A steady crop of local talent is ready to blossom at the forward position. Given the current recruiting culture, which tends to value the multi-faceted skill set of stretch fours and hybrid wings over the more traditional back to the rim forward.
Several enticing local prospects possess the potential to ratchet up their profile this season. Here is a look:
As a 6-foot-8 lefty with an adroit perimeter touch, Class of 2024 Archbishop Molloy forward Elijah Small enters his senior season vowing to make amends for some lost time. Small dealt with a debilitating injury which shelved him for much of last season. Molloy wound up falling to Stepinac HS (NY) during the Intersectional playoffs at Fordham University. Putting forth an upset bid which faltered during the game's waning moments.
Small has transformed his entire game, becoming more actively efficient as an around the rim scorer. While finishing in thunderous fashion as a catch-and-dunk threat. Prior to his expeditious emergence as a hard rim attacker, Small was forced to shed the habit of hesitating on his downhill game. Initially, he appeared to be experiencing a mental block, preventing him from exploding to the rim. A sit down with Riverside Hawks coach Karreim Memminger rapidly rectified the issue. Memminger, a longtime local NYC hoops pioneer, was able to stymie any lingering trepidation Small may have had stemming from the injury. Memminger implored the burgeoning, multi-positional forward to eliminate any lingering trace of doubt and pursue the rim with full throttle relentlessness. A switch had been flipped.
Powering up, utilizing every ounce of his vertically explosive athleticism, and sky-rising his long frame well above the glass for boards, Small has discovered his niche as a proficient interior cog. Now, Small is tracking as one of the city's breakout players. While still relatively unknown on the recruiting market, Small possesses a mixed bag of offensive uniqueness. As he showed during Iona Prep Team Camp, Small permeates the driving lanes with a nifty floater and soars in for stickbacks.
His growing, wide-ranging of offensive repertoire includes a turnaround jumper and an 18-20 footer from the corner. With Molloy accelerating the tempo in employing a swift-paced attack, Small has been instrumental in spearheading the break. His hard-edged style in crashing the glass on both ends should result in an array of double-doubles this season. As he brings the work rate to lead the prestigious CHSAA "AA" in such a category. Small will be a centerpiece of Molloy's desire to return to prominence and put the program on the same plane it was once on under the late and legendary Jack Curran.
He has help from a number of critical pieces flanking him, including 6-foot-5 guard-wing Josh Powell. Powell is coming off a sublime off-season in which he established himself as a shot-maker and three-level scoring source with a significant rebounding aptitude
Jeremiah Jacobs, Eagle Academy Brooklyn. The 6-foot-7 Class of 2025 guard-wing should undergo a massive stock transformation this season, as his versatility and imposing size make him a unique threat. Jacobs is a powerfully built mismatch, with a downhill game and the integral intangibles of a bruising interior banger. He erupted into the 2023-24 campaign by making a loud statement, as he put together 18 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, helping propel Eagle to a 79-68 victory over Broom. Jacobs has some burst to him, is comfortable putting the ball on the deck and accelerating the running game, and also brings translatable upside with his athleticism.
Jahmire Brewer, South Shore HS, NY. The 6-foot-8 Brewer is a freakish above-rim finisher, with the springboard-esque bounce which enables him to swoop in for loud dunks from two to three feet away. He's grown as a lob finisher, ambidextrous finisher, and has expanded his offensive portfolio by adding a delicate outside touch to his game. The transfer via Molloy is a high percentage scorer who should shoulder a major offensive role for a South Shore team which has ramped up its roster, adding an intriguing blend of incoming transfers. With mobility and fluid rim to rim quickness and upper body strength, Brewer brings several college-ready intangibles to the table. He's developed his game considerably, in the skill categories after showing raw promise the past two seasons.
