Black Cager Showcase AM Standouts
Today at St. Frances Academy, schools from Maryland, DC, Delaware and Pennsylvania got together for a slate of games to from the Black Cager Showcase. I was in attendance for the first three games. There were a number of prospects…
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Continue ReadingToday at St. Frances Academy, schools from Maryland, DC, Delaware and Pennsylvania got together for a slate of games to from the Black Cager Showcase. I was in attendance for the first three games. There were a number of prospects who rose above the rest with their play. Let’s take a look at who those prospects were.
Mt. Zion Prep
I’ve been able to see 2022 forward Elijah Jones a handful of times this fall and each time I walk away thinking higher of him. At 6-foot-8, Jones is a physical presence in the paint who finishes routinely above the rim. He has soft hands that come to light when rolling to the rim after setting a ball screen and soft touch when operating on the block. Jones is a tireless defender who is always altering shots whether they’re in the paint or on the perimeter. He runs the floor with purpose and rebounds aggressively. He finished with 11 points in their win over 1st State Prep.
2021 point guard Primo Spears experienced his fair share of struggles in the first half, but he came through when the Warriors needed him most late in the game. After being held scoreless in the first half, Spears got to the charity stripe and started getting into a groove shortly after. He scored all of his 10 points in the second half and continuously found himself creating open shots for himself and others off penetration.
1st State Prep
2021 point guard Khalif Washington ran the show for a pesky Red Storm team that depsite losing both of their games, showed excellent effort and competed until the final buzzer. Washington played a big role in setting that tone by making tough plays on the defensive end. He was quick to dive on the floor and crash the glass even though he stands just 5-foot-10. He finished with 13 points in the loss against Mt. Zion and 15 in the loss against National Christian. In both games, Washington was matched up against highly-skilled guards who will likely be playing at the Division I level next year and he did more than hold his own.
2021 wing Chase McWhite provided the outside shooting that 1st State Prep needed. At 6-foot-5 and long-limbed, McWhite had a bit of an unorthodox release, but it proved efficient in his catches around the arc. The Red Storm lacked size in their frontcourt, which meant McWhite was leaned on as a rebounding presence against much bigger players. He did a nice job in that sense as well.
St. Frances
2021 forward Julian Reese Julian Reese 6'8" | C St. Frances | 2021 State #109 Nation MD has been a one-man wrecking crew this weekend and seems like a man on a mission in the paint. He’s determined to finish everything he catches in the paint with a two-handed flush. Over the past two days, the Maryland commit has also been extremely efficient in his attempts from three, which is a huge plus for his development. Reese checks all of these boxes while being the usual shot-blocking presence in the paint and rebounded with determination.
2021 Khyrie Staten Khyrie Staten 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD shot the ball with extreme efficiency on his way to 16 points today in their win over Archbishop Ryan. The Delaware State commit was converting from all three levels off the catch and off the bounce. His most impressive shot in my opinion came in transition where sprinted the ball up the court, stopped on a dime and knocked down a fluid 18-foot jumper. Staten acted as a free safety in St. France’s full court press and put himself in perfect position for steals which led to fastbreak points.
Archbishop Ryan
2022 Luke Boyd Luke Boyd CG Archbishop Ryan | 2022 State PA had quite a performance against St. Frances. The 6-foot-1 guard has one of the smoothest jumpers I’ve seen and also showed off textbook footwork coming off of pin downs and quickly getting into his shot. Boyd finished with 22 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc. Boyd plays with a chip on his shoulder and has potential to be a competent defender when matched up against shifty guards.
National Christian
2021 guard Brayon Freeman Brayon Freeman 6'1" | CG National Christian | 2021 State #204 Nation MD was the motor for this National Christian team in their win over 1st State Prep. The George Washington commit got started early scoring from three and around the rim before making a concentrated effort to drive and create for others for the second portion of the first half. He led National Christian with 17 points.
2022 guard Takeo Carpenter made his presence felt early with his outside shot. He was the beneficiary of Freeman’s playmaking and made himself available in the corners where he held target practice. Carpenter has solid size at 6-foot-2 with a quick trigger and good form on his release. Carpenter canned four triples on his way to 14 points in the win over 1st State Prep.