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2023 Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest Notebook (Pt. 1) (April 28)

04/29/2023, 5:00pm EDT
By Owen McCue & Josh Verlin

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 Friday to put our eyes on some of the talent there. Here’s a notebook of some of the prospect we talked to at the event:

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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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Andrew Phillips, 2023 East Coast Power

Andrew Phillips (2023 | East Coast Power HGSL 17U)

For the last two years, Phillips has been focused on one thing: getting a full-ride scholarship to play basketball in college. As his time to make a college decision came to its end, Phillips’ best option was a walk-on spot at Delaware, putting him on a Division I roster though without the significant savings on the cost of his college education.

Phillips’ playing two final grassroots tournaments with the Power this April have paid off, as he got that full ride he was looking for this week, from Jefferson University head coach Jimmy Reilly

“For me, I’ve always wanted to get the full ride,” the Malvern Prep senior and Inter-Ac MVP said. “Now that I’ve got my first one — and I actually like the school, and the coaches and the players, and it’s good basketball, it’s really in consideration. I think the walk-on would be a good backup [plan] if everything didn’t work out, but I’m taking the free school any day. Just helping my family out, that’s my dream.”

Phillips was able to visit Jefferson’s East Falls campus on Wednesday, having played in a couple events in the Gallagher Center gym on Henry Ave. but never really getting to explore the campus, nestled within the residential, suburb-esque Northwest Philly neighborhood. 

“I’d just been to the gym so I thought it was really small, but once we walked around it’s actually really nice,” he said. “Not too small, but a decent size but you can still walk around and stuff [...] I liked it.”

Jefferson isn’t the only school Phillips heard from this weekend: several other high-level Division II programs, including Saint Anselm (N.H.), Southern New Hampshire and Bentley (Mass.) also touched base, but it seems like their time is running out if they want to get involved.

Phillips didn’t hurt his case for further offers with a 19-point outing on Saturday afternoon, the 6-4 wing knocking down numerous jump shots that never even touched the rim, his mid-range and 3-point shot looking smooth as butter, and he added a bunch of boards and dimes to boot. A deep run in the tournament for East Coast Power is the best way to get more eyes on the team, and that’s all it takes.

“You never know, someone could see me play and take a chance,” Phillips said. “I’ll say after this weekend I’ll make my decision towards the end of the week.” — Josh Verlin

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Zach Campebll, 2024 BW Elite

Zach Campbell (2024 | BW Elite 17U)

Campbell walked into the David L. Lawrence Convention Center at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last weekend a bit awestruck. He’d never seen so many teams in one place or had so many college coaches sitting along the sidelines of one of his games.

“I got nervous, but once we got on the court I calmed down and let my game do the talking,” Campbell said.

The Dobbins Tech standout didn’t play AAU last season, instead playing in summer leagues with his Mustangs teammates, but a friend told him to come to BW Elite's tryouts earlier this spring and he earned a spot on the team.

Campbell was one of the breakout stars in the Philadelphia Public League this season, averaging 17.0 ppg and 6.9 rpg and earning All-Pub honorable mention for a Mustangs squad that went 25-3 and advanced to the Public League semifinals and state playoffs.

“It was a great season, and we’re coming back again next year,” said Campbell, a 6-4 guard/wing.

Campbell only knew Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Jahseir Sayles and Jaden Colzie before making the team, but everyone else has become like “family” since. The group went 6-0 in their first weekend, winning the 2023 Pitt Jam Fest 17u Platinum Steeler bracket.

He’s a big guard who can shoot it (40 percent this season at Dobbins) and also has the strength to play down low. He rebounds the ball well and can drive to the basket and gives a lot of efforts on the boards and defense end as well.

Campbell’s focus is improving on driving/finishing with both hands and making his shot more consistent. He will be the team’s go-to guy next season with senior forward and second team All-Public League selection Kareem Diaz (a former BW Elite player) heading to Cheyney.

“I’m looking forward to it, but it’s going to be tough,” he added. “Everybody’s going to be watching me, so I have to lift up my game.”

His role is a little different on the BW Elite squad that has plenty of talent in the backcourt. He said he’s trying to focus on doing the little things, boxing out and rebounding to make sure he gets as much time on the floor as possible.

Campbell said he hasn’t had college coaches reach out yet, but he should have no problem finding a place to continue his career at the end of next season like Diaz if he continues to improve.

“The looks that Kareem got, they were watching me too,” Campbell said. — Owen McCue

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Quadri Bashiru (2025 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U)

As a still-growing 13-year-old, Bashiru posted videos of himself working out on Instagram in his home country of Nigeria, a gangly young teen who grew up playing soccer and badminton but was now learning how to play hoops. 

Just a few years later, he’s finishing up his sophomore year at the Hill School, where the 6-10 forward has plans to take a major step forward into his upperclassman years after playing a reserve role in his first season at the Pottstown boarding school. The Blues graduate Justin Molen, Josh Cameron and Augie Gerhart all from their frontcourt, leaving the door wide open for Bashiru to glide on into the starting ‘5’ role. 

“I’m working on my post moves, shooting form, lifting [weights] because I have a big role to play next year,” he said. 

Still growing into his body, Bashiru is an energetic post player who runs the floor hard, making his biggest impact at the moment as a shot-alterer and rebounder; he’s mostly a put-back presence offensively, needing to get more consistent with catching and finishing to be a more effective low-block offensive option.

Under the direction of Seth Eilberg, Bashiru felt like he made big strides after transferring in from West Nottingham Academy (Md.), and now he’s got an opportunity for even further development this summer with PSA Cardinals. Playing on an EYBL squad gives him the chance to play other posts his size in nearly every game at the Nike events, something he doesn’t always see in high school, even in the high-level Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL).

“I think that’s the best way to compete, playing with big guys,” he said. “I want to get better at everything: my post moves, jump shots, rebound at a high level, blocking shots with no fouls. Those are the things I’m trying to work on.”

Bashiru — who also does high jump and long jump for the Hill’s track and field team — picked up his first offer this season, from Longwood; he said Bucknell and Davidson have also been to workouts to check him out.

“It just showed me how improved I am from last year until now, last year I didn’t have any schools looking at me, so this year I’m improving.” — Josh Verlin

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Jaden Murray, left, and Rocco Morabito, 2024 Philly Revolution

Jaden Murray & Rocco Morabito (2024 | Philadelphia Revolution 17U)

While Thomas Sorber and Darren Williams are the two stars for Archbishop Ryan in the Philadelphia Catholic League, the development of another two Ryan teammates could be the key in the Raiders’ quest for PCL and PIAA titles next season.

Murray, a 6-6 wing, averaged 3.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg, while Morabito averaged 7.0 ppg and 2.2 apg for Ryan as juniors this past season, which ended with a quarterfinal trip in the PCL playoffs and a semifinal trip in the PIAA Class 5A tournament.

Point guard Zaire Paris will soon graduate, but the return of Sorber, Williams, Morabito and Murray certainly puts the Raiders among the very early favorites for both championships next season — particularly if that core continues to grow.

“It’s going to be really important,” Murray said. “With us, if we’re scoring for Ryan and we got Thomas and Darren scoring for Ryan, that will help us get to the championship and I think we can win it too.”

Murray, who said East Stroudsburg has reached out, is a long wing who flashed some range throughout the high school season and is trying to continue improving as a shooter with the Revolution this summer. He’s also trying to hunt his shots more to show off some of his scoring ability.

It’s an important summer after he was injured during the AAU season last year.

“Now, I get a chance to play and showcase what I can do now in front of all these coaches that come out to my games,” Murray said.

Morabito is confident his teammate has plenty more to showcase.

“I know him. He can do so much more on the court for Ryan,” Morabito said of Murray. “I don’t think last year he showed his full potential and I know he can do a lot more, so next year I think he’s going to do really well.”

Morabito said Navy, Binghamton and Columbia have made contact with him. He talked to Lafayette last summer and was invited to the Leopards’ prospect camp. A strong 6-3 guard, who can get into the lane, his focus is refining his 3-point stroke and working on his offhand. 

Revolution started its spring by winning the 17U Platinum title at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last weekend. The goal for Morabito and Murray is to add a few more titles to their resume with the Revolution this summer before doing the same with Ryan.

“Win this tournament, win the next one, just compete and play our best,” Morabito said. — Owen McCue

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Raijon Dispensa (2024 | Shoreshots Rio HGSL 17U)

A chance encounter on social media had Dispensa, a former standout at Shipley School, playing out of the area this past season.

National Christian Academy (Md.) head coach Angelo Hernandez stumbled upon the 6-foot-9 forward’s Twitter last offseason and checked out his Hudl highlights. Not long after Dispensa was enrolling at the boarding school in Fort Washington, Md.

“He called, and I came down for a visit and liked it and I just wanted to play higher-level, high competition basketball,” Dispensa said.

It’s pretty difficult to one-up the Friends Schools League, which featured Duke forward Dereck Lively during Dispensa’s two years at Shipley and had big men like Westtown’s Matt Gilhool, Friends Select’s Christian Kirkland (Youngstown State) and George School Kachi Nzeh (Xavier), but Dispensa said he wanted a new challenge this year.

That challenge came both on and off the court.

“I got to grow up a little bit,” Dispensa said. “Being away from home, I didn’t have my mom with me. It was good to figure out what it’s like not being home, having to handle yourself. You gotta figure out.”

Dispensa and National Christian went 18-15 playing a schedule that took them to different parts of the country multiple times. He wasn’t the top dog as wings Kris Mickens and Turner Harris (Delaware State) led the team in scoring, but Dispensa excelled in his role, averaging 7.1 ppg and a team-high 5.0 rpg, 

“I understood more how to play within a role,” Dispensa said. “ I was more used to being the guy at Shipley. I had free reign on the court. I had to learn how to play with other good players.”

Dispensa said he’s on the radar of some Ivy and Patriot League programs, mentioning Brown, Lehigh and Penn. He was on Lehigh’s campus last summer.

He practiced with the Shoreshots for the first time on Thursday as an injury kept him out most of the spring. He hopes to play his way into a scholarship opportunity this AAU season then chase a championship at National Christian next winter.

“For the summer, I just want to find a school to go to, get a scholarship,” Dispensa said. “And then next year we lost in the league semis to Grace Brethren Christian and it was a sidestep buzzer beater from half court, so I think we can run it back. We have pretty much the same team returning besides two seniors, so I think we can go ahead and win it.” — Owen McCue

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Jackson Bleecker, 2024 NJ Panthers

Jackson Bleecker (2024 | NJ Panthers 17U)

After a standout senior season at Seton Hall Prep, Bleecker has strung together several impressive performances this spring. The 6-4 guard/wing was recognized as a standout at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last week and continued his strong play on Friday, which included knocking down a three as time expired to force overtime and hitting the game-winner in OT in a win.

“I treat every shot as if it’s a big shot,” Bleecker said. “It was in a clutch-time moment, but I didn’t really feel anything. I just knew every shot is a big shot, and I just do my best to help my team out. They set me up when I’m open, and coach sets me up, puts me in good spots to score and I just hit the shots.”

Bleecker is taking a postgrad year at the Hotchkiss School (Conn.) next season. He said he heard from Columbia before the live periods began but hasn’t had much college interest yet — noting his academic and athletic profiles would be a good fit for the Patriot and Ivy Leagues.

His standout trait is his shooting ability, which he said really started to blossom once he got to high school. Every day after school he puts up 300 to 500 makes in the Seton Hall Prep gym, incorporating a lot of movement in his shooting drills.

“It’s just kind of what I expect because I work hard,” Bleecker said. “I expect myself to be able to shoot well and be able to create with my team.”

The goal this summer to become more dangerous off the bounce and make his game more three-dimensional. On the other side of the ball he hopes to use his size and athleticism in the backcourt to become a “shut down player,” also mentioning that he is working on his strength.

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Quick Hits

Seydou Traore (2023 | NY Lightning HGSL 17U) put on a show Friday afternoon to open up the weekend, the 6-7, 210-pound wing scoring from all over the court — knocking down 3’s, hitting mid-range shots and a floater, getting to the bucket — and grabbing rebounds, playing some point. The available senior said he has one Division I offer, from Coastal Carolina, while also has heard from D-IIs Gannon and Lincoln; he said the only visit he has planned, however, is to Midland (Tex.) College, a junior college, and JUCO remains an option. A decision, he said, is coming next week.

Adelphe Cisse (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U) is taking a prep year upon graduation from Trinity (Pa.) and going up to Choate Academy (Conn.), where the 6-7 forward will try to prove himself a scholarship-level player. Cisse said he had plenty of D-III interest coming out of Trinity this year, where he helped the Shamrocks into the PIAA 3A semifinals, including Alvernia, Elizabethtown and Penn College, but he’d rather take a year to work on his basketball skills and his academics to get himself in the best possible shape for college. A 6-7, 205-pound combo forward, Cisse has a solid mid-range game but makes the biggest impact through his hustle, rebounding, and scoring around the bucket.

Luke Fryer (2024 | East Coast Power Danzig 17U) showed why he’s got plenty of Division III programs on him already as the talented 5-10, 150-pound lead guard had a big impact in a win over Crown Basketball Gold on Friday afternoon. Fryer’s quick feet help him burst to the hoop offensively and stay in front of bigger guards defensively, and he’s bouncy and puts in good effort on the glass. Washington (Md.), Eastern, Ursinus, Wilkes and Arcadia were among the group that have talked to him so far, and there were plenty of small-college types watching their game on Friday.


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