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Jahaad Proctor (7) and Team PA were one of a few area teams who rolled in their Spring Jam Fest openers. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The 2014 AAU season really got underway in Manheim, Pa., when the Hoop Group’s Spring Jam Fest tipped off on Friday night. Hundreds of teams in the 17U, 16U and 15U brackets opened up play at the massive Spooky Nook Sports Complex, which had 14 courts of hoops going on simultaneously. Here’s a notebook from the first-round action:
Gantz, Proctor lead Team PA
A new name and a new sneaker deal mean a fresh start for Team PA. Formerly known as PA Pump N’ Run, the program full of kids from the Harrisburg area scored a deal with Under Armour this offseason, joining the UA Association grassroots tour and changing its name to go with the new feel.
And this is a team with some serious talent, which wasn’t even on full display in a 105-33 romp over the Maryland Hoopmasters on Friday night. Milik Gantz (2015/Bishop McDevitt) had 20 points and Jahaad Proctor (2015/Harrisburg) had 16 in the win, which started off as a 19-3 run and only seemed to get worse from there. Make no mistake, Team PA is here to play.
“Philly kids are really good, they’re known for basketball, but I think Central PA kids should be noticed more,” Gantz said.
It’s scary to think this wasn’t even a team playing at full strength. The two Division I-bound guards were missing one of their top teammates in Bud Mack (2016/Susquehanna), another member of the Harrisburg Patriot-News’ Big 15.
All three of those guards are headed for Division I territory.
Gantz, who’s about 6-4 and 185 pounds, just picked up an offer from Rider to go along with those from Sacred Heart, Boston University and Radford; he’s getting interest from Buffalo, Quinnipiac, Pitt, Penn State, Delaware, Hofstra and Dayton.
“I like to get my teammates involved first instead of scoring, because seeing them score makes me happier…pressing the ball and playing defense is what I like to do,” he said. “This summer I’m improving on shooting, my jump shot.”
Proctor, a 6-3, 180-pound guard, has offers from Drexel, Penn, Boston University, Radford and Holy Cross, with interest from almost the entire Patriot and Ivy Leagues as well as schools like Davidson, La Salle, Temple, Northern Iowa and Evansville.
“I want to stay on the East coast, not necessarily in Pennsylvania but I don’t want to be too far from home,” he said.
Though they were clearly playing an overmatched team in this tournament opener, Gantz and Proctor’s abilities were obvious. The two are both energetic defenders, understanding that easy offense comes from good defense, and indeed their team generated a lot of offense off the fast break. Expect the D-I coaches watching this team to go from mid-major to potential high-major rather quickly if they keep it up.
Team Speed a family affair
It’s safe to say the DePersia family has a lot to do with how Team Speed does this season. Twin brothers Rob and Nick DePersia, who also star together at Haddonfield (N.J.) high school, both start for the 17U program. Their dad–also Rob–is the coach.
The DePersia brothers have been playing basketball together since kindergarten, and there’s a lot they both bring to the court. They’re both tenacious defenders, have a very good feel for the game and bring a solid scoring touch–albeit in slightly different ways–as well as a team-first attitude.
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Brothers Rob (left) and Nick DePersia are both hearing from a number of Division I schools. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
Rob is a 5-foot-10, 160-pound point guard with a flair for the trick pass, throwing a few nice dimes over his shoulder and behind the back in a 80-52 win over Team 518 (N.Y.). Nick, a 6-foot, 175-pound combo guard, is a 3-point specialist with a great catch-and-shoot jumper.
“We’ve been practicing together our whole lives, out in the morning, out in the backyard, working out together, so we know what each other can do,” Nick said.
Added Rob: “It’s cool always having somebody to work out with push you harder, compete against. And then when it’s game time, you always have that guy, it’s the same person out there, you always know where he is, you always know what he’s going to do.”
As juniors, the two led Haddonfield to the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals before a loss to Camden; Rob scored 16 points in that game and Nick had 10. The inseparable pair–Rob is just seven minutes older–are basketball junkies in the truest sense of the word.
“We’re always together, like watching March Madness, we watched the whole tournament together, so we learn together too,” Nick said.
So far, the pair are receiving some Division I interest from several low-majors and the Ivy/Patriot Leagues; they’ll be visiting UMBC on Monday.
“Just like a couple of schools here and there,” Nick said. “We hope to pick it up in the AAU season.”
Extra Tidbits
–After helping his team to the the PIAA Class AAAA title game, Jalen Herdsman (2014/LaSalle College HS) will continue his college career at Division III Gwynedd-Mercy (Pa.). The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 6.6 ppg for the Explorers as a staring forward, getting most of his production on second-chance points and offensive rebounding. He’s playing this spring with TLG (Pa.), and scored nine points in an opening-round loss to WE R1.
–Perhaps the most impressive showing all evening came from the venue. Though it’s out in the middle of nowhere (at least, for those of us driving from the city), the 700,000 sq. ft. facility is new, massive and absolutely packed. In addition to the basketball courts, there were multiple rock walls, a cafeteria, a football field, field hockey field, tennis courts, an arcade and more. Certainly not quite as convenient as having the event in King of Prussia, but Spooky Nook is a fun place to watch basketball.
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Alize Johnson (24) was much more than just a high-level athlete, dishing off plenty to his teammates. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
–During the season, Alize Johnson (2014/St. John Neumann) put up some crazy numbers in District 4, averaging 24.3 ppg in leading the Knights to an undefeated regular-season record and all the way to the PIAA Class A semifinals before losing to Philly’s Math, Civics & Sciences. Watching him play with Team PA, it was pretty obvious why the 6-7 wing was so productive; he’s incredibly athletic and has a great basketball body, with long arms and legs and a high motor. Knocked down three 3-pointers as part of 18 points in that big win, and he’ll play for Team PA all summer as he’ll be going to prep school in the fall and reclassifying to 2015.
–There are always a few players from out of town who find their way onto some Philly team AAU rosters, and Mickey Bell (2016/Sidwell Friends) is one such player. The Washington, D.C. native, who plays on the same high school team that Villanova freshman Josh Hart starred for, joined the Philly Pride 16U team this season after playing against them twice last year as a member of DC Assault. The 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard, who dropped in 12 points in a win over Hidden Talent, said he’s got interest from Harvard and Princeton.
–It’s tough to be named to the All-Catholic League team and go under the radar, but that’s just what Luke Connaghan (2015/Archbishop Wood) managed to do. The junior averaged 11.4 ppg, second only to Cornell commit Pat Smith on the Vikings, who went 11-12 in John Mosco‘s first season as head coach. The 6-foot-5 forward has a solid jumper and plays tough in the paint; he had 14 points to pace the PA Renegades in a 74-50 win over the Cobras. Division II and high-level Division III schools are going to be all over him.