Jersey Force The Scrimmages VOL. 3 Report

Christian Cevis 6’1 Point Guard (NJ Panthers Elite/West Morris Central HS): Known as an elite playmaker, Cevis showcased his shot-making ability in a game against Jersey Force Select. His performance was highlighted by his game winner with seconds left on a drive from the wing using a left to the right crossover to score the game winning layup. Had a pair of three-pointers in the contest. His first trey was on the opening possession of the game where he used a right handed dribble to freeze his opponent to get his shot off. The other made three was in transition where he found open space in the left corner to convert the shot while spotting up. Also showed his ability to get to the rim in a variety of ways. In addition to the game winner, he had a nice drive from the right wing and used a spin move to finish a layup. Had 14 points in the game. While Cevis didn’t have any assists, that’s certainly not a concern as he has proven time and again to be one of the best passers in New Jersey, leading the state in assists at close to nine per game this past high school season. He still made a concerted effort to get his teammates involved in the game, specifically finding them for open threes on drive and kicks; could easily have had three or four assists had some of those shots gone down. Was just as effective on the defensive end where his outstanding lateral quickness made it very difficult for the opposing point guard to get dribble penetration on him. Also consistently was in the right spots on his rotations for help defense. Effort level is just as high on this side of the ball. Has shown he can stand out on the AAU circuit just as much as he does in high school and as a result he picked up a MAAC offer from Fairfield yesterday. More schools in the MAAC should be tracking Cevis.

Highlight Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJP0WaRb_pE&t=342s

Ethan Garita 6’8 Power Forward (NJ Panthers Elite/Princeton Day School): Garita provided great energy on the defensive end for the NJ Panthers in their game against Jersey Force Select. He consistently got out on shooters to force them into a lower percentage shot with his size and length. Had a nice block on an opponent who tried to shoot a mid-range jumper over him. Also had four rebounds in the contest, using his ability to get position as well as his leaping ability to make an impact in this area. Made an impact on the offensive end as well, scoring eight points. Showcased his very good athleticism running hard in transition for an emphatic two hand slam. Had a nice left hand layup finish on a drop-off from a teammate in the first half. Also made both of his free throws. D2 schools in a league like the CACC should be looking closely at Garita. Could get D1 schools in leagues like the NEC and Patriot to show more interest if he can develop into a low volume three-point shooter to contribute more as a floor spacer for his team.

Highlight Film: https://www.hudl.com/profile/13915028/Ethan-Garita

Marcus Pierce 6’2 Combo Guard (Jersey Force Select/St Joe’s (Hammonton): Pierce was outstanding in Jersey Force Selects' close loss to the NJ Panthers. Showcased his versatile scoring package on his way to scoring 18 points. Coming into AAU as more of a finisher at the rim, Pierce showed nice improvement in his shooting, making two three-pointers with a fluid release. Hit a very important trey late in the game spotting up from the right wing to cut into the Panthers’ lead and give his squad a chance to win the game. Also had another smooth three in the second half on a spot up from the left wing. Showed his in-between game with a mid-range turnaround early in the game. Also had a nice play where he had the ball at the top of the key and took two dribbles to his left to get into a spin move and score with a soft floater. Was effective in transition as well. Had a play where he used a nice step through move through contact to score an and-1. Also scored twice on easy layups running the floor hard in transition. Pierce should be a priority in a D2 league like the CACC. With more performances like this which show the three-pointer is a legitimate weapon in his scoring arsenal, D1 schools in a league the NEC could get more involved.

Highlight Film: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10578014/5ea20bd7041d8b0594089951

Ryan Smith 6’5 Combo Forward (Jersey Force Select/Robbinsville HS): Smith also stood out in Jersey Force Selects' game against the NJ Panthers. The southpaw had a nice three-pointer in the second half from the right wing off a pick and pop. Early in the game he caught the ball in the post, taking one dribble with his right hand to get into a step back jumper that he knocked down. Had a strong drive from the left wing using his right hand to get into the lane to finish with a floater. Ran the floor hard in transition to get the pass for an easy layup. Had 11 points in the contest. On the defensive side, even though he was giving up multiple inches to the forwards on NJ Panthers, Smith made an impact using his strong body to box out. Only had three rebounds in the game but helped other teammates get rebounds because of his good effort in keeping the opposing forwards off the glass. Also had a nice play where he played tough post defense to tip the entry pass to his teammate for a steal. A top notch student who D3 schools in a league like the Centennial should be keeping a close eye on.

Highlight Film: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13996258/5e83f7755eec170b5cd98e29

Or Sundjyvsky 6’5 Shooting Guard (NJ Beasts/Covenant Prep): Sundjyvsky impressed in NJ Beasts’ win over Olympus Elite with his shot making ability. Backed up his reputation as one of the top shooters in New Jersey, hitting two three-pointers in the game. Had 87 threes this past high school season. His first trey was on an out of bounds play where he was the inbounder and after passing it in he got a screen and hit the shot in the left corner. His other made three was a spot up from the right wing. Moved very well without the ball in the contest. Had two nice backdoor cuts leading to easy layups. Also finished with a layup on a two-on-one after getting past a full court press. Finished with 18 points in the contest. D2 schools in a league like the CACC should be following Sundjyvsky. Could get low-major D1 schools to show more interest if he can improve his ball handling to become a legitimate secondary ball handler in an offense in addition to proving he can defend more athletic players at his position.

Derrick Bueno 6’7 Power Forward (NJ Beasts/ Paramus Catholic): Another NJ Beasts player who made a significant impact in their game against Olympus Elite was Bueno. Showed the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting when he made a three-pointer off of a pick and pop in the second half. He made 33 treys this past high school season. Bueno also does a good job of getting to the rim. Had a strong straight line drive from the right wing, blowing by the defender to convert the layup through contact for an and-1. Had another nice drive catching the ball at the free throw line and taking two dribbles to score at the basket. Finished the game with 16 points. Also was solid on the defensive end. Had a play where he forced his opponent into a bad pass leading to a steal due to his physical post defense. In another defensive series he made it difficult for the defense to get the ball into the post and helped create a turnover when the opponent tried to force the ball in. Used his strong body to make his presence felt on the glass getting a body on opponents to get good position. Had four rebounds in the game. Low-major D1 schools should be keeping an eye on Bueno.

Highlight Film: https://twitter.com/derrick_bueno/status/1253754470749614081

Rob Peterson 6’2 Combo Guard (Olympus Elite/Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)): Peterson had an impressive game in Olympus’ loss to NJ Beasts showing he can score both from the perimeter and at the rim. Had two three-pointers in the game. Both of his treys were on spot-ups with the first one coming from the left wing and the other one from the left corner. Has good form on his shot with a quick release. Had a nice play in the mid-range, driving from the top of the key and taking two dribbles to score on a soft floater off of a spin move. Peterson also forced the defense to respect his ability to get to the rim with an array of strong drives in the game. Had a nice drive from the top of the key where he used a between the legs crossover move to get by his opponent and score. Finished the contest with 14 points. A top-notch student who D3 schools in leagues like the Centennial and NESCAC should be looking at closely. Could get D2 schools in a league like the NE-10 to show interest if he can prove to be a legitimate scoring option for Phillips Exeter in the NEPSAC, in addition to being an adequate defender when guarding more athletic players at his position.

Highlight Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OPIM_DPHKI&feature=youtu.be

Xavier Earnest 6’3 Wing (Olympus Elite/St. Augustine Prep): Earnest also had a solid game for Olympus against NJ Beasts. Had a three-pointer from the right corner early in the game after receiving a pass from his teammate on the move. Also had a strong drive to the rim from the top of the key with his left hand to draw a shooting foul. In transition, he used a nice crossover move to get by his defender and score at the rim. Does a good job of finding open spots on the court which he showed by cutting to the hoop for an easy layup when his defender went to double a teammate in the post. Also made the defense pay on a play where they weren’t set quick enough with their halfourt defense by getting behind them for a left hand layup. Had 11 points in the game. Defensively, he moves his feet well laterally, helping to limit dribble penetration. Also makes a conscious effort to challenge opponents’ shots to force lower percentage attempts. A great student in the classroom who D3 schools in a league like the Centennial should be following.

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