Matt Klinewski attempts a layup (Photo: Jodi Samsel of the Courier-Post)
Andrew Koob (@AndrewKoob)
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Made the trip out to Neptune (N.J.) for the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest, held at Hoop Group’s headquarters. In the first of a two-part recap, I take a look at some potential Division I players that showcased their play Saturday, as well as some thoughts on specific athletes and teams as a whole. Josh Verlin was there as well, his notebook can be found here.
–In his first game with the Jersey Shore Warriors, forward Matt Klinewski did not disappoint, scoring 12 points. The 6-foot-7 junior said after the win against Move UR Feet that he was nervous, but that “as soon as I started playing, they played team basketball and I got plenty of touches, I was happy with it”.
Coaches are impressed with both his hustle and his ability to command the paint in the 2-3 zone defense, but, as Klinewski said, that’s just part of his game.
“I just know I’ve got to get the ball. The coaches look for people who hustle and run and all that…Taking the middle, it’s a big part in defense. You have to see the whole floor, you have to know where your man is in the middle and you have to talk. I like to talk and let people know where everyone is…That’s just what I do”.
The junior from Eastern (N.J.) High School has offers from New Hampshire, Binghamton and Siena, but also said that “all the Patriot League schools and Ivy League schools looking at me. Davidson has contacted me, as well as Sacred Heart.”
–Schalick (N.J.) High School’s Rashaan Armstead-Holloway is a big, big man. Listed at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, the junior forward abused smaller opponents in the paint, scoring 10 points in a 22-point drubbing of the opposition. Armstead, who told me he has an offer from Temple and has been drawing interest from La Salle and Drexel, has no doubts in his ability to take control of the paint, especially with smaller defenders guarding him.
“You just have to take advantage of the smaller guy,” Armstead said. “If I feel he’s smaller than me and he can’t guard me, then I’m just going to destroy him.
Martin Luther King guard Fa’teem Glenn is an electric scoring guard who plays bigger than his 5-9 frame. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
–Philly Pride guard Fa’teem Glenn of Martin Luther King has great court vision. In another Spring Jam Fest blowout, Glenn scored 17 points in a 23-point win against The Feeder Program, which features mainly players from the Allentown, Pa. area. Early in the game, Glenn completed a beautiful full-court pass for an easy dunk on the other end.
Following the game, the senior guard told me he has offers from “South Carolina State, Loyola Marymount and Hampton”, and “has interest” from St. Joe’s, but has yet to decide where he wants to continue his playing career.
On top of the recruiting news, there were other teams and individual prospects that caught my attention on Saturday. Here are a couple thoughts on the day:
–Even without Steve Vasturia, Amar Stukes, Steve Smith and Kyle Green, the Jersey Shore Warriors have plenty of talent. The three junior starters on the roster, Eric Stafford, Eric Anderson and Dominique Uhl, combined for 32 points, while the other two starters, sophomores Jake Silpe and Devon Moore, had a combined 11 points. Along with Klinewski’s performance, the Warriors were able to take out Move UR Feet by a 21-point margin. Silpe has great moves to shake defenders and great court vision, while Anderson has the hustle to grab offensive rebounds and dive for loose balls that coaches love.
–On the other side, Move UR Feet forward Josh Williams was an animal on the defensive end. While only scoring seven points, the 6-foot-5 senior from Notre Dame (Lawrenceville, N.J.) High School had some great blocks the stopped easy layups for the Warriors. Williams also showed his shooting range, hitting a 24-foot three-pointer in the second half.
–Along with Glenn, Yohanny Dalembert impressed for Philly Pride, scoring 14 points in the winning effort. While he was eratic at times (which can be common in AAU games), Dalembert showed why he has some interest coming his way, including from Villanova and Temple, with a dominant performance in the post. The 6-foot-7 senior came away with offensive rebounds and putbacks on numerous possessions against an undersized TFP team.