MD/DC Roundtable: Fall Headlines, Impact Transfers, Stock Risers

<p>On the last day of August, we reflect on what was a hectic and unique summer while attempting to foreshadow what’s to come in the coming months for this week’s roundtable.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>1. As September approaches, what’s the biggest story line heading into the fall?</strong></span></p> <p><em>Giacubeno: </em>I think it’s how we continue to navigate through these confusing times. We’ve seen a number of events and programs putting together closed scrimmages with streams available for college coaches and it’s been a huge success in my eyes. Without these platforms, there would have been a TON of prospects going unnoticed in what is the most important summer for the 2021 and 2022 classes. With high school basketball being shelved until 2021, this fall and beginning of winter will call for much creativity between AAU programs and even<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Keels-Trevor-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1012353 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Keels-Trevor-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>t holders.</p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>These are unprecedented times. I think the biggest storyline revolves around the 2021 class. With spots being filled every day, certain players could become more sought after than during the summer. I’m interested to see who they will be.</p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am going with the recruitment of [player_tooltip player_id="543841" first="Trevor" last="Keels"]. There are a ton of top 100 recruits already committed but there has been no noise surrounding when Trevor is going to make a decision. As we have talked about before, it seems as if Virginia, Duke and Villanova are the teams to beat and I know that all three of those programs are anxiously waiting for the decision of the top ranked prospect in the state of Virginia.</span></p> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2. Which transfer could potentially have the biggest impact?</strong></span></div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Giacubeno: </em>Even though this player transferred from a DMV school to out of state, I can’t look past [player_tooltip player_id="902007" first="Jao" last="Ituka"] deciding to leave Gaithersburg and head to Putnam Science Academy. The 6-foot-2 guard has been a pleasure to watch this summer as he’s put Team STAT on his back and led them to statement wins again and again. Ituka is a culture-changing player who will impact the PSA program the second he steps foot on campus. As a pure impact point of view, I feel extremely confident in this selection.</div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Ayalew: </em>I’ll be keeping an eye on Alfred Worrell, who left Blair to attend Archbishop Carroll. Worrell averaged close to 25 points per game last year. I’m intrigued to see what type of impact he can make in the WCAC. </div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the departure of [player_tooltip player_id="900143" first="Hunter" last="Dickinson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="562092" first="Earl" last="Timberlake"] at DeMatha, Mike Jones needed some help in putting points on the board and with the addition of 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904621" first="Rodney" last="Rice"], he got all the help he could have asked for. Rice is a prolific scorer and someone that will put up a plethora of points as soon as he suits up for the Stags.</span></div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3. Given the rest of the fall/early winter is an AAU format, which players will you look to as breakout/continued stock risers?</strong></span></div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Giacubeno: </em>There are a core group of Baltimore prospects making names for themselves on a national perspective. 2022 duo in [player_tooltip player_id="777071" first="Christian" last="Winborne"] and [player_tooltip player_id="777095" first="Bryce" last="Lindsay"] have been churning out big time performances for Team Thrill 16U and as a result, both are generating interest and offers from high major programs. I expect that trend to continue. The 2023 duo of [player_tooltip player_id="957019" first="Kwame" last="Evans"] Jr. and [player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] have been a dynamic duo for Team Durant 15U, who is arguably the best 15U team in the nation. Evans received his first offer from a blue-blood program this weekend from Kansas as Lamothe is on the verge of adding a number of high major programs to his list.</div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Ayalew:</em> It amazes me how under-the-radar Mac MacDonald is at the moment. The Collegiate/Team Richmond sharpshooter can play both on and off the ball while mixing it up inside the arc. If he stays on the board, I expect many more suitors to emerge.</div> <div dir="auto"> </div> <div dir="auto"><em>Wilson:</em> I <span style="font-size: 1rem;">got the chance to watch 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="775338" first="Elijah" last="Hawkins"] this past weekend and he has officially taken his game to another level. Defensively, Hawkins has been great since day one but I was extremely impressed with his ability to score the basketball over the weekend. He is an ultimate winner at the point guard position and college coaches are going to start really taking notice in that. We fully expect Hawkins recruitment to increase in the coming months.</span><br /> <br /> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another guy I was able to watch this past weekend was 2021 James Gross. I have always been a firm believer of Gross because of his size, motor and athleticism. This past weekend he did not start for DC Premier but he made an impact right away every time he was brought onto the floor. He shot the ball well this weekend and if he continues to improve in that area, it will help him with his recruitment.</span></p> </div>