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Hoop Group AC Jam Fest Day One Standouts (July 6, 2022)

07/06/2022, 11:45pm EDT

By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Hoop Group helped kick off the July live periods with the start of the AC Jam Fest on Wednesday. A couple hundred teams and a couple thousand players filled the 26 courts at the Atlantic City City Convention Center throughout the day in front of coaches from the Division I, II and III levels.

The CoBL staff was on hand throughout the day to take in some of the action. Here are our standouts from Day 1 in AC:

(More coverage: Day One Notebook Pt. 1 | Day One Notebook Pt. 2)

Jalil Bethea (2024 | Team Final | Archbishop Wood)

It’s well documented that Bethea is one of the best shooters in the Philadelphia area and Wednesday afternoon was another example of that. After a quiet first half where he only hit one three pointer, Bethea hit four straight in the second half. Bethea’s high arching shot barely touched the rim each time he got one to fall, finishing with five total threes and 17 points. Although he wasn’t successful every time, the shooting guard showed a willingness to put the ball on the deck and try to drive into the lane, as he tries to expand his game to be more than just a shooter.

K-Lowe Elite's KJ Cochran preps for a free throw. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

KJ Cochran (2025 | K-Low Elite | West Chester East)

Following a stellar start to his high school career as WC East’s primary ball-handler in his freshman season, Cochran has only continued to impress into the summer. The lengthy 6-3 guard was the motor behind the K-Low Elite offense on Wednesday, and his versatility on the defensive end was apparent in different matchups. Cochran’s game brings speed while also having exceptional fluidity and composure for his age. He should only continue improving and gaining attention as time goes on.

Connor Fleet (2024 | East Coast Power | West Chester Henderson)

Fleet wasted no time in getting his offense going, knocking down his first five 3-pointers for East Coast Power in a 64-46 win over PTT. Fleet hit his 3s in a multitude of ways, sprinting around off ball screens and knocking down shots off the catch as well as some off the dribble. The point guard’s shot looked effortless, swishing in shots from all over the court. Fleet can put up points in a hurry as he showed in previous events like Philly Live, where he put up 41 points. He scored 23 on Wednesday, 19 of which came in the first half. Fleet showed he was more than just a shooter, using the threat of his deep range to his advantage by attacking aggressive closeouts with hard drives to the basket. He finished acrobatically through contact on a couple of occasions. He does a good job of controlling the pace as a point guard, knowing when it’s his time to attack and when he needs to slow it down and get his teammates involved.

Nolan Gilbert (2023 | York Ballers | Cumberland Valley, Pa.)

Gilbert seemed to do a little bit of everything for the York Ballers on Wednesday afternoon. The 6-4 lefty projects as a small college wing and he showed the ability to catch the ball on the wing and in the high post and get to the rim with his dribble. Gilbert also runs the floor well, knows how to cut, rebounds, and is constantly communicating. The Central PA native is a very fundamentally sound player with a high basketball IQ.

Team Richmond's Owen Gray goes up for a dunk. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Owen Gray (2024 | Team Richmond | Steward School, Va.)

Gray certainly had a few rough moments in Wednesday’s loss to PrimeTime, but the 6-10 forward also flashed some really special things that make him a Division I prospect, earning a D1 offer from NJIT during last month’s live period. For starters, Gray has great hands for a young big man, going up and grabbing a few errant passes and also showing off a touch pass to a shooter in the corner. He loves to run the floor and was rewarded with a couple of two-handed slams. The lefthander looks really athletic in the post, particularly when spinning toward his dominant hand.

Marc Herasme (2023 | N.J. Panthers HGSL | Don Bosco Prep, N.J.)

Standing at 5-11, Herasme may not intimidate opposing players, but he sure does frustrate them. The point guard is a relentless defensive player, putting pressure on ball-handlers, getting into passing lanes and generally disrupting the other team. Along with his intensity on defense, Herasme has a tight handle and the ability to convert tough inside looks around taller players or set up shots for his teammates.

Jackson Hicke (2023 | PrimeTime | Radnor, Pa.)

Fresh off his commitment to Princeton on Tuesday night, Hicke gave his future college coach Mitch Henderson a first-hand look at what he will be getting in 2023-24 in a win over Team Richmond to start his day. Hicke was nearly unstoppable once he got into the lane, carving the Richmond defense up with short jumpers and also finding his teammates with some incredible passing. The 6-5 guard’s strength and height caused problems for his opponent at the other end of the floor, helping start a couple fast breaks.

610 City's Duce Jackson eyes the rim. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Duce Jackson (2023 | 610 City | Collegium Charter, Pa.)

There’s nothing flashy about the 6-6 forward’s game, but it was effective nonetheless on Wednesday when Jackson muscled his way to 28 points in a win over Spartan Pride. Jackson’s strength and toughness rewarded him with five trips to the line as he converted three and-one opportunities to fire up his squad. In a matchup without a lot of size on either squad, Jackson took advantage and was a big help on the offensive and defensive glass.

Jayden James (2023 | Diallo Elite | Archbishop Molloy, Ny.)

The 6-4 James out of New York has a pure ability to get buckets and makes it look easy in Diallo Elites’ 84-69 loss to the Penn Warriors. James scored 21 points including two 3-pointers and one ‘and-one’. He has good length that allows him to finish over defenders in the lane and uses several dribble moves to get to his spot on the offensive end of the floor. James knows how to play at a good pace and is patient on the offensive end of the floor.

Kevair Kennedy (2025 | Philly Revolution | Father Judge)

Kennedy was the driving force behind Philly Revolution’s 72-48 win over DMV Rebels. Kennedy did a lot of his damage in the pick and roll, whether it was finding his teammates on the roll or using the space he got from the screens to attack in the lane. Kennedy scored 15 points and dished out five assists for his team, including a stretch where he scored seven straight points that helped his team separate in the second half. The point guard may only stand at 6-feet tall, but he has a strong upper body which he uses to draw contact and finish hard at the rim. He also does a good job of getting his teammates involved, making the right plays in transition without forcing too much.

Trevor Labrecque (2023 | One Dream | Nashua North, Nh.)

Labrecque had a very impressive offensive performance for One Dream (N.H.) in their victory over a Philly Pride Aces squad featuring a lot of players from the Philadelphia suburbs. The 6-4 Labrecque shot the cover off the ball, knocking down his first six three-pointers, with none of them touching the rim. He had an assortment of deft moves around the rim and showed the ability to finish in traffic and with a floater in the mid-range. A very strong student with a 4.2 GPA also demonstrated some top-tier floor vision. High-academic Division III programs should be all over him.

Anthony Loscalzo (2023 | Penn Warriors | Hun School, N.J.)

It would have been difficult to find a player with a better looking outside shot than Loscalzo in the Atlantic City Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon. The 6-2 guard out of the Hun School hit five three-pointers in the first half in the Penn Warriors’ victory over Diallo Elite. Loscalzo also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and finish in the midrange and rebound the ball on the defensive end, then lead the fast break. With an expanded role for his senior season, expect a solid season and for Division III programs to be keeping tabs.

Team Final's Deuce Maxey goes up for a shot. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Deuce Maxey (2025 | Team Final 15U | Archbishop Wood)

In the words of his Team Final and Archbishop Wood teammate Milan Dean, Maxey “can bring everything to the table.” The 6-2 guard really did in a romp over Higher Level. Maxey’s 12 first-half points helped Final start to pull away. He knocked down a pair of threes and also did some damage driving inside, finishing multiple times through contact. After half, Maxey spread the wealth, dishing to his teammates though he did save one highlight slam for himself.

Deuce Mutts (2023 | Penn Warriors | Salesianum, Del.)

It is hard to come across a player who plays as hard as Mutts does and does it as consistently as him. Mutts’ motor is constantly running at 110 percent and that allows him to play the swiss army knife role at a high-level for his Penn Warriors and Salesianum teams. Mutts put in 15 points during the Penn Warriors 84-69 win on Wednesday, but also stuffed the stat sheet grabbing rebounds, blocking shots, and taking a charge. He finished off his first game in AC with a poster slam showing off his athleticism throwing down on a defender in transition.

Lucas Orchard (2023 | PrimeTime | Devon Prep, Pa.)

Orchard finds ways to produce every time out. After a productive and impressive two sessions at Philly Live last month, Orchard opened the July live periods with a monster outing against Team Richmond to help his team to a win. Orchard knocked down some shots from deep and per usual was able to drive to the basket as well. With several other ball handlers on the squad he also moved effectively off the ball, freeing himself up with cuts.

Saleem Payne (2023 | Gibbs Elite | Phelps School)

Payne was the lead dog for a Gibbs Elite team that features several talented players who will eventually play at the college level, but the 5-11 guard is what makes his team go. Payne plays with a great energy and has elite quickness that is shown on both ends of the floor. He had 13 points in Gibbs Elite 64-55 victory over SHA Elite Black. The speedy guard knows when to accelerate and is great at keeping his defenders off-balance and then finding the perfect time to put his foot on the gas to get into the lane. Payne is a pest on the defensive end of the floor, constantly pressuring the ball.

Giancarlo Peguero (2023 | SHA Elite Black | Gill St. Bernard’s, N.J.)

Peguero has a unique blend of size, strength, and skill that allowed him to have a strong outing against Gibbs Elite pouring in 19 points. Peguero scored from all three levels and did so off the bounce, in the mid-post area, and off the catch and shoot. The 6-6 wing also showed the ability to draw contact and get to the free throw line, but he struggled from the stripe, an area he needs to improve at for the next level. He has all the makings of a Division I forward on the offensive end, but needs to improve his defense to reach his ceiling.

Honorable Mention