PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Hoop Group held the Providence Jam Fest this weekend at a few sites in Providence. The event featured a number of teams from the northeast corridor competing in all of the high school ages plus a couple of junior high ages. From what we saw, the talent was not as good as it was in last year’s event in terms of elite individual talent or depth.
The 16-under championship game saw the New England Playaz gain the lead in the latter part of the first half and hold a 30-22 lead at the break over New Heights. The Playaz still had a six-point lead early on when New Heights started putting a lot of pressure on the ball handlers, which changed the game as they forced a number of turnovers to pace a 16-0 run, and they outscored the Playaz 38-15 in the second half en route to a 60-45 win. Shamick Shepard (6’4″ So. SF, Brooklyn (NY) South Shore HS) scored 15 points to lead New Heights, while Jordan Washington (6’7″ So. PF, Saint Albans (NY) Pathways HS) added 13, with 21 of their points coming in the second half.
The 17-under championship was a matchup of teams from the same two programs, with New Heights seeking their third tournament title in the spring. The New England Playaz broke open a close game to go up by double digits at halftime, then never let New Heights gain any momentum in the second half in a 66-53 win. John Papale (6’3″ Jr. SG, Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall) led the Playaz with 34 points and Terry Brutus (6’6″ Sr. SF, Spring Valley (NY) High) capped off a solid weekend with 16.
The 17-under Platinum was won by Hoop Heaven Heat with a 79-57 decision over Aim High Connecticut behind 19 points each from Alex Mitola (5’11” Jr. PG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS) and Alabama commit Jaren Sina (6’1″ So. PG-SG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS). The 17-under Silver was won by Threat220 by a 64-60 score after three scoreless overtimes and a sudden death where the first team to score at least three points would win.
Now, a look at some of the players we saw this weekend.
Dijon Allen-Jordan (6’5″ Jr. SF, Plainfield (NJ) High) Very athletic wing was aggressive at the offensive end, which got him some baskets. He will try to dunk if he can get anywhere near the basket, while he didn’t look to shoot jumpers much.
Rashard Andrews (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony HS) Another talented wing on his team, his body’s not there yet and he’s athletic, with no skills that stand out more than any other. He scored 12 points in a playoff win and played well within the team concept alongside several similar players.
Dallas Anglin (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG, West Orange (NJ) Seton Hall Prep) A talented guard who plays in a solid high school program, he hit double figures in scoring in a couple of playoff games, and didn’t do it one way more than any other. He drove, scored from mid-range off the dribble and knocked down a three-pointer. He won’t stand out much, but he plays well within the team concept.
Marquis Barnett (6’7″ Sr. PF, Queens (NY) Cardozo HS) A post player with a mature body, he battled inside to help his team reach the title game. He scored with a good post move and jump hook and finished while fouled en route to 16 points in the semifinal win, and also drew a charge at the defensive end. Mid-major prospect may do a post-graduate year.
Brian Bernardi (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Xaverian HS) An excellent shooter, he’s not someone you want to leave open as he has terrific range and showed it a couple of times in a 20-point outing. His body’s not there yet, and while shooting is the strongest part of his game, he’s not entirely lacking a game off the dribble, although he could stand to improve there to keep defenders a little more honest in playing him for the jumper off the catch.
Joe Bramanti (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Andover (MA) High) Well-built guard capably ran the show for his team all weekend long in helping them take home the 17-under title. He’s done well at looking to facilitate, while still being an offensive threat as he attacked and finished well, using his mature body. He’s more of a scorer than a shooter offensively. A post-graduate year at Brewster Academy is ahead for him next year.
Shakir Brown (6’5″ Jr. SF, Baltimore (MD) Patterson HS) Well-built wing is a plus athlete who played well for his team. Although he limped off the court during a pool play game at one point, he came back later and played reasonably well in a game his team lost. Although he looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter, he did knock down a shot from long range, but more often looked to score on plays like the nice runner he scored on early in the game.
Terry Brutus (6’6″ Sr. SF, Spring Valley (NY) High) Well-built forward had a solid weekend, especially at the offensive end as he was a consistent double-digit scorer. Although his ball skills could get better, he scored well on mid-range jumpers, the occasional long range shot, as well as some good drives to the basket. His jumper got better as the weekend went along, and he’s a fair rebounder from the wing. Next year, he will be a post-graduate at a school still to be determined.
Aaron Calixte (5’9″ So. PG, Stoughton (MA) High) In one of his best games, he did everything he could in a tough loss for his team in the playoffs. He was constantly attacking, getting in the lane to create for himself or others as he scored 18 points and was able to pass on the move as well. He also showed a touch from mid-range off the dribble, and when he’s driving like he was on this night, he can be very good.
Kasim Chandler (5’10” Jr. PG, Newark (NJ) Eastside HS) A small but quick point guard, he didn’t do a great deal of scoring but used his physical gifts well. He drove and dished well, creating opportunities for teammates, and played well off the other skilled guards his team has.
Kennedy Chukwuocha (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF, Medford (NJ) Tech) It was something of a breakout weekend for this excellent student, as he played a lot of minutes and helped his team make a run in the playoffs. He has a relatively mature body and is a plus athlete who is relatively new to the game, and while that isn’t hard to figure he’s not lacking some ability. While he had some difficulty defensively and fouled out of a late playoff game, he showed well offensively and reached double digits in scoring at least twice, showing the ability to finish while getting fouled.
Evan Cummins (6’8″ Jr. PF, Westborough (MA) High) Although he’s not lacking skills, of late he hasn’t made himself much of a factor while on the floor. He has the tools to be a face-up power forward, as his perimeter game for the small forward spot looks very questionable, and he played well in stretches here. On the whole, he leaves us thinking he’s a better player than he’s shown of late. Mid-major prospect.
Percy Davis (6’3″ Sr. SG, Silver Spring (MD) Thomas Edison HS) A plus athlete with a relatively mature body, he looks to be more of a scorer than a shooter based on his success driving to score while not being as effective shooting. He scored 11 points in one game and then led his team with 18 in the Silver final.
Samuel Dingba (6’7″ So. PF, Salisbury (CT) Prep) A long post player with a good motor, he was a key player in a Saturday playoff win for his team. Although he scored just 11, he had two late free throws and was a constant presence on the boards. While his offense needs some work, he’s not bad there as he showed some good mobility and made a nice post move to score on one possession.
Billy Garneau (6’5″ Jr. SG, Goshen (NY) Burke Catholic School) A very good shooter off the catch, he went for 18 points in a playoff win, hitting five three-pointers along the way. His body’s not there yet, and he didn’t do much else in that game, but he played the role well and has good size to be a team’s designated shooter.
Arron Goodman (6’5″ Jr. SF, Newtown (PA) Council Rock HS) A fine example of a glue guy, he won’t leap out at you on his team, but is a factor in how well they do. He got stickbacks to help him reach double digits in one game, and overall played the complementary role well.
Jimmy Hall (6’8″ Jr. PF, Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony HS) A good rebounding forward, he goes to work inside at both ends of the floor, getting stickbacks when he gets offensive boards. He was productive all weekend inside, but his body language at times looks casual and gives the sense that he’s not always playing hard. Mid-major prospect.
Malik Harmon (5’11” So. PG, Middle Village (NY) Christ The King HS) A quick point guard, he’s in the mold of many others from his school in that he knows how to play. While he likes to penetrate to make things happen, and is very capable of finishing with his left (off) hand, he also knocked down a three-pointer and was a key to his team turning the championship game around in the second half with a lot of pressure being put on the opposing guards at the defensive end.
Dustin Hogue (6’6″ Jr. SF, Yonkers (NY) Lincoln HS) An athletic wing, he has a good body that can get better, especially since he has a good frame. He has good ball skills and played well within the team concept on a team full of such players, and was a decent scorer in helping them make a run in the playoff rounds.
Kuran Iverson (6’8″ So. SF, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) This weekend, the player that showed up was the one who settled too much for perimeter action, especially jump shots. As a result, he was ineffective in the playoff game in which his team was eliminated, as the shots didn’t fall and he didn’t find other ways to score. A bright spot is that he seems to be getting adept at making long passes for layups at the other end.
Donovan Jack (6’9″ Jr. PF, Reading (PA) Central HS) Very fundamentally sound post player has good post scoring tools, including the ability to go up with either hand after making a move. He also banked home a three-pointer, although that is hardly his forte, and one play that stood out was a long outlet pass that led to a layup. He scored 17 in one game and 13 in another along the way. Also an excellent student, he’s a mid-major plus prospect.
Amile Jefferson (6’7″ Jr. PF, Wynnewood (PA) Friends Central HS) Lanky forward is athletic and put up some good scoring numbers in leading his team to the semifinals. He went for 24 in one playoff game and added 15 in the one where his team got eliminated, and did it quietly. His body isn’t there yet and he doesn’t appear to have a very defined game, but there’s certainly a lot of potential there.
Chris Jenkins (6’5″ So. SF, Morristown (NJ) Beard HS) A plus athlete with a good body, he plays a little like an undersized power forward, and with his team not having one of their big men that was a necessity. He rebounded well and wasn’t a non-factor offensively, although the guards did a lot of the scoring for his team.
Zach Lewis (6’1″ So. PG, Windsor (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) In the midst of a transition to the point, he’s a cerebral player who can still score but is mainly being a facilitator. Also a good student, he knocked down a few jumpers, including off the dribble, which he’ll need to do since he’s not overly quick and thus can’t get by a lot of defenders. That may improve as he matures physically, as his body has a ways to go.
Tyliek Kimbrough (6’1″ Sr. PG, Brooklyn (NY) Bishop Loughlin HS) Well-built point guard continued to solidly run the show for his team, leading them to the title game. He’s bouncy and absorbs contact well, and while he won’t always put up enough points to grab one’s attention, he’s a factor, especially when his team wins, and they’ve done a good deal of that thus far this spring.
Leonard Livingston (6’0″ Jr. C, St. James (MD) High) A long post player whose body has a ways to go, he wasn’t as much of a factor as he could have been, with foul trouble being one problem. In the final in the Silver bracket, he blocked some shots and got a stickback, but all in all looks fairly close to the project/prospect line.
Akosa Maduegbunam (6’3″ Jr. SG, Charlestown (MA) High) Athletic wing showed his offensive tools here, a good balance between driving to score along with his ability to shoot the ball. He reached double digits in a couple of games, but got banged up in the last one. His effort has been more consistent, and it shows in the results. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Kristian Medina (6’5″ Jr. SF, Thompson (CT) Marianapolis Prep) Athletic wing has a good body and played well in an early game. In going for 21 points, the lefty hit from long range and scored often in transition to lead his team to a victory. Mid-major prospect.
Alex Mitola (5’11” Jr. PG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS) A small point guard with a great motor, he makes his team go and was a big reason they took home the Silver title. He plays fast and is capable of scoring on the drive, but this weekend it was from long range that he got hot as he had 21 points with five three-pointers in a pool game and then 19 in the title game. Mid-major prospect committed to Dartmouth a day after the tournament ended.
Aaron Morgan (5’10” Jr. PG, Newtown (PA) Council Rock North HS) Athletic guard is very competitive and had a solid weekend running the show, playing a bigger role in the absence of his team’s top player. While at times he tries too hard to get fouled and not hard enough to make the shot he takes, the lefty is able to draw contact and can hit from long range, and he also hit two game-tying free throws in a playoff game. Mid-major prospect.
Kalusha N’doumbe-Ngollo (6’8″ Jr. PF, Paris (France) St. Andrew’s School) Post player has a mature body and is raw, but wasn’t without some other positives. He finished with authority a couple of times, including one player where he drove and dunked after going under the basket, and he’s reasonably mobile, which all adds up to a post player with some work to do but who is on the prospect side of the project/prospect line.
John Papale (6’3″ Jr. SG, Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall) No player improved his stock more this weekend than this shooter, who is starting to show he’s more than just a catch-and-shoot wing. He consistently made shots all weekend long, including off the dribble, which he seemed to make a conscious effort to do more of, and he didn’t forget his roots as he was a long range threat the entire time. In addition, he was active and moved the ball well as part of the offense. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Sajae Pryor (6’4″ Sr. SF, Lansingburg (NY) Lee Academy) Athletic wing is active and scored well for his team. His dribble is above-average and he scores mainly on drives, going for 19 points in one game and 28 later, before being neutralized in the game where his team was eliminated. One knock is that he is very left-handed, at times trying to finish with that hand when he should have used his right (off) hand. Mid-major prospect.
Kendrick Ray (6’1″ Jr. PG-SG, Middletown (NY) High) The younger brother of former Villanova guard Allan has a good stroke, though the shots didn’t go down consistently. His body isn’t there yet, and he’s more of an undersized shooting guard than a point guard, but he shoots it well enough that he’ll get recruited by mid-major schools.
Jonte Rutty (6’5″ Jr. SF-PF, Newburgh (NY) Free Academy) The younger brother of Quinnipiac senior Justin has a good frame and plays mostly like an active, undersized power forward. He’s not the most fluid athlete and his game is rough around the edges, but there’s no question about his effort and he scored close baskets and at the foul line en route to 20 points in a playoff win for his team.
Jaren Sina (6’1″ So. PG-SG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS) A nice combo guard who can put up a lot of points, he also handles the ball reasonably well and is an underrated passer. He made several nice passes to set up teammates while shooting well, including pull-up jumpers. One thing that is a little concerning is that he has a slow release on his jumper, and giving a defender an added split second can make a difference with the teams he’ll face at Alabama, where he committed.
Clyde Smith (6’1″ Jr. PG, Lakeville (CT) Hotchkiss School) Talented guard looks like he could be a combo, though he would often have a size disadvantage playing off the ball. He showed a good touch shooting the ball with a lot of mid-range pull-up jumpers and some long range shots, as he has a good stroke. His body isn’t there yet (he’s also baby-faced) and his defense was reasonably good, so all in all he played well and is a nice high-major minus/high-major prospect.
Keandre Stanton (6’6″ Jr. SF-PF, Lynn (MA) English HS) An athletic forward with some length, he plays like an undersized post player with his ability to block shots. But he also has some tools to be a combo forward, a good thing since his size dictates he play as a forward at the next level. While his ball skills need some upgrading for the wing, they’re good enough for him to make some scoring plays, and he has a little range on his jump shot. He went for double digits a couple of times, including a 19-point outing in a win during pool play. Mid-major prospect.
Kaleb Tarczewski (7’0″ Jr. C, Claremont (NH) St. Mark’s School) Talented big man went down eary in a Saturday game, but continued playing and got better as the tournament went along. He was consistently scoring inside, including with contact, and got more aggressive in trying to score on Sunday. Big-time prospect.
Jacquille Taylor (6’8″ So. PF, Cambridge (MA) Rindge & Latin School) A long post player we’ve seen a few times, some of the same issues are still present with him, even though there is some progress and mostly at the defensive end. Namely, he needs to get stronger, and his post moves still have a ways to go offensively as he tries to go too fast with the ball. He has been and remains a “potential” player, but sooner or later a player is who he is and he’s getting closer to that point.
Maurice Taylor, Jr. (6’5″ Jr. SF, Cambridge (MA) Rindge & Latin School) He’s always had more basketball talent than his younger brother, who’s been the better “potential” player because of his size. But the older brother was more active here than he’s been before and showed a much better motor, as he’s often teased us with some skill but has never been the factor one thinks he can be. He scored with a good drive and finish, made a nice read for a steal, and scored by posting up a smaller player.
Jordan Washington (6’7″ So. PF, Saint Albans (NY) Pathways Prep) Powerful post player doesn’t have all good weight, but plenty of things going for him. He has a good frame and is a plus athlete, and can get out in transition a little better than one might expect. While he didn’t put up big numbers in the title game, he didn’t play a small role inside.
Rodell Wigginton (6’3″ Jr. SG-SF, Halifax (Nova Scotia) Lee Academy) Athletic wing has a mature body and showed some signs this weekend that his game is coming along. When he first came to the U.S., he was basically an undersized power forward skill-wise, and here he showed some signs that an in-between game is developing as he was able to drive and score at the offensive end. He still rebounds well, especially at the offensive end, for his size, but he’ll need to keep upgrading the skill package.
Other players who caught our attention:
Marcellas Anderson (6’3″ Jr. SG, New York (NY) Frederick Douglas HS)
Oscar Assie (6’5″ Sr. SF-PF, Trumbull (CT) St. Joseph’s HS)
Jaylen Bond (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Plymouth Meeting (PA) Plymouth Whitemarsh HS)
Cane Broome (5’8″ So. PG, East Hartford (CT) High)
Patrick Cole (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Newark (NJ) Central HS)
D.J. Foreman (So. SF, Spring Valley (NY) High)
Jordan Fuchs (6’6″ So. SF, Middle Village (NY) Christ The King HS)
Ryan Hartung (6’5″ Jr. SG, Andover (MA) Phillips Academy)
Jalen Jenkins (6’6″ So. SF, Bronx (NY) Cardinal Hayes HS)
Jarrel Marshall (6’6″ Jr. SF, Mount Vernon (NY) High)
Jabari Peters (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Grady Career & Tech)
Michael Scotman (6’0″ So. PG, White Plains (NY) High)
Shamick Shepard (6’4″ So. SF, Brooklyn (NY) South Shore HS)
Mike Zangari (6’9″ Jr. PF, Lewisberry (PA) Red Land HS)
