Northeast Fall Finish

Farmingdale, NY- Last weekend  Exodus / Mr. John McGraw held the  Northeast Fall Finish  showcase in  Long Island, NY and GHR got a chance to catch a full day of action on Saturday.

Aliyah Jeune (Burlington, NJ 2015) - The 6-ft senior guard was a woman amongst girls; at times literally unstoppable. Jeune has a tremendous amount of skills.  However, the big question mark has been her focus. This weekend she dialed in and put on a show with her NJ Demons team. Jeune did a great job attacking off of the dribble, worked well off of ball screens, kept her teammates involved, and did a good job shooting off the dribble.

Morgan Smith (Bowie MD 2016) was physically one of the most impressive players at the event. The strong and athletic wing showed the ability to defend at a high level, score in the post, and displayed individual half-court offense with her ability to create her own shot.

Niya Johnson (Brooklyn NY 2016) -  Johnson did nothing to hurt her reputation as a scorer at this event. Scoring from behind the arc, in transition, from the baseline, on pull-ups and muscling up smaller players.

Ednaija Lassiter (Dorchester MA 2016) -  Point guard with a  sturdy body and uses it off the dribble and to get into the lane.  She creates well while being a legitimate scorer herself. When playing off of the ball, Lassiter showed a good first step and the strength to finish with contact after the catch.

Alex Parlato (Wantagh NY 2015) - This Fordham commit isn't a high-flying athletic post, but her perimeter skills and basketball IQ are make her a coveted entity. Parlato displays great coordination for a player her size, has great hands, has multiple perimeter skills. She operated primarily from the high post and displayed her mid-range game.

Araiom Bradshaw (Hyde Park MA 2016) - Nicely built 5-7 combo guard. She was explosive with the ball in her hands all day long and finished consistently in the lane. The  Tabor Academy standout is also a very active defender.

Amani Free (Syracuse NY 2017) - The 5-11 wing unfortunately showed her one glaring weakness - the ability to handle the ball.  However, the long, athletic Free was a terror on the boards with tenacious effort plays.  Because of her motor she scored on most 50/50 effort like plays under the rim, got to the free-throw line, and showed the ability to knock down uncontested three pointers when left open on the catch.

Aziah Hudson (Baldwin NY 2018) - Hudson is a menacing speedy guard that was on the attack all of the time. Despite her size, she finds ways to continuously score in the lane over bigger players. On the defensive end she anticipated well and jumped the passing lanes creating turnovers.

Autum Trusdale (New York NY 2017) -Listed at 6-ft, I had the chance to watch Autum a couple of times last Spring and it's obvious she has continued to work on her game. She is a little quicker on the drive, has added a handle, and has extended her shooting range to the three-point line. She has a college-ready frame and is not afraid to mix it up in the post.  If she continues to work on her perimeter skills, she has the natural ability to become a force as an inside-outside threat.

Curstyn Moore (Mt Vernon 2017) -Moore is a 5-11 forward prospect from a blood-line of great Mount Vernon HS players. The Long and strong forward has a great nose for the basketball and is usually first on the scene when it comes to a rebound or 50/50 ball.  She has also added a very dependable perimeter shot off of the pass that extends to about 15-ft that seems effortless at times. Her game at this point reminds me of former NY Knicks power forward, Charles Oakley – I apologize for showing my age and New York City roots.

Kiana Pollack (Jamaica NY 2018) - She played both guard positions and a little post/wing this weekend and looked comfortable doing so.  However, she is at her best playing off of the ball where she can really hurt defenses.  Not shy when it comes to putting it up, her shot selection will have to improve for the next level.