MADE Hoops NYC Clash: Additional Notable New Jersey Standouts

Roughly a month into the spring, the AAU season is in full swing. With most programs already having several tournaments under their belts, teams are starting to find their identity, and standout prospects are separating themselves with strong early performances. Over the final weekend of April, MADE Hoops hosted its NYC Clash in New York, NY. Showcasing a compelling mix of some of New Jersey's programs and several of the state's more intriguing talents, here's another look at some prospects who turned heads with impressive showings.    A gritty and hard nosed point guard who's play over the recent weeks suggests he's more than comfortable handling much larger point guard responsibilities, [player_tooltip player_id='2202019' first='Alex' last='Mazzella'] displayed a lot of strong intangibles that you like to see in a primary ball handler— capable of initiating sets and getting teammates organized as a strong and confident ball handler both in half court sets and making plays in the open floor while still posing as a scoring threat. Mazzella's perimeter shooting is what stands out immediately, especially when he's able to step into shots in rhythm with strong footwork as a movement shooter, while also doing a strong job reading defensive coverages in PnR action, to knock down smooth perimeter pull ups and get to his mid range pull up against sagging bigs.     Blending positional size with natural playmaking instincts, [player_tooltip player_id='3243498' first='Nick' last='Tait'] seems to be showing more consistent flashes of legitimately getting adjusted to the speed of playing 17U as just a freshman. Given control of the offense and tasked with orchestrating offense for this group, Tait displayed poise and versatility— particularly with his spot up shooting with what seems to be a quicker shooting release and stronger finishing at the rim in transition while simultaneously assuming his regular point guard responsibilities of setting the table as an initiator, directing offense to find open shooters out on the perimeter and hitting rim runners in stride in transition.     Matthew Kennedy remains a highly valuable piece of Riverside's offense, particularly having blossomed into a more and more versatile scoring threat. Serving as a confident and effective perimeter shooter who stretches defenses and creates space across the floor, Kennedy's readiness to take and ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc forces opponents to guard him closely. More than comfortable off the bounce, Kennedy benefited from additional scoring opportunities amidst the team's overall offensive flow, allowing him to attack more effectively— getting to mid range area for smooth turn around jumpers, navigating PnR action for soft touch runners in the lane while also being a strong finisher in transition sprinting the lanes in the open floor.     Leading the way for this 17U Geo Baker team and shouldering a larger responsibility on the ball than he's typically used to, all while competing up an age level, [player_tooltip player_id='2397968' first='Connor' last='Junker'] continued a strong start to the spring with yet another strong showing, looking more and more poised in a true point guard role. Junker's performance was highlighted by confident perimeter shooting, reinforcing his reputation as a versatile scoring threat from the outside. Taking on more playmaking responsibility and assimilating more comfortably than he typically does, Junker showed he could rise to the challenge —handling pressure effectively, reading the floor well in transition, and making a lot of strong reads in PnR action, delivering precise and on times passes to set up interior scoring opportunities for this GB Blue Devils offense.     Proving to be an effective finisher in a multitude of ways, [player_tooltip player_id='2560962' first='Emmanuel' last='Malok'] immediately made the most of his length and touch by creating and converting on second chance opportunities on the offensive glass. Malok also proved to be a reliable target around the rim— showing good timing on lob finishes and soft hands catching dump off passes from penetrating guards who got in the lane. As a PnR option, Malok further proved to be effective around the basket, putting pressure on the defense as a capable and effective roller. Malok also impressed with his poise and patience in the low post, showcasing an ability to read help defense and incoming doubles in the low post and find open teammates in different spots on the floor.     Having taken noticeable strides in his on court development, [player_tooltip player_id='2833843' first='Owen' last='Wucherpfennig'] appears to have continued putting together more consistent flashes of his to continue the start to his 16U spring campaign. His interior activity defensively is where he stood immediately throughout MADE's NYC Clash, using his glaring size paired with his impressive and noticeable length, and relentless motor to challenge and alter shot attempts at the rim and clean up the glass in the rebounding department.

Roughly a month into the spring, the AAU season is in full swing. With most programs already having several tournaments under their belts, teams are starting to find their identity, and standout prospects are separating themselves with strong early performances. Over the final weekend of April, MADE Hoops hosted its NYC Clash in New York, NY. Showcasing a compelling mix of some of New Jersey's programs and several of the state's more intriguing talents, here's another look at some prospects who turned heads with impressive showings.