Spooky Nook JamFest (PA) Day 3 Notepad
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Championship Sunday had a buzz and energy that continued to crescendo as teams left everything on the floor. Guards dominated the day for their teams in all four of the championship games that I watched, a trend that will likely…
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Continue ReadingChampionship Sunday had a buzz and energy that continued to crescendo as teams left everything on the floor. Guards dominated the day for their teams in all four of the championship games that I watched, a trend that will likely continue to be the norm at every level of basketball.
’23 5’11 PG Gavin Carter Gavin Carter 6'0" | PG Milton Academy (MA) | 2023 State New E (Milton Academy) was dominant from the opening tip for Middlesex Magic, showing a range of abilities on the offensive end. He finished a nice reverse on the first possession, blocked a shot on the other end, splashed a three, then hit a rolling teammate with a beautiful dime to get his team out to an early lead. Carter routinely blew by his matchup with a smooth double crossover and wreaked havoc in the paint. He also answered any questions about his jumpshot, hitting off the bounce, off of curls, and on the catch. Really liked his creativity in the halfcourt, fluctuating smoothly between facilitating and scoring.
’21 PG Jayden Brown Jayden Brown 6'6" | SF St. Andrews Episcopal | 2024 State MD (NJ Panthers/Immaculate Conception) showed tremendous growth as the weekend progressed, earning himself a starting spot in the HGSL championship game against NJ Shore Shots. Jayden sets up angles well with his dribble, attacking defenses off of screens with a flurry of dribble combinations and an effective pull-up elbow jumper. Brown slides well defensively and uses his low center of gravity to frustrate opposing point guards, poking the ball out with regularity and getting to the other end in a hurry.
’23 6’8 F Malik Bowman Malik Bowman 6'7" | PF Bishop Walsh | 2023 MD (Bishop Walsh) dominated the paint for a Prospect U team missing his point guard, this playmaking creator role showed another dimension to his game that I hadn’t seen before. Malik possesses a strong frame and uses it well in isolation situations, frequently utilizing a strong spin move to get to the basket. Malik utilized that elite athleticism to clean up his own misses around the rim, finishing through contact and attacking the defender off of pivot moves along the baseline.
Team Choo was an incredibly fun team to watch with a trio of effective perimeter prospects that blended their talents well in the halfcourt and in transition. ’22 6’2 Jordan Pennick Jordan Pennick 6'1" | CG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD (Archbishop Spalding) put pressure on the transition defense for the entire contest, changing ends in a blur and finishing plays for his team at the rim. Pennick’s manic approach to the game and physical play have also turned him into a dynamic rebounding guard. To say that ’22 6’4 sniper Josh Rivers Josh Rivers 6'4" | SF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD Jr. (Archbishop Spalding) shot lights out would be an understatement, his shots splash directly through the center of the rim. But I was most impressed by his passing ability and underrated vision in the halfcourt, the high-academic prospect (3.9) uses his shooting gravity well to take advantage of hard closeouts and turned heads. ’22 5’11 DJ Leak DJ Leak 6'1" | PG Western Tech | 2022 MD possesses elite burst in the halfcourt and harnesses it well to get past his defender and into the paint. Leak showed great body control and understands how to get into his defenders’ chest to create vulnerabilities in the defense, finding teammates and finishing around the basket with ease.
’22 6’3 G Asim Jones Asim Jones 6'3" | SG Paterson Charter | 2022 State NJ (Jersey Force/Patterson Charter) was probably my favorite sleeper from the event. Plus wingspan, good athleticism, great finishing ability, high IQ- college coaches can trust Jones with the ball in his hands. Jones routinely fed teammates via bounce pass or a lob over the top of a defender fronting the post- an essential point guard skill for any level that many guards struggle to master.
’22 6’7 F Patrick Rogers (NJ Panthers/Rutherford High) was the best utility player I saw all week. Rogers showed a knack for getting to the right spot for rebounds, chased and often dove for every loose ball, found guys well in the halfcourt, can hit from the perimeter. He possesses great length and used it well to bother shots, played within himself, understood his role and excelled
Other standouts:
’22 6’2 CG Quinn Berger (Jersey Shore Shots/Westtown)- high-academic guard prospect (3.7) with Ivy League interest, great feel, can shoot it at a high level, efficient, took care of the ball
’21 6’4 CG Di’Andre South (Jersey Shore Shots, Immaculate Conception)- one of the best slashers I saw, used inside-foot finishes to draw fouls, quick decisions, found guys well even along the baseline, can spot up
’22 6’9 F Tommy Hough (Philly Pride/Perkiomen)- utilized his size and length to finish well around the basket, deceptively-quick off the bounce, hit extension layups like a guard, great usage of pivots and up-fakes, can hit the mid-range jumper
’21 5’9 PG Mike Aiken (DBC/Thurgood Marshall)- dynamic in transition, made good decisions, utilized burst to finish at the rim through traffic, an absolute pest on the defensive end
’22 6’7 F Joe Carroll Joe Carroll 6'7" | SF Blair Academy | 2022 State NJ (Jersey Force/Blair Academy)- phenomenal footwork, great hands, showed a soft touch around the basket, timing and underrated athleticism led to great shot-blocking, Patriot League recruit