Riverside Select

Here are a few more organized highlights from earlier in the Hoop Group season with @TheChurchSelect.

After a great Official Visit with @CoachDTrumbo @MatthewDCapell @MBacks I’m grateful to receive an offer from (D2) St Thomas Aquinas College . Thank you coaches for having me ! @ZachKuba @TheChurchSelect @DobbsFerryHoops @HoopGroupAL

Last but not least is my guy Hank Ford (Philips Exeter- 2026). Getting to know Hank this summer has been a gratifying experience. After we won our HGAL championship, Hank was also one of the players to travel with me to Singapore and Hong Kong where we got to enrich our relationship and play more hoops. Hank is a unique guy on and off the court and is great to be around either place. Lighthearted, but focused., Talented, skilled. Hank is a TOP level defender and was a piece we really couldn’t take off the court during our championship run. He can lock down anyone and when he was out there with Brad, JT, Derek, and Silas you just couldn’t get by us. Look at the first clip in the first video… up 71-70 (after Noah 3) we defend a BLOB with 5 seconds to go. Guarding the inbounder Hank takes away the layup option, then distracts the pass out, then gets to the corner to make the steal. Then throws it up ahead knowing the clock will run out. HIGH IQ and the quickness, alertness to cover ground and guard the entire half the floor nearly by himself is nuts! A 6’2 combo guard with great feel who can harass ballhandlers 94 feet makes Hank a very appealing prospect. He has interest from a couple IVYs and with a 1500 SAT he certainly has options. (I like MIT as one 😃) Big things ahead. Lookout for my guy Hank this year as a Post-Grad at Exeter! @TheHoopGroup @HoopGroupAL @HoopGroupEamonn @CoachBJDunne 👀

Stuff like this is what keeps me going. No better kid than Austin Mejia (out of Regis). Recruited from our @TheChurchSelect team by D3s but didn’t find the right fit with Academics and hoops. He decides to go to @HCrossMBB, becomes a manager as a Freshman and WORKS his way into a roster spot as a Sophomore. No one more deserving and the right move for the team. Big things ahead for Austin!!

Getting close to that time! Roster already filling up with MAJOR talent. More than 80% of the players who have played in the NYC Academic Elite have gone on to play in college. Many of those recruited solely from the event. As one college coach told me “we only need to recruit this event every year.” Another coach said “it’s so refreshing to not see the same 80-100 kids over and over again. We love this event so much.” Once again The showcase is FREE, Invite Only (we turn down more players than we accept), and SENIORS only (with one team of 2027s for the boys) Players can inquire about an invitation code with me or DM @NYCAcademicElit … coaches please register beforehand at nycacademicelite.com and there are still a few paid coaching spots left too! See you Sep 20!!

🏆 The Inaugural HGAL Champions @TheChurchSelect Smart. Tough. Skilled. Competitive. These young men play the game the right way. Under Coach @ZachKuba, Riverside Select built a team that wins with discipline, teamwork, and consistency. Proud of these players and the families who helped shape them. This group earned it.

So fortunate to get to coach @JtLindi (@IonaPrepBBall 2026) this July. This guy can guard anyone. I’ve known/ loved JT and his family for years. So glad he was able to join our @TheChurchSelect group for the stretch run. JT’s defensive prowess, physicality, and mindset was just what we needed as an add in July. A pass first point guard who makes everyone around him better. JT was battling a shoulder injury and wasn’t sure if he could play at all in the @HoopGroupAL playoffs. After our Sweet 16 win he asked “do you need me?” And I almost drove back from AC to his house to pick him up. Even if he wasn’t 100%, there’s no chance we win the Chip without JT. This guy makes any team better. His feel, team first mentality, leadership, superior strength, handle, passing, and quickness is going to impact any college program immediately. Keep an eye on him is senior year at Iona as he will lead group to a successful season at the highest level of @CHSAA_NYC hoops. @HoopGroupEamonn @TheHoopGroup @RecruitTheBronx @RiversideHawks

Noah Khalid is a big shot maker and big game scorer. If we are in any kind of offensive lull, Noah is the guy we look to get it to. In our Elite 8 game we almost let a 15 point lead slip away, down 70-68, we got the ball in his hands to hit the game winning 3 to advance 71-70. Noah averaged just under 15ppg, but it was timeliness and difficulty of his buckets that’s impressive. Noah improved dramatically on the defensive end throughout our season. He’s always had great instincts for deflections/ steals, but his ability to guard the ball 1v1 on the perimeter took a huge step forward. Whether he’s scoring 37 to take down the #1 team in the state in the HS semifinals, or knocking down clutch 3s against the best competition on the East Coast in the summer, Noah is the guy. A high level student at Dalton, Noah is highly sought after by the best D3s in the country. Excited to see where he ends up (less excited to gameplan for him during the HS season 😂). @HoopGroupEamonn @TheHoopGroup @HoopGroupAL @NERRHoops @d3hoops

There’s really not much more I can say about Brad Brown (Don Bosco ‘26) other than ‘if you value winning, you take Brad on your team.’ We don’t accomplish all we accomplished all season without Brad. He’s the guy who’s always competing and is disgusted if he doesn’t get the best out of everyone around him. Brad is a winner. Honestly, he’s a D1 level talent with his handle, feel, strength and speed on the ball defensively. People will say he’s not D1 because of his size but I’d dispute that is irrelevant when you have a dog like that. He’s a high level student. Whatever UAA/ NESCAC (where he’s being recruited now) that might be lucky enough to land Brad will be getting the biggest steal in recruiting history. @HoopGroupAL @HoopGroupEamonn @will_louis0 @TheHoopGroup

After a great visit and conversation with Coach Reilly I’m thankful to receive an offer from ( D2) Thomas Jefferson University . Thank you Coach Reilly for having me and I look forward to our official visit later in the month ! @ZachKuba @DobbsFerryHoops @TheChurchSelect

🚨 Newcomer Alert!! 🚨 First up, Chase Garcia! A steady and tough on ball guard! Keeping NY in the Big 🍎!! 🧵for highlights! Welcome Chase! #RollViolets

Silas Brockway, 6’4 G (Millbrook School) totally changed the energy of our entire tournament run. Silas was playing fine, but when we were down double digits with 9 minutes to go vs Heat Elite, Silas came in and changed the energy totally to our favor. Deflections, steals, takes to the basket and a game tying corner 3. Our team was invigorated. Silas did the same in the championship game as he finished both games for us. Silas can be a game changer and brings a unique dynamic with his length, speed, defensive aggression, and ability to make shots. Going to be a nice college player at a very High Academic School! @HoopGroupAL @HoopGroupEamonn @will_louis0 @CoachMcAlister

Shout out to @JackCoco_11 ... Coco filled in where we needed him @TheChurchSelect and made our rotations better playing with the HGAL group. Kid is tough as hell, explosive first step, makes shots and defends the guard position well. Definitely a college player. Excited to monitor his upcoming senior with @step_basketball ! @HoopGroupEamonn @RecruitTheBronx

Why I love Caleb Garutti… Caleb was not making shots as consistently as he had throughout the spring for us. Yet he still found a way to be a key ingredient of our HGAL Championship run by impacting the game in every other way possible. As a cutter, screener, rebounder and playmaker on the Offensive end.. Guarding the ball, steals, deflections, physicality and rebounding on the defensive end. The reason I see Caleb as a high level role player at a high level program is his ability to impact the game in so many different ways. His size speed and athleticism, willingness to make the right play and be a great teammate meshes with any program. He’s shown the ability to knock down shots and coaches should continue to watch his playmaking ability at his upcoming camps in August. HIGH ACADEMIC KID! @calebgarutti @HoopGroupAL @HoopGroupEamonn

Our go to guy throughout the spring and summer had been Anthony Ficarrotta, 6’3 G/Wing from @DobbsFerryHoops … Natural Scorer. Anthony has proved that he is a scholarship level scorer and again averages over 25ppg during our @HoopGroupAL championship run. Anth has a feel when we need a bucket and he finds a way. His motor never stops as he consistently makes plays on both ends of the floor. Defense on and off the ball has improved dramatically and he’s also up over 3.5APG. Anth is reading the floor better, getting the ball out of his hands early in transition and finding cutters off his drives. The D2 interest and offers will continue to pour in, but don’t be surprised if you see some D1 schools get more into the mix. @HoopGroupEamonn @will_louis0 @FBRecruitment @NERRHoops @TheHoopGroup

A HUGE STOCK RISER after the @HoopGroupAL Championship run is 6’6 Wing Derek Gomez from St Peters Prep (NJ). Derek’s enthusiasm and athleticism really made the difference. He averaged 13.5ppg including a big 15 point performance in a 59-55 Championship win. He also averaged close to 8 rbg and 2bpg. Derek’s ability to guard all 5 positions, shoot the ball consistently from 3, and attack the rim with aggression makes him a very interesting scholarship level prospect. He also is the ultimate team guy, always chattering positivity and he’s fully immersed in the game and with his teammates. Derek figured out how to fit what he does well with the team around him. His cutting, screening, and passing improved dramatically over the course of July. Coaches at all levels should be reaching out to Derek! @HoopGroupEamonn @will_louis0 @TheHoopGroup

Let’s start talking our roster w/ 6’6 F Jack Moynahan from Riverdale School. Jack has turned himself into a highly sought after prospect. His learning curve for the game is impressive. The progression of reading the floor as a passer, making smarter cuts, and understanding spacing has been substantial. Jack has shot the ball well from the perimeter all season, but with his added ability to now to attack with the bounce into pull-ups, Barkley into a turnaround, he’s a dynamic offensive threat; all while making reads. Jack was good for 11ppg, 7rpg throughout our HGAL run, shooting over 50% from the field and slightly under from 3. He’s closing out to shooters on the perimeter better and his feet continue to get quicker staying in front of explosive athletes. As Jack continues to grow more in height, strength, and IQ … watch out! He also has leadership in his DNA and we heard him oftentimes leading huddles for our team in July, motivating and holding guys accountable. Jack always looks people in the eyes. He’s the type of player that motivates me as a coach to be my best and give him everything I have. Excited to be a part of Jack’s continuing development! Here’s a brief glimpse at Jack in a couple games @HoopGroupAL Playoffs. More to come! @HoopGroupEamonn @TheHoopGroup @will_louis0

Lucas Laungayan July Live Highlights from the @HoopGroupAL Finals with @TheChurchSelect 16u HGAL! 2027 5’10 150lbs PG #5 School: The Masters School (NY) ✅floor general ✅knock down shooter👌🏽(floor spacer) ✅high iq decisions in transition/out of pick & roll ✅94 feet defender

View all @TheChurchSelect ‘s exciting run to @HoopGroupAL Championship on my YouTube page! @coachkuba" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@coachkuba

Really impressed by our @TheChurchSelect 17U Gold group this week going 5-1 @TheHoopGroup This was a group that has been committed to getting better throughout the spring and summer. It was really fun watch them share the ball, attack people on defense and make shots. Coach Jamie Procino @jprocino32 did a really good job with them. Reece Carter (Dalton) showed tremendous poise and improved decision making to compliment his strong body and ability to defend. HIGH Academic Kid!! Ackiee Brown (Berkeley Carroll) was a 🪣 filling it up from all over the floor scoring at every level. Multiple 20+ games. College level scorer with good length and athleticism. Quinn McAnaney (Fordham Prep) was knocking down threes consistently with 2 games of 6+ 3pm. Quinn’ is 6’3 with solid frame and ability to move his feet defensively. The lefty stepping into threes consistently and his strength attacking the basket makes him a college prospect. The rising Junior Caden Tate (Brunswick) orchestrated the team, maniacal on defense and hit outside shots. Kai Shariffi (Fieldston) the 6’4 wing was very active with deflections and finished plays on offense. HIGH Academic kid too! Owen Fitzpatrick (Fordham Prep) showed his skill in the open court making plays for everyone and was feisty on the defensive end. Rising juniors Shaan Daly (Fieldston) and Ajay Jayant (Horace Mann) were moved up from 16s to compliment this group and they certainly did! Shaan made shots and guarded all over the floor. Ajay keeps getting so much better becoming more comfortable making plays with the ball. Defends and rebounds! @will_louis0 @HoopGroupEamonn @brianpetro4