The second and final day of the Primetime Shootout showcased a docket of games with some of the best teams out of the state of New Jersey on the hardwood. However, others such as Huntington Prep and Montverde Academy took to the floor but no one was more impressive than the host team, Roselle Catholic. Nate Pierre-Louis and Matt Bullock led the Jersey based bunch to a hard fought win and were two of the better standouts from the day that was.

NATE PIERRE-LOUIS, PG, ROSELLE CATHOLIC, 2017: Pierre-Louis has been a pretty well-known name for some time now but it seems that he has added some substance to his game. Now a junior and the lead guy for the always talented Roselle Catholic bunch, there is a lot to like with the floor general out of Jersey. Now standing over 6-foot-3 and with a body that should continue to fill out as he matures further, Pierre-Louis can take the bump to the basket and facilitate within the half-court setting. He has a very nice burst to him on the blow-by move and is one of the shiftiest and craftiest guys in the lane prior to the tough-nosed conversion. While he doesn’t shoot it too well just yet, there is a lot of value in Pierre Louis due to his ability to run his team and also not turn it over. With a bevy of some of the top programs on the east coast involved, expect for Pierre-Louis to become a priority recruit at the point guard spot this summer.

MATT BULLOCK, SG, ROSELLE CATHOLIC, 2016: Joining Pierre-Louis in the backcourt at Roselle Catholic is one of the more grossly underrated and also under the radar wing prospects available within the 2016 class. While he doesn’t look the part of a big time athlete as Bullock could pass for a tight end on the football side of things, what the Jersey native did on Sunday evening was quite impressive. The 6-foot-4 senior was matched up against Huntington Prep five-star forward Miles Bridges, displaying the immense trust that his coaches had in him. The tough and productive wing hit on a number of pull-up shots and catch and shoot jumpers from behind the arc along with explosive dunks that came off of either hand in the lane. With limited college interest at this time, it is a bit shocking that a number of local programs aren’t involved as Bullock shows the competitive mentality but also the winning nature that should make him a quality college prospect and producer.

MILES BRIDGES, SF, HUNTINGTON PREP, 2016: While he didn’t end the game on the strongest of notes, it may have been the best that Bridges had played through the first three quarters from my prior viewings. The lefty hit on a number of pull-up 3-point jumpers that saw the range on some of them extend to well beyond 22-feet. The Michigan native is one of the most explosive leapers around the basket and while he did settle for the jumper at the end of his outing on Sunday, he still tossed in a number of hard drive and finishes at the basket, conversions that he can use either hand in an ambidextrous manner. Even his shot blocks came in the highlight variety and while Bridges still has to touch on his handles and shot selection moving forward, the Michigan State signee has everything at his fingertips to be as good as he might want to be at the highest of levels.

SILVIO DESOUSA, PF, MONTVERDE ACADEMY, 2018: They just don’t make them the size of DeSousa quite often, especially seeing that the native of Angola is a sophomore at this time. The 6-foot-8, mammoth of a beast around the basket, threw down numerous dunks that would have made the lacking mixtape guys in attendance wishing that they would have attended. Outside of exerting his lethal frame and explosive capabilities on the dunk attempt, there are some ball skills to the elite power forward. Taking shades of a vintage Shawn Kemp, DeSousa can face up and attack his man off of the high elbow regions and also make the proper passer from the low-post. He didn’t score or even attempt to do so with his back to the rim but his defensive skills away from it and rebounding skills are pristine. One of the best sophomores in all of American, DeSousa continues to cement his status as an elite recruit and prospect, regardless of classification.

JUSTIN WINSTON, F, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, 2018: If you want a guy that looks the part, Justin Winston sure passes that particular test. The 6-foot-7 forward is already more of a small forward at this time, showing off ideal size for the 3-spot on the floor. He can hit on the elevated pull-up jumper with a hand in his face, yet also post-up the smaller defender down low on the block prior to converting on impressive turn and face baby jumpers. Presenting giant matchup issues on the floor, Winston can put the ball on the floor some on the rip and attack off his right hand and already moves his feet fairly well in defending either forward position on the other end. Seeming that Winston will be and should be a priority recruit for the local programs nearby, expect for the sophomore’s name and stock to heighten as he gains greater eyes placed onto him in the coming years.

JAKE BETLOW, PG, GILL ST. BERNARD, 2019: The system that Mergin Sina runs at Gill St. Bernard’s is pretty impressive. Very rarely do you see a freshman execute an offense so precisely but that is exactly what you have with Jake Betlow. The 6-foot guard has an impeccable feel for the game along with a fairly polished skillset at this time. Sporting long legs and broad shoulders, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the freshman sprout a few more inches before he taps out. Regardless, Betlow sees the floor and has the patience and wherewithal in allowing for the play to happen before making the appropriate decision with the ball. He creates well for others off of the dribble-drive and moves well off of the ball where he can hit with range on the catch and shoot 3-point jumper. The next guy up out of the mighty and highly successful Gill St. Bernard’s program, a few higher level academic programs are already involved but if things do work out for the better, expect for many more top shelf basketball programs to have a say with the Jersey native.

RECRUITING NOTES

Wagner is the latest program to get involved with Matt Bullock, a productive wing out of the Roselle Catholic program.

One of the better lead guards still available on the east coast, 2016 Montverde Academy guard Davonta Jordan spoke on offers from South Alabama, FGCU, and Tennessee Tech, while he felt that Texas A&M, Monmouth, Florida State, and South Carolina were pursuing him with a vengeance; he visited Monmouth earlier in the week. 

The offers are already coming in at a good rate for Nate Pierre-Louis as he rattled ones off from Purdue, SMU, Seton Hall, UConn, Providence, Miami, Iowa State, Cincinnati, and Rutgers.

A great prospect and player to be, Justin Winston spoke on offers from Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, and DePaul; he most recently visited Rutgers and Seton Hall in the prior weeks for a game.

COACHES IN THE CROWD

It was a super cold day in Jersey but a few coaches were able to get out and see some of the action at Roselle Catholic including SMU head coach Larry Brown and an assistant of his, Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole and an assistant of his, along with others on staff at Penn, San Francisco, Seton Hall, and Hofstra.