Hoop Group Jersey Jam Fest: Saturday 17U Frontcourt Eye-catchers

Hoop Group continues its spring tournament slate with its Jersey Jam Fest taking place across several sites this coming weekend, featuring a selection of sneaker circuit, HGSL, and independent programs. After spending Saturday morning taking in several sets of 17U action at Hoop Group HQ in Neptune, the following frontcourt prospects stood out with their respective play.    Rose was mostly a man amongst boys while engineering Crown's runaway morning win, showcasing his inside-out versatility as an offensive focal point. The Albany native brings a blend of skill and strength to the frontcourt, serving as a hub for a well-oiled Crown offense while showing effectiveness as both a scorer and facilitator. He was at his best around the rim, whether via the post or operating off the dribble, finishing with power inside while putting back almost any of his misses. He also flashed the ability to step out and keep defenses honest as a shooter from the perimeter. Rose figures to be one of the most productive forwards on the HGSL circuit and should garner further D1 attention with his play throughout the summer.     Galli mostly made his mark as a jump shooter during his lone year in the U.S. this past season at Hill, but showed signs down the stretch of diversifying his offensive attack. Playing out the early AAU season as an unsigned senior, the native of Italy has kept that momentum going, dominating for stretches on Saturday morning without having to attempt a shot from the perimeter. Looking a bit trimmer and fleeter of foot than when he first arrived last summer, and certainly more up to speed with the American game, Galli routinely found his way near the front of the rim after navigating off the bounce whether in the halfcourt or open floor. He also showed a willingness to use his size to hit the offensive glass for easy buckets. Continuing to stand out and improve with each viewing, Galli will have a chance to earn real D1 attention during the upcoming live period.     Arriving shortly after tipoff after trekking down from Connecticut, Burth wasted no time making his mark in his debut with WeR1 while bringing his typical lunchpail style of play. An old school '4'-man, the New York native plays with a chip on his shoulder while hitting the glass with a purpose on both ends. He finishes effectively in traffic with strong hands and effective touch. Burth impressed most on Saturday with his ability to quarterback the defense as a vocal leader and active backline patroller. Despite the current focus on the transfer portal from a recruiting standpoint, Burth's blue-collar approach and a ready-made translatable skill in his rebounding make him worthy of heavy D1 attention late in the cycle.     While it came in a tight loss to the Wiz Kids' 3SSB squad, Skoric continued a strong start to the spring while showcasing his plug-and-play skillset as a high-IQ stretch forward. The increasingly rangy forward knocked down at least a trio of 3s, displaying textbook mechanics off the catch and comfort playing out of pick-and-pop situations. We didn't see him get all the way to the rim, but he showed some comfort putting the ball on the deck when run off the line to make a controlled read and keep the offense moving. We'll look to see more of his defense and auxiliary game in further viewings, but Skoric definitely passed the initial eye test with his size, smarts, and shooting.     It was our first time getting eyes on Wilson, and the Rochester native certainly warrants intrigue and will be on the radar moving forward. A long and lanky rim-runner, he shines playing out of pick-and-roll or working the dunker spot as a dumpoff or lob threat. Wilson shows steady hands, workable touch, and nice pop in his legs as a finisher with the ability to beat opposing bigs down the floor routinely for easy buckets. Defensively, he's an active shot-blocker with the mobility to hold his own on the perimeter. Still just 16 years old, he has a lot of work to do on his frame to be able to withstand D1 physicality, but a likely move to 2027 should place Wilson firmly onto that radar in the years to come.     There's a lot to be said for prospects who take at least an incremental step forward with each viewing, and it's certainly fair to say Hopkins has earned that tag up to this point. Saturday was no different despite an early-morning loss as the southpaw forward showed off a leaner, springier (and potentially taller?) frame with continued hints of enhanced perimeter skill to match. A natural junkyard dog on the interior, Hopkins has worked hard to gradually expand his game, showing signs on Saturday of a smoother stroke out to 3 off the catch and a more refined game attacking slower forwards off the bounce. He remains a versatile and active defender who plays bigger than his size as a rebounder. Hopkins has established himself as a scholarship-level prospect, and with an expected move to 2027, could certainly earn D1 attention down the line with his proven track record of improvement.

Hoop Group continues its spring tournament slate with its Jersey Jam Fest taking place across several sites this coming weekend, featuring a selection of sneaker circuit, HGSL, and independent programs. After spending Saturday morning taking in several sets of 17U action at Hoop Group HQ in Neptune, the following frontcourt prospects stood out with their respective play.