UA Association: New Jersey Notables From UAA Finals

Yet another anticipated stretch on the grassroots basketball calendar concluded last weekend with the second July live period. Fresh off the initial July Live Period, college coaches once again returned to gyms across the country for another opportunity to evaluate prospects in person, creating an electric atmosphere packed with high level competition throughout the entire weekend. UAA Finals in Louisville, KY featured a loaded schedule of marquee matchups and some of the nation's top talent and several New Jersey prospects took full advantage of the spotlight, turning in impressive performances that helped boost their recruitment and continue building their stocks. With that in mind, here's an initial look at some of New Jersey's top performers from UAA's final session of the summer.    An instant offense type of scorer capable of finding a rhythm and piling up points in a short stretch, [player_tooltip player_id='2347952' first='Jahlil' last='Owusu'] displayed a well rounded and efficient scoring package. Owusu impressed in the offense he was able to generate out of different PnR and DHO actions— freezing switching bigs with hesitation dribbles coming off ball screens to finish at the basket, rejecting ball screens and absorbing contact on physical drives on the way to the rim and even getting to his spots for smooth mid range pull ups. Owusu also got going in different isolation scoring situations— getting to the mid range area off the bounce for tough pull ups, using his creativity off the bounce to break his defender down off the dribble and finish with craftiness around the basket. All while also attacking straight line driving angles and converting on transition opportunities at the rim. Owusu's ability to score from multiple levels really did give this Shoreshots group an important and legitimate offensive lift.     A dynamic and crafty lead guard who possesses a polished ability to create offense in a variety of ways off the bounce, Alex Pace's creativity and shiftiness coupled with his ball handling allowed him to consistently generate scoring opportunities on his way to explosive scoring performances, particularly in isolation scoring scenarios— using different change of direction dribbles to get to the basket, creating space off the bounce from well beyond the three point line and knocking down outside shots, using change of pace to get by his man off the bounce and attack open driving angles, and even knocking down tough mid range pull ups. Pace's ability to generate quality offense out of PnR actions was also impressive— navigating ball screens for mid range pull ups, attacking driving angles coming off ball screens, while also mixing in some perimeter shot making converting on a number of off the dribble threes. Pace even showed flashes of his ability to be just as dangerous off the ball, knocking down a number of in rhythm spot up looks from the perimeter, with deep range accuracy too.     [player_tooltip player_id='2628235' first='King' last='Josiah Hamilton'] continued to validate his long term upside with another strong stretch of performances that showcased his blend of physical tools, extremely high motor, and developing skill set. Proving to be a legitimate offensive weapon with the different mismatches he presents, Hamilton carved out space near the basket and established himself on the interior— finding open spaces in the dunker spot and finishing when receiving dump off passes, on the block with his back to the basket with what seems to be developing into a patterned baseline spin move highlighted by quick and balanced footwork and touch around the basket, low post duck ins in the middle of the paint for easy finishes and even with his mid post face up game attacking driving angles against slower footed defenders. Versatility in his scoring attack paired with continued growth in his overall guard skills, Hamilton also demonstrated an ability to attack closeouts off the bounce from the perimeter and even establish himself as a legitimate PnP threat in different ball screen actions. All while putting an immense amount of pressure on the rim in the open floor, getting ahead of the defense and sprinting the lanes in transition and finishing with dexterity around the basket.     Providing a steady presence and meaningful production in the front court, [player_tooltip player_id='2786677' first='Marshall' last='Douglass'] carried over the momentum he generated from last session and once again proved to be an extremely impactful contributor during his minutes on the floor. Brining interior toughness coupled with a keen understanding of offensive positioning, Douglass was especially effective as an interior finisher— particularly as a cutter in different half court sets, with his back to the basket game in the low post, catching dump offs in the short corner area from penetrating ball handlers, impact on the offensive glass to generate second chance points, attacking driving angles when opportunities opened up, rejecting DHO's to get to the basket, and even running the rim line in transition.     Showing little to no signs of rust since returning to competitive settings from injury earlier this summer, [player_tooltip player_id='2364684' first='Aven' last='Diamond'] continued to find his footing, quickly reminding us of the aggression he plays with offensively. His offensive skill package was apparent— impacting the game without needing constant touches particularly as a cutter both in designed sets intended to capitalize off backdoor cuts and as a natural mover without the basketball while even flashing his perimeter shooting ability. When opportunities presented itself, Diamond was able to get to the rim off the bounce in different half court sets as well. Diamond also excelled generating offense in transition in multiple different ways, initiating the break himself and going end to end, running the lanes and getting ahead of the defense in the open floor, and even attacking closeouts in the secondary break to get all the way to the basket.     A legitimate plug and play guard due in large part to his ability to seamlessly fit in on the offensive side of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2628179' first='Mason' last='Murawski'] impressed in his ability to be efficient and affect the game without relying on frequent touches. Murawski's impact with this Shoreshots group was felt mostly through his shot making ability— sprinting to the corner in transition offense and converting on spot up opportunities, benefiting off ball reversals in the half court to knock down in rhythm perimeter looks, and even attacking closeouts to get to open space in the mid range area for clean pull up jumpers. All while converting on easy offense at the rim in transition as a result of forced turnovers on the defensive end.     A strong and physically imposing wing, [player_tooltip player_id='2341357' first='LJ' last='Reddicks'] thrived at leveraging his strength and athleticism to overwhelm his defenders. He consistently generated rim pressure in a variety of ways and out of multiple different actions, relentlessly attacking the basket with purpose highlighted by both explosive above the rim finishes paired with his ability to play through contact at the basket and convert on strong finishes. Reddicks displayed a strong understanding of how to exploit angles off closeouts and in isolation, identifying driving lanes, getting downhill with ease, and embracing physicality. He routinely absorbed contact, played through bumps, and finished effectively around the rim. Reddicks also impressed with an ability to maintain his court vision on dribbles drives and find open teammates when those driving angles were cut off.     Much of [player_tooltip player_id='2884536' first='Evan' last='Wells']' value stems from the unique dimension he brings as a highly productive and versatile frontcourt presence. Combining his size with a polished skill set, Wells consistently creates difficult matchup problems and operates as a true inside out threat. Aggressive in hunting his shot, Wells provides significant floor spacing— suppling production as a more than viable PnP threat in different ball screen actions and off the ball in different half court sets as a spot up shooter. At the same time, Wells offered plenty of value around the basket in leveraging his strong frame, particularly as a rim runner running the floor in transition alongside impact on the offensive glass generating plenty of second chance opportunities.

Yet another anticipated stretch on the grassroots basketball calendar concluded last weekend with the second July live period. Fresh off the initial July Live Period, college coaches once again returned to gyms across the country for another opportunity to evaluate prospects in person, creating an electric atmosphere packed with high level competition throughout the entire weekend. UAA Finals in Louisville, KY featured a loaded schedule of marquee matchups and some of the nation's top talent and several New Jersey prospects took full advantage of the spotlight, turning in impressive performances that helped boost their recruitment and continue building their stocks. With that in mind, here's an initial look at some of New Jersey's top performers from UAA's final session of the summer.