Providence Jam Fest – Saturday Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Friday, April 29th, 2011

The annual Providence Jam Fest got into full swing on Saturday with pool play giving way to bracket play by the end of the night.  Here’s a look at some of the local standouts. 

Zach Karalis, New England Storm – Karalis turned in some late game heroics in a dramatic win over Hoop Heaven Elite and Alabama bound guard Jaren Sina.  First it was a strong baseline drive to give his team a one point advantage with 30 seconds left then he literally won it at the free-throw line, breaking a tie with just 1.5 seconds on the clock. 

Maurice Taylor, Prodigy – The elder Taylor was one of the few bright spots for Prodigy as they ran into a powerful Sports U team from New Jersey.  Sporting an expanded frame, Taylor showed a wide variety of individual offensive skills to create his own shots and put points on the board. 

Wol Majong, Bishop Elite – This young guard was the most pleasant surprise of Saturday morning showing a complete floor game at the point.  He operated well coming off the ball screen, made a variety of high level passes, and even showed he could knock down the three-ball. 

Jason Burgo, Connecticut Elite – The Hillhouse post player showed out on Friday night with a versatile low post arsenal with his back to the basket.  Burgo bullied people with his strong upper body and then incorporated a variety of drop-steps, spin moves, and jump hooks to put points on the board.

Jerome Harris, Aim High – After putting up big numbers on Friday night, Harris returned to do the same on Saturday.  Doing it with both his jumper and his dribble, Harris put points on the board while also showing off his bounce and improved decision making. 

John Papale & Rodell Wigginton, New England Playaz – Papale went for 25 and 26 in the Playaz  two pool play wins showing his patented long ball while also incorporating the dribble drive into his game.  Wigginton gave the Playaz a spark on Friday night, using his length and athleticism to get all over the court defensively and finish plays at the rim. 

Ryan Hartung, Mass Rivals – The sharp-shooting swingman turned in an extremely efficient performance to start the day on Saturday, going for 14 points in the first half and never missing when he was able to set his feet. 

Rohan Brown, Kuran Iverson & Ryan Sutherland, Connecticut Select – Brown & Iverson shined in Select’s first win of the day.  Brown finished with 23 points including 18 in the second half with a variety of face-up moves while Iverson’s stat line was 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists as he played an efficient inside-out game.  Sutherland was the story in the second contest, drilling five threes for 22 points.