Prospect Spotlight: David Nwankwo (2020)

Two Saturdays ago, Prep Hoops held its annual top 250 expo at the Park School, giving prospect around the state to come in and showcase their skills in front of college coaches and evaluators. The event continues to improve year by year with tremendous talent. This year, there were a number of prospects who took advantage of the stage and stood out from the rest. One was Takoma Academy's David Nwankwo.

The 6-foot-5 forward exhibited great energy on both ends of the floor. He filled lanes in transition when on the wing and feasted on the offensive glass when he was the trailer in the middle. Nwankwo had a number of rim rattling finishes after hanging in the dunker's spot where penetrating guards could create for him. He even hit a few mid-range jumpers with solid form and balance that kept his defender on their toes even more. 

Defensively, he was active in help side and effectively distorted or blocked shots around the rim. When shots did go up, he was aggressive in putting a body on his man and boxing out before rising up for the rebound. 

Prior to showing out at the expo, Nwankwo spent time competing on the Adidas gauntlet with the First Baptist Disciples before suffering a sprained ankle in April that kept him sidelined for some time. His junior season at Takoma Academy was a battle as well with injuries. Nwankwo fractured his ankle last August before his junior year began, but he battled back in time for the start of the regular season. Although he was playing, the injury kept him from being his full self.

"It was pretty good," Nwankwo said when reflecting on his team's 2018-19 season. "It could've been better. We won like 22 games and played great competition. I started most of the games. I was there to defend, rebound and score."

Takoma Academy got a few big time transfers this summer, but expect Nwankwo to fill a similar role to last season.

"I'm a wing that can just like guard probably every position," Nwankwo said. "I'm versatile. I have a nice mid-range. I can hit jump shots and finish through contact."

It will be interesting to see how Nwankwo fits in next to the talent that is being brought onto the team this season. The good thing is, he doesn't need the ball to make an impact and that's what college programs are starting to recognize along with his size and athleticism.

He currently holds no offers, but Nwankwo told Prep Hoops he has heard from Stevenson, Holy Cross, Marist and Robert Morris.