The May Live period was a hit in two many ways to list. So I will make it quick and easy and talk about the three things that stood put most in my eyes. Daniela Maletsky… Grace Feeney … and the u16 HGSL Shoreshots.
I told you months ago that one day Daniela Maletsky of the 2026 NJ RISE could one day be the best player in the 2026 class when all was said and done. Well this weekend she looked every bit like a player that is making me look very smart. Daniela and her Rise teammates went 4-0 including a win of EYBL powerhouse Team takeover. One of the biggest reasons for this success was the play of Maletsky. She has been be preparing for the Live period since January. She has been focusing in on improving her skills sets. Like improving her ball handling skills, working on her jump-shot while playing against older D1 competition. This past weekend she put it all in overdrive. The 5’8” long, athletic and insanely mentally and physically tough wing player was unstoppable. She not at times dominated opponents but her sheer presence was overwhelming. She knocked down three’s, got to the rim and displayed a masterful mid range game. But it was the havoc she created on defense and energy level displayed that was so impressive. in a word she was ”MASTERFUL”. In a lot of ways this was a breakout weekend for Daniela Maletsky. She proved she could play on the biggest stage with the brightest lights shinning. When so many kids are complaining about pressure these days. Its was Miss Maletsky that applied the pressure on everyone. She simply ripped the heart and souls out of anything that dared to move. In the process becoming one of the biggest stories of the weekend.
Some kids worry about reputation and hype. They lean on this in order to make a name for themselves and to create a narrative. The narrative mostly is based on wishful thinking not reality often. Grace Feeney this weekend sent a message to the basketball community. Keep your hype and reputation. Go to your Elite camps, kiss ass and get rated. She is relying on her game. In the last 6 weeks Grace Feeney has seem to come from nowhere. She was a late addition to the 2026 NJ RISE roster. She was a afterthought, another body. Well that’s what they thought. They didn’t know they were getting a 6’0” Swiss knife. They didn’t know she could dominate and take over games. They had no idea she had one of the sweetest jumpers in the 2026 class or that she has a off the charts competitive nature and work ethic. That’s because none of knew who this future star was or where she game from, well we know now. Thats because after ripping apart a few well know D1 seniors at NBS, she took her show on the road this weekend and put on a grand show. She was a thing of beauty to watch all weekend. She hit jumper after jumper. Found time to do a little dirty work on the glass and got out in transition and finished EVERYTHING. She made it all look so easy and so smooth. She looked like somebody who could one day be a freshman of the year. She looked like someone who loves the big moment. There was no shame in her game. This weekend the future Trinity Hall swing man said hello to the AAU basketball world and to college recruiters because make no mistake she is going to be very WELL KNOWN BEFORE HER 1st High School game is ever played… she was in full beast mode all weekend.
There a team and a coach in search of respect. They don’t have any big name recruits on there roster. There are no All State players on there roster. There coach is a former D1 asst who is a master at putting together teams. What the 2024 HGSL SHORESHOTS are is just about unbeatable. They seem to just know how to win and they do it against legit competition. You know how you read those quotes on social media when the teams say “we got a great win over excellent competition”. I guess they think if you say it enough people will believe it. Well the 2024 HGSL SHORESHOTS actually do play real competition and they win and they win a lot. They went 4-0 in Atlantic City and college coaches are now starting to figure it out. This is a dangerous and mega talented crew. They have a little of everything including lots of D1 talent. The Shoreshots U16 HGSL are currently on a 10 game winning streak and have an overall record of 16-4 this spring . They have beaten numerous sneaker teams (including the stud u16 NJ GEMZ, Karpell ). They are a an Extremely balanced team. Deadly Shooters like Hayley Cottrell and Shayne Eldridge, stretch and torture defenses. They have all D1 backcourt in TANAIYAH DECKER, Eli Clark and Kaci MIKULSKI. They are a serious handful for everyone regardless of there reputation. They have real size and potential in Gamila Betton and Skylar Soltis both are very capable of disrupting and taking over a game in the lane. Jineen Ayyash just may be the biggest sleeper of all she is versatile, skilled and talented. Finally Cassidy Brown is the floor general that everyone underrates until after the game to her sheer delight. These players make up the rotation of Coach Dubina’s demanding college style man to man defense. There defense is lockdown and unfamiliar to most AAU teams. They are extremely unselfish with the ball and are patient in hunting for good shots. It all adds up to the biggest surprise team of the spring. This weekend coaches packed the gym to watch The 2024 HGSL SHORESHOTS and they did were disappointed