City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Hoop Group helped kick off the July live periods with the start of the AC Jam Fest this week, a three-day tournament to set up the final Hoop Group Summer League events of the season. A couple hundred teams and a couple thousand players filled the 30-plus courts at the Atlantic City City Convention Center throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday  in front of all levels of college coaches.

The CoBL staff was on hand throughout Friday’s final day of games in AC to take in some of the action. Here are our standouts from Day 3 in AC:

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Ethan Benne (2024 | LA Elite 17U)
A mobile ‘4’ man, Benne can get a lot done, which he showed in a losing effort in a 17U gold semifinal on Friday afternoon. The athletic 6-5 forward scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds (two offensive), doing everything from stretching the floor (two 3s) to scoring around the rim, while showing he could create his own shot. Benne had a couple impressive driving layups where he seemed to get from the 3-point line to the rim in one long stride, leaning in to get the ball up and through the hoop; he’s got a nice jump shot and good defensive timing (three blocks) to boot, with a frame that suggests he can add some serious muscle in college. 

Raydelh Boutin (2024 | All in Beasts 16U)
In a well-rounded performance for the Beasts, Boutin made a few critical plays that helped his squad take down the Scholars. The 5-11 point guard finished with 12 points without putting up a ton of shots. He has an impressive floater he used on multiple occasions, showed off some craftiness in the lane and hit a triple with his smooth lefty shooting stroke. He didn’t rack up assists but kept the ball moving on the offensive end. Boutin’s biggest plays of the game came on the defensive end. He used solid guarding positions to pick up a pair of charges late in the game that helped change the tide of the game.

Antonio Brittain (2025 | Penn Warriors 16U)
Brittain had a strong game for the Warriors in a Sunday morning consolation-bracket game, putting up a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead his team to a 10-point win over a quality NJ Panthers squad. Brittain, a 6-5 forward from Monsignor Farrell (N.Y.), got great positioning on the block over and over and his teammates kept finding him, knowing they could trust him to catch and finish with ease (8-12 FG, 3-4 FT). When guarded in the mid-high post, Brittain showed he could put the ball on the floor and make a move around a defender to get to the rim with either hand, as he moves well and has good footwork. Also added two steals and a block in the win.

Oscar Edelman (2024 | Mass Rivals 17U)
The 6-9 big man dominated down low in a 79-55 blowout win over the Jersey Celtics. Edelman finished with 22 points, most of which came in the paint. Edelman used his body well to seal off defenders, catching the ball deep in the paint, giving himself easy looks. Edelman moves well for someone his size, which allows him to be effective as a roll man. His teammates did a good job of finding him while also using him as a decoy at times to get themselves open looks because of the attention he garnered. Edelman also showed off his touch from the mid range in a couple of pick and pop scenarios and knocked down all six of his free throw attempts.

Isaiah Gore (2026 | Team Final Black 15U)
Gore did his best to propel Team Final Black to the 15U Platinum championship, but he and his teammates fell just short despite his 20-point effort. He looked impossible to stop at times, which had spectators consistently imploring Final Red’s players to find him on the defensive end. He pulled up into a pair of three and knocked down several pull-up jumpers in the midrange as well and added a tough turn around in the lane for good measure. Gore, a 6-2 guard from Trenton Catholic (N.J.), has some speed that showed up in transition as well as breaking down defenders to get to the hoop in the halfcourt. He was active on the glass too, pulling down quite a few boards.

Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL

Alex Hermann (2024 | Eastern PA Elite 17U)
Hermann (above) had a terrific game as Eastern PA Elite downed LA Elite in a 17U gold bracket semifinal, going for 17 points and 10 rebounds (three offensive) plus a couple dimes in the 53-49 victory. The 6-4 guard from Methacton got it all done by attacking the rim off the bounce, finishing a high number of tough layups — through, around, and over traffic, sometimes needing to grab his own miss and muscle it back up, contorting his body in all sorts of ways. He showed he could do it at odd angles, with either hand, no matter what was thrown his way.

Cory Hogan (2026 | PA Hoops Academy 15U)
Hogan missed the first handful of shots he took in the PAHA’s win over the Long Island Lightning in a consolation game Friday afternoon, but the 6-3 wing out of Conestoga never stopped plugging away; he finished the game with 18 points, including a pair of second-half 3-pointers. But it wasn’t his scoring that stood out — his playmaking (six assists) was what first drew notice, as he made several good passes for assists from different spots, whether that was handling the rock in transition, or out of the low and high post. Hogan’s got a little ‘forward’ to his game, with a sturdy build, and he used that to his advantage to crash the glass.

Dior Kennedy (2024 | PA Coalition 17U)
Kennedy, a 6-3 guard from Coatesville, is incredibly fun to watch on the defensive end. When the occasion presents itself, he’ll challenge opposing ball handlers to try to beat him 94 feet. He shifts his feet really well and has great length at the guard position that make him a defensive stopper. Off the ball, he’s instinctive as well, which led to a few steals and fastbreak layups. He scored 14 in Coalition’s win over the LI Lightning, knocking down a three and also getting to the line. It was nice to see him rack up five assists as well, whether that was a one-more pass in the halfcourt or dumping off/lobbing to one of the team’s forwards after a drive.

Alex Massung (2024 | NJ Panthers 17U)
Massung had no fear while almost leading an impressive comeback against Team Wildcat, falling 72-69. Massung used his quick first step to get to the rim with ease, finishing with a game-high 24 points. The point guard constantly got by whoever was put in front of him, absorbing contact at the rim, getting to the free throw line 10 times, knocking down eight of his attempts. With a few minutes left, Massung had a late game spurt when the Panthers were down double digits. Massung got them within three and a chance to tie. With the ball in his hands, he gave the ball up for an open look which didn’t fall at the buzzer.

Deuce Maxey (2025 | Team Final Red EYBL 16U)
Maxey can heat up in an instant, and he got hot and stayed hot to help lead Team Final Red to the 16U platinum title in Atlantic City. The 6-2 guard with a couple D-I offers in his pocket went for 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting (2-4 3PT), knocking down a couple deep triples, knifing to the hoop and hitting a few pull-up jumpers. The bouncy combo guard also chipped in three rebounds, two assists and a couple steals, his athleticism allowing him to get loose in transition a couple times, though he got most of his damage done in the half court.

Terrence Moultrie (2026 | Team Final Red EYBL 15U)
Moultrie, a 6-foot-3 wing/guard, plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Pair that with his athletic ability and talent and that makes for a consistent contributor. Moultrie, who plays his high school hoops at Archbishop Spalding (N.Y.), finished in double figures of both of Team Final Red’s wins Friday to earn one of the 15U Platinum bracket championships. His strength is getting to the basket — as well as finishing once he gets there. He used his driving abilities to drive and kick in both games as well. The energy and enthusiasm and physical traits show up on the defensive end as well, where he can guard out on the perimeter or play big against inside. 

Zaahir Muhammad-Gray (2026 | Team Final Red EYBL 15U)
Muhammad-Gray doesn’t do anything fancy on the court, but he doesn’t need to in order to be productive. The 6-6, 195-pound Imhotep wing/forward plays hard, takes (and makes) open shots, rebounds well, and makes the right pass; he’s not tremendously skilled with the ball and doesn’t have elite size, but he just makes up for it with hoops IQ and work ethic, plus a good bit of natural athleticism and length. In Team Final Red’s semifinal win over Philly Revolution, Muhammad-Gray contributed 17 points 6-of-8 shooting, hitting one of his two 3-point attempts, with seven rebounds, plus two assists, a steal and a block. Given the Panthers’ history of developing talent, expect his game to expand.

Ben Natal (2025 | York Ballers 16U)
Natal led a strong group effort by the York Ballers in the championship game, though they were without a few key members due to injuries. The 6-1 guard from Central York went for 15 points, getting to the hoop over and over, no easy feat against a high-level Team Final backcourt; he was 7-of-11 from the floor, finishing through contact the few times he wasn’t able to wiggle free for an open layup, using his playmaking threat to space the floor and beat his man off the dribble.

Khalid Ousmane (2025 | Team Final Red EYBL 16U)
Ousmane was an eye-opener on Wednesday and put together an even more dominant outing Friday against Philly Revolution as he piled up 19+ points, 8+ rebounds and 6+ blocks. The 6-foot-7 forward eliminates quite a bit on the defensive end as he came over, seemingly out of nowhere, to reject a number of Revolution shots. He was aggressive on the offensive end as well, putting the ball on the deck to get to the hole and showing off a nice mid-range shot. He has some great feet and feel inside as well, using a spin move to get a good luck inside — and of course he can stuff in some easy ones with a two-hand slam as well when he works his way free in the lane.

Timmy Rahill (2024 | PA Royals 17U)
The Council Rock South standout exploded for 27 points to help the Royals take down 4Ever Focused and close their time in AC with a 2-2 mark. Rahill, a 6-2 guard, carved up the defense as a driver. He was efficient with his dribble, finding the holes in the defense to get good looks at the rim. Rahill drove from the top of the key, ripped baseline and zig-zagged across the lane with ease. He was at the rim the entire game, shooting 12 free throws (10-for-12). When it comes to his offensive back, Rahill also knocked down a floater and canned a triple. He’s an engaged defender as well staying in an athletic stance even when off the ball.

Luke Skaljac (2024 | Ohio Buckets 17U)
The crafty lefty was one of the main sources of offense for his team in a tightly contested 57-52 loss against Team New England. Skaljac navigated the pick and roll well, using screens to get defenders on his hip before shielding them off. The point guard finished with 15 points, showing off his ability to know down tough contested jumpers. All three of his 3-pointers were heavily guarded but Skaljac got just enough separation to get his shot off. Despite not being one of the taller players on the court, Skaljac has a good understanding of angles, allowing him to make up for his lack of height.

Jake West (2025 | Team Final Red EYBL 16U)
Though West draws crowds to his game due to his impressive TikTok following, there’s no doubt the 6-2 guard has game to match. West was always talented with the ball in his hands but he’s really emphasizing his role as a point guard, dishing out six assists to go along with 13 points and a steal in the 16U title game. West was efficient with his touches (5-7 FG, 2-3 FT, 1-2 3PT), but it was his court vision and playmaking that stood out, as he made some tough passes, and every dish he makes is right on the money.

Honorable Mention
Torrey Brooks (2026 | Team Final Red EYBL 15U), Connor Cahill (2026 | PA Hoops Academy 15U), Jaen Chatman (2025 | NJ Panthers 16U), Kody Colson (2026 | Team Final Red EYBL 15U), Shelton Colwell (2025 | NJ Panthers 16U), Reece Craft (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Anthony Daddazio (2024 | Eastern PA Elite 17U), Milan Dean Jr. (2025 | Team Final Red EYBL 16U), Kasey Fleming (2026 | Philly Revolution 16U), Wayne Fletcher (2025 | York Ballers 16U), Quinn Gibson (2025 | Penn Warriors 16U), Bowen Gugger (2024 | PA Royals 17U), Isaiah Henderson (2024 | All in Beasts 16U), Kodi Johnson (2024 | PA Coalition 17U), Owen Kelly (2026 | Philly Revolution 15U), Brandon Leaks (2024 | 4Ever Focused Elite 17U), Max Liebsky (2024 | Eastern PA Elite 17U), Mikey Mita (2026 | Team Final Black 15U), Ryan Mulroy (2025 | Penn Warriors 16U), Zyaire Simmons (2024 | All in Beasts 16U), Manny Joe-Samuel (2025 | NJ Scholars 16U), Chase Smucker (2025 | York Ballers 16U), Carter Wamsley (2025 | York Ballers 16U), Ian Williams (2026 | NJ Scholars 16U), Declan Wucherpfennig (2025 | All in Beasts 16U)