threat, attacking driving lanes and finishing with soft touch around the basket while still embracing his role as a legitimate unselfish playmaker, creating quality looks for others by pushing the tempo in transition, firing quick outlet passes and finding lane runners for easy opportunities paired with utilizing his court vision and change of pace to generate clean drive and kick chances for perimeter shooters in different half court scenarios. Consistently hanging his hat on the defensive end of the floor as he always does, Dixon was equally as impactful— showing toughness at the point of attack applying consistent pressure on opposing ball handlers and using his physicality and sharp anticipation to disrupt their rhythm.     Emerging as a major asset to Seton Hall Prep's offense, particularly down the stretch of the season in the Essex County tournament and the North Non-Public A state tournament, [player_tooltip player_id='2391282' first='Avery' last='George'] showcased much of what his value looks like as a sharpshooting threat from beyond the arc, with deep range accuracy— often times quickly finding his rhythm in the midst of Seton Hall capturing back to back Essex county titles and reaching the NJSIAA North Non-Public A final, highlighting the value he brings as a consistent outside shooter. With a smooth shooting stroke and polished mechanics that allow him to consistently capitalize off clean looks, George showcased his versatility from beyond the arc— knocking down shots off the catch while also displaying his movement shooting ability, effectively coming off various screens and pin downs and consistently relocating into open passing windows in half court sets.     [player_tooltip player_id='2786681' first='Cam' last='White']'s first season leading Morris Catholic as its two way floor general proved to be a seamless transition into a new system and a slightly different role after transferring in to the program at the beginning of this past season. White's showed beyond doubt to be a steady and highly productive presence, stepping into a position that really showcased his ability to be a true difference making floor general. From the point guard spot, White excelled all season long in the details that contribute to winning—pushing the tempo to generate easy transition opportunities and playing unselfishly to consistently put his teammates in the best position to succeed all while remaining a threat to score, utilizing his quickness off the bounce to get in the paint for tough and physical drives bumping defenders on his way to the basket for soft touch finishers from different angles around the basket and knocking down smooth mid range pull ups. Defensively, White really helped set the tone for this Morris Catholic squad night in and night out, bringing toughness and instinct, showing strong anticipation and a willingness to sacrifice his body when needed.     Four star forward [player_tooltip player_id='2201945' first='Andrew' last='Kretkowski'] is a relentless downhill minded player who looks to exploit any driving lane he sees and that remained true on the way to this St. Joe's Metuchen group embarking on a special turn around season under new head coach Mark Taylor and winning a GMC conference title. Kretkowski thrived all season long by applying pressure on the rim, attacking closeouts to get into the paint and finishing through contact with a variety of crafty and tough makes. An area of his game that saw noticeable strides and grew increasingly dependable as the season went is how he balanced that attacking style with improved perimeter shooting, stepping confidently into in rhythm three point attempts and also showing the ability to create space off the dribble in the mid range area with smooth and controlled footwork and soft touch. True to his identity as a high motor gritty competitor, Kretkowski had no problem embracing the dirty work at certain points during his junior season—making a strong impact on the glass by crashing the boards with energy and securing impactful rebounds. His consistent effort on both ends and the contagious nature of his intensity often made him the catalyst for big runs and momentum shifting plays for St. Joe's Metuchen, reflective of the numerous highlight worthy above the rim finishes he put on display during the season.     Emerging as a valuable high impact connective piece, particularly as an excellent off ball perimeter threat, [player_tooltip player_id='3271441' first='Bryce' last='Williams'] endured a legitimate breakout junior season that saw supply tremendous value with the impact he brings providing optimal floor spacing throughout the flow of this year's Rutgers Prep offense. A true plug and play fit in the backcourt, Williams blossomed as a guard that confidently and efficiently knocked down a number of open looks off the catch as a spot up shooter, particularly benefiting off a lot of the dribble penetration that Rutgers Prep's guards generated— stepping into shots with smooth and balanced footwork, getting good elevation on his jump shot, and shooting the ball with not only a quick and high release but noticeable confidence throughout the season.     Every bit of the definition of an aggressive scoring guard who attacks the basket any chance he gets, [player_tooltip player_id='2509329' first='Ashton' last='Graves'] wasted no time asserting himself in Hudson Catholic's offense in his first year here in Jersey— consistently applying pressure on the rim in a multitude of ways, generating so much of his offense by leveraging his explosiveness to attack driving angles off the bounce and get to the basket while also pushing the pace in transition to beat defenders down the floor for easy finishes. Erupting for countless loud scoring performances, Graves combined blazing speed and strong body control while also utilizing sharp change of pace ability to consistently get downhill with efficiency in both transition and half court situations, a strength he showcased throughout entirety of his junior season. While consistently thriving attacking the paint, Graves also proved to be a more reliable perimeter threat as the season wained, a part of his skillset essential to his fit at the next level, showcasing a smooth and repeatable spot up shooting stroke and the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.     With Shabazz enduring a historic, culture changing season that saw them capture both NJSIAA Group 1, Section 2 and the overall Group 1 championship, [player_tooltip player_id='2201950' first='Elijah' last='Colon'] emerged as part of a potent crop of guards that provided a legitimate scoring punch. In his first season since transferring to Shabazz and known for his confident scoring ability, Colon quickly made his presence felt, ultimately thriving as a consistent and steady scoring threat all season long— picking his spots well within the flow of the offense displaying his ability to attack the basket when open driving angles appeared, using craft and pace in PnR situations to create while also showcasing his effectiveness off the ball by consistently getting into position and knocking down shots with smooth and also demonstrating strong balance and footwork on movement threes.     In just a short time since migrating to the United States by way of Hungary, [player_tooltip player_id='3270146' first='Daniel' last='Hinkov'] wasted no time establishing himself as one of the top perimeter shooting threats here in the state of New Jerset— and that was clearly evident across what turned out to be a solid turn around season at St. Benedict's under new head coach Chris Simpson, particularly with his impressive deep range accuracy and unwavering confidence from the perimeter. As the season went on, Hinkov remained a threat to drain threes with a quick and high release—excelling both as a movement shooter off pin downs and different screens as well as a spot up threat as a catch and shoot guy, providing necessary floor spacing to this St. Benedict's offense. Beyond his shooting percentages , Hinkov showcased key intangibles that make him a dangerous outside threat— staying shot ready off the ball, sprinting to the corners in transition, and moving effectively without the ball to find passing windows in half court sets.

In New Jersey, the state tournament has wrapped up and every group champion has been decided. This high school season was truly outstanding—packed with highlight reel moments week after week, lasting individual legacies, major leaps in player development, and rising stock across the board. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some class of 2027 prospects who delivered standout seasons and boosted their stock the most over the past few months.