Pittsburgh Jam Fest – Event Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Saturday, April 26th, 2014

There was a strong New England presence in Pittsburgh this weekend’s for the Hoop Group’s annual Pittsburgh Jam Fest, an event which reportedly included hundreds of teams and college coaches alike.

Just two weeks after their appearance at the Northeast Hoops Festival, New Heights went on to capture the u17 championship.  New England’s top ranked sophomore, Mustapha Heron, played a critical role in their run, logging major minutes while showing his balanced floor game.  Heron averaged a team high 17 points per game on the weekend, including 27 and 26 against Team Thad and Karolina Diamonds respectively.  More than just his offensive contributions though, Heron was also extremely durable, logging major minutes throughout the weekend and never seeming to tire, all while being one of the team’s top defenders and perimeter rebounders as well.  

The New England Playaz also had a good showing this weekend, opening with three straight wins, the third of which came over Philly Pride before they ultimately fell to DC Premier (formerly DC Assault) in the Round of 16.  Jarred Reuter continued to play at a high level inside, reportedly attracting attention from various high-major coaches in the process, but the team also got good production out of their guards.  Reuter was at his best in the Playaz’ final game of the weekend against Sports U, in a game which attracted over 30 coaches, while Ian Sistare had a team high 20 against Team Price.  Corey Daughtery had 17 points in the second half of the game against Team Price while going for 20 against Philly Pride.  

The Middlesex Magic also had a good showing in Pittsburgh, opening with a hard fought win over a talented Maryland 3D squad and ultimately finishing 3-1 on the weekend.  Jackson Donahue played at a high level throughout the weekend, getting hot in the second half of the opener and then riding that momentum from that point on.  Donahue finished with 25 against Maryland 3D and matched that total against Team Price while knocking down seven threes.  A.J. Brodeur had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the opener while Collin McManus earned a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds against the Richmond Squires in Friday’s nightcap.  

No statistics were available for Connecticut Basketball Club, who also took part in the Pittsburgh Jam Fest’s u17 platinum bracket.  

High Rise Elite advanced all the way to the finals of the steel bracket in the u17 division.  Steve Enoch continued to be the main attraction, as college coaches chased him throughout the weekend, but Sunday Okeke had his latest strong showing, earning praise on the Hoop Group’s Sunday recap.  High Rise scored wins over the Nova Cavaliers, Staten Island Stingrays, Blessed Sacrament, and Spectrum Sports Academy before ultimately falling to TNBA East in the final.  

No statistics were available for Lone Wolf Athletics, who also took part in the u17 steel bracket.  

In the u16 division, Sedee Keita led We-R1 to the semifinals all while playing double duty and also suiting up with the u17 team.  The developing big man looks to have added both muscle mass and offensive skill since the end of the prep school season.    

The New England Playaz again had the deepest run among the local teams, going all the way to the sweet 16 with wins over Brampton Warriors and Baltimore’s Finest, another nationally sponsored Under Armour program.  Sophomore big man Jordy Tshimanga had 18 points and 9 rebounds in the opener and 12 and 10 over the Pride while Tomas Murphy earned recognition in Scout.com’s Sunday recap.  

The Middlesex Magic also showed well in the u16 division.  Matt DeWolf had 14 points and 14 rebounds against East Coast Fusion while Nick Seretta and Joseph Bell reportedly played well before the team ultimately fell to the Jersey Shore Warriors.  

Continue to stay tuned to the New England Recruiting Report as we’ll have more recaps from the weekend including the Nike EYBL in Sacramento, the Adidas Uprising in Dallas, and the Basketbull New England Championships in Middletown.