City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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MANALAPAN, N.J. — The MADE Hoops tour made its way to central Jersey this weekend with a mid-sized but high-level grassroots showcase held at several venues, though it was the Sportika sports complex’s seven-court facility that was home to all the top teams and games.

With sneaker-backed programs from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Jersey, New York and more in attendance, there was a ton of talent in the gym at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels, and though Division I coaches aren’t allowed out on the trail just yet, there was still plenty of buzz about some of the top prospects.

Here’s whose play made them stand out in games we watched on Saturday, the second day of the two-day, set-matchup event.

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More weekend coverage:

CLICK HERE for Friday’s coverage notebook
CLICK HERE for Friday’s standouts

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Stephon Ashley-Wright (2026 | Team Final Red 15U)
Even without Rob Wright III, a Baylor commit who appears lower on this list, Neumann-Goretti’s backcourt looks to be in good hands with his younger brother Ashley-Wright set to return next season. The 5-11 guard, nicknamed “Munchie,” caught fire against City Rocks, knocking down threes off the catch-and-shoot and bounce before being faceguarded. Even then he was able to free himself to get the ball and used his elite quickness and handles to get in the lane, to attack the basket or distribute. The young guard is a real defender who picked a pocket or two in the game and tossed down a transition dunk, which he said was the fourth time he’s done that in a game.

Kevin Beck (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U)
A 6-3 wing guard, Beck had himself a strong 15-point, seven-rebound outing against Team Melo’s 16s, and he earned it. Against a Melo lineup that was full of 6-5 and 6-6 wings, Beck played confident and aggressive, hitting a couple pull-up jumpers with a hand in his face, a turn-around in the lane, and a couple catch-and-shoot 3s in rhythm. He made plays whenever he was on the court, and led all players in that game in rebounds, none of which just fell into his lap. Beck wasn’t a big presence for Father Judge this year but he looks like he should be next fall. 

Jalil Bethea (2024 | Team Final 17U)
Bethea has been on a roll since pretty much last fall, and the Archbishop Wood junior just keeps delivering every time he takes the court. The 6-4 guard is so much more than just a shooter but it’s hard to start with anything other than that, as he buried 5-of-8 from deep in a crushing win over another EYBL team, City Rocks (N.Y.), whose 17U squad was missing a few top pieces but nevertheless still had plenty of future D-I talent. Bethea was hitting pull-up shots moving lately, showcasing his tremendous body control and consistent shooting form no matter how he’s getting bucket, and he also blocked a couple shots, had an and-one finish and a couple put-backs. If he does that on an EYBL court later this month, there won’t be a coach in the country that won’t want him, and don’t be surprised if he catches the eye of next-level scouts before much longer.

Tristan Burth (2024 | Kipps Bay 17U)
Burth’s rebounding ability stood out even to those casually viewing Kipps Bay’s outing against New Heights MHC. It seemed almost every offensive possession that featured a Kipps Bay miss also featured a Burth board. The 6-8 forward wasn’t the focal point of his team’s offense but was able to clean up a few misses and showed off some soft touch, particularly with his left hand when he did catch the ball inside. Judging by his free throw stroke, he’s got the chance to be a decent midrange shooter as well. The young big man is also on the younger side for his grade, just turning 16 in December.

Aasim ‘Flash’ Burton (2024 | East Coast Power 17U)
Caught the Power’s 17s for two halves of two different games, and though they were short-handed, Burton had a solid run in both, including the game-winning pull-up 3-pointer with three seconds left in their final game of the weekend. The 6-3 point guard hit some smooth pull-up jumpers, but it’s really his dribble-drive abilities that are so good; Burton has a great change-of-speed getting to the rim and is comfortable finishing with either hand, or finding shooters if defenders collapse.

Davin Francis (2024 | Team CM3 17U)
Francis caught the attention of everybody watching CM3’s game against Philly Pride Select with a big-time slam, and the 6-5 wing guard followed that up with a well-rounded effort, knocking down a couple 3-pointers but mostly using his handle (and a shot fake or two) to get into the mid-range and make things happen, using the glass well on a few short jumpers. Originally from South Shore (N.Y.), he made the move up to the MacDuffie School (Mass.), in the high-level NEPSAC AA conference, and reclassified to 2024; he’s still awaiting his first offer.

Jordan Ghee (2025 | Marston Elite 16U)
Ghee led his DePaul Catholic (N.J.) squad in scoring this past season as a sophomore and showed some of the prowess off in a 15-point effort against the NY Rens. He used a pretty turnaround jumper on occasion and flashed range from deep, while making his way toward the basket as well and getting to the line. He looked comfortable both on and off the ball and made a handful of tough shots, standing out on the defensive end as well with some size at the guard/wing at 6-4.

Dylan Harper (2024 | NY Rens 17U)
The 6-5 combo guard who has Duke, Kansas, Rutgers, Auburn and Indiana in his Top 5 schools is the son of former NBA player Ron Harper and brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. Harper climbed toward the top of the Class of 2024 national rankings throughout his high school season at Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) and very much looked like the part of one of the top players in the country in a win over Philly Pride. The lefty pulled up for threes, tossed down dunks, finished in traffic and made everything look easy during a 22-point outing, all while whipping the ball around the court right on the money from the point guard spot. He’s got a great feel for the game and makes things look effortless.

Isaac Hester (2023 | New Heights MHC)
The 6-foot-1 guard from the Ranney School (N.J.) earned an offer from Northern Illinois in February but is playing out the April live periods. Hester looked good both with the ball in his hands and off the ball. He likes to push in transition and he’s unafraid to attack the basket, using his strong body to make his way to the hoop and make an impact on defense. Hester scored 14 points and tallied three assists in a win over Kipps Bay, showing off his range with a pair of threes in the outing.

Damarius Owens (2024 | City Rocks 17U)
The Marquette commit, a 6-8 wing out of Western Reserve (Ohio), put on a show for City Rocks in its loss to Team Final, scoring 19 points in a variety of ‘wow’ ways. That included a couple big-time alley-oop slams; on another occasion, he passed up a dunk down the lane for a nifty up-and-under finish, just in case a big was closing, and made it look easy. Owens has a great handle for his size and good body control, throwing in a few spin moves as he attacked the bucket and making a couple jumpers while moving laterally, and he was solid on the glass.

Malachi Palmer (2024 | NY Rens 17U)
Palmer’s outing may have even outdone Harper’s during Saturday’s win over Philly Pride as he scored 26+ points in a variety of ways. The Harrisburg, Pa. native, who played his high school ball at Mt. Zion Prep (Md.) this past season, is a muscular 6-6 guard who bounces off defenders on his way to the hoop and got to the line three times as well as exploding for a slam. However, the high-major target and Top 100 recruit has got plenty of refinement to his game as well, showcasing his range with a pair of threes and his tough with a few floaters/runners and off-balanced shots. 

Nyle Ralph-Beyer (2024 | East Coast Power 17U)
The other Power player who stood out in their two half-watches was Ralph-Beyer, the 6-4 wing guard out of West Chester Henderson continuing to intrigue with his mix of size, length and shooting ability. More of a fluid athlete than a super-bouncy one, Ralph-Beyer knows how to get himself free for open shots and has a knack for getting weak-side rebounds, with good patience at and under the rim if he doesn’t have an easy put-back. As long as he keeps shooting it well, he’ll likely end up in these lists more often than not, though the next step is ensuring that doesn’t have to be the case.

Jason Schofield (2024 | PSA Cardinals 17U)
A 6-9 forward who just finished up his junior year at South Kent School (Conn.), Schofield was impressive from the get-go for the PSA Cardinals in a win over the NJ Panthers. The mobile ‘4’ man hit a couple 3-pointers to show his shooting range, a couple mid-range/baseline shots to show his feel, had a couple finishes at the rim to show his body control and touch around the bucket; he also made some nice post entry passes when playing at the top of the key, and generally didn’t force the issue, maximizing his touches instead of trying to do too much. He’s got quite a few mid-major offers plus Illinois, and outings like this one sure won’t hurt. 

Thomas Sorber (2024 | Team Final 17U)
Like Bethea, Sorber’s on an impressive run of both high-level play and consistency, the 6-9 forward playing his best hoops and clearly enjoying doing so, playing with more assertiveness and comfort on the court than ever before. He was a monster on the glass against the City Rocks, grabbing nine boards and ripping a few out of opponents’ hands, with three blocks and a couple steals in an all-around terrific defensive performance. Sorber’s offensive production, interestingly enough, came from deep as part of a sharpshooting Final outing, hitting a couple triples plus 3-of-4 from the line for his nine points. His ceiling continues to rise.

Jermai Stewart-Herring (2023 | Philly Pride 17U)
Roman Catholic’s senior is still looking for a college home, but he continues to produce while he does so. The 6-5 wing led Philly Pride in scoring in Saturday’s loss to NY Rens, quietly and not so quietly putting together another high scoring total. Stewart-Herring doesn’t demand the ball but he seems to have a knack for navigating his way into position for easy points and is typically  quite loud when he does put the ball through the hoop — often with a two-handed slam. There’s definitely a lot of value to someone who finds a way to get a handful of high percentage looks every time he’s on the floor and his consistency stands out on each watch.

Brandon Stores (2025 | NY Rens 16U)
Stores is a powerfully-built 6-4 guard from St. Raymond’s (N.Y.) in the Bronx. He finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, a pair of assists and a rejection in Saturday's win over Marston Elite, showing why he’s a nationally ranked prospect in his class. Stores’ strength is certainly driving to the hoop where he can muscle his way to the basket, earning a handful of trips to the line. But he also showcased his shooting, knocking down a long ball, and making a few tough looks in the midrange as well.

Devin Toatley (2026 | Team Melo 16U)
Playing up a year on a strong Melo 16U squad, Toatley was one of a group of players who had a solid game — quite a few are in the honorable mentions below — but something about the 5-11 guard bumped him up a notch. Physically strong for a player of his class, Toatley was almost impossible to be moved out of his spots, and he could get up and down the court in a blur; he finished with 12 points and four assists in a win over the Revolution 16s. Toatley got to the rim with ease going right or left, and his on-ball defense was a problem as well. The only thing he didn’t do well today was shoot the 3, but his shots looked good and were taken in rhythm with confidence, even if they didn’t go down.

Robert Wright III (2024 | Team Final 17U)
The Baylor commit, who’s known for his scoring abilities, went without a bucket for the most part of Final’s big win over the City Rocks, but dished out more than a handful of assists as he was content to play the role of true point guard. Then he turned on the scoring spout late, hitting a 3-pointer, a floater and a couple more buckets to finish with nine points, seven assists and four or five rebounds, plus a few other assorted stats, including a block. Wright III will spend his final year at Montverde Academy after previously starring at Neumann-Goretti. 

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Honorable Mention
Alfredo Addesa (2024 | Team Final 17U), Kiyan Anthony (2025 | Team Melo 16U), Tyler Betsey (2024 | NY Rens 17U), Jackson Bleecker (2024 | NJ Panthers), Moussa Camara (2023 | New Heights MHC), Brandon Dean (2024 | TBD), Jayden Elijah (2025 | Marston Elite 16U), Cam Fleming (2025 | Team Melo 16U), Nate Guerengomba (2024 | PSA Cardinals 17U), Izzy Millan (2023 | Kipps Bay 17U), Zaahir Muhammad Gray (2025 | Team Final Red 15U), Ryan Mulroy (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Ahmad Nowell (2024 | Team Final 17U), Aris Rodriguez (2023 | Team Final Red), Jacob Ross (2025 | Team Melo 16U), Reggie Selden Jr. (2024 | Philly Pride Select 17U), Cameron Smith (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Deywilk Tavares (2023 | Philly Pride Select 17U), Keyshaun Tillery (2025 | City Rocks 17U), Malik Washington (2025 | Team Melo 16U), Ryan Williams (2024 | Philly Pride 17U), Jaden Zimmerman (2024 | New Heights MHC)