NERR Northeast Hoop Festival: 17U Division Stockrisers

This weekend, one of New England's best tournament's came back to Boston—Zero Gravity's NERR Northeast Hoop Festival. There were loads of talented teams in attendance.   To begin my coverage, I'll be looking at some stockrisers from the 17U/varsity division.    Grudzien was lethal for Middlesex Magic's HGSL team. The 5-foot-11 guard is a total pest on the defensive end and wreaks havoc all game with his ability to be physical and handsy at the point of attack. He has great toughness and clearly wants to compete, even in AAU. Offensively, the Marianapolis Prep junior has an awesome spin move and a knack for finishing with contact at the rim. He's a better athlete than you think, and he's a relentless attacker of the rim. Grudzien needs to improve his outside shot, but everything else in his game is pretty buttoned up, so he's absolutely a D3 college prospect.     Karavanic played for NE Storm's second team this weekend, and it payed dividends for him. With increased opportunities offensively, he showcased a wide array of skills, like the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter while also using crafty footwork to figure out ways to finish under the rim against bigger players. He consistently used his strength and size to dominate the glass against Magic's HGSL team, and it led to a very impressive win. Karavanic could still get a little bit more comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter, but he strikes me as an excellent D3 fit once the time comes.     When Team New England matched up with Expressions this weekend, Edema was easily the most impactful player on the court. Even though he might not have had as much offensive success as some of his teammates, his presence as a rim protector completely altered the game. Nobody feels comfortable challenging him at the rim because of his size, length, and discipline, and he does an excellent job deciding when to go after blocks vs. when to stunt at the ball-handler. Offensively, Edema continues to look more comfortable—I was specifically impressed with a euro-step layup he had in transition that probably would've been a turnover a few months ago.     Griffiths is well on his way to being one of the biggest stockrisers of this AAU season. The 6-foot-6 wing is an unbelievable outside shooter who shoots the rock extremely quickly and has the size and length to get his shot off over anyone. What impressed me this weekend, though, was Griffiths' improved strength on drives to the rim; he did a better job keeping his line than I've seen him in the past, and he clearly has more toughness than he used to. Griffiths picked up a Northwestern offer this weekend and also committed to Newman School for next season, so he should continue to make waves this spring with Middlesex Magic.     Osinski was ridiculously impressive for Valente Rocks in their game against The Club this weekend. The 6-foot-5 wing is absurdly strong and completely disregards players on the way to the rim, and he has good vertical athleticism and length, so he can finish above the rim with lots of force. The junior can knock down threes as well, and he makes excellent kick out passes to teammates once the defense collapses on him. Osinski is controlled, skilled, and athletic, and I think scholarship schools should definitely be interested in him—he definitely turned some heads this weekend.     JJ's younger brother, Austin, is another key piece for Valente Rocks' 17U team, and he impressed me quite a bit this weekend. Austin is built just like his brother, but he's a better shooter from outside and absolutely went off against The Club. He can make shots off the dribble or off the catch, and he has a beautiful release that makes me confident he'll continue to get even better as a marksman. If he can get to the same athleticism as his brother, he could be another scholarship kid. What a weekend for Osinski, who showed out while playing up.     Wilson is so fun to watch. He was House We Built HGSL's most impactful player this weekend, even though he's a rare archetype. The 6-foot-1 combo-guard can drive to the rim and finish athletically with both hands, but he can also facilitate and get his teammates involved when the defense collapses on him. What's crazy, though, is that he's also an excellent screener and short roll player who looks like a big man in certain situations. He rebounds incredibly well for his size, and he can guard guys significantly bigger than him because of his strength and toughness. Wilson is additive to ANY team or lineup. Heck of a player.     Owusu-Aduomi has been perhaps the region's biggest stockriser over the past couple of weeks. The 6-foot-5 wing continues to show off polished parts of his offensive game, and he continued to do so this weekend against a talented Team Northeast UA Rise squad. He made a ton of shots from three (and I'm starting to really believe in his outside shot), but he also made many great moves to the rim and showcased his athleticism on a number of occasions. Owusu-Aduomi has some really solid passing chops, too, that I don't think people talk about enough or realize he has in his game. He just keeps getting better.     Leonardo had a big-time weekend for Team Northeast UA Rise and is going to see his D3 recruitment pick up quite a bit as a result. The 6-foot guard is skinny and relatively undersized for his position, but he's tough and confident with the ball in his hands and is able to handle pressure. He was one of the best shooter's in the gym this weekend and can make shots off the move or with the ball, and he makes great decisions in the paint once the defense collapses on him. Added size and strength would be big for Leonardo, but it'll probably come.

This weekend, one of New England's best tournament's came back to Boston—Zero Gravity's NERR Northeast Hoop Festival. There were loads of talented teams in attendance.