2021 Maryland/DC Available Top 15 Prospects

We’ve seen a massive spike in 2021 prospects announcing their college commitments at a much earlier date than usual due to the confusion that COVID-19 has created. This isn’t only a trend with the upper-echelon players nationally, but also the prospects who are low-to-mid major prospects. Here in the Maryland/D.C. area, just seven prospects in our top 15 remain available. Here’s what the current committed list looks like from our top 15 prospects in the class: 1. [player_tooltip player_id="531243" first="Benny" last="Williams"]- Syracuse 2. [player_tooltip player_id="902004" first="Jordan" last="Hawkins"]-Connecticut 4. [player_tooltip player_id="902001" first="Ryan" last="Conway"]-Seton Hall 7. [player_tooltip player_id="712747" first="Julian" last="Reese"]-Maryland 8. [player_tooltip player_id="902002" first="Quincy" last="Allen"]-Colorado 9. [player_tooltip player_id="531258" first="Jalen" last="Miller"]-Rutgers 15. [player_tooltip player_id="836476" first="TJ" last="Gadsden"]-George Mason [player_tooltip player_id="531233" first="Jakai" last="Robinson"] | 6’5 | National Christian MD/DC Ranking: 3 Robinson’s recruitment has been one that is difficult to read, but with prospects committing to the schools who had offered the 6-foot-5 wing, it clears some things up. Robinson holds 12 offers in total, but leading the pack at this point seems to be Seton Hall, NC State and Clemson. Connecticut would’ve been included in that list, but with the recent commitment from 2021 DeMatha guard [player_tooltip player_id="902004" first="Jordan" last="Hawkins"], it’s safe to say the Huskies are out. Robinson brings good size and length on the wing along with shot-making and a tough mindset to both ends that should translate well in any conference that he chooses to play in. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Reynolds-Erik-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1005027" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Reynolds-Erik-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="775314" first="Erik" last="Reynolds"] | 6’2 | Bullis MD/DC Ranking: 5 Reynolds is known for the dynamic scoring and playmaking ability he can supply to a team’s backcourt. The 6-foot-2 combo guard can play either on or off the ball and plays the game with tremendous toughness. A competitor on both ends, Reynolds is down to five schools consisting of George Mason, Richmond, St. Joseph’s, VCU and Xavier. It’s hard to say where he’ll end up, but St. Joseph’s has done a tremendous job in the DMV area recently. Don’t count out VCU or George Mason either, as both programs have strong DMV ties. [player_tooltip player_id="712742" first="Bez" last="Mbeng"] | 6’3 | Good Counsel MD/DC Ranking: 6 Mbeng was one of the prospects that experienced an uptick this summer with recruitment. The 6-foot-3 combo guard holds six offers in total from Bryant, James Madison, LaSalle, Robert Morris, St. Francis (Pa) and Towson. There’s no real lead with Mbeng’s recruitment to this point, but if I had to choose the group most involved it would be out of James Madison, Robert Morris and St. Francis (Pa). Mbeng brings versatility to the backcourt and can finish atheltically around the rim offensively. He’s utilized both on and off the ball. With his length, he can guard either backcourt position defensively. https://twitter.com/BezMbeng/status/1247927039002316800?s=20 [player_tooltip player_id="836461" first="Jonathan" last="Izemef"] | 6’9 | National Christian MD/DC Rankings: 10 Izemef’s recruitment is the biggest unknown up to this point. What we do know is that he’s a workhorse that can provide energy on both ends for a lot of programs. He shows aggression on the glass, can be used as a rim-runner who seals his man effectively under the rim and has shown great strides as a roll man following the ball-screen and finishing strong around the rim. https://twitter.com/IzemefJonathan/status/1167980062546616322?s=20 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Ryan-Cornish.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1024146" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Ryan-Cornish-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="562690" first="Ryan" last="Cornish"] | 6’3 | Sidwell Friends MD/DC Ranking: 11 Cornish announced on Instagram that he will be making his college commitment on Sept 1. He holds offers from from Bryant, James Madison and Lafayette. If I had to predict, I’d go with Lafayette as the next destination for the 6-foot-3 floor general. I believe Cornish would’ve been one of the prospects who would’ve caught the eyes of many programs if there had been live evaluation periods this spring and summer. He has high basketball IQ, great instincts and is a sneaky defender, which is an area that many think is his weakest. He can make shots from deep, shows control and good pace on his drives and knows how to set the table for others. [player_tooltip player_id="775338" first="Elijah" last="Hawkins"] | 5’9 | DeMatha MD/DC Ranking: 13 Hawkins has one known offer from IUPUI that dates back to 2018. The 5-foot-9 point guard is a bulldog on the defensive end and in my opinion, is the best defender at his position in the area. Hawkins has played alongside immense talent at DeMatha and has adjusted to becoming a high-level playmaker with good instincts. He’s quick, shifty and can operate in both the half court or open floor effectively. He’s set to take on a bigger role for the Stags this season which should help with exposure, but I’m still very surprised more schools haven’t moved in on him considering his production in the WCAC. https://twitter.com/The6ixthMan_/status/1297839290844696576?s=20 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Williamson-Zaakir-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012332" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Williamson-Zaakir-Head-Shot-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="902005" first="Zaakir" last="Williamson"] | 6’7 | Neumann Gorreti MD/DC Ranking: 14 Williamson made the transfer from Rock Creek Christian to Neumann Goretti this summer. With our new rankings release around the corner he will be taken out of the MD/DC player rankings but for the sake of this article I’m still including him. Holding 12 offers in total, four of his offers from Akron, Buffalo, Bowling Green and LaSalle came in 2020. East Tennessee State, George Mason, Howard, Mount St. Mary’s, North Carolina A&T, Towson, UMBC and Youngstown State all were offers from 2019.