CoBL Interstate Shootout: More of Jersey's Finest

With most of September now in the rearview mirror, fall basketball is officially in full swing. As the start of the high school season quickly approaches, weekends around the area have become increasingly packed with showcases, giving players valuable opportunities to showcase their skill sets while beginning to carve out the roles they'll be asked to fill once the winter season arrives. Last weekend, several New Jersey programs made the trip to The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center in Philadelphia, PA, for the City of Basketball Love Interstate Shootout— an annual two day fall showcase that consistently draws some of the top programs from across the tristate area, providing an early look at the roles prospects are preparing to take on this season while also featuring several intriguing matchups between some of New Jersey's top programs. With plenty of talent taking the floor throughout the weekend, let's take another look at some of the prospects who stood out and made strong impressions during last weekend's action.    Physically built with a strong and muscular frame, [player_tooltip player_id='1608249' first='Josh' last='Benka-Coker'] embraced physicality on the interior and impacted the game tremendously around the rim. Benka-Coker was aggressive in making his presence felt around the basket— showing a level of noticeable comfortability attacking the basket out of his face up game, embracing physicality and welcoming contact on his way to the rim while leveraging his physical advantge over most matchups to score out the low post, demonstrating his ability to score over both shoulders. Many of Benka-Coker's physical tools popped on the defensive end as well— where his athleticism and lateral quickness allowed him to contain drives on the perimeter against quicker ball handlers.     [player_tooltip player_id='2782218' first='Ethan' last='Nelson'] demonstrated his ability to create offensive advantages off the bounce, leveraging his speed and quickness to consistently pressure the opposing defense. Nelson showed the quick burst to consistently win off the bounce and turn the corner to convert at the rim when attacking favorable driving angles. The pressure he created by beating his defender off the bounce and turning the corner opened up many of those aforementioned advantages for his teammates, creating quality drive and kick opportunities for perimeter shooters while also generating easy scoring chances around the basket for teammates in the short corner.     Possessing the tools and know how to generate his own looks, [player_tooltip player_id='2864075' first='Gregory' last='Shoultz III']'s perimeter shooting threat was where a large chunk of his offensive production came from. Shoultz III was aggressive and confident in hunting his shot from three point distance— showcasing an efficient mix of deep range accuracy off the catch from well beyond the three point arc and off the dribble shot making from very similar distance. With LEAP Academy going through successful spurts of speeding up opposing ball handlers, Shoultz III was also able to convert on a number of easy in transition finishes at the rim, as a result of a plethora of forced turnovers.     [player_tooltip player_id='3271441' first='Bryce' last='Williams'] is coming off a junior season in which he emerged as a valuable shot making guard, showcasing the ability to impact the game effectively without the ball while providing legitimate floor spacing as a perimeter shooter. And he now has an opportunity to carry that momentum into an increased and expanded role, usage that he appears to be comfortable shouldering as his senior season approaches— demonstrating crucial ball security and a tighter handler with poise when operating against opposing ball pressure, dissecting the defense when attacking gaps off the bounce to locate open outside shooters and hit cutters on time and on target. All while reinforcing his defining strengths as an off ball spot up shot maker.     Appearing to possess both the physical tools and necessary impact to establish himself as a legitimate two way wing, [player_tooltip player_id='3780486' first='Judah' last='Sterling']'s combination of strength and athleticism, paired with complementary scoring ability, stood out in this one. Sterling showed an intriguing blend of physical finishing and perimeter shooting, absorbing contact on drives on his way to the rim while consistently capitalizing on catch and shoot opportunities from the outside with noticeable efficiency.     A recent revelation as perhaps a more under the radar type of prospect, [player_tooltip player_id='3774482' first='Vincent' last='Gentile'] showed some flashes of an exceptionally polished shooting stroke, combining impressive touch from the perimeter with a remarkably quick release that allows him to consistently capitalize on open looks. Although he didn't shoot it at the percentages he's recently been seen shooting it at, he still proved his ability to stretch the floor and demand attention beyond the arc, ultimately forcing opposing defenses to account for him at all times.     Although his showing was cut short due to an unfortunate injury, [player_tooltip player_id='2284385' first='Jordan' last='Moton'], all be it just limited action, was still impressive. Finding a rhythm right out the bat, Moton showcased much of what's been a defining strength to his impact and skillset— more specifically his outside shooting touch, confidently stepping into in rhythm looks and burying a number of open outside opportunities off the catch.

With most of September now in the rearview mirror, fall basketball is officially in full swing. As the start of the high school season quickly approaches, weekends around the area have become increasingly packed with showcases, giving players valuable opportunities to showcase their skill sets while beginning to carve out the roles they'll be asked to fill once the winter season arrives. Last weekend, several New Jersey programs made the trip to The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center in Philadelphia, PA, for the City of Basketball Love Interstate Shootout— an annual two day fall showcase that consistently draws some of the top programs from across the tristate area, providing an early look at the roles prospects are preparing to take on this season while also featuring several intriguing matchups between some of New Jersey's top programs. With plenty of talent taking the floor throughout the weekend, let's take another look at some of the prospects who stood out and made strong impressions during last weekend's action.