By ZACH SMART
Since he first showed his deft shooting touch as a callow freshman in Stepinac’s win over Iona Prep in a jam-packed sold out Westchester County Center, Class of 2027 guard/wing Josh Rivera has increased his role with the CHSAA/national power.
The Yonkers, NY native has sprouted into a 6-foot-7 frame, increased his deep 3-point range and added a fluid mid range range game and finishing arsenal.
The long armed junior, coming off a stellar showing at Peach Jam with the NY Rens, is entering a major stage of his recruitment.
Rivera, who averaged 17 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals during Peach Jam, will shoulder the role of big shot maker and multi-positional defender alongside a veteran-laden Stepinac team spearheaded by Jasiah Jervis and the Ratliff twins.
Now a four star recruit who has levitated up the national rankings as a Top-70 recruit, has piled up recent offers from Rhode Island, Illinois, and Seton Hall.
He holds additional offers from the likes of Mississippi State, St. John’s, Manhattan and others. As soon as the live period officially opened up back on June 15th, Rivera heard from a wide array of programs–Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Quinnipiac, Saint Louis, Delaware, and Merrimack, to name a few.
If Peach Jam did anything for Rivera, it bolstered the recruiting momentum for the rising junior moving forward.
His spurt-ability was evident as he shot 5 for 7 (3-4 3FG) during the first half against Jet Academy. Rivera also scored 24 points and grabbed eight boards during one of the Rens opening games of the event.
Sleeper No More: While he entered Peach Jam as one of the more obscure, under the radar recruits, Class of 2026 Expressions Elite (MA) combo guard Desmond Bellot Jr. was among the top performers.The blanketing defensive pressure and non-stop, pesky on ball presence Bellot Jr. applies was evident from the early going.
Bellot scored 20 points to go with five rebounds and three assists in catapulting Expressions to a win over Mokan Elite.
Bellot Jr. displayed a physical attacking and finishing arsenal, three level scoring repertoire, and natural.adeptness for creating space off the dribble. .
..One of the sleeper programs which has ramped up its recruiting presence across the country is Atlantic Cape CC in New Jersey.
Carlos Rodriguez gives Cape a consistent scoring presence known for his career as a big shot maker in both HS and Prep.
Rodriguez was among the top performers during a recent P32 JUCO Showcase, with a game of 15 points and six assists garnering visibility.
The 6-foot-3 Rodriguez bucketed a number of pressure cooker navigating 3-pointers and game winners while at Scarsdale HS, including a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to give Section 1 power Mount Vernon their first home loss in 200 games during his junior season.
Last year, Rodriguez adaptied to the intricacies of a play-creating point guard role while sustaining a high level catch and stick presence at Academy of Central Florida.
Rodriguez has become more adept at pressuring ball handlers and guarding off the ball. The Westchester County native has developed a college ready build while refining his skill set against top-flight Prep National teams. Rodriguez, scored 13 points and doled out four assists against CATS Academy (MA), which featured 7-foot-1 Nebraska freshman Leo Curtis, a four star recruit who is expected to play a significant role this season.
Atlantic Cape also adds a high profile recruit in Xavier Lewis, an electrifying guard out of Georgia with a high level scoring aptitude. Under head coach Allan Ragland, the program has been known to secure under the radar talent.
Ragland has been instrumental in nurturing the development of David Coit, a rugged 6-foot-1 guard who is currently at University of Maryland via Kansas. A true unheralded recruit who fell through the cracks during COVID, Coit led the country in scoring with 29 PPG during an All American stay at Atlantic Cape.
The post Recruiting Momentum Rolls For 2027 Prospect After Peach Jam appeared first on Zagsblog.