Hoop Group Spring Exposure Tour - River State Park
On Friday night, April 19, RecruitTheBronx.com was at Riverbank State Park in Harlem for the Hoop Group Spring Exposure Tour. The event is one of a series that Hoop Group runs on the Eastern Seaboard in order to showcase players, from grades 9-12, from the region where they to compete in front of D2 and D3 college coaches. Here are the standouts from Friday’s action:
Jacob Davitashvili, 5-6, Point Guard, Forest Hills High School, Class of 2019 - Davitashvili likes to run on the floor and us lightning-fast. Is a good facilitator and has good court vision. Has good defensive skills and looks to steal the ball at all times. Has good hands on the defensive end.
Promise Opurum, 6-5, Forward, New Rochelle High School, Class of 2021 - Opurum is a young forward who loves to score in the low-post and is good at attacking the glass. Uses his height to intimidate smaller players and likes to run on the offensive end.
Nicholas Memoji, 6-3, Shooting Guard, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Class of 2019 - Memoji can shoot from long range and when left open, can hurt the opposition with his shooting. He moves well on the offensive end. Memoji can also attack on defense as he has good hands and knows how to stay in front of his defender.
Khallyn LaFond, 6-2, Shooting Guard, Knox School, Class of 2019 - LaFond looks to score every time he has the ball in his hand. Loves to slice and dice his way to the basket. Is good at finishing at the basket and has plenty of finesse in his game.
Nicholas Koch, 5-8, Point Guard, Don Bosco Preparatory School (NJ), Class of 2022 - Koch has a lithe frame, but can still make an impact when on the court. Is a good shooter from three-point range and is a good distributor on the break. Likes to run on the break.
Nydir Tucker, 6-5, Forward, Eagle Academy, Class of 2021 - Tucker is tall and has a good wingspan. Likes to run on the fast break and can handle the ball. Gets to the basket easily and moves well on both ends of the court. Has good hands and is good at blocking shots.
Maurice Walker, 6-5, Point Guard, Ossining High School, Class of 2019 - Walker is bigger than most point guards, which helps give him great court vision to see where everybody is moving on the court. He is also good at getting to the basket and is a very careful ball handler and rarely commits turnovers.
Travon Mack, 5-9, Point Guard, Seward Park High School, Class of 2020 - Mack is a diminutive point guard who has plenty of athleticism on both ends of the court. Gets to the basket easily, but struggles with finishing consistently. Has good hands on the defensive end and can go up for blocks. Loves to hustle on both ends of the court.
Daniel Rivera, 6-0, Shooting Guard, Eagle Academy, Class of 2019 - Rivera likes to dominate on the offensive end and goes to the basket whenever he has the ball in his hands. Has superb ball handling skills and doesn’t commit turnovers.
Garland Moore, 6-3, Forward, Brooklyn College Academy, Class of 2021 - Moore is an undersized forward who is a threat in the low-post. Is very strong and imposes his strength on the opposition. Knows where and when to move on the court and is great at grabbing rebounds.
Prince Somefun, 5-9, Shooting Guard, John F. Kennedy High School, 2021 - Another guard who likes to run on the floor and can get to the basket with ease. Also loves to shoot at a high volume, and is dangerous from beyond the arc, especially when left open.
Steve Guardino, 5-5, Point Guard, Christ the King High School, 2022 - A tiny guard who has good court vision and knows where to move. Has a knack for shooting from three-point range and can also hit his teammates for assists.
Nick Mickens, 6-1, Shooting Guard, Summit School, Class of 2020 - Mickens has plenty of finesse on offense and hustle on defense. Is very active on the defensive end and looks to steal the ball. Looks to score by going to the basket. Is also a good facilitator when it comes to passing the ball to his teammates.
Aidan Kehoe, 6-8, Forward, Pascack Hills High School (NJ), Class of 2021 - Kehoe is a good sized forward who has plenty of energy on the court. Runs hard and makes plenty of good movements on the court. On offense, he moves where the ball moves and is able to score. His long wingspan gives him the ability to block shots on defense.
Thierry Blyden, 5-10, Shooting Guard, Midwood High School, 2020 - Blyden showcases plenty of effort when he’s on the floor. Good at picking up his man on defense and forces the opposition into turning the ball over. Struggles with shooting from long range, but compensates for that with hustling on both ends of the court and passing to his teammates.
Christian Rogers, 6-5, Forward, New Rochelle High School, Class of 2020 - Rogers has plenty of energy in the low post. Has a long wingspan and uses his arms to grab rebounds and block the shots of smaller defenders. Can also handle the ball on offense.
Angel Quiles, 5-11, Point Guard, Academy of Urban Leadership Charter School (NJ), Class of 2019 - Quiles is a solid guard on offense. Moves very well on the floor and is easily able to get to the basket for layups. Struggles on the defensive end.
Jimmy Romero, 6-3, Swing, LaSalle Academy, Class of 2019 - Romero plays as an undersized forward who makes good moves to the basket, but also shows some swing man versatility by being able to put the ball on the floor. Has the ability to step out and shoot from long range. Has good instincts when it comes to passing and uses plenty of physicality on the court.
Jacob Morales, 6-4, Forward, Pascack Hills High School, Class of 2021 - An undersized forward that can get up and down the floor easily. Good at rebounding and running on the break. Gets to the basket at will and can easily make a layup, due to the opposition providing him with an open lane.
Josiah Carty, 6-5, Forward, Canarsie High School, Class of 2020 - Carty plays tough and has good hands on the defensive end. Looks to get blocks easily and is efficient at rebounding. Runs the floor well and is good at finishing at the basket.