NJ Spring Training

With the high school season coming to a close and the AAU season on the horizon it was time to get back in the gym to iron out some kinks in the tri-state area.

Thirteen kids representing six distinct AAU programs showed up at the Overly Dedicated Training facility just outside of Trenton, NJ . The influx of trainers, clinicians and event operators at the grassroots level can at times make gathering the appropriate cadre of players to get some work an arduous task. Though gathering them can be challenging, the kids from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania NEVER disappoint at a #SticksSkillsTraining Academy.

The talent pool was deep and well-balanced at every position.

Post Dominance

Priyanka Ponnam’26 of Blair Academy (NJ) established her dominance in the post early and often. The 6’3 C/F demonstrated great physicality and footwork all evening. She is one of many reasons Coach Thomas Davis’ Exodus NYC crew is annually one of the top AAU programs in the country.

Savannah Seawell’25 of Montclair High School (NJ) also continues to show progress in her overall growth and development as a player. I last saw her back in October at my Greenwich Skills Academy in Connecticut. Since then she has become a much more polished offensive player around the basket. The use of countermoves was the most noteworthy expansion to her game.I have received a healthy dose of phone calls regarding her recruitment, and her performance at this event was a clear indication of why she is heavily sought after by a fair deal of college coaches.

Both Ponnam and Seawell had the privilege of mixing it up Angelina Banas (NJIT) who decided to hang out for some extra work after her training session.

The City of Sisterly Love

Philadelphia has always been a city synonymous with exceptional guard play. Saniyah Littlejohn’25 is a guard who intends to ensure that narrative holds true for years to come. The Lansdale Catholic stand out, currently holds offers from Stonybrook and Fordham University. She is highly skilled and has the ultimate killer instinct. Look for her stock to increase this summer on the circuit with Coach Sherika Salmon’s Books and Basketball squad.

Another Philadelphia native that caught my attention was shooting guard Kayla Thompson’25 . Thompson is coming off a season at Imhotep in which she garnered1st Team All Public League honors. She is also a member of the Books and Basketball program who will make lots of noise on the Under Armour circuit this summer.

A couple trusty stalwarts from Trenton Catholic (NJ) were also on hand. NJIT bound Mayah Alford’24 & Cianni Thompson’24 who is committed to Bloomfield University were solid. Alford has added the pull-up jumpshot to her arsenal. A tool that will serve her well in the American East conference. Cianni Thompson simply did what she does best. The moment live play commenced she connected on a few bombs from deep to set the tone for the evening.

Kyley Gary-Grayson’25 is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state of New Jersey. I saw her in the early stages of her high school season at West Orange, and she seemed to be hobbled with a leg injury. As the season went on, she was able to push through the injury and help her team make a deep playoff run. A healthier version of Gary-Grayson showed up to this event and with some continued strength training, she could be a good get at the next level.

Young Guns

We always enjoy bearing witness to the next generation of high school prospects, holding their own in the trenches with our current stars. The Philly Rise program definitely has two for the show. Jayla Williams’ 28 of (Burlington,NJ) and Palin Coleman’28 (Orefield, PA)will be running-mates on the Philadelphia Rise 15U EYBL team, coached by Paul Martinez. Both of these future stars demonstrated a precocious skill-set, court savvy and swagger. Beyond a shadow of a doubt I consider this duo to be certified varsity material. Savannah Hoagland’29 made her second appearance at a SticksSkillsTraining event and she too was ready for the big stage. Already standing 6 feet tall, with a budding skills set, we will certainly be tracking her progress with the Total Skills AAU program this summer.

Catch us in traffic at the end of March when we will close spring training out in Berlin, Connecticut with the New England Skills Academy.