City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) +
Kenneth Orange (@hooplove215)
—

ATLANTIC CITY — The Hoop Group Atlantic City Jam Fest took over the AC Convention Center this week, with action going on from Wednesday through Friday on more than 30 courts in the annual summer live recruiting event. 

CoBL was in the building for all three days, checking out action in the 15U, 16U and 17U fields; here’s the second half of who stood out over the course of the three days; CLICK HERE for Pt. 1: 

~~~

Danny Keenan (2026 | PA Hoops Academy 16U HGSL)
Keenan’s having a breakthrough spring and summer, and it carried over this week as he helped lead PA Hoops Academy into the championship game of its bracket, with some impressive performances along the way. He was terrific throughout in a 20-point, six-rebound, four-assist game against WeR1 on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals; Keenan was 7-of-11 from the floor (3-4 3PT, 3-5 FT), a strong ball-handler who could create space with a defender on him; he also took advantage of opportunities, like when he grabbed an offensive rebound, spun around a defender and layed it up in one smooth motion. 

Kamal Mason (2027 | Team Final Red 15U)
Cheltenham’s “next up” at point guard looked ready for the part on Wednesday, leading Team Final Red to a big win in an opening-round 15U bracket game. The 5-7 lead guard was confident with the ball in his hands, whether that was getting downhill in a hurry in transition where he did a great job of finding shooters as soon as the defense collapsed, or navigating the half-court, where he poked and prodded his way to either a shot or a pass. Mason finished with 16 points, four steals and three assists in the win.

Anthony Mauro (2027 | Team Dyckman 15U)
The Mauro brothers are a family of ballplayers — older brother Peter is a rising senior at Life Center, and younger brother Dominic is an impressive 2029 who played a significant role in helping Team Dyckman to the 15U platinum title. The middle brother really shined in the championship game, pouring in 17 points with six assists and an assortment of other stats, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers along with some impressive finishes at the rim and 3-of-4 from the foul line. A physical 6-0 guard at College Achieve Prep (N.J.), Mauro was a quality defender who created a few buckets for himself with steals, and also blocked a shot.

Brady MacAdams (2026 | Philly Revolution 16U HGSL)
MacAdams continues to make steady progress in his game, and he’s really starting to put together complete performances, like he did on Thursday afternoon in a game against TNBA Ohio. The 6-3 wing guard has good athleticism and physicality, allowing him to hit tough shots like a spin into a mid-range pull-up, and he’s become a more confident shooter and rebounder; he finished with 18 points on 7-12 FG (2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds and two assists. 

Jaron McKie (2025 I NJ Scholars EYBL)
In a very entertaining matchup, the 6-2 polished combo guard led his team to a narrow 56-54 victory against a tough Team New England HGSL. McKie showcased his skills as a contested shot maker, consistently nailing pull-up jumpers in transition and out of offensive sets. His ability to push the ball ahead and make plays on the fly was key down the wire in the Schoalrs’ success. McKie finished the game with 12 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers. His performance highlighted his abilities to facilitate the offense or become the offense when needed. 

Jack McMullin (2028 | Hollow Elite 2028)
The Hollow 2028s, playing up an age group in one of the two 15U Platinum brackets, made it all the way to the championship game of their bracket, falling to a really good Team Dyckman. McMullin, a 6-4 wing who looks like he’s going to be right in the mix from the get-go at Archbishop Ryan, impressed with his 3-point shooting in both the semifinals and the championship game, where he had 17 points with seven rebounds; he’s got a solid handle too and plays tough and physical on both ends.

Jahmere Memphis (2025 | PA Hoops Academy HGSL)
The 6-1 lead guard from Westtown School demonstrated his playmaking skills in the opening-round matchup on Wednesday. Continuously pushing the pace, Memphis navigated the lane and found cutting bigs for rim finishes and also open perimeter shooters. In the second half, Memphis stepped into a crucial 3-pointer, as part of an 11-3 run for PA Hoops Academy, which capitalized on turnovers. Defensively, Memphis applied persistent full-court pressure, disrupting opposing guards. He finished the game with 14 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals, pacing his team to a narrow 58-55 victory.

David Munro (2025 | NJ Scholars EYBL)
At 6-8, Munro is a wing with guard skills. He put his talent on display Thursday against Team New England HGSL. His educated footwork enabled him to both effectively face up against taller defenders and post up against smaller ones. Munro remained consistently active around the basket, taking it to the shot blocker and neutralizing his ability to block shots. He scored 14 points, including a monster two-hand slam on the fastbreak and a pair of crucial free throws in the final moments, demonstrating his poise under pressure and contributing significantly to the Scholars' victory. Munro's performance highlights his dynamic skill set and impact on both ends of the court.

Zamir Parker-Barnes (2025 | PA Hoops Academy 17U HGSL)
A long and physical 6-5 combo guard from Abington Friends School, Parker-Barnes led PA Hoops to a 62-58 victory over District Basketball Club HGSL on Thursday morning. Parker-Barnes scored 24 points, including three consecutive 3-pointers and four in the second half. His elusive handle and quick change of pace allowed him to attack the rim against guards and bigs, finishing above the rim or drawing help defense for open shooters on the perimeter. Defensively, he showcased versatility by switching to bigger players and blocking shots. Parker-Barnes' all-around performance was crucial in securing the win.

Chancellor Perkins (2025 | Higher Level 17U HGSL)
A physical 6-2 combo guard with high-level quick-twitch athleticism, Perkins showed off during a 15-point outing in a win over PA Hoops Academy on Friday morning. He opened eyes with an early catch-and-shoot trey that showed a quick, clean release, then added a big step-back 3-pointer where he created about five feet of room with one step; he was a menace in transition, making some one-handed whip passes to the corner on a rope, as he was generally making plays for his teammates with the ball in his hands while also showing he could make tough shots from around the court. 

Jah Sabb (2026 | BW Elite 16U HGSL)
Along with Howard, Sabb was a major reason that BW Elite pulled out a thrilling win Thursday night, leading all scorers with 26 points. He was especially fantastic in the first half, hitting the first six shots he took as he had 18 by the break; he finished 11-of-17 from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers, and some smooth mid-range pull-ups; he also showed great patience and strength in the post, grabbing a few offensive rebounds and waiting in amongst the trees for a sliver of daylight to get a bucket, while playing physical on-ball defense. 

Ian Smith (2028 | Hollow Elite 2028)
The future of Imhotep’s point guard position is in great hands. Smith, who already saw quality minutes with the Panthers at Philly Live, is a talented 5-10 lead guard who oozes confidence, a quality ball-handler who can create for himself and his teammates equally well. Smith shined in a 17-point, seven-assist, five-rebound effort in the 15U championship game, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and otherwise dancing around with the ball in his hands, using a variety of crossovers, head-fakes, spins and other tricks to create space and get a shot off or find an open teammate. We’re going to be writing his name a lot in the next four years. 

Dasir Williams-Bey (2025 | Kings Unlimited)
A 6-2, 175-pound guard from Kingsway (N.J.), Williams-Bey was smooth in a 21-point outing on Wednesday afternoon. Williams-Bey knocked down four 3-pointers, with a clean release on the catch and pulling up off the dribble, and he also knocked down an 18-footer out of a crossover that looked too easy; a floater he knocked down also was clearly something he’d practiced, and he stuffed the stat sheet with a handful of rebounds/assists/steals and a block.

~~~

Honorable Mentions
Xaivier Jackson (2027 | Team Final Red), Kodi Johnson (2025 | East Coast Power 17U HGSL), Luke Kreitz (2025 | United NJ West HGSL), Ayden Larra (2026 | Texas Impact 16U HGSL), Jeremiah Lesure ( 2025 | Denard Bros), Delano Mann (2027 | Penn Warriors 15U HGSL), Aizyon Matthews (2026 | WeR1 16U HGSL), Dominic Mauro (2029 | Team Dyckman 15U), Keon Long-Mtume (2025 | Philly Revolution 17U HGSL), Jordan Moton (2027 | Team Final Red), Samuel Osayi (2025 | Team New England 17U HGSL), Andrew Steigelman (2025 | Downingtown Heat), Latrell Wright (2026 | WeR1 16U HGSL)