Prospect Spotlight 2021 : Brayon Freeman
Brayon Freeman, 6’1″ PG, 2021. 4313 Madison Street, Hyattsville, MD. 20781. Head Coach : Mike Jones
Grassroots Team: New World 15U.
Before Bryon entered DeMatha this summer as a freshmen he was well known on the national level & ranked in the top 20 players in most 2021 polls. Brayon played in many events & Grassroots tournaments the last few years which showcased his elite skills. Brayon was named PYBL All-League guard & lead Southern Maryland to its first PYBL Championship in 2016 This summer he averaged 17 points & 9 assists for New World 15U who had a very successful season on the Adidas Circuit. He already holds offers from D1 UMass & D1 Mt. St. Marys. We saw Brayon this summer playing for the DeMatha varsity in the DeMatha BSN Summer League. There was a buzz in the DeMatha gym about his play & several people were asking who is he, he can play? When they were informed that is was Brayon, all they could say is wow when we told them he was in the 2021 class.
This fall we scouted DeMatha numerous times in addition to attending the Stags scrimmages vs Mt. Carmel (Baltimore BCL), Mt. St. Joseph(Baltimore BCL), and Flint Hill.(DC/DMV MAC). Brayon proved he is very confident, competitive, performs all the intangibles & plays with an ultra high motor & IQ in addition to being tremendously skilled. Brayon possesses a very long wingspan which he utilizes very well on both sides of the ball. He is in superb condition with an an excellent physique. With all his assets & feel for the game Brayon has the IT factor and gets it. He knows how to win & does not stop competing until the game is over.
In pickups, organized practices, and in scrimmages vs. top tier teams this fall, we determined Brayon’s current game translates to the WCAC varsity level. While Brayon can score at a high clip, he will be playing PG for DeMatha this season. His ball security & handle with both hands are elite. Each time we watch Brayon, he continually breaks down his defenders & gets into the paint. He has a very long stride & he beats his man on speed & skill. Brayon has a superb change of pace dribble & he gets into high gear very fast from close to a standstill exploding into high gear. His handle is very compact & shifty. Brayon uses in & out crossovers, hesitation & go, between the legs in & out cross, spins & a straight crossover to get to the rim, facilitate and/or setup the DeMatha ball motion offense. Brayon has great court vision & high IQ which he puts to use in his excellent facilitation skills. He can make any pass such as drop offs, kick-outs, post entries, no look one handed & miss directions precision passes. We asked Brayon if that covers it, he immediately said, ” Do not forget the alley oop pass. We have 4 players I can hit for an alley oop dunks which are: 6’5.5″ junior Earl Timberlake, 6’4″ senior WG Deven Richmond, 6’1″ PG/CG junior Jahmir Young & 7 foot sophomore Hunter Dickinson.”
Playing in transition is a strong point for Brayon & he is always a threat to score at the rim with either hand thru contact from any distance. We have seen him score on Euro steps & many other moves going over & under much bigger players. He excels in the mid range where he can score off the dibble with 1 or 2 dribble pull-ups or straight up off a curl or back screen. Brayon is excellent in traffic & creating space where he utilizes any ball-handing dribble move or combinations to freeze his opponent. Brayon likes the pick & roll game where he can facilitate, score on floaters or layins. At the rim he is very crafty with reverse layins & spin moves. On the perimeter & mid range he has developed a very nice behind the back step back which leaves defenders hopeless. Brayon has good mechanics at the free throw line, but he is working on his perimeter shot. Throughout his career Brayon has improved each aspect of his game that needed work. An evaluation was written on 1-21-17 by Adidas Select Series (Spencer Pulliam) which stated “Brayon Freeman is one of the more talented guards in the DMV region from the Class of 2021 at this stage and his confidence and competitiveness are intangibles he uses to his advantage. He’s a natural scorer with evolving playmaking abilities and showed an improved handle and increased explosiveness at Session I of the Adidas Select Series. The next step for Freeman is to improve his court presence, taking command and dictating tempo offensively, while consistently asserting himself on the defensive end. ” While this may have been an accurate evaluation in January 2017, Brayon has worked hard on these underlined aspects of his game. It is is just a matter of time & reps before Brayon becomes a take charge PG who knows how to control the tempo of the game. Brayon is going thru an adjustment period of going from Middle School to the DeMatha varsity, getting acclimated with his new teammates & learning his role & identity. However, his adjustment is way ahead of schedule & he will contribute early this season.
This summer & fall we are seeing Brayon develop as true PG . He is on the brink of becoming a true floor general at the varsity level in the best conference in the USA. His court presence, leadership,& ability to run the DeMatha ball motion offense improve each time we watch him. Brayon is very assertive & aggressive defensively & is very close to becoming am elite defender. He is a 94 foot defensive ball-hawk & Brayon adds,” I have learned to keep players in front & beat them to their spot. My wingspan is a weapon, & I use it for steals & rebounds. Without question I consider my defense a strength.” Over the last 5 months we have seen Brayon get rebounds inside the paint, in traffic & grab the 50/50 balls. His reactions to loose balls is lightning quick & Brayon is tough as nails. He will go the floor & almost every-time comes out the winner for the 50/50s. He is a a few steps above pesky & is a relentless defender & PG. DeMatha opens the season on 12-6 vs Prince Georges County 4A power Eleanor Roosevelt HS & we predict Brayon could receive playing time against the Raiders.
This summer & fall Brayon has worked on his game 6/7 days a week. His parents own Ball Unlimited Gym in Capitol Heights, MD. The gym has basketball courts & all the strength & conditioning equipment & he says, “I work on my basketball skills everyday & Strength & Conditioning 3 to 4 times weekly. As an athlete I am very quick & fast with vertical agility. I am working hard to get my vertical higher & I do explosion drills. I lift weights with a great emphasis on squats, use machines, & focus on my core, agility & flexibility. We perform defensive slides, change of direction & plyos. At times I work out 3 times daily & spend a lot of time at my parents gym, but they make sure I focus on my school work”.
We asked Brayon how his game has improved since the end of Deal Middle School (NW, DC) basketball season this March,” My shot, mid range pull ups, have developed. I grew over an inch & my strength & toughness improved.” After a few minutes of watching Brayon play, it is easy to evaluate he is ultra competitor who plays with a good chip on his shoulder. He adds, “Currently & moving forward I am working to improve my jump shot & range with a quicker release. I want consistency in my overall game & defense. We do drills for better foot movement & keeping players in front & out of paint defensively. This season I want to become more assertive as a leader & be the best teammate I can. My overall goal is learn & achieve whatever it takes to win as a PG at the varsity level for DeMatha.”
Brayon chose to attend DeMatha because,” My parents & I thought DeMatha was the best fit & a great system. I am figuring out my identity & have great trust in Coach Jones & DeMatha. I know I can trust the process & improve as a freshmen.” Brayon is adjusting to DeMatha very well on all levels & earned an impressive 3.5 GPA this fall. He names his mother & father as role models. In his downtime Brayon likes to watch Kyrie Irving (Boston) & Collin Sexton (Alabama).
The future & current is very bright for DeMatha who will return three 5 star level players next season in: 6’4″ junior Justin Moore, 7 foot sophomore Hunter Dickinson, & 6’5.5″ sophomore Earl Timberlake who form the feared DeMatha triangle. In the future we could see Brayon & fellow freshmen guard Jaylen Hall (slightly injured) as the starting DeMatha back court. DeMatha is possibly the deepest team in the DC/DMV & have the tools to win the WCAC this season with Paul VI, St. Johns & Gonzaga the top opponents. Just the fact that Brayon made the DeMatha varsity as a freshmen is a huge accomplishment for Brayon who says “I will do whatever it takes to win as PG playing for DeMatha HS.”