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2023 Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest Day 1 Standouts (April 28)

04/28/2023, 11:15pm EDT
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)

MANHEIM — The Hoop Group hosts its second and final spring live period event this weekend with the Spring Jam Fest at Spooky Nook where a number of local and out-of-town grassroots programs as well as Division I, II and III coaches descend Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

CoBL was there for most of the day to put our eyes on some of the talent there. Here’s who stood out to the CoBL staff on games we watched on Friday:

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More Coverage
Day 1 Standouts | Day 2 Standouts / Day 3 Standouts (Pt. 1) / Day 3 Standouts (Pt. 2) / Recruiting Notebook (Pt. 1) / Recruiting Notebook (Pt. 2) / Recruiting Notebook (Pt. 3) / Recruiting Notebook (Pt. 4) / Recruiting Notebook (Pt. 5)

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Azmar Abdullah (2024 | BCRI 17U HGSL)

Azmar Abdullah (2024 | BCRI 17U HGSL)
Abdullah was named the Rhode Island Gatorade State Player of the Year after a standout 2022-23 campaign at Bishop Hendricken HS (R.I.) and will finish out his high school career at Vermont Academy next season. The 6-3 guard poured in 24 points in a win over BW Elite. He did most of his damage from outside, knocking down five threes off the bounce and catch-and-shoot. He was able to get into the paint too with a tight handle and strength and explosiveness to finish when he did get inside. He showed off some ability to play make for his teammates as well, zipping the ball around the court.

Darius Adams (2025 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U)
One of a few shoe company programs whose non-17U squads are partaking in the event, the Cardinals’ 16s are playing up in one of the top 17U brackets, though they’ve got to play in a couple early-round games before playing the HGSL’s top squads. Adams helped the NY-based, Nike-backed program to a 60-38 win over a Legendz Athletics squad from the western part of PA, the 6-4 guard from Manasquan (N.J.) scoring from all over the court, with a smooth pull-up jumper, and he was also great in transition, getting to the hoop; every high-major from the NY metropolitan area is already involved, with more calling after last weekend’s EYBL stop.

James Anderson (2024 | PA Hoops Academy 17U HGSL)
Following a positive high school season at Unionville, Anderson proved his talent once again. His understanding and awareness of the game were excellent and he rarely tries to force a shot. His ability to handle the ball effectively and quickly made him get to the rim quickly and when an open layup wasn’t possible, he threw one-handed passes to the corner to get his teammates open shots. His shooting form looked good and he made a few in Friday’s game. On the offensive side he is always in motion and seems extremely confident in transition.

Tarik Bicic (2023 | Shoreshots Rio HGSL 17U)
The 6-5 guard/wing from Rutherford HS (N.J.) did a little bit of everything for the Shoreshots in a win over New World, tallying 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. He was aggressive on the glass, using his size to pile up the boards. On offense, he was fearless taking the ball to the hoop, welcoming contact every time he made his way to the hoop. He had the ball in his hands quite a bit and set up his teammates well too, using his height to help open up passing lanes and finding open teammates after collapsing the defense.

Jackson Bleecker (2024 | NJ Panthers 17U)
The Seton Hall Prep guard has piled up quite a few impressive outings this spring and continued that on Friday. Only caught a half of Bleecker’s performance in NJ Panthers’ overtime win over Global Squad, but it was more than enough to earn a spot on this list. The 6-? Guard finished with 17 points during that time, including a three as time expired to send his team to overtime and another one in the extra period to win it. He had five long balls in front of the CoBL staff and added a left handed finish in transition. 

Darius Brant (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U)
Brant impressed in the first set of the day, his mark felt all over a five-point showcase game loss to the NY Lightning. The William Allen (Pa.) rising senior has a college-ready body and a scholarship-level frame at 6-5, and he’s bouncy/twitchy as well. The left-hander didn’t connect on a couple attempts from deep but clearly preferred to operate out of the mid-range, where he knocked down a floater with ease and otherwise got to the bucket, where he finished with both hands; defensively, his most impressive play was a leaping weak-side block. 

Jayden Brown (2024 | New World 17U)
Brown is a long, strong 6-6 guard/wing who used both his length and strength to lead New World with 16 points against Shoreshots. He made a few tough, off-balanced shots and knocked down a triple, but he was most effective when he was using his physical attributes to attack the basket off the bounce. He got to the line three times, which included finishing an and-one. His long arms helped him poke the ball away for two steals on defense as well

Dante Depante (2023 | Shoreshots Rio HGSL 17U)
Depante, who played his high school hoops at Central Catholic in Pittsburgh, certainly looked the part of a college player against New World with 14 points and five boards. He’s a 6-4 wing/ guard who hit three triples and was also adept at driving to the basket and gave the Shoreshots another tall playmaker on the perimeter who was an asset on the glass as well.

Anthony Follett (2023 | LI Lightning HGSL 17U)
When Follett has a little bit of space from behind the arc he does not hesitate. In the game against Penn Warriors, he always seemed comfortable and in control. When his teammates were struggling to find pace and space through the offense, they would immediately give it to Follett outside the 3-point line. He started the game off with 3 threes and when the defense was not letting him shoot, he drove to the basket in a straight line and only a few power dribbles to get layups and get fouled. He ended with 25 points. His shot fake was impressive too, with many defenders jumping on his effective fake. His best play of the game was a drive to the basket with a quick spin to get an easy layup. 

Connor Fleet (2024 | East Coast Power HGSL 17U)
The ECP’s main 17s squad looked quite good in a 77-63 win over the Middlesex Magic’s HGSL 17s, which is why there’s quite a few of them in these standouts and honorable mentions. Fleet had an efficient 14 points, doing his usual scoring from an assortment of areas — a 3-pointer here, an and-one there, a step-through scooping layup past a defender, a blow-by dribble-drive into a reverse. And he didn’t even need to get his usually-reliable mid-range jumper going either. Also chipped in a couple dimes and a couple assists.


Luke Fryer (2024 | ECP-Danzig 17U)

Luke Fryer (2024 | ECP-Danzig 17U)
The ECP’s secondary 17U group picked up a 64-55 win over Crown Gold in one of the main 17U brackets’ first round on Friday afternoon, and Fryer was a big part in making that happen. The 5-10 guard from Owen J. Roberts is super-quick and crafty with the ball in his hands, and he uses that foot speed to his benefit defensively, where he bothered opposing ballhandlers all game long, forcing them into numerous turnovers or just preventing them from getting to where they wanted to go. Fryer’s at his best getting to the rim, where he can finish in all sorts of ways, and he’s got a reliable spin move in the lane. 

Kabrien Goss (2024 | Jersey Force HGSL)
In the win over New England, Goss had the crowd on court 1 go crazy a few times. The atmosphere was electric as the 5-7 point guard was doing everything his coach asked him to do… and more. He started the game with a few 3s and one of them was in stepback over a way taller defender. He never forced shots and his first concern was finding the open teammate. But when needed, he would attack the rim with confidence and somehow always found a way to find the end of the net even if he was the shortest player on the court. Nobody could block him. Even more remarkable was his defensive strength. When the New England’s players tried to post him up he wouldn’t move a single step. Lastly, he showed great passing skills in transition. 

Josiah Hutson (2025 | K-Low Elite Black 15U)
It took a little while for Hutson and K-Low to get going, but once he decided to attack the basket there was no stopping the 5-7 Cheltenham guard as he spearheaded a comeback win. Hutson finished with 22 points, breaking down his man with ease consistently in the second half, when he scored 18 of his points. He left some meat on the bone at the free throw line, but made six trips and probably deserved a couple more on some tough finishes through contact. Hutson was really good at pushing the ball in transition, passing the ball up ahead for easy buckets. The quick guard was a pest on the defensive end as well, picking pockets for five steals in the game.

Larenzo Jerkins (2024 | BW Elite HGSL 17U)
Jerkins couldn't play this season at Neumann-Goretti due to a PIAA ruling after his transfer to Chester, so the 6-5 wing forward is making the most of his opportunity to be back on the floor. He has a motor that keeps him going on the boards — he had eight in a loss to BCRI — or attacking on the offensive end. He had 15 points, mostly via his earned trips to the line and drives to the hoop, though he did look smooth on the jumpers he attempted. Jerkins’ effort, energy and athleticism, combined with his instincts added three steals to round out an impressive outing.


Omari Moore (2025 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U)

Omari Moore (2025 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U)
Joining Adams with a strong game in that win over Legendz was Moore, a lanky, bouncy, 6-3 combo guard who was the personification of the word slasher in this game. Moore was blowing by defenders left and right to get into the lane, where he was playing off two feet, finding cutters, dishing to bigs or just finishing the play outright, favoring his right hand — though nobody could really stop him from getting to the rim anyways. Moore is an energetic defender who likes to play right up into his man and forced a number of transition buckets going the other way.

Chike Ndefo (2024 | Crown 17U)
Ndefo is a strongly built 6-foot-7 forward who piled up 12 points, 10 boards and three blocks in a win over Philly Revolution on Friday, showing some dominant flashes inside. He’s a handful to handle in the paint whether that’s him powering his way to the bucket or on the glass. He put the ball on the deck a few times too to drive to the cup and also used a few post moves to get easy buckets. He’s not a plodder either, able to defend out on the wing and he can be an eraser on the back end of a defense. He didn’t knock any jumpers down but showed off good form and confidence when attempting to stretch hsi range.

Andrew Phillips (2024 | East Coast Power HGSL 17U)
Phillips’ jumper was silky smooth on Friday night, as the 6-4 wing from Malvern Prep had several high-arcing shots that seemed to pass through the bucket without even touching the net or making a sound. Whether it was from the mid-range or a 3-pointer (he only attempted two from deep), Phillips was making shots, compiling 19 points in the win over the Magic, but he also grabbed three boards and dished out three assists. His mid-range pull-up is a great asset, but he also had a great left-handed finish over a defender. His first offer, from D-II Jefferson, came in this week, with other high-level D-IIs keeping a close eye.

Nyle Ralph-Beyer (2024 | East Coast Power HGSL 17U)
Fresh off his first Division I offer, Ralph-Beyer showed why Sacred Heart became the first to extend a scholarship, as the 6-4 guard from West Chester Henderson knocked down three 3-pointers as part of a 13-point, six-rebound, two-assist effort in the win over the Middlesex Magic. Ralph-Beyer’s offensive game is just smooth; he’s never rushed in taking a shot, and even his one-dribble pull-up feels like it’s measured and paced, one long stride into a fluid rise and fire. As long as he continues to make shots at an efficient clip, he looks every bit the D-I off-guard.


Julian Sadler (2024 | Penn Warriors HGSL 17U)

Julian Sadler (2024 | Penn Warriors HGSL 17U)
After showing his full potential in Pittsburgh last week, Sadler didn’t disappoint in Spooky Nook as well. Sadler, a 6-2 point guard from Perkiomen Valley, exhibited his ability to score in the paint, the mid-range and behind the arc. Every time he attacked the rim he either got fouled, scored a layup using a Eurostep or found his teammates in the corner for an open three. It was impressive to see that he didn’t suffer hard physicality from his defenders and was able to get an and-one multiple times. When in control of the ball he is always very patient and makes the right choice. It was rare to see him make the wrong decision. Lastly, his ball handling was one of the most impressive of the day

Seydou Traore (2023 | NY Lightning HGSL 17U)
Certainly one of the most physically impressive available ‘23s in the whole event, Traore is a powerfully-built 6-7 wing, but he’s much more than just a bully-baller. The Our Savior Lutheran (N.Y.) product brought the ball up quite a bit for the Lightning, and he’s got a steady handle as well as the ability to create his own shot, rising up and knocking down numerous 3-pointers as well as mid-range jumpers, and he made some nice passes on the move. And yes, when he had a size mismatch, he had no problem getting positioning in the post for an easy layup.

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Honorable Mention
Henry Bickford (2024 | Middlesex Magic HGSL 17U), Ron Brown (2024 | Philly Revolution 17U), Laquan Byrd (2024 | BW Elite HGSL 17U), Aasim ‘Flash’ Burton (2024 | East Coast Power 17U), Kevin Cotton (2024 | East Coast Power Danzig 17U), Brandon Dean (2024 | NJ PanthersHGSL 17U), Sebastian Edwards (2025 | East Coast Power 16U), Samuel Fabian (2024 | Legendz Elite Williams 17U), Luca Foster (2026 | K-Low Elite Black 15U), Reggie Grodin (2025 | NY Lightning HGSL 17U), Roderick Jones III (2024 | Crown 17U), Dior Kennedy (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U), Jack Leonard (2025 | Drago Army Red 16U), Miles Longacre (2024 | East Coast Power Danzig 17U), Hunter Matteson (2024 | Middlesex Magic HGSL 17U), Kevin McCarthy (2024 | Philly Revolution 17U), Kayden Mingo (2025 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U), Anderson Pollack (2025 | Dragon Army Red 16U), Kosta Radulovic (2024 | Shoreshots Rio 17U HGSK), Josh Reed (2024 | Philly Revolution 17U), Christian Stephens (2024 | New World 17U), Luke Soden (2024 | Middlesex Magic HGSL 17U), Leo Vlogianitis (2024 Crown 17U), Eze Wali (2024 | BCRI 17U HGSL)


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