Pride of Maryland Team Camp Standouts (Part 3)
The third and final part of this series will continue to look at the standouts from the Pride of Maryland Team Camp that was held at Stevenson University this past Saturday. Click here for part one and here for part two.
Tavon Newman | 6-6 | Mervo | 2019
Newman has improved dramatically over the past couple of months. I saw he and his twin brother, Davon, play in the St. Paul’s Summer League and while both have tremendous length and potential, they both seemed very hesitant for portions of games. Newman looked like a new player that had found immense confidence in his abilities over the last few weeks. When speaking with head coach Deron Harding, he credited it to bringing in former Mervo players who are now in college or older that have been playing against the varsity team. It has made them tougher on both ends. Newman had a great day shooting the ball from outside and he was doing so in rythym without thinking about it. Defensively, his length is crucial in Mervo’s zone defense and helped him tally a handful of blocks throughout the three games.
Davon Newman | 6-6 | Mervo | 2019
Davon’s game differs from Tavon’s in that he is more of a mid-range shooter and finisher at the rim. Davon has the mindset of battling inside with the bigs and manning the backboards. That’s exactly what he did throughout Saturday’s play. Newman had a few plays where he corralled the defensive rebound, found the point guard, set a ball-screen and popped in the mid-range area for a smooth jumper. Defensively, he’ll be the one that is set in the middle of the paint in the 2-3 zone. His length by itself results in many altered shots from opponents, but his athleticism helps him finish the play and spark a fastbreak opportunity for his team.
Kevin Ufua | 6-4 | Milford Mill | 2018
Ufua is a hard player not to like simply because he stays within his role. At 6-4, he’s a bit undersized to be classified as a big man, but he doesn’t let that stop him from playing like one. With solid length and athleticism, Ufua’s effort puts him in position to make plays like he was Saturday on both ends of the floor. Milford Mill is a gang rebounding type of team and Ufua was the leader of that on the defensive side. Offensively, he showcased his versatility by not only finishing dump passes around the rim, but also popping out to the three-point line following a ball screen and knocking them down comfortably. Ufua caught the eyes of a few Division III coaches that were in attendance in regards to his smooth and efficient play.
Reggie Tinsley | 6-5 | Gerstell | 2021
Gertsell was without their usual big man Tyler Tillery for the first couple of games, so incoming freshman Reggie Tinsley had to fill his shoes. Fortunately for Gerstell, Tinsley looks like an exact replica of Tillery just three years younger. If you hadn’t known his age, you’d guess Tinsley was a sophomore or junior based on his physicality and pure skill when he gets the ball on the block. The 6-5 big man had a number of post ups where he would bang into his match up and use his soft touch to finish over his left shoulder in the middle of the lane. Not only was Gerstell missing Tillery for the first portion of the day, they were also missing two other big men that help control the glass. Tinsley effectively filled that presence in their absence.