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Pitt Jam Fest: Day 1 Report

04/25/2015, 12:15am EDT

By Andrew Koob

Andrew Koob (@AndrewKoob)
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Evan Maxwell made a name for himself on the AAU trail with JB Hoops.

His performance led to two scholarship offers, from Liberty and Monmouth, before ultimately choosing the Flames after his graduation last year.

Now, another Maxwell dons the JB Hoops and Abington Heights uniforms. And Seth Maxwell is just starting to make his name known.

The 6-foot-10 upcoming junior caught the eyes of both spectators and college coaches alike with his size, the same listed height as his brother, who just finished his freshman campaign at Liberty this past season.

The elder Maxwell scored just over two points and 2.5 rebounds in six minutes of action per game for a Flames team that finished the season at 8-24.

Yet, as Evan is still learning, Seth is grateful that he has someone that knows what he’s going through and that he can rely on.

“It’s a great help,” Maxwell said of his brother. “He’s really good at basketball and he really knows the fundamentals. So whenever I have a question about it, whenever he wants to teach me something we can just shoot around and he can show me. It’s definitely a big help.”

Plenty of basketball players have someone in their lives that have either played at the collegiate level and beyond or know what it takes to make it to such a level.

But to have that person available so readily has been a blessing for the younger Maxwell.

“It’s extremely important,” Seth said. “Since my dad didn’t really play sports, I never really got teaching from him. But now I know I can turn to my older brother.”

A lanky frame needs to be filled out before college coaches can truly push on the his recruitment, but Seth’s presence was certainly felt as his length alone helped him block a handful of shots and cause even more misses.

Even with a decent defensive performance, Maxwell knows that a long road of progression looms before he can even think about following Evan and putting on a Division I jersey.

“I’m just trying to play hard and do my best,” Seth said. “Today I really didn’t show them my best, but we’ll get back to ittomorrow. I definitely need to get more physical and try to not settle for the jumpers, try and finish at the basket.”

NOTES
--Maxwell wasn’t the only JB Hoops member to put together a good performance. Honesdale’s Ian Langendoerfer put together two double-digit performances, 22 in a win over SJ Select and 16 in a loss over Maryland 3D. The upcoming senior was able to hit a variety of shots, but seemed to rely on the mid-range jumper. Langendoerfer has yet to receive on offer, but schools such as Rider, NJIT, Kent State, Loyola and Vermont have shown interest.

--The Minnesota Fury traveled over 900 miles to participate in the Pitt Jam Fest and did not disappoint with a mercy-rule win over Crusader Nation (Md.). 6-foot-8 Steffon Mitchell impressed as the Fury’s point guard. The upcoming Shakopee (Minn.) senior was able to attack the basket against a smaller opponent and, when given the opportunity, displayed good court vision and a crisp passing touch. Mitchell currently holds offers from Central Michigan, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, American and Furman, while Minnesota and Northern Iowa have inquired about the tall guard.

--Mikey Dixon finds himself as the main attraction for the Diamond State Titans (Del.). The Sanford guard and former We R1 member showcased plenty of the hard-nosed play that made him one of the bigger names in Delaware. Dixon said that the switch was around focusing on his leadership as he nears the end of his high school career. The upcoming senior does not have an offer in hand, but has heard from St. Joseph’s, Boston, Fairfield, UMBC and Loyola.