City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) +
Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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MANALAPAN, N.J. — MANALAPAN + NEPTUNE, N.J. — The Hoop Group’s Jersey Jam Fest brought together a whole lot of talent to the Jersey Shore this weekend. Programs from the Nike, Under Armour and Adidas circuits came together along with those from the Hoop Group’s own circuit for a weekend of competition, as teams prepare for the first grassroots live period in mid-May. 

The CoBL staff was in attendance during 16U games on Saturday and Sunday at the MultiSports Kingdom in Manalapan as as well as during some 17U competition on Sunday at the Hoop Group headquarters in Neptune; 

Here’s Pt. 2 of our coverage from the weekend; CLICK HERE for Pt. 1:

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Justin Ragsdale (2027 | Philly Pride UAA 16U)

It’s been a breakthrough 12 months for Ragsdale, who went from barely known on the local hoops scene a year ago to a player to watch as he enters his junior year with Upper Dublin, where he’ll be one of the Cardinals’ go-to players coming off the best season in program history. 

A 6-foot-6, 195-pound left-handed wing, Ragsdale was a key piece for Upper Dubin, which won 28 games, the Suburban One League and District 1 5A titles before losing to Bonner in the second round of the state playoffs. Though he didn’t have to be a leading scorer on a team that featured seniors Ryan Mulroy and Idris Rines, he still had plenty of big performances, scoring 20 points in the District 1 championship game, 13 in a game against Plymouth Whitemarsh, and more. 

“It was a great season, never had a season like that before, especially my first year playing varsity,” said Ragsdale, who stood 6-2 as a freshman before a spurt took him to his current frame. “I thank all the seniors for pushing me and showing me and leading me.

“(My confidence) started growing [during the] AAU season, they started giving me the ball more, I started scoring in the post, scoring off the dribble, shooting. And when the high school season came and I started playing varsity [...] once I got a couple games in, I just got comfortable.”

A wiry, athletic wing forward with good bounce, Ragsdale is also a quality outside shooter who won’t hesitate to fire away when left open from beyond the arc. Though he currently plays something of a combo ‘3’ and ‘4’ on the court, he wants to work on his handle and ability to create off the bounce to transition to more of a ‘2’ and ‘3’ by the end of this summer. 

With Mulroy (California Pa.) and Rines (uncommitted) off to play college hoops next year, Ragsdale will be counted on along with current junior Noah Cohen as one of the team’s primary leaders next season, the Cardinals aiming to keep the momentum off last year’s success. 

This summer, he’s playing with Philly Pride on the Under Armour circuit, his first shoe circuit grassroots experience after playing with a local team, Pure Game Hoops, a year ago. He contributed 12 points and three rebounds on Saturday in a one-point loss to the NJ Panthers HGSL squad, hitting his only 3-point attempt.

“We’re still a new team, but I feel like we’re getting more comfortable with each other, we’re building more chemistry,” he said. “I’m working on my shot, my dribbling, because I have to dribble the ball now. I’m working on rebounding, boxing out, just getting stronger. I’ve been in the gym.” — Josh Verlin

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Bradford Berwick & Cory Hogan (2026 | PSB Philly 17U)

The PSB Philly frontcourt of Berwick and Hogan are in similar places mentally coming out of their junior seasons. 

They both experienced the most success they’d had yet in high school — Hogan’s Conestoga squad winning the District 1 6A championship, Berwick’s Delco Christian side taking home the Bicentennial Athletic League and District 1 2A crowns. Both teams won exactly one game in their respective state tournaments, and both are counting on big summers with high expectations ahead for their senior years. 

“The confidence level is definitely better,” Hogan said. “And [...] (the game) really slows down — I’ve never understood that until this year, you just see it, you get an extra second to read the play, you know what you’re looking for.”

Both were starters and key pieces for their respective teams during their runs. 

Berwick, a 6-6 forward, did the dirty work down low for Delco Christian, which featured a pair of high-scoring senior guards in Khamai Orange and Beau Lyren. But he’s also a quality outside shooter himself, happy to pop out to the arc and knock down shots. 

In an era that sees most big men talking about improving their ball skills, Berwick’s trying to go the opposite way; he was playing quite a bit in the post during a Sunday morning game against the NJ Beasts HGAL, connecting on a few baby hook shots — along with four 3-pointers — in a 22-point outing. 

“People see me as a wing, a shooting wing. I definitely want to try my best to better my post skills and beating people off the dribble,” he said. “If people try to step out on me I can just go by them or take them into the post.”

Hogan, at 6-4, usually found himself with a decent size disadvantage against whoever he was matched up against, but learned how to use his versatility to his advantage, also able to take defenders outside or inside depending on the matchup. He added 10 points, three rebounds and two assists against NJ Beasts, hitting a 3-pointer and a couple tough inside buckets. 

“Learning the tools to neutralize strength was successful in my sophomore year, but the offseason was getting in the gym, get more physically imposing,” he said, “and this year I wasn’t getting pushed around as much, I was the one doing the pushing around, which was awesome.”

Both are clear college prospects at the small-college level. Hogan said he’s just starting to hear from a few schools; Berwick said he’s already hearing from a list of high-academic D-III programs that include Wesleyan, Middlebury, UChicago, Hamilton and Swarthmore, with plans to visit all of the above. — Josh Verlin

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Seth Gaye (2027 | Team Iverson HGSL 16U)

Seth Gaye was along for the ride two seasons ago as a freshman at Archbishop Ryan, seeing limited action in eight games for a Raiders team that came within one shot of winning a Philadelphia Catholic League championship.

The 5-foot-10 guard broke into the Ryan rotation as a sophomore this season, averaging 5.8 ppg as he played in all 24 of the team’s games, including eight starts.

“I learned a lot,” Gaye said. “It’s a lot faster than I thought it was. A lot tougher, but I got used to it, and we’re going to be good for next year. I’m going to be ready to play.”

This summer he’s ready to set himself up for a breakout year in the PCL on a Ryan squad that should have three starters and Gaye back from a Catholic League quarterfinalist in 2024-25.

Seniors Brandon Russell (Saint Francis) and Mark Gallagher are the only two major pieces set to depart.

“I’m really excited this year because I think this is going to be our year to win it, and I have a much bigger role this year that I gotta play a part in,” Gaye said. “I’m ready to work with Coach Joe to do my part and my thing to help us get to the Palestra.”

Gaye impressed on Sunday even in a lopsided loss to AKT, putting together an efficient 12-point, four-assist performance. He can handle and shoot off the bounce and played the role of distributor well.

Team Iverson coach and Philly Revolution director Nick Sullivan hopes that kind of decision making stays consistent throughout the summer.

“He wants me to make the right play, the right basketball play,” Gaye said. “If a guy’s open, hit him. Instead of just catching and standing, drive, rip through or shoot it. Quick decisions with things.” 

Conwell-Egan’s Myles Moore and Camden Catholic’s Bryce Clark were two of Team Iverson’s other on-ball guard for most of Sunday’s game against AKT besides Gaye. But he should have plenty of time to play both on-and-off the ball, like he’ll do during the school season with teammate Matt Johnson.

Anything else in particular Gaye is looking forward to over the next few months?

“I’m just excited to be playing more basketball honestly,” Gaye said. “That’s really it.” — Owen McCue

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Ziyi Xiong (2027 | PSA Cardinals EYBL 16U)

Xiong arrived in the area two summers ago all the way from Wuhan, China. The 6-foot-11 George School forward has two seasons of varsity experience playing in the Friends Schools League.

He’s ready to take his game national this summer with the PSA Cardinals 16U squad against the best of the best on the EYBL circuit after an injury kept him out last summer.

“I’m just excited for the first session in Memphis,” Xiong said.

Xiong came to George School in August 2023 through the Joe Tsai Foundation, which sends a select group of girls and boys from China to America each year. Though he came into a new country with some tantalizing potential due to his size, Xiong said he was far from a finished product when he arrived at George.

George coach Ben Luber, who is now on the coaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania, has been a huge help in his development that now has coaches from the likes of Boston University and Harvard asking about Xiong.

“When I just got here, I could not even catch the ball — butter hands,” Xiong said. “But now I’ve got a little better.”

The PSA Cardinals have some high-major talent in their front court like Long Island Lutheran’s (N.Y.) Moussa Kamissoko, so Xiong, who came off the bench over the weekend, is looking to thrive in his role throughout the summer.

His mission is to keep things simple for himself.

“First of all, I’ve gotta do a better job on rebounds and defense then work on my offense and build confidence on both sides,” Xiong said.

“My coaches and teammates have treated me pretty well, and I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot.” — Owen McCue

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