CoBL Interstate Shootout: New Jersey Prospects Who Made Noise

With a large portion of September now in the rearview mirror, fall basketball is officially in full swing. With the start of the high school season quickly approaching, weekends around the area have become increasingly packed with showcases, giving players valuable opportunities to put their skill sets on display while beginning to establish 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 routinely attracts some of the most competitive programs from across the tristate area, providing an early glimpse at the roles prospects are preparing to take on this season while also featuring a number of 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.    [player_tooltip player_id='2390579' first='Cameron' last='Hines'] established himself as a legitimate force on the interior, demonstrating the instincts and physical tools that fueled so much of his efficient production around the rim. Hines got going early, converting on a number of inside looks and demonstrating an ability to make a significant impact without requiring a high volume of touches— being effective in the short corner area to convert on dump offs from penetrating guards, leveraging his strength on the offensive glass to win rebounding battles and capitalize on second chance opportunities, running the rim line with purpose in transition, and even faking handoffs in DHO's to attack open space and finish at the rim.     A long and wiry guard, [player_tooltip player_id='2907130' first='Gabriel' last='Shoultz'] possesses an instinctive scoring mentality and does a good job balancing aggression with shot selection. His current limitation is his ability to absorb contact at the rim, where adding strength should allow him to convert more of his downhill opportunities however Shoultz showed a good feel for attacking closeouts and understanding which angles to exploit off the bounce in the half court. He also showed further value in transition, where his scoring instincts allowed him to take advantage of defenses that were late getting organized as well as a number of leveraging defensive stops into easy points on the other hand, highlighted by anticipation in the passing lanes and an ability to poke the ball out from opposing ball handlers.     [player_tooltip player_id='2504904' first='Izayah' last='Cooper'] has the makings of a reliable pass first lead guard, combining ball security, poise against ball pressure, and advanced playmaking instincts. Cooper does a good job keeping the ball on a string and his ability to dissect a defense showed up in a variety of ways— keeping his eyes up when attacking and maintaining his court vision to see passing windows before they open, and controlling the tempo deciding when to push the ball fast in transition or slow things down into a deliberate half court set, all highlighted commitment to running offense and keeping possessions organized.     [player_tooltip player_id='2789859' first='Dave' last='Kobryn'] is a poised combo guard who consistently plays under control with the ball in his hands. His value is rooted in simplicity, feel, and sound decision making, a lot of which were on display in this outing— showing a strong commitment to running the offense and establishing an offensive rhythm as an overall unit, making quick decisions, moving instinctively and effectively without the ball, maintaining his court vision in transition, and consistently making intelligent decisions with his shot selection.     Finding different ways to remain productive in the minutes he was provided, [player_tooltip player_id='2786684' first='Sam' last='Phillips'] earned extended minutes on the floor through his versatility and ability to make a number of winning plays. Phillips' versatility is where he impressed the most, demonstrating hints of a unique inside out offensive skillset that could translate to a larger role as the winter approaches— offering valuable floor spacing as a perimeter shooter at his position at a rather respectable clip coupled with efficient finishing around the basket both in designed actions and within the flow of the game.     One of the more active interior players for Hun unit, Marshall Douglas showed flashes of his ability to make an impact through his size, physicality, and relentless motor. He brought consistent energy to the frontcourt— more specifically catching dump offs in the short corner area from penetrating ball handlers and faking handoffs in DHO's to attack open space and finish at the rim. Douglas also displayed a strong nose for the basketball, competing hard on the offensive glass and creating additional possessions with his work on the boards while also showing he's capable of initiating the break and pushing in the open floor.     A quick trigger perimeter shooter with the green light to fire whenever he sees even a sliver of space, [player_tooltip player_id='2202018' first='Rocco' last='Loomis'] continued to show why he is a threat defenses must consistently account for from three point range—a skill that has firmly become the defining aspect of his offensive profile and overall impact. He capitalized on several open opportunities, knocking down timely three pointers with the quick, confident release noted earlier. Loomis also displayed a strong ability to convert on perimeter looks across different shooting categories— particularly off the catch, creating a little bit of separation off the bounce and knocking down shots off the dribble, and even converting on movement looks, further showcasing the versatility of his shooting profile.

With a large portion of September now in the rearview mirror, fall basketball is officially in full swing. With the start of the high school season quickly approaching, weekends around the area have become increasingly packed with showcases, giving players valuable opportunities to put their skill sets on display while beginning to establish 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 routinely attracts some of the most competitive programs from across the tristate area, providing an early glimpse at the roles prospects are preparing to take on this season while also featuring a number of 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.