City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
— 

MANHEIM, Pa. — The Hoop Group Showcase League championships took place this past weekend at Spooky Nook Sports, the primary brackets of the Summer Jam Fest deciding the HGSL champions after multiple spring and summer tournaments set the top 16 in the field of independent grassroots programs. 

CoBL had multiple writers in attendance all weekend, watching action in the 17U, 16U and 15U brackets. Here’s Pt. 1 of our coverage notebook from the weekend:

~~~

Philly Revolution 16U makes HGSL semifinals

It’s summer. Games usually fall under the meaningless category, used more so as platforms to attract college recruiting attention, create new tools and hone old ones against live opposition.

Try telling that to the Philly Revolution U16 crew. There were no tears, no sense of overwhelming dejection when they walked off the court Sunday afternoon in the Hoop Group Spooky Nook Jam Fest U16 semifinals, although they radiated an underlying feeling of angst.

TNBA (Ohio) wound up advancing to the U16 finals, after handing the Revolution’s 16s, the only Philly-area team alive in an HGSL semifinals, a 49-43 loss despite strong play from Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy 6-foot-4 rising junior wing Owen Kelly’s team-high 15 points, and eight points each from Father Judge’s 6-foot rising junior guard Rocco Westfield and Archbishop Wood’s 6-3 rising junior guard Brady MacAdams.

Coached by Wood assistant Pat Haggerty, the Revolution’s 16s  have put together a fine mix of talented, unselfish players. Kody Colson, a new transfer into Neumann-Goretti, Conwell-Egan’s Justin Bobb, Wood’s Brian Donahue and Judge’s Max Moshinski were also impactful during Philly Revolution’s weekend run.

“This was good, probably the best team basketball we played all summer, and it is frustrating, because we were supposed to beat (TNBA) if we played the right way,” Colson said. “We actually played them, and beat them in Atlantic City, but they messed up the scoring [...] today, we were sloppy with the ball. Our decision-making was off today. We get to come back here sharper next week.

“This (16U group) is a great team. It’s been fun. Everyone can shoot, they care about each other.”

TNBA led from start to finish, though midway through the second half, the game was tied, 35-35. Philly Revolution had a few chances to tie the score late in the second half, but after a TNBA Ohio turnover with 1:29 to play, Philly Revolution turned the ball back over on a foul, and after a Westfield steal, trailing 45-43, Philly Revolution turned the ball over again with a chance to tie or go ahead.

“This run was special, and Owen Kelly made some great shots. As a team, we played great together, we missed layups and were sloppy with the ball,” MacAdams said. “I think offensively, I have become a more efficient scorer. That will help next year, after learning a lot from (Miami recruit) Jalil (Bethea), and (Drexel recruit) Josh (Reed). We played hard. We will learn from it.”

Haggerty liked what he saw—except for taking care of the ball. If anything, Philly Revolution may have been a little too unselfish, overpassing and throwing the ball away.

“It was not like us,” Haggerty said. “We made a few bad decisions. The ball stuck a little bit. We over dribbled. And made too many turnovers. It is rare for an AAU team to have this much continuity. That comes from being together for three years and adding some key pieces like Kody Colson and Justin Bobb. For the most part, we have been together for three years. It is a special team. They know how to play off one another.” — Joseph Santoliquito

~~~

Griffin Linstra (2025 | NJ ShoreShots 17U HGSL)

Growing up, Linstra watched a succession of talented Manasquan hoopers, from Brad McCabe (St. Francis) to Jack Collins (Monmouth), Ben Roy (Boston U) and more, leading the program to one Central Jersey title after another. He’s also been a big-time fan of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, widely recognized as one of the best midfielders in the game for his ability to see the field and control the game with his passing and playmaking.

Linstra’s put those two loves together, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard becoming not just the latest from the Jersey Shore town to stand out on the hardwood, but doing so as a pass-first lead guard whose scoring is not his best asset. 

He was impressive in viewings for the ShoreShots in both Atlantic City and at Spooky Nook, scoring 16 points with nine rebounds, five assists and a steal in the HGSL quarterfinals. Confident and smooth with the ball in his hands, he’s a playmaker in the half-court and in transition, able to survey the court like De Bruyne does on the pitch and make things happen.

“I’ve always been a bigger guard,” he said on Saturday. “I’m a big soccer guy and it’s like being behind and moving the ball and spacing, I’ve always been good at that, and seeing the floor, so I’ve always been a bigger guard and I think that helps me.”

While Linstra still plays soccer, having to face his father — Wall (N.J.) head coach Garry Linstra — on the pitch each fall, his future is on the hardwood. 

“Eighth grade, I realized that basketball was the way to go,” he said. “I love soccer, it was kind of my first love, but basketball’s so much fun, and this is awesome.”

The ‘this’ he was referring to was the run to the HGSL semifinals the ShoreShots went on, their quest for a championship ended Sunday morning by the eventual champion Middlesex Magic. 

Winning is something Linstra has done plenty of during his years. Manasquan is on a run of five straight Central Jersey sectional championships, and would have had a chance to play for a state championship if not for an incorrectly-waved-off buzzer-beater in the state semifinals, a controversy which drew national attention. 

Linstra led the way for the Warriors at 17.1 ppg as a junior; he’ll have to shoulder another big load as a senior, as three of the next four leading scorers on his team were all seniors.

Collegiately, he’s got an offer from D-II Georgian Court (N.J.) in his pocket, with interest from schools at all three levels. Linstra specifically mentioned Quinnipiac while saying he was hearing from other low-to-mid-major Division I programs, but also said that high-academic D-IIIs like NYU, Babson, Wesleyan and more D-IIs like East Stroudsburg have been involved as well.  

“I think the biggest thing for me is a place where I can impact winning,” he said. “I’ve been winning all my life, so that’s the biggest thing, somewhere that fits me education-wise and somewhere I can impact winning.

“I’m not the greatest highlight guy,” he added, “but if you watch me play, I play the right way — and win.” — Josh Verlin

~~~

Aaron Ekwere (2026 | Drive Basketball Academy Finland 17U)

Finland’s 6-6 uber-athletic wing made one of the most eye-opening plays in the 3:30 set Saturday.

Ekwere rose up and dunked over 6-9 Kwynsie Pittsnogle — the son of West Virginia great Kevin Pittsnogle and who had himself a nice game (five points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) for Mountain State 17Us — in Drive’s 65-51 victory.

“I just saw an open lane while cutting to the basket,” Ekwere said. “I was running 100%, got the ball, saw him under the basket, and thought ‘I got to try it.’”

Pittsnogle acknowledged the difficulty and sheer athleticism of the dunk, giving props and dapping up Ekwere after the game in a show of fine sportsmanship.

The dunk accompanied an impressive all-around showing from Ekwere, who came off the bench but immediately showed he was one of the most talented players on the roster and why he has offers from South Carolina and Radford.

He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, showing off a versatile inside-out game offensively and defensive nightmare fuel for the opposing offense. He hit two 3’s in the game, but mentioned shooting is an area he wants to improve along with point-guard skills.

Ekwere said basketball is the fourth biggest sport in Finland, but his mom played so he’s grown up playing it his whole life.

“I’m just trying to gain more offers and see where I end up,” he said. “I want to go to a university [in the United States]. I don’t really have a dream school. Honestly, I don’t follow too much college basketball.” — Sean McBryan

~~~

Matthew Gardler (2025 | East Coast Power 17U HGSL)

Marple Newtown’s 6-0 point guard is working on his strength throughout the summer so he can improve his defense in the paint and trying to show prospective college coaches his high-level basketball IQ.

He’s been in contact with Division II’s in East Stroudsburg and Chestnut Hill and has made connections attending camps at Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh.

“I don’t have the height, so I need to show my skills in other places,” said Gardler, who had 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists in ECP’s 74-59 victory over Young & Reckless in the first round of the HGSL 17U bracket. “Basketball IQ is one of those places.”

Gardler has a keen understanding of where each player needs to be on the court to run a successful offense and defense and has a great feel for the game, showcasing a few no-look passes that arrived accurately and on time.

“That’s kind of come naturally to me my whole life,” he said. “I’ve always had to find creative ways to get people the ball being undersized. I try to make my teammates better and create my own shots when I can.” — Sean McBryan

~~~

Quick Hits

— Since last summer, Owen Kelly (2026 | SCH Academy) has added 20 pounds to a lithe frame, going from around 157 to 175 pounds. He says he feels the difference on the court. He will be an important cog for the Blue Devils this season. He showed he could score last weekend at Spooky Nook. He is raising a few eyebrows. Lafayette, he said, has contacted him.

“I think I have taken a big leap with my confidence this summer,” he said. “I’ve grown, putting on weight and trying to put more weight on for the high school season. I feel I am driving to the lane better. 

“I have been putting in a lot of work this summer. I was 6-2, maybe 157, 158 pounds last summer. I grew two inches, and I feel stronger and putting more pressure around the rim. Whatever we need this winter [at Springside-Chestnut Hill], I’ll do.” 

— Ready to take a step up for Archbishop Wood as a junior is Brady MacAdams (2026 | Philly Revolution 16U HGSL), the 6-3 guard having a strong summer with the Philly Revolution’s 16s. The younger brother of former Central Bucks West standout Collin MacAdams, Brady was only in elementary school when his brother was leading the Bucks to the state quarterfinals 

“Working out with him, he’s always the hardest worker, so it was great to learn from him,” he said. “I knew he was a great player [when I was younger] [...] yeah, I look up to him a lot.”

MacAdams said he received calls from Bucknell, Penn, Brown, Marist, FGCU and Lafayette on the June 15 deadline when D-I schools can first contact rising juniors, but said he hadn’t heard much since Philly Live, when he admitted he didn’t shoot the ball well. That shot returned in multiple watches this past week, including in an 18-point outing (on 12 shots) in a game in Atlantic City on Friday.

— Jake Sniras (2025 | PA Coalition 17U HGSL) was not too pleased with how his last game went with PA Coalition on Sunday at the Hoop Group Spooky Nook Jam Fest. He finished with nine points in PA Coalition’s consolation bracket championship loss to PK Flash, 70-53. But the 6-5 Garnet Valley rising senior guard has been getting Division II and III attention, although no offers yet. Some PSAC schools, along with D-IIIs Wilkes and Scranton have shown him interest, he said, but he has been overall pleased with his summer. 

“I want to improve my ball-handling this summer, and I need to get better on defense, because I am getting beat on way too many backdoor cuts,” he admitted. “This was my eighth game in four days. I want to get stronger, and I have been settling too much on my jumpers, and it is easy to guard me if I’m a one-trick pony. There is always work to be done. There will always be someone working harder, and I have to keep up. I realize that.”

— Sam’i Singletary (2025 | FAM 17U) has been biding his time at Lower Merion under legendary coach Gregg Downer. So far, the 6-foot-2 rising senior guard has played well this summer. He played sparingly last year for the District 1 Class 6A champions Aces. In the Hoop Group Spooky Nook Jam Fest on Sunday, Singletary scored 15 points in one game and 12 in FAM’s consolation bracket championship 57-54 loss to Next Level. 

“Last summer, I was really shaky as far as my shooting and my free throws, but this year, I feel a lot more confident driving to the basket and finishing at the line,” Singletary said. “This is my time. I paid my dues. I came in as a freshman and did not do too much. I got COVID my freshman year, and this is my time to get some varsity minutes. I have been eating right, I lost a lot of weight, and I still feel I can get in better shape. Since my freshman year, I’ve lost 20 pounds and feel good out there.”  

— Trevor Rehm (2025 | PK Flash 17U HGSL) was a driving force on both sides of the court in PK Flash’s 70-53 consolation bracket title victory over PA Coalition—with just six players. Rehm finished with 11 points, six blocked shots and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-8 Bishop Guilfoyle rising senior has been offered by Slippery Rock, Lock Haven, Millersville and IUP. He will visit Nova Southeastern University (Florida) and has been enjoying his summer. He wanted to address his shooting, and he wanted to extend his range, knowing he would probably be a ‘3’ or a ‘4’ in college, as opposed to playing center, where he plays for Guilfoyle. 

“A few D-I schools have shown interest, like Loyola, Navy, Army, and Fairleigh Dickinson I am in contact with,” Rehm said. “I like playing with this (PK Flash) team and it’s gone well.”