City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Manalapan, N.J. — Marquee Hoops brought together a strong contingent of teams from the MHC and elsewhere to Sportika this weekend for the Summer Jumpoff to finish off the July live periods. Was there on Court 1 for five of the six sets on Sunday, taking in the action that had several Division I coaches courtside throughout the day.

Here is a recruiting notebook from the event:

Anderson Cummins (2024 | Canada Elite MHC 17U)

The long rides from Toronto, Ontario to basketball tournaments on the Marquee Hoops Circuit have been worth it for Anderson Cummins.

The 8-hour, 10-hour rides ... they’re all part of a bigger goal.

“You get used to it,” said Cummins, a 6-foot-1 point guard. “The drives can be strenuous especially coming from Canada and stuff like that, but I think it’s just preparation for the next level, just getting used to open time and learning how to use your time efficiently and stuff like that.”

Cummins’ father Anderson, who was born in Barbados, was a professional cricket player who played for both the West Indies and Canadian national teams — one of just 17 men’s cricketers to play for multiple countries.

He started coaching basketball while in Canada, however, and fell in love with hoops, passing the love for the sport down to his children. Cummins’ older brother Denzel plays at Windsor University and his older brother Isaiah plays at McGill University. Now, he has his eyes set on playing at the next level.

“My dad was a professional athlete, played cricket professionally for a long time,” Cummins said. “He has an idea for what it’s like to be an athlete. My brothers, we all love the game. Live and breathe it, try to spend every second off the court improving my game.”

The Canada Elite point guard said his game has been much more consistent as of late. He was impressive in a win over New Haven Heat on Sunday, scoring 15 points, including a clutch 3-point shot late. Holy Cross, Merrimack and Fairleigh Dickinson are programs that have expressed interest.

“I really built my interest recently,” Cummins said. “I feel like for me it’s been really about piecing games together. I’ve always had the talent and skill level, but it’s just about displaying it every single game. That’s what I’ve been doing recently, which is why I feel like I’ve picked up interest.”

He said the little things are what have stood out to coaches.

“Mostly my grit, the intensity,” Cummins said. “The full-court defense, the hustle, the intangibles really. Being a leader, the communication and stuff like that. Being able to lock in throughout the whole game.”

After playing at Victory Academy last year, Cummins will join Canada Elite coach Ray Kim and New Horizons Academy next season along with several of his AAU teammates. He hopes to keep his game trending in the right direction, which includes cleaning up turnovers and simplifying the game.

“You try not to depend on the results, but when it comes it’s pretty good,” Cummins said of the college interest. “It’s nice to see the fruit of your labor. That’s a big thing for me, but at the same time I just focus on the work.”

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Peter Mauro (2025 | NJ Bulldogs 17U)

Peter Mauro’s father (also Peter Mauro) was one of the top players in Brooklyn growing up in New York City. Before heading off to play at Towson, he starred at Lafayette, where he matched up with Lincoln’s Stephon Marbury frequently.

“He taught me basically everything I know about the game of basketball,” Mauro said about his father. “He likes to say he was a little better shooter than me, but I doubt it. That’s just the competitiveness. He likes to compare me to Stephon Marbury a little bit when I’m going downhill, north and south with the ball because he played against him a bunch of times.”

Mauro, a 6-foot point guard from St. Rose (N.J.) has pretty good basketball resources in his father as well as his uncle Billy Gilligan, who played at Rutgers.

He’s hoping they can help guide him on a path to the next level.

Mauro is a point guard who can both score and distribute when the occasion calls for it. In a lopsided win on Sunday for the Bulldogs, the scoring and shooting ability stood out most.

“It’s just a feel for the game,” Mauro said. “You gotta see who’s making shots, who’s not making shots then it’s like, ‘What’s the score? Do I need to go make something happen?’ It’s all about the game really.”

The St. Rose (N.J.) boys basketball team, the reigning New Jersey Non-Public B state runner-up, was a must-see attraction for hoops fans and college coaches during the scholastic live periods. Mauro continued the opportunity to play in front of college coaches with the Bulldogs this summer.

NJIT and UMass are among the D1 programs to reach out. Old Dominion, Northeastern, and Sanford are others to express interest.

“It was obviously a good experience,” Mauro said. “This is what I work for, everyone works for, is just to get the opportunity to play in front of these coaches. I want to give a shoutout to my coach Malcolm (Stoby) for letting me just go play and do me.”

“I’m playing free,” he added. “I’m playing the way I know how to play. He trusts me. I’m getting people the ball, getting myself looks. I’m just playing how my coach wants me to play and how I know I can play.”

After a breakout season a year ago, St. Rose will have a target on its back this winter. Mauro said that’s something he and his teammates are looking forward to.

In the meantime, he’s focusing on improving his game overall — his jump shot, defense, playmaking, etc.

“Just getting better. Get in the gym, working,” Mauro said of the rest of his summer plans. “That’s all I really know how to do. That’s what I love to do. Just get in the gym getting better and keep working on my craft and try to take my game to the next level.”

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Boogie Fland (2024 | PSA Cardinals 17U)

Boogie Fland is no stranger to the spotlight.

The PSA Cardinals 6-foot-3 combo guard had Division I offers before his first high school game. The Power 5 schools were on him after his freshman season at Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.).

As he’s continued to be on a big stage throughout his high school career, Fland has continued to deliver. He enters his senior season a consensus five-star recruit ranked among the top 10-15 players in the country.

“It’s very exciting to be recognized for your game and the hard work you put in,” Fland said. “To be recognized with other top guys, it’s always a big thing.”

Fland, who received more than 30 Division I offers, trimmed his list down to eight on Monday. He announced Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Maryland, UConn and St. John’s as the schools still in the mix for his recruitment.

Fland took an official visit to UNC last fall and visited Michigan in May and Indiana most recently in June. 

“The coaches that show interest the most and really want me at their school,” Fland said of what he’s looking for from his future college home. “Some coaches say it, but you don’t really feel it. But the ones that make you feel it, that’s how I’ll know which one is for me.”

Fland had 24 points in PSA’s game against Rhode Island Elite on Sunday, showcasing his athleticism and tough shotmaking ability. He noted his game goes well beyond that though, one of the reasons the top programs in the country are recruiting his services.

“The way I'm versatile, the way I can handle my team even when my shot’s not falling or I’m not scoring I can still impact the game in many ways,” Fland said of what sticks out to college coaches. “The way I’m a leader and the way I can shoot the ball too.”

Fland said he has a good circle to help him in his recruitment. He also made sure to note PSA Cardinals Executive Director Terrance 'Munch' Williams as a mentor.

The rising senior added that he isn’t taking anything for granted. Even with the excitement of where he is recruitment-wise and his standing amongst his peers, the focus is to deliver every time he gets on the court.

“You gotta play your best every game,” Fland said. “Simple as that. You gotta bring it like an NBA player, make sure you show up every day you play, every time you step on the floor.”

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Muhsin Muhammad (2024 | East Coast Cyclones 17U)

Muhsin Muhammad admits last season was an adjustment.

Muhammad was a first team All-Friends Schools League selection at Germantown Friends in 2021-22, when he led the league in scoring. When he got to Friends’ Central prior to last season, he realized his role would be a little different.

He figured out a way to continue to make an impact.

“I had to come in and take good shots and then I learned to find other ways to score like run in transition and getting offensive rebounds and putbacks,” Muhammad said. “I just learned to score other ways so I could still help the team and not hurt the team trying to go 1-on-1 every single play.”

That part of his game continued to grow this summer with the East Coast Cyclones.

“Poise and shot selection,” he said. “At Germantown Friends, I had the green light to shoot any shot I wanted. Now, it’s just taking the right shot, making the right play for my team and also just giving the ball up and trusting my teammates more to know that they’re going to give me the ball back. I really learned that playing with FCS and especially here (with the Cyclones). There’s a lot of talented guys so I know I can give the ball up and I can still score 15 points just playing off of them.”

Muhammad was fun to watch on Sunday, reaching double figures in an outing that included a highlight baseline jam.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard definitely has some spring to his game, which helps him contribute on the offensive glass. He likes to play an uptempo style of play on the offensive end and get up and guard on defense, which he brought up during a call with East Stroudsburg a few weeks ago.

“They asked me about where I see myself fitting in their program and how I can help and I said I can get those hustle points, like offensive rebounds, score in other ways,” Muhammad said. “They say they like to run, press up and score in transition and I say we do that here. That’s the perfect way I like to play.”

While there hasn’t been much recruiting interest outside of the call with ESU, Muhammad is certainly a future collegiate talent and is staying optimistic. 

After wrapping up his final grassroots season, he still has unfinished business at FCS this winter.

“I know it’s the end of the road, ah man,” Muhammad said with a smile. “Obviously, I want to win the league, hopefully get offers, be committed and just ball out and have fun. It’s like the last ride. Just have fun with my teammates because you never know what can happen next, so just be grateful for it.”

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Tye Dorset (2024 | East Coast Cyclones)

On the last day of the June live period, the elusive offer finally came.

After battling against Coatesville in front of multiple members of the Merrimack staff earlier in the day, Tye Dorset got his first Division I offer from the Warriors on June 25.

“It was great,” Dorset said. “You dream about that being a little kid. It was surreal. It didn’t hit me until I got home basically. It’s been fun this summer. This summer’s been super fun for me. They like how versatile I am. They said I can fit their system really well because they play that zone, and they think I could be a good fit for them.”

Northeastern, UMBC, Army and Wagner are other schools that have started talking with him. He is planning visits to UMBC, Merrimack and Army later this summer.

The college interest is all pretty new this summer. Dorset said coaches really started to reach out heading into this summer after leading his Lenape (N.J.) team in scoring this past season.

“I would say my explosiveness for sure,” Dorset said of what’s improved to draw in the college interest. “I think my IQ has always been there, but the explosiveness, that’s what catches people’s eyes and that’s what coaches are telling me. They’re just saying work on that and stuff will come. And I think exposure. Playing with the Cyclones and stuff like that, more came from that.”

Dorset said he has “basketball in my blood”. His mother played in high school and his father, Kirk, played at Duquesne. He said his dad was much more of a defense first player than him, but taking pride on that end of the floor is something that rubbed off on him.

“Nowadays people don’t play defense all the time so just taking pride and making sure my man doesn’t score, taking it personal,” Dorset said.

With his Division I dreams starting to look more like a reality, Dorset’s focus is making sure he’s ready for the next level.

“I just want to get my body right because the college jump is crazy physical wise,” Dorset said. “I think that’s my next thing is working on my body. I’lll go from there, work with my trainers and coaches.”