Union County 2023’s To Watch Edition 2–Spring AAU Circuit

<p>Yesterday we featured some of the heaviest hitters in the Class of 2023 from Union County. Today, the tour of Union County continues with another set of players who are set to make a big splash on the summer scene and in their senior year that college coaches should be paying close attention to. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1150546" first="Michael" last="Pirone"]</strong> | 6’2” | G| Oratory</p> <p>Long considered a sleeping giant amongst the Union County basketball circle, the all-boys Catholic school in Summit is starting to flex some muscle. Oratory had an 18-7 season and Pirone was one of the keys to that success. A big-bodied guard who will cross 1,000 pts early in his senior year. He uses his 200lb frame to slash at the basket and outmuscle defenders as he finishes around the rim, can hit the mid-range pullup jumper and extend his range well beyond the arc.</p> <p>His best games as a junior were an eye catching 38 vs a good Governor Livingston team, 34 against New Prov and 30 against Watchung Hills. His state tournament performances were also noteworthy and confirmed his “next level” ability—13 vs Delbarton, 19 vs Saint Joe’s of Montvale and 16 vs Bergen Catholic. He plays AAU with the NJ Panthers and should have a wide variety of college options.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Gregory Jones  </strong>| 6’0” |G | Oratory</p> <p>Another piece of the puzzle who will be back for Oratory in 2022-2023. Jones is a solid all-around guard who’s capable of running the point or playing off the ball. While he’s not as physically developed as Pirone, he attacks the rim against bigger players in the same fearless manner. He’s also got the ability to shoot from deep. Silky smooth and handles the ball well. Jones had 17 against Roselle Catholic in the county tournament. In their biggest games, Jones showed up. He had 20 each night vs Scotch Plains, 17 against Roselle Catholic and 21 in states vs Delbarton. He plays AAU with the Shoreshots. If you’re a D-3 within 150 miles of Summit, you should be calling. If you’re a D-2, you should have an ear to the rail—A big summer and senior year could see interest at that level.</p> <p>With 6’11” center [player_tooltip player_id="1013054" first="Tommy" last="Conniff"] graduating and taking the hour drive down I-78 to the Southside of Bethlehem next year (Lehigh), it’s guard heavy, shoot early, shoot often for Oratory in the coming season—Pirone and Jones will be the leaders.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Chimeziri Okeoma</strong>| 6’0” | G | Plainfield</p> <p>Okeoma is the type of guard who hits a three pointer early and has 15 points before you know it. Once he heats up, he’s an excellent three point shooter. He also has a good first step and gets to the bucket strong. He’s capable of running the offense if needed but he’s at his best lurking on the wing for the Cardinals. The W-L record wasn’t in their favor, but he was consistent against one of the toughest slates in the state this winter, for a team that will bring back nearly a dozen players next year. Top games were vs Edison(33), Westfield&amp;Linden(25), Roselle Catholic&amp; Newark Eastside(20). He’s the type of kid that NJAC schools should be battling over and with a big summer and senior year, he could flirt with D2 teams.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Matt Nervi</strong> | 6’1” | G | Scotch Plains-Fanwood</p> <p>Nervi was the engine for Coach Steve Siracusa in the 2021-2022 season. He’s a smart lead guard. He runs the floor well and can pull up for jumpers in transition. He’s got a mean head fake that sends defenders through the roof. He leads the fast break to the foul line and is a good passer. Nervi averaged 14PPG. His best performances were Union Catholic(24) and Summit(21). He plays AAU for Dragon Army. A variety of  D3 programs should be checking in over the AAU period and into the next HS season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Tomorrow we will continue looking at the top players from the Class of 2023 in Union County. </p>