UA Association: Additional New Jersey Standouts From Session III

One of the most anticipated stretches on the grassroots basketball calendar got underway last week during the opening July live period, and it more than delivered. Coming off the June Scholastic Live Period, college coaches were back in gyms across the country for another opportunity to evaluate prospects in person, creating a high energy atmosphere filled with elite competition throughout the weekend. Under Armour's third session in Cartersville, GA, featured a packed slate of marquee matchups and top talent from around the country. Among those who capitalized on the stage were several New Jersey standouts, each making the most of the live period to strengthen their recruitment and elevate their stock. With that in mind, here's another look at some of New Jersey's top performers from UAA Session III.    A lengthy and wiry forward who possesses rare mobility for his size paired with a ton of untapped two way potential, [player_tooltip player_id='3040515' first='Shriyans' last='Mallavarapu'] looks to be showing more and more consistent flashes of what his long term upside could later develop into down the line, with some of his most impressive showings to date. Offering plenty of encouraging glimpses over the course of Session III, Mallavarapu showed high level two way impact— getting more comfortable with physicality in the paint and finishing as a roller in different PnR action(s) as well as in the short corner area catching dump offs, finishing around the basket from different angles as a sharp cutter in different half court actions, providing valuable floor spacing as a spot up shooter out on the perimeter, generating second chance opportunities on the offensive glass, spring the floor in transition and running to the rim, and even an increased comfortability putting the ball on the deck and attacking closeouts off the bounce. Defensively is where Mallavarapu's tools stand out and impressed even more, particularly with his activity in the paint— challenging shot attempts with length around the basket and snatching rebounds out the air with his rangy arms.     Playing in his first action of the summer time since being hampered with an injury that has kept him out since early on in this past high school season, [player_tooltip player_id='2364684' first='Aven' last='Diamond'] looked more than comfortable quickly re-assimilating to live game action. Aggressive in his scoring attack while simultaneously possessing standout athleticism and legitimate ball skills, Diamond's offensive impact was immediately noticeable— finding a handful of opportunities to score in the flow of the offense and thriving as a cutter to wherever he could find open space off the ball, sprinting the lanes with purpose in transition, and even providing value as an outside shooter out on the perimeter both as a spot up shooter off the catch and even creating a little bit of separation off the dribble to knock down outside shots off the bounce.     Proving to provide plenty of quality depth and value with the constant productivity and activity he brings in the front court, [player_tooltip player_id='2786677' first='Marshall' last='Douglass'] was extremely impactful in the minutes he played. Douglass' impact was felt the most as a finisher on the interior, especially as a cutter out of the many different offensive sets this 16U Shoreshots group ran— as a strong, smart and instinctive diver in PnR action(s), rim running in the open floor when other ball handlers were able to push the break, and even on the offensive glass as a physical rebounder that generated a plethora of extra possessions. Douglass also provided further value as a floor spacer, showing some promise in his ability to knock down outside shots as a pick and pop threat.     A strong and physically built wing who thrives off imposing brute force and leveraging his athleticism on his matchups, [player_tooltip player_id='2341357' first='LJ' last='Reddicks'] generated a ton of rim pressure, in a plethora of ways out of many different actions. Aggressive in his pursuit of the rim, Reddicks was pretty much able to get in the paint at will and showed a good understanding of what angles to attack off closeouts and in isolation situations— attacking driving lanes to get downhill, thriving off physicality and absorbing contact and playing through bumps to finish around the basket. Knocking down enough jumpers to keep the defense from stifling his driving lanes, Reddicks also demonstrated a solid outside shooting stroke, ultimately keeping the defense from playing too far off from him and knocking down a number of in rhythm looks off the catch.     [player_tooltip player_id='2884535' first='Ryan' last='Gannon'] continues to showcase the poise and feel for the game he operates with as a primary ball handler, impacting the game both as distributor and a timely scorer when the offense calls for it. Fundamentally sound and seeming to routinely make a lot of the right decisions, Gannon's fingerprints proved to be all over a lot of the success this 15U Shoreshots group— orchestrating offense and getting his teammates the ball in the right spots to be effective both in different half court actions and in the open floor, knocking down outside shots with confidence and versatility, going up strong in the paint and finishing with craftiness around the basket when driving lanes opened up. Gannon also showed some interesting promise operating different PnR actions— locating open shooters while keeping the defense honest and knowing when to attack certain driving angles. Equally as effective off the ball, Gannon also impressed with the knack he showed for moving without the ball and cutting to the basket at the right times.     A rare case of a current eighth grader playing up on 15U, [player_tooltip player_id='3695771' first='Cayden' last='Stephens'] looked to be a little further ahead for his age and ultimately seeming comfortable against older and a little bit more physical competition, particularly with his poise as a ball handler. Stephens stood out in the ways he was able to push the tempo but play with control in transition offense, particularly off long rebounds to generate offense for others as well as finish with craftiness around the basket. Stephens also impressed attacking driving angles in the flow of the offense, going up strong and not shying away from contact at the basket.     So much of the value that [player_tooltip player_id='2884536' first='Evan' last='Wells'] provides stands in the unique dimension he provides as an extremely productive and versatile front court presence. Pairing his size with a skill set that makes him a difficult matchup, Wells is a true inside-out threat— suppling incredibly impactful floor spacing, particularly off the ball waiting for ball reversals and benefiting off spray actions from paint touchers as well across a lot of the Spain action that this 15U Shoreshots group was effective at running during Session III. All while providing plenty of value around the basket with his finishing ability backed behind his back to the basket game and in the short corner area. Carving out space on the interior with his stout frame, Wells was also impactful in the rebounding department, excelling especially as an area rebounder.

One of the most anticipated stretches on the grassroots basketball calendar got underway last week during the opening July live period, and it more than delivered. Coming off the June Scholastic Live Period, college coaches were back in gyms across the country for another opportunity to evaluate prospects in person, creating a high energy atmosphere filled with elite competition throughout the weekend. Under Armour's third session in Cartersville, GA, featured a packed slate of marquee matchups and top talent from around the country. Among those who capitalized on the stage were several New Jersey standouts, each making the most of the live period to strengthen their recruitment and elevate their stock. With that in mind, here's another look at some of New Jersey's top performers from UAA Session III.