Rattyfam Classic: Noteworthy Performances That Delivered

Fall ball is officially underway, and what has become an annual event to tip off the fall New Jersey high school basketball calendar was back in action in the Rattyfam Classic— a preseason showcase now entering its fifth consecutive year at Roselle Catholic in Roselle, NJ that once again brought together some of the state's top programs and brightest individual talents. Saturday's slate provided an early look at summer transfers settling into new environments as well as emerging players preparing to step into larger roles once the regular season tips off this winter. With that being said, let's take another look at some of the standout performers from this year's preseason showcase and the players who delivered some of the best performances over the weekend.    A smart and instinctive point guard who makes a tremendous impact in multiple different facets of the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2782185' first='Anthony' last='Blackmon'] balanced his ability to score with his knack for making plays and generating opportunities for his teammates while simultaneously setting the tone defensively. Blackmon's relentless motor and two way impact are often the driving force behind the momentum that gets Shabazz rolling and that remained no different in this one— maintaining his court vision when generating paint touches and when initiating the break in the open floor, stepping into in rhythm looks with balanced footwork out on the perimeter, and showing soft touch converting on floaters when getting deep in the lane.     Despite dealing with aggressive on ball pressure and strong help side defense early on, [player_tooltip player_id='2344534' first='James' last='Roberts'] still found a way to find a rhythm offensively, especially as the game progressed— fueled by an explosive drive by dunk, Roberts was able to settle into a little bit of a flow offensively, later knocking down a pair of spot up threes all while further displaying the increased growth he's endured over his recent development the past couple of years as an attacker and creator off the bounce seeking out driving angles and finishing from tough angles around the basket.     Although the opposing defense applied heavy pressure on the ball and was quick to fill the gaps on dribble drives, [player_tooltip player_id='2683648' first='Jayce' last='Rodriguez'] was still able to find his offensive rhythm as the action went on, further cementing his status as an elite level shooter while simultaneously highlighting that his greatest value still continues to lie in that area. Rodriguez's shot diet Saturday afternoon consisted of getting to open space for instinctive, smooth mid range pull ups mixed with in rhythm, deep range catch and shoot threes from the perimeter.     Complimentary in his scoring approach, more specifically in terms of letting the offense come to him and wisely picking his spots within the flow of the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2201950' first='Elijah' last='Colon'] impressed the most as an efficient shot maker. Colon attacked with scoring intent while simultaneously doing a good job of keeping his game simple and not forcing advantage creation off the bounce— finding open space for smooth, instinctive mid range pull up jumpers coupled with in rhythm catch and shoot threes from three point range.     A new and projected to be an extremely valuable addition to this Shabazz backcourt group, [player_tooltip player_id='2763616' first='Abdullah' last='Parramore'] offered encouraging glimpses of what his impact will look— what appears to be a good fit between Shabazz's style of play and Parramore's defining strengths. Still adjusting to a new group, Parramore found various ways to contribute and showed flashes of his impact throughout— highlighted by perimeter shot making, both as a spot up shooter and creating separation off the dribble coupled with defensive intensity and disruption, pressuring the ball the length of the court and playing with active hands and nice anticipation to contain drives and force turnovers.     A big who's lengthy frame immediately stands out, [player_tooltip player_id='2421371' first='Akeem' last='Paul'] is another welcoming addition to this Shabazz group who projects to provide valuable size and interior activity in the frontcourt. Paul demonstrated that his greatest impact will always stem from when he plays with constant effort and energy, on both ends of the floor in the paint— particularly converting on looks in the dunker spot created from penetrating guards, extending possessions through his rebounding and finishing on the offensive glass, running the floor hard in transition for explosive finishes, and even providing some impact as a rim protector on the defensive end of the floor.     One of the most highly touted prospects amongst a talented group of incoming freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='3665419' first='Jace' last='Almonte'] enters his freshman season with a lofty reputation and his early preseason action offered extremely encouraging glimpses of not only what his impact will look like in his first year at St. Peter's Prep but even further on in his development. His shooting talent coupled with his ability to stretch the defense was noticeable in this one, stepping into in rhythm looks off the ball from the perimeter. While simultaneously being impactful on the defensive end of the floor, leveraging his length and energy defensively for meaningful stops.

Fall ball is officially underway, and what has become an annual event to tip off the fall New Jersey high school basketball calendar was back in action in the Rattyfam Classic— a preseason showcase now entering its fifth consecutive year at Roselle Catholic in Roselle, NJ that once again brought together some of the state's top programs and brightest individual talents. Saturday's slate provided an early look at summer transfers settling into new environments as well as emerging players preparing to step into larger roles once the regular season tips off this winter. With that being said, let's take another look at some of the standout performers from this year's preseason showcase and the players who delivered some of the best performances over the weekend.