CoBL Interstate Shootout: PA and NJ 2030 standouts

City of Basketball Love hosted its annual fall Interstate Shootout this past weekend, bringing in nearly 120 teams from five states to compete over a stacked two days of action in Philly. Keep reading for a look at several incoming freshmen from Pennsylvania and New Jersey who made an impression over the course of the weekend.    Saturday afternoon saw Montgomery take two hard-fought losses against a pair of high-powered PA programs but the experience should pay dividends for the Cougars' freshman lead guard. Grundy had no issue making his presence felt against a much older, talent-laden Hill School team, routinely streaking to the basket off the bounce for high-wire finishes through traffic. He was effective as a table-setter when he collapsed the defense and showed confidence and polish with his pullup game as well. The southpaw has room to improve on his right hand but there's plenty of room for finetuning for what looks to be among the top handful of freshmen in the state.     Woodbury took a tough loss to a traditionally strong Downingtown West (PA) program but had reason for optimism in the form of their dynamic freshman guard. Gazaway led the way with 20+ points, showcasing an advanced handle to get downhill quickly and efficiently before finishing with athletically but with control at the rim. He was at his best attacking the paint but also looked comfortable knocking down a smooth stepback 3. Look for Gazaway to be among the top freshman scorers in the state this year as the next up in a strong recent history of guards to come through the Woodbury program.     Well-placed sources from the central portion of the state had sent word that Nitterhouse was one to look out for and a first live viewing confirmed just as much. Based on the Trojans' rotation on Sunday, Nitterhouse projects as the starting point guard from day one, showing nice poise as a ballhandler while initiating the offense and managing the tempo of the game. He has good positional size at this stage and also showed comfort as a pullup shooter from beyond the arc when defenders sagged off. It looks like Nitterhouse will have no problem making a splash right away in the Mid Penn conference and is one to file away for recruiting radars in years to come.     Boyd has the benefit of being one of very few freshmen in the region with varsity experience already, as the smooth scoring guard played heavy minutes as an 8th grader last year for a highly-competitive Penn Charter (PA) team. He looks comfortable so far while making his transition to Hun, showcasing the same advanced pace, footwork, and crafty scoring touch that made him such a valuable secondary scorer for the Quakers last season. While he won't be asked to carry too heavy a load as a freshman within the generally older prep school landscape, Boyd shows a lot of early indicators of a future high-level D1 prospect.     Reports out of District 3 were that Exeter had a promising freshman in the starting five and George certainly showed good reason for intrigue with his spirited play on Sunday. He has one of the most promising physical profiles of any freshman we've seen thus far, combining elite length with cat-like quickness and easy leaping ability. George plays with persistent energy while showing a real nose for being around the ball on both ends of the floor and is a committed defender who can really get into the ball with his length and quickness. His offensive skillset is still a work in progress but he shows some control to his ball skills and footwork. Even with plenty of work left to be done, the physical tools and defensive upside alone make George one to monitor very closely moving forward.

City of Basketball Love hosted its annual fall Interstate Shootout this past weekend, bringing in nearly 120 teams from five states to compete over a stacked two days of action in Philly. Keep reading for a look at several incoming freshmen from Pennsylvania and New Jersey who made an impression over the course of the weekend.