City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Isaac Pitkow (@isaacpitkow)
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The Jr. All-City Classic has brought together the area’s top rising freshmen for each of the last five seasons, and this year’s version did not disappoint from the track record the four before it had set.
Here are the standouts from the 2016 edition; position and middle school in parenthesis:

Jordan Collier (F/Clearview, N.J.)
Collier is a lengthy 6-foot-4 forward who demonstrated his impressive athleticism in a variety of ways. He cleaned up the glass on both the offensive and defensive ends, and really ran the floor well in transition. His 10 points on the night came mostly on the fast break or on putbacks from one of his many rebounds. On the defensive side, he blocked and altered shots around the rim, making it really difficult for the opposing team’s guards to attack the basket.

Ahmad Fair (G/Finletter)
A 6-foot-tall combo guard, Fair impressed with his ability to create for himself and his teammates no matter what the situation. The lanky Fair has a good handle and loves to use the crossover, and -- unlike the majority of his classmates -- already has the ability to go both ways in the lane and score with both hands. His 10 points in the second game came mostly off a variety of slashes, some in transition but some simply by beating his man off the dribble and getting to the rack.

Chris Garland (SG/St. Raymond’s, Pa.)
One of the more well-rounded prospects in the first game was this 5-11 guard, who did a little bit of everything when he took the court for the black team. One of the more physically developed youngsters in the event, Garland was not one to be shoved off the ball, and he showed the ability to get to the rim with ease as soon as he could gather some momentum. Garland also showed some nice form in knocking down a corner triple, with a smooth, quick release.

Lynn Greer III (G/Marlton, N.J.)
One of the more well-known guys coming into tonight was Lynn Greer III, son of former Temple Owl and Milwaukee Buck Lynn Greer Jr. The younger Greer had a solid night, finishing with eight points in the second game. He has elite athleticism for his age, along with a notably smooth handle and pull-up game. Although he showed flashes of playmaking ability, tonight he was constantly looking to score the ball. He plays with a swagger and level of confidence that really separates him from the rest of his classmates. Greer is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming years.

A.J. Hoggard (SG/Brandywine)
Hoggard, a super-talented shooting guard standing at 6-1, already has great size for an 8th grader along with elite handles and playmaking abilities. He also has above average quickness for his size which, coupled with his handles, allowed him to beat his man off the dribble on numerous occasions and get to the basket with ease. He finished the second game with a solid stat line of eight points, along with a few assists and rebounds as well. Possibly the most impressive facet of his game however was his defense. Guarding Ahmad Fair was no easy task, but he showed on multiple instances that he was capable of containing the smaller and quicker Fair.

Nasir Lett (G/Anderson)
As MVP of the first game for the white team, Lett put on one of the best all-around displays on the night. He really ran the show, putting up 11 points in the first game and also being the main distributor for the white team. His ability to get his head up and find guys in transition was extremely impressive. Lett was popping up all over the court in the first game grabbing rebounds and playing the passing lanes, seemingly always in the right spot. His first-game performance got him an appearance in the finale where he also tallied two points and a few assists as well, albeit missing a few outside shots. Shooting is the main aspect of his game he will need to improve on in the coming years, but as his shot progresses he looks likely to become a very good prospect in this class.

Mason Mosley (G/Clearview, N.J.)
The black team MVP for the first game was this Garden State guard, who made his impact felt on both ends of the court. His six points came on two smooth 3-pointers in the second half of the game, and he had several nifty assists as well. On the defensive end, the 5-10 guard wasn’t afraid to take on any challenge, and got his hands on a number of steals as well.

Semaj Oliver (SF/Roosevelt)
Whenever one of his teammate’s shots ricocheted off the rim or backboard, Oliver was in position to scoop it up. The 6-foot-1 wing/forward made his living around the rim, scooping up several second-chance opportunities, though his put-back attempts were having trouble staying down on this particular evening. But his motor and effort around the glass on both sides of the court certainly stood out, and that’s a trait that will bode well no matter at what level he’s playing.

Donovan Rodriguez (SG/Spruance)
This solid-bodied guard showed in the second game that’ll be a scorer to be reckoned with at some point sooner rather than later in his high school career. Standing at around 6-foot-tall, Rodriguez used his strong frame to get past defenders and into the rim, and he also showed on a knockdown 3-pointer from straight away that he can get his shot off in a hurry but still stay on target.

Tyreese Watson (PG/Independence)
Watson is a versatile combo guard who is brimming with confidence, and for good reason. The younger brother of Creighton guard Maurice Watson Jr. showed no signs of backing down to anyone on the night, and led the white team in scoring during the second game with 12 points. Watson projects to be a guard who can hurt you in a lot of ways on the offensive end. His handles are extremely advanced for his age, something he demonstrated on a few impressive drives to the basket and step-back jumpers which were preceded by one of his deceptive crossover moves.