Weekly Scouting: Top Performances

This high school season will be the exact opposite of routine. At this point we are trying to find any game action possible to provide exposure. This article will be titled as ’Week 1 Scouting,’ but due to the uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought into the world, don’t expect for these to be weekly articles with the chance of their being no games. I was able to get out to one game last weekend for a matchup between the Black Panther (St. Frances) and the Maryland Eagles (National Christian). Here are my notes from the contest: [player_tooltip player_id="712747" first="Julian" last="Reese"] | 6’9 | Black Panthers ’21 Reese put forth the most dominant performance I’ve witnessed since covering the high school level. The Maryland commit scored 40 points, pulled down 22 rebounds and blocks 10 shots to record his first career triple-double. It’s clear that the switch has flipped with Reese and he has become much more aggressive, which was a criticism that has surrounded his game for years. He imposes himself in the paint and overwhelms his defender on the offensive end while being the definition of a human eraser defensively. I’m not totally sure why the Eagles’ guards continued to test Reese around the basket, but they did and he reminded him why he’s one of the best shot blockers in the country. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jahn-Lamothe-Jamie-Kasier.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1023605" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jahn-Lamothe-Jamie-Kasier-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] | 6’4 | Black Panthers ’23 Lamothe has found his groove with this team and looks comfortable with how and where he gets his shots. The sophomore guard scored 23 points, collected four rebounds and dished out four assists in the win. The Eagles trailed by six and had enough life to make a late push, but Lamothe had other plans as he canned three-straight triples to crush any hope that the opposition had. Lamothe’s size and continued development in his body show in different ways each time I watch him play. The game is becoming easier and it’s only right to expect steady scoring outings from him this season. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/khyrie-staten.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1059341" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/khyrie-staten-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="836491" first="Khyrie" last="Staten"] | 6’2 | Black Panthers ’21 It’s fun watching Staten because he gets involved in every aspect of the game. If he isn’t scoring, he’s driving with intention of finding an open teammate for an assist. If he isn’t pressuring his man for the full length of the court, he’s shooting the passing lanes and generating transition opportunities. The Delaware State signee logged 21 points and four assists and continues to be a major two-way presence for the Panthers. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Queen-Derik-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1069811" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Queen-Derik-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"] | 6’8 | Black Panthers ’24 Whenever there’s a scout or media member in the gym who is seeing Queen for their first time, it has become routine to see them lose their minds. Queen’s versatility and skillset for his size is truly unique. For much of the second half, Queen played point guard and was pressured the entire way up the floor by Zion Russell, a heady and quick defender. Not once did Queen turn the ball over or allow the pressure to speed him up. Instead, he used his size and change of pace dribble to his advantage, got an edge on Russell and proceeded with making plays for himself or others. The freshman finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Brayon-Freeman.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-977684" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Brayon-Freeman-300x251.png" alt="" width="300" height="251" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1049483" first="Brayon" last="Freeman"] | 6’2 | Maryland Eagles ’21 You won’t find many natural scorers better than Freeman in the DMV. The George Washington commit is a handful and when operating in isolation situations, he can get his shot off at any time. Where Freeman impressed me even more was his willingness as a playmaker. He can live in the paint when he wants and while he can get his shot off with craft, he made the correct reads and found open teammates around the perimeter. Defensively he was extremely vocal and was key to his team not getting beat on ball-screen sets. Freeman continues to show growth in all aspects, which should bode well for him as he prepares for the A-10. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Zion-Russell.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1027499" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Zion-Russell-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Zion Russell | 6’0 | Maryland Eagles ’22 Russell is another guard who is tough to stay in front of. Unlike Freeman, Russell struggles to shoot from outside, so his bread is buttered when he’s getting downhill and using his athleticism to finish at the rim. He struggled in the early goings, but became more aggressive and drew fouls to get himself in rhythm at the free-throw line. [player_tooltip player_id="836498" first="Juan" last="Bell"] | 6’0 | Maryland Eagles ’22 Bell had it going from deep and was a beneficiary to Russell’s paint touches. He showed his potential as a spot-up shooter and doesn’t need much time to get his shot off. Bell was a catalyst along with Freeman in their late attempt to get back into the game as he hit timely three’s, forced turnovers defensively and made good decision in the open floor. Bell finished this game with 13 points.