UNITED AAU: THE NEW GUNSLINGERS ARE CHANGING THE AAU LANDSCAPE
They didn’t start the fire. They just figured out how to keep the flames burning.
Recently, I watched an eighth-grade AAU game that told me everything I needed to know about the direction of today’s AAU basketball. Cameras were everywhere. Highlights were being produced, and the attention seemed to be focused as much on the coach and the players’ individual moments as it was on the game itself.
The team lost. But you wouldn’t have known it by watching the videos. The highlights were the big story. That was what parents wanted to see.
Welcome to the new AAU model. Hype, exposure, recruiting and branding. Get with it or get out of the way. And few organizations have embraced this new reality quite like UNITED AAU.
UNITED is changing the landscape of New Jersey girls’ basketball. They are the new gunslingers of AAU, and they have reshaped the way many people think about running a basketball program. Some of their methods are applauded. Others are controversial. But one thing is undeniable: UNITED understands the modern AAU business better than most.
This is an organization that understands the importance of branding, recruiting and winning. Its players come from throughout New Jersey, and it has made a concerted effort to establish itself as a destination for talented players. At the center of it all is Jimmy O.
JIMMY O: THE ARCHITECT OF UNITED
Every successful organization has someone who understands how the game is changing. At UNITED, that person is Jimmy O.
Before becoming a major figure in AAU basketball, Jimmy was a boys’ high school coach in Hudson County, an area that once set the standard for New Jersey boys’ basketball. He understands competition, talent and, perhaps most importantly, the importance of relationships.
Today, he has taken those experiences and applied them to a different level of basketball.
If there is a basketball game featuring talented players in New Jersey, there is a good chance Jimmy O will be there. He makes no secret of his interest in identifying and recruiting talent, regardless of where they are or who they currently play for, nothing is off the table. Some people aren’t comfortable with that approach. Others see it as the reality of modern AAU. Coaches stealing players and players jumping from team to team was not invented by Jimmy O, he has just embraced it more than others and does not hide the fact.
One of the first things he and his side kick Joe Gaba decided to was to recruit the talented rich Shore Conference and to try and raid the gold standard of AAU the Shoreshots organization. They have had moderate success in some cases, none bigger than Tatum Sharpe (A former Shoreshot). It’s been enough to keep the United program working the Shore, while trying to convince other Shore Conference and Shoreshot players to jump ship and join Untied. His biggest challenge to date is his recruiting efforts of the insanely talented Shoreshots 2028 team, and its stacked D1 team. While his recruiting efforts have not paid dividends. There are certainly other weaker Shore Conference AAU teams and programs across the state with sleeper talent, that Coach Jimmy “O”can set his eyes on, so stay tuned. JIMMY O is a masterful recruiter.
UNITED has built its identity around finding talent, attracting established players and bringing them together. Rather than relying exclusively on developing players from the ground up, the organization places considerable emphasis on recruiting players who are already established.
That’s a very different philosophy from the traditional AAU model. And it has become an important part of UNITED’s identity.
The organization also understands the importance of timing. It’s August open gyms and workouts during the HS season along with their early recruiting activity have generated discussion throughout the basketball community both among college and high school coaches. While the term open run is used, nobody is naïve enough to believe that these are not tryouts and evaluations. And while some coaches and parents question the timing and the approach. UNITED, has made no secret of its desire to identify talent early and many other programs have begun begrudgingly to copy there recruiting model as means of survival or to hold on to their kids that UNITED has targeted.
There is a difference between being controversial and breaking a rule. Recruiting practices must, of course, comply with applicable AAU and school regulations, which there are none of in AAU. UNITED has taken full advantage of this massive hole in youth basketball. But the larger point is that UNITED understands how important it is to establish relationships before other programs do. Love the approach or question it. Either way, UNITED has made recruiting a central part of its business model.
COACHING STILL MATTERS AT UNITED
For all the talk about recruiting, branding and exposure, there is another important part of the UNITED story: coaching.
And this is where the organization has made some interesting moves.
Joe Gaba, the longtime Chatham coach, brought considerable experience to UNITED’s coaching staff. He served as one of Jimmy O’s trusted coaching partners before recently moving on to an assistant coaching position at Lafayette College.
Gaba’s departure is significant. He brought years of high school coaching experience and an understanding of what it takes to prepare players for the next level. He too has shown himself to be a ruthless recruiter. Since his arrival at Lafayette the program has attracted attention from New Jersey players, with former Shoreshot Tatum Sharpe and Addison Keenan committing there, both who played for UNITED this past summer.
Then there is Zoe Pero.
The SJV assistant coach has become an increasingly recognizable name in New Jersey girls’ basketball. She brings energy, knowledge and, perhaps most importantly, an ability to connect with players.
There are plenty of people who can draw up a play. There are far fewer who can teach the game, earn a player’s trust and make that player want to be part of team vs a individual..
Pero brings those qualities to the table. Her coaching ability is a significant asset to UNITED, and her experience working with talented players adds another dimension to the organization. Many believe she has the potential to be a D1 basketball coach at some point. She is that good!
UNITED has demonstrated that it understands something important: recruiting players may get them through the door, but coaching plays a major role in what happens next.
MATT McCARTHY AND THE SHORESHOTS CONNECTION
UNITED continued to expand its coaching presence by bringing in Trinity Hall coach Matt McCarthy. The coach who turned Trinity from a laughing stock to one of the best programs in in the Shore Conference.
McCarthy’s arrival also brought a significant connection from the Shoreshots organization and its talented group of players. He further opened the door for UNITED to dip into the Shoreshots deep talent pool. It was a brilliant move by the organization that paid off immediately. The bulk of the Shoreshots once highly regarded 2029 team followed him to UNITED. While for most in the group, the gamble turned out to be a major disappointment. One of the players who benefited from that opportunity was the Shore Conference Freshman of the Year Ella Kryal.
UNITED made a commitment to Kryal, promising her she’d be face of the 2029 team and eventually the organization one day. This past summer they kept their word as the former Shoreshot, was given a prime time role to showcase her abilities as she was one of the real bright spots for UNITED 2029 team. This is an important part of the UNITED philosophy. When the organization identifies a player it believes in, it has demonstrated a willingness to put that player in a position to attract attention, they feature that player. But Kryal isn’t the only player who has helped define UNITED’s recent success.
NAWELL IBAZATENE LEFEBVRE: A STAR IS BORN
If there was one player who captured the attention of people watching UNITED this past summer, it was Nawell Ibazatene Lefebvre. UNITED gave her the keys to the car and she drove it to greatness.
The talented guard emerged as a major attraction and earned an invitation to the Wooden Top 150. That recognition put her on a bigger stage and gave her an opportunity to showcase her talent against other highly regarded players.
Her summer performance created considerable excitement about her future. She is among the players to watch in the 2028 class, and her name is becoming increasingly familiar to people following New Jersey girls’ basketball. While she will move on to a different P24 team next year. UNITED provided her with a platform, and she took advantage of it.
There is a lesson here. Exposure is an opportunity, not a guarantee. Players still have to perform when the lights come on. Ibazatene Lefebvre demonstrated that she could take advantage of the attention.
Her emergence also illustrates how UNITED uses its established platform to promote individual players and attract attention to its teams.
CALISTA VOWTERAS: THE NEW FACE OF UNITED
This summer UNITED bagged its first major Shore Conference star in Calista Vowteras. The Manasquan guard has emerged as one of the most prominent players in the Shore Conference.
Today, Calista Vowteras is another major part of the UNITED story.
The Manasquan guard has the potential to be a leading Player of the Year candidate in the Shore Conference. She is a complete player who can score, pass, defend and influence a game in several ways.
What makes Vowteras particularly interesting is that her game isn’t built around one skill. She can make plays for herself and her teammates, and her defensive ability adds another dimension to her value.
College coaches have already taken notice, and she has received multiple Division I offers.
Vowteras represents a different kind of attraction for UNITED. She isn’t simply a player who can generate highlights. She is a player whose all-around game can change the outcome of a basketball game.
Her emergence also reinforces the organization’s ability to attract attention to players who can make an impact at the highest levels of college basketball. She also may open up the flood gates for other Shore players.
THE UNITED BRAND: POWER 40, 24 AND THE STAR SYSTEM
UNITED understands that AAU basketball is no longer just about playing games. It is also about creating a recognizable brand.
The organization’s involvement with Power 40 and 24 events and affiliations has helped it build its identity and attract attention from players and parents.
Branding matters. Parents want their children to play in environments where college coaches are watching. Players want opportunities to showcase their abilities. Organizations want to be associated with events and teams that attract attention. They also get intoxicated when their children are recruited and given attention. UNITED have been rock stars in this area.
UNITED has embraced that reality.
One of its apparent strategies is to build attention around prominent players. When a player attracts interest, the entire team can benefit from the attention that follows.
It is a star-driven approach. The featured player becomes a major attraction, while teammates benefit from the exposure generated by the team’s visibility. They feed off the stars created by the organization.
There are obvious advantages to this model, but there are also questions worth asking. What happens to the players who aren’t the featured attractions? Do they receive the same opportunities? Does the organization give its younger players enough attention to develop their own identities?
Those are fair questions for any organization that relies heavily on its stars to generate interest.
However, there is little question that UNITED has used its recognizable players to help establish its brand.
DIVISION I IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY
One of the most important ways to evaluate an AAU organization is to look beyond its social media presence and examine where its players eventually go to college.
UNITED has had a solid number of players commit to Division I programs in recent years. This year they had 3 D1 players and have a fourth a 2028 that committed to Bucknell. The organization has also celebrated players moving on to highly regarded Division II and III schools. This year names such as NYU, Bentley, Drew, Gettysburg, Jefferson and Holy Family demonstrate that the college basketball journey doesn’t end with Division I. Those D3 and D2 schools offer different athletic and academic opportunities. For many players, the combination of basketball and education makes Division III and D11 an attractive option. While it may not be the D1 dream some had hoped for, these are amazing fall back opportunities.
And that is something worth remembering in today’s recruiting environment. A college commitment isn’t defined exclusively by the division in which a school competes.
The quality of the academic experience, the coaching staff, the opportunity to contribute and the overall fit all matter.
UNITED’s college commitments across multiple divisions are an important part of its story. They also illustrate why families need to look beyond the biggest names and evaluate the opportunities available to each player.
THE U17 TEAM: WHERE THE SPOTLIGHT SHINES
There is another interesting part of the UNITED approach.
The organization appears to place particular emphasis on its older teams, especially its U17 group. These teams play against high-level competition, often in environments where college coaches are looking for players who can contribute immediately.
That makes sense from a recruiting standpoint.
College coaches evaluating rising seniors are generally looking for players who are close to being ready for college basketball. The older age groups offer a more immediate recruiting opportunity.
But that approach also creates a challenge for younger teams. Where other organizations rely on on developing young talent and creating name recognition early. Untied focus is on the now. This is more of a college approach.
Players in younger age groups need attention, instruction and meaningful competition. They need to develop their games before they reach the stage when college recruiting becomes a major consideration.
An organization that puts considerable resources into its older teams must also make sure its younger players aren’t overlooked.
That is one of the biggest questions facing any AAU program built around recruiting and exposure: Can it balance immediate recruiting success with long-term player development?
For UNITED, the answer will help determine how sustainable its model becomes in future.
UNITED IS PLAYING A DIFFERENT GAME
There is no reason to pretend that AAU basketball is the same organization it was 20 years ago. These days it’s the wild, Wild West and UNTIED is the biggest gunslinger of all.
Today, recruiting begins earlier. Social media plays a major role. Video highlights have become part of the recruiting process. Exaggeration and over promising are simply part of the new wave of AAU. Parents are more involved, and players are increasingly aware of the opportunities available to them. United has embraced it all and those who have not are left at a big disadvantage.
Some organizations still place their primary emphasis on developing players internally. Others focus on building teams around established talent. UNITED has clearly embraced the latter approach.
It has made recruiting, exposure and branding central to its identity.
There are advantages to that strategy, but there are also potential drawbacks. Recruiting established players can improve a team’s immediate competitiveness, but maintaining continuity and developing younger players can become more challenging, especially for non EYBL teams.
There is also a responsibility to make sure that promises about exposure and recruiting opportunities are realistic.
Parents should ask questions. They should understand how teams are selected, how playing opportunities are determined and what the organization can realistically offer.
And organizations should be prepared to answer those questions.
UNITED has certainly demonstrated that it knows how to attract attention. Its challenge is to continue turning that attention into meaningful opportunities for its players.
THE FINAL WORD: UNITED IS THE NEW BREED OF AAU
UNITED didn’t invent recruiting. They weren’t the first program to steal kids or embrace kids bouncing from program to program. They are not the first organization to make and break promises to kids. They simply have taken advantage of a broken system. They didn’t invent player showcases, ridiculous, travel schedules, highlight videos or the idea of building a team around recruiting other programs talented players vs developing them.
What United has done is to embraced all those things and make them a central part of its identity. They didn’t create all the issues surrounding AAU. They simply are taking advantage of the rules that don’t exist and have no regrets. They have some success and some disappointments.
Jimmy O has built an organization that understands the modern AAU environment. Its coaching staff has included experienced basketball people. Its players have earned college opportunities, and its prominent name players have helped it attract attention throughout New Jersey. They are not pretending to teach life lessons or build character. They are trying to win basketball games and help kids get exposure at the next level. Which is what AAU is all about. UNITED is just not hiding it like others.
Some people will applaud the approach. Others will question it. That’s part of the conversation surrounding any organization that challenges the traditional way of doing things.
But there is a larger lesson here for parents and players. UNITED has shown that it knows how to play the modern AAU game. Its recruiting, branding and emphasis on competition have made it a significant presence in New Jersey basketball.
Whether other programs like it or not, the AAU landscape is changing.
UNITED didn’t start the fire. They just figured out how to keep the flames burning. While others pretend AAU is not a business. UNITED DOESN’T RUN FROM THE FACT THEY ARE A BUSINESS… a dam good one at that. Welcome to the new world of AAU.
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