Hoop Group New Jersey Warm Up: NJ 17U Notables

AAU season is officially here with everyone's attention fully set on the oncoming slate of tournaments. Many programs have begun facing off in early warm up events as they gear up for the intense competition that is ahead. This past weekend, Hoop Group hosted it's New Jersey Warm Up in Manalapan, NJ— a tune up event that featured a handful of talented New Jersey programs and a number of intriguing prospects here within the state. With that being said, let's take a look at some prospects playing 17U that stood out during Saturday's and Sunday's action.    Emerging as the weekend's biggest stock riser was none other than Lis Binishi— an extremely reliable combo guard that plays with steady pace and erupted for an explosive shot making performance. Rarely sped up and crafty with the ball in his hands, Binishi routinely demonstrated an ability to play the right way and make the right plays, advancing the ball up the floor, making the extra pass for better looks while also making sharp decisions in PnR actions. However the most impressive part of Banishi's weekend was by far the shot making display he put forth— settling into an insane rhythm and shooting the lid off the rim, knocking down a number of tough shots and demonstrating his ability to shoot it from the perimeter creating seperation off the bounce just as effectively as he does as a spot up shooter. With how efficient and productive Banishi has continued to play, he's definitely one to track heading into the spring.     One of the more intriguing prospects in his class, [player_tooltip player_id='2218637' first='Kieran' last='Quinn'] offers an interesting and compelling mix of legitimate offensive versatility and uncommon fluidity for his size. Quinn's ability to impact the game both inside and out offered this Panthers' 17U HGSL group a unique and extremely effective dimension offensively throughout their first weekend of action— strong inside finishing with soft touch and solid footwork around the basket, particularly as a roller in PnR action and sprinting the floor in transition all while also showcasing a number of glimpses of what his floor spacing ability at his position looks like, stretching the floor at key moments and knocking down a number of open looks as a spot up shooter with his deft outside touch.     A dangerous perimeter shooter with extremely strong shooting intangibles, [player_tooltip player_id='2621316' first='Matthew' last='Kennedy'] demonstrated his ability to be an impactful shot maker from three point range for this Riverside offense. Kennedy, much like his usual self, proved to be a lethal sharpshooter with a quick trigger release who provided optimal floor spacing and outside shot making as a spot up shooter. Kennedy also thrived as an open floor playmaker, making a lot of the right reads in transition to find other open shooters out on the perimeter when initiating the break himself.     Living up to the reputation he's built over the last few years or so, as a confident and dangerous perimeter shot maker who is a constant threat from three point range, [player_tooltip player_id='2202018' first='Rocco' last='Loomis'] reaffirmed himself as a perimeter threat defenses must consistently account for— capitalizing on a number of open looks and knocking down timely three pointers with that quick confident release mentioned earlier. Quick with the ball in his hands, Loomis was also effective at pushing the tempo in transition and finishing with craftiness at the basket when such opportunities presented itself.     Combining strong fundamentals, ideal positional size, and advanced feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2202020' first='Avery' last='Lynch'] once again showcased a well rounded offensive game, delivering a highly impressive showing that emphasized the versatility and impact of his offensive skill set— providing reliable and efficient spot up shooting from the perimeter, impressive off ball movement as a cutter to open space, utilizing potent footwork and pump fakes when getting in the paint, and being a huge contributor on the glass leveraging his size to win battles on the boards as well as generate second chance opportunities.

AAU season is officially here with everyone's attention fully set on the oncoming slate of tournaments. Many programs have begun facing off in early warm up events as they gear up for the intense competition that is ahead. This past weekend, Hoop Group hosted it's New Jersey Warm Up in Manalapan, NJ— a tune up event that featured a handful of talented New Jersey programs and a number of intriguing prospects here within the state. With that being said, let's take a look at some prospects playing 17U that stood out during Saturday's and Sunday's action.