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MADE Hoops East Warmup Standouts (April 7, 2023)

04/08/2023, 12:00am EDT
By Owen McCue & Jared Leveson

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) &
Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)
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In preparation for the live periods later this month, MADE Hoops brought together some of the top grassroots programs in the region for the East Warm Up on Friday and Saturday at Sportika in Manalapan, New Jersey. There were six courts in action from a little before 10 a.m. well past 8 p.m. CoBL took in some of the day’s loaded slate of action on Friday. Here are the standouts from the action CoBL staff took in:


Brandon Benjamin (2024 | Shoreshots Rio)

Brandon Benjamin (2024 | Bergen Catholic, N.J. | Shoreshots Rio)
Benjamin’s a 6-foot-7 forward who has recently picked up volleyball in the offseason. He had 14 points, eight boards and a pair of rejections — reminiscent of volleyball spikes — in Shoreshots 17U’s  victory over the Beasts. He describes himself as a high energy player, and that’s showcased in the interior on both ends. He also has a natural knack for tracking down boards. He has a handful of Division I offers with some of the local Power 5 programs contacting him.

Myles Blackley (2025 | Summit, N.J. | Shoreshots Rio)
The 6-5 guard scored 12 points as part of a balanced Shoreshots 16U attack in a win over Marson Elite. He knocked down three triples to help himself get there. Blackley has some size at the guard position and a pure shooting stroke. He was able to do his damage in an efficient manner, ready to let fly when he found himself with the ball and space. Blackley is listed with a 6-7 wingspan he can certainly leave an impression on the defensive end as well.

Keron Booth (2027 | East Coast Power | The Haverford School) 
The 5-foot-7 eighth grader more than belonged when his 15U East Coast Power team defeated 15U Team Final Red. Booth made the biggest impact on the defensive end. He’s got quick feet and a strong lower body, making him a pesky matchup for his opponents, recording two steals. Booth showed a consistent ability to knock down the 3-ball and fearlessly attacked the paint despite his size disadvantage. His vision and distribution skills were impressive too and he finished the game with two assists. Booth commanded EC Power on both ends of the floor and was a vocal leader. 

Reece Brown (2026 | Trinity High School | Team Final Red) 
The Team Final Red 15U guard showed an ability to become a three-level scorer. He scored 11 points in a loss to East Coast Power 15U, netting a three, knocking down from mid-range, and finishing around the rim. Brown moved well off the ball, helping him find better scoring opportunities. He’s physically strong, athletic, and was not afraid to contest for rebounds and dive for loose balls late in the contest. Brown provided energy and scoring opportunities on the defensive side too, recording one steal. 


Jeremy Clayville (2024 | NJ Beasts)

Jeremy Clayville (2024 | Saint Joseph Metuchen, N.J. | NJ Beasts)
Clayville, who recently earned an offer from St. Francis (Pa.), caught hot from deep with five threes as part of a 17-point outing in a loss to Rio. He even had one more deep, deep, deep shot go in that didn’t count. The 6-1 guard tallied a handful of assists, showcasing the ability to play with the ball in his hands but also freeing himself for open looks off the ball as well.

Timmy Dennis (2026 | Episcopal Academy | East Coast Power) 
Dennis is a whole foot taller (6-foot-7) than teammate Keron Booth, but he had just as impressive a performance against 15U Team Final Red. The lanky wing is a knockdown shooter whose height gives him a major advantage over defenders trying to close him out. Dennis went three-for-three beyond the 3-point line and scored 14 points, getting into the soft pockets of the defense and moving into the sight of his teammates for the feed. When Team Final Red began a full-court pressure trailing by one late in the second half, Dennis didn’t shy away from the ball and handled the pressure confidently and made smart passes to avoid a turnover and secure the win. 

Blake Hargrove (2026 | Liberty | Team Final Red) 
Hargrove played a major role for Team Final Red 15U on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Hargrove was one of his team's primary scorers. He finished with 10 points and did most of his damage from mid-range, but also flashed an ability to hit the trey ball and finish in the lane. The 6-foot guard split ball handling responsibilities, providing a reassuring presence to his teammates. He dribbled with his head up and shared the ball well, dishing out two assists. Hargrove made plays on the defensive end as well, notching a steal. 

Deuce Jones (2024 | St. Thomas Aquinias, N.J. | Shoreshots Rio)
Jones’ most impressive play in a win over the Beasts in 17U action may have actually been a miss when he blurred his way down the shore and had a shot in traffic rim out. He knocked down a pair of threes, go to the free throw line, and darted his way to the hoop a few times. The 6-3 guard with a 6-6 wingspan blends size with speed, quickness and a good feel for the game (three assists) that makes him tough to stop at the guard spot.


Luke Kennevan (2025 | East Coast Power) 

Luke Kennevan (2025 | Camden Catholic, N.J.| East Coast Power) 
The 6-foot-4 sophomore was East Coast Power’s go-to scoring option in their loss to Philly Pride 16U. He led all scorers with 20 points and found success at all three levels. Kennevan went three-of-seven from 3-point land and eight-of-15 from the field. When the defense pressed out on him to limit his shooting, he was strong with the rock and took his defender base-line or through the lane, finding success. Kennevan’s scoring threat paired well with his court vision and he dished out three assists. He was active on the defensive end as well, recording one steal and negating second chance possessions by pulling down two defensive boards. 

Jacob Nguyen (2025 | Spring-Ford | Philly Pride) 
It took a while for Nguyen to find his shooting stroke in his 16U Philly Pride team's first game against 16U East Coast Power HGSL. But once he did, the sharpshooter finished with 17 points and added four rebounds, one assist, and one block. The sophomore finds open space well on the court and has a quick trigger. His outside shooting opened up driving lanes which he took advantage of confidently, scoring six of his team-high 17 inside the 3-point line. East Coast Power’s put together a comeback and ratcheted up their on ball pressure which Nguyen handled with ease. 

Izaiah Pasha (2024 | Cardinal O’Hara | Philly Pride)
Pasha, who already announced he is taking a prep year next season, finished with 19 points in Philly Pride UAA’s victory over NJ Panthers. Pasha knocked down a triple but did most of his damage inside, where the 6-5 guard uses his size to finish above and around defenders. He showed off his defensive chops as well picking a few pockets to earn some easy buckets.

Josh Reed (2024 | Archbishop Wood | Philly Revolution)
Reed, a 6-2 combo guard, flashed quite a few pieces of his game in a 17U win over the Bulldogs to start his day. He finished with 11 points and a pair of assists, including a two-handed slam in traffic to highlight his day. Reed worked in the point guard rotation at Wood during the high school season and it looks like he’ll share some of those duties at times again this summer, where he certainly flashes ability and continues to grow as a distributor.


Devon Wright-Myles (2024 | Hamilton West, N.J.)

Devyn Wright-Myles (2024 | Hamilton West, N.J. | Philly Revolution)
Wright-Myles nearly took down the rim on a transition dunk for his first points of the day. It wasn’t his only slam as he finished with 12 points, three assists and four steals. Revolution 17U’s powerfully-built 6-3 guard uses his size to his advantage, attacking the basket with fearlessness. His strength and effort also showed up on the defensive end with the four steals, able to work the ball from his opponents. 

Honorable Mention

Jackson Bleecker (2024 | NJ Panthers), Tyler Burton (2024 | Philly Pride), Aiden Derkack (2026 | Shoreshots Rio), Jalen Fleming (2025 | Timothy Christian, N.J.), Christian Guidinger (2024 | Philly Pride), John Kelly (2024 | NJ Panthers), Trey ONeil (2024 | Shoreshots Rio), Jordan Rogers (2024 | NJ Beasts), Brandon Russell (2025 | Shoreshots Rio), Joe Shields (2024 | Philly Revolution), Jojo Torres (2025 | Marson Elite)


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