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Hoop Group AC Jam Fest: Day Two Standouts (July 7, 2022)

07/07/2022, 10:45pm EDT
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)

ATLANTIC CITY — The Hoop Group Jam Fest series is in the middle of its annual stop at the AC Convention Center, a three-day tournament that’ll set up the Hoop Group Summer League championship this weekend at Spooky Nook.

Here’s who stood out in front of the CoBL staff during games we watched on Thursday:

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Saraj Ali (2023 | Team Final Red 17U | Loyalsock Twp.)


Loyalsock (Pa.) 2023 Saraj "Woog" Ali gets a Crown defender up in the air. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Ali had his work cut out for him against a Crown Platinum squad with quite a handful of 6-6 (and taller) forwards, especially considering Final Red played most of the game with no bench in a loss. But Ali, a bouncy 6-5 wing forward, still impressed with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while working hard on both ends all game long. Ali did show he could handle the ball on the perimeter and his one 3-point attempt didn’t look bad at all, but he was certainly much more of an interior producer, getting a number of second-chance points and finishing through (or around) Crown’s bigs on multiple occasions; he also got to the line four times (4-6 FT). 

Jeremy Arnum (2023 | Triple Threat | Gulliver Prep)
Arnum packs a lot into his game on both ends, making it hard to pinpoint exactly what stood out because there’s so much to like about his game. Playing for NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen, Arnumn got Triple Threat off to a great start with a pair of threes. He has picture-perfect form and a quick release and ast 6-5 can easily get his shot off, which he did from deep and off the dribble in the midrange.. With the ball in his hands, Arnumn has a knack for squeezing his way into space. He didn’t blow by anybody but weaved his way into the paint with ease throughout the contest. The bouncy athlete also contested shots in the pain and moved well with his feet on and off the ball on defense.

Jalil Bethea (2024 | Team Final 16U | Archbishop Wood)
A player who has now routinely made this list, Bethea was the star of Final’s 62-49 victory over PK Flash Thursday morning. Bethea finished with 16 points, 12 of which came off 3-pointers. Bethea had his shot working in the victory. The 6-foot-4 guard showcased his smooth stroke from the outside, knocking down his catch-and-shoot opportunities. He also showed his athleticism on the court with a couple of acrobatic finishes at the rim, absorbing contact along the way. Bethea played mostly off-ball, but he did show his ability to run the point and find his teammates with sharp passes that led to open looks.

Ben Chilson (NEPA Elite | 2023 | Tunkhannock)
Chilson caught fire in NEPA’s 72-63 win over 6th Man Warriors, knocking down 6 of his 7 attempts from beyond the arc. His team fell into a 10-0 hole at the start, but Chilson started to get going towards the middle of the half. During a 6-and-a-half-minute stretch, Chilson hit five 3’s in a row to put his team in control of the game. The 6-5 wing is one of the taller players on his team, so he did a lot of his damage in pick-and-pop situations where he would set a screen and then relocate to beyond the arc. Chilson finished with a game high 18 points .

Jeremy Clayville (2024 | All in Beasts | DePaul Catholic)
Clayville had a somewhat quiet start before leading the way for All in Beasts down the stretch of Thursday’s comeback win over BW Elite. Clayville heated up from deep, knocking down three of his triples late in the second half. A pull-up three from a few feet behind the arc really showcased his range. He did some scoring in the lane, but more impressively displayed his vision to find rollers in the lane. Playing up an age bracket, Clayville handled the physicality well and played some strong on-ball defense. He forced a five-count on his man, which swung momentum toward All in Beasts during the comeback stretch.

Tavaj “TJ” Cope (2023 | Team Spartans | Fenway HS, Mass.)


Team Spartans 2023's TJ Cope throws down a dunk. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

In a 68-58 win for Team Spartans over 6th Man Warriors, Cope finished with 14 points. The 6-foot-6 guard got all his points from the two-point territory and threw down a couple of fast-break slam dunks along the way. Cope was able to use his size to drive and attack the rim in the victory. As well as scoring, Cope was also able to help run the offense, making solid passes for his teammates throughout the game. His athleticism was not just on display offensively, but defensively as well. Cope was able to get his hands in the passing lanes as well as play tight defense throughout the contest.

Tyleek Fields (2023 | Kips Bay/Team Diffrrnt 17U | Cardinal Hayes, N.Y.)
Fields’ solid shooting helped Kips Bay dominate Ray Allen Triple Threat by a score of 73-50. Fields finished with 17 points in the win, with all his field goals coming from 3-point range. Fields knocked down four 3’s and added five free-throws to his performance. The 6-foot-4 guard from New York was pulling up from 3-point range with no hesitation and knocking down his shots off the catch-and-shoot. His quick release made it hard for defenders to slow him down, especially when he was getting to where he wanted to on the court.

Connor Fleet (2024 | East Coast Power | West Chester Henderson)
Even in a 68-55 defeat against ASA Select, Fleet put on a grand display of his scoring prowess. Fleet finished with 19 points in the loss but showed how well he can score. Fleet had three 3s in the contest, two of which came in the first half. Besides his slick shooting, Fleet had a couple of nice takes to the basket that resulted in and-one opportunities. Standing in at 6-foot, Fleet had no trouble getting to his spots on the floor. Even going at bigger defenders, Fleet was still able to get the shots he wanted and was able to convert them. He showed nice control around the basket when finishing around taller defenders.

Carlos Lopez (2023 | Philly Pride | Feltrim Academy, Fl.)
Lopez accounted for over half his teams’ points in a 56-51 loss against Penn Warriors on Thursday. The shifty guard scored 32 points, 23 of which came in the first half and he did it in a variety of ways. Lopez hit a couple of catch and shoot threes as well as a few that came off the dribble, utilizing a deadly step back. The lefty would freeze his defender with a quick hesitation and then pull the ball between his legs and rise up almost mimicking James Harden. Lopez hit 5 threes in the first half and forced the other team to trap him whenever he got the ball in the second half. He also did a good job of getting into the lane when he went cold in the second half, instead of stepping back after using his hesitation move, he would get to the rim and finish through contact.

Deuce Maxey (2025 | Team Final 15U | Archbishop Wood)
Another underclassman who’s starting to become a regular on these lists whenever we see him play is Maxey, who’s certainly looking quite ready to be a major contributor for Archbishop Wood as a sophomore after spending his season deep on the bench as a freshman. The 6-2 guard comes off the bench for Final but serves as instant offense, usually playing off the ball, even though he’s capable of playing both guard spots. Though he’s certainly not lacking for ball skills or athleticism, he’s a terrific spot-up 3-point shooter who can also pull up on the step-back, and he was 5-of-8 from deep en route to 22 points in Final’s 60-37 win over Philly Revolution in the 15U Elite 8. 

Jacob Meachim (2025 | K-Low Elite 15U | Hill School)
There’s a lot to like about the Hill School rising sophomore, who got minutes as a true freshman, which isn’t easy to do at the prep school level, especially not when you’re 5-foot-7 and change. But Meachim brings a lot of good qualities to the court as a table-setting point guard, both at the point of attack on defense and with the ball in his hands offensively; in a win over Connecticut Elite, playing up in the 16U bracket, Meachim was constantly getting to his spots and feeding teammates for easy buckets or cutting to the hoop himself; he rarely makes mistakes or gets himself in trouble, and makes his team better. He’s going to be fun to watch the next few years.

Josh Reed (2024 | Philly Revolution 16U | Archbishop Wood)
It was a good day for the Wood backcourt of the future, for sure. Reed led the Revolution to a 66-55 win over the NY Gauchos in the Round of 16 of the top 16U bracket with a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double, adding in three assists and three steals for good measure. Playing with the ball in his hands on offense the majority of the time, the super-athletic guard was constantly getting into the paint and to the rim, making five trips to the foul line (6-10 FT) and hitting one of his two 3-point attempts. As his abilities with the ball in his hands continue to mature, his rebounding ability from the guard position really starts to stand out, and his future’s looking brighter and brighter.

Ryan Sabol (2023 Mason Elite | Gonzaga Prep, Md.)
If there’s one way to describe Sabol, it’s that he’s a bucket-getter. The 6- guard scored 36 points and was using all areas of the floor to do it in a tough 72-63 loss against New Jersey Panthers. Saboll did damage from beyond the arc, knocking in 5 triples, while also being a threat in the mid-range with his pull up jumper. One of the more impressive parts about Sabol’s scoring ability is his willingness to play through contact and finish around defenders at the rim. The point guard isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s not gifted with elite size and strength like others he has to compete against. Sabol carried the load for Mason Elite on offense, especially in the second half, scoring all but six of his teams’ points during that portion of the game. 

Kai Shinholster (2025 | K-Low Elite 15U | Penn Charter)
The K-Low 15s have three wing guard with extra-bright futures in Shinholster, Cameron Wallace and KJ Cochran, and in watching most of their win over Connecticut Elite, all three did things that could have put them on the standouts list. Shinholster gets the nod for his continued progression as an assertive scoring wing, knocking down tough catch-and-shoot jumpers with a hand in his face, no longer with the hesitation that came at points during his freshman season. The 6-4 guard will likely fill out as his high school years progress, and adding strength to his frame should make him a lot more dangerous getting to the hoop.

Tymir Smalls (2023 | Philly Ballhawks 17U | Neumann-Goretti)


Tyair Smalls (above) put together a double-double in a Thursday morning win (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Smalls has been a JV player at Neumann-Goretti all three years he’s been there, biding his time behind a boatload of Division I (and other college-level) talent. There’s some room in the rotation, though, with two senior guards having graduated, and the 6-3 Smalls looks like he’s ready to really challenge for a role. The muscular wing guard put up 17 points and 14 rebounds in a win over East Coast Power-Timson in the last set of the morning, showing a smooth outside shot in hitting 3-of-7 from downtown while also doing well through traffic and around the rim. Oh, and he also dished out four assists, making smart passes on the move. 

Thomas Sorber (2024 | Team Final 16U | Archbishop Ryan)
In Team Final’s aforementioned 62-49 victory over PK Flash Thursday morning, Sorber showcased his skill inside the paint. The 6-foot-9 center finished with 14 points in the game, doing all of his damage from down inside. Sorber showcased exceptional footwork and finishing at the rim. Sorber was able to use his big body to back his defenders down and get to his spots around the paint. Defensively, Sorber forced a lot of contested layups at the rim and made life hard for anyone coming into the paint.

Honorable Mentions
Andrew Alekseyenko (2024 | ASA Select | The Rivers School, MA), Deacon Baratta (2025 | East Coast Power | Phoenixville), Kevin Beck (2025 | Philly Revolution | Father Judge), Elijah Butler (2024 | Jersey Force | Linden, N.J.) Jalen Chiles (2025 | BW Elite | Imhotep), KJ Cochran (2025 | K-Low Elite | West Chester East), Corrado Fischetti (2023 | East Coast Power | Marple Newtown), Isaac Cole (2025 | Team Final | West Catholic), Milan Dean (2025 | Team Final | Archbishop Wood), Isaac Gonzalez (2022 | All in Beasts), Andre Gordon (2023 | East Coast Power | Norristown), Max Hurray (2024 | PK Flash | North Catholic), Roddy Jones (2023 | Crown Platinum | St. John the Baptist, N.Y.), Xavier Lewis (2023 | Crown Platinum | Half Hollow Hills, N.Y.), Rocco Morabito (2024 | Philly Revolution | Archbishop Ryan), Ryan Mulroy (2025 | Philly Revolution | Upper Dublin), Richard Neysmith (2024 | NY Gauchos | Frederick Gunn, N.Y.), Saleem Payne (2023 | Gibbs Elite | Phelps School), AJ Rodriguez (2024 | NY Gauchos | Iona Prep, N.Y.), Connor Shanahan (2023 | Gibbs Elite | Downingtown East), Timmy Smith (2023 | Philly Ballhawks | La Salle College HS), Cameron Wallace (2025 | K-Low Elite | Westtown School), Jake West (2025 | Team Final 15U | Archbishop Carroll), Seck Zongo (2023 | Team Diffrrnt | Patrick School, N.J.


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