Scouting: Black Panthers vs Rocktop Academy
In this article:
Last night at St. Frances Academy the Black Panthers played host to Rocktop Academy (PA). There was plenty of energy from the start of this one as both teams had some social media fire to play off of. Rocktop came…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLast night at St. Frances Academy the Black Panthers played host to Rocktop Academy (PA). There was plenty of energy from the start of this one as both teams had some social media fire to play off of. Rocktop came out with the first punch, but the Panthers eventually established their footing in the second half and completely took control on their way to a commanding 116-96 win.
Khyrie Staten Khyrie Staten 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD | 6’2 | Black Panthers ’21
I’ve written many times about the joy it brings to watch Staten play this sport. The Delaware State commit put on another admirable performance with the competitive edge that he brings. It quickly flows through the Panthers’ roster and was the catalyst for their comeback. With everything that Staten does on both ends, there’s really nothing more you can ask from him from a coaching standpoint. He’s a willing on-ball defender, is always where he needs to be as the weak side guy and is always the first one on the floor for 50/50s. Offensively he struggled out of the gate to find his shot, but once the first one dropped, the floodgates opened. Staten shot 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from three finishing with 24 points. He also dished out five assists and pulled down four rebounds in the win.
Julian Reese Julian Reese 6'8" | C St. Frances | 2021 State #109 Nation MD | 6’9 | Black Panthers ’21
Last game Reese struggled mentally from the opening tip, so it was good to see him bounce back and be the physical paint presence that his team needs. The future Maryland Terp had a good night shooting from the mid-range and finished 7-of-12 from the field on his way to 19 points. He secured 11 rebounds and set a tone as a shot disruptor from the early going. Reese blocked four shots, all of which he sent flying into the stands to send a message to the opposing guards who tested him.
Derik Queen Derik Queen 6'9" | PF Montverde Academy | 2024 State #18 Nation FL | 6’8 | Black Panthers ’24
We’ve raved about Queen’s versatility since the summer and his full arsenal was on display in this win. The 6-foot-8 forward had his best game of this winter in large part because he was and outside shooting presence. Queen recorded a stat line of 25 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. The freshman converted on three of his five three’s, all of which came in the second half when the Panthers needed them most to regain the lead. He had two above the rim finishes in transition after shaking his defender with a crossover or spin move all while being a rim protector on the defensive end.
Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD | 6’3 | Black Panthers ’23
Lamothe is so dangerous even when he’s missing shots because the second he sees one go in, another one could follow the ensuing possession. This was the case last night as well. The 6-foot-3 guard hit back-to-back three’s in the first half when the Panthers were on the ropes after Rocktop came out firing on all cylinders. Lamothe was a presence throughout and made sound decisions with the ball in the open floor as indicated by his 10 assists. He also finished with 12 points.
Daquan Davis Daquan Davis 6'1" | PG Overtime Elite (GA) | 2024 #119 Nation GA | 5’11 | Black Panthers ’24
Davis has been put in the difficult position of starting point guard with Elijah Davis Elijah Davis 6'0" | PG St. Frances | 2022 MD out. He’s had times where’s he’s been shaky against pressure and made some typical freshman decisions with the ball, but overall his play has been a net positive for the Panthers. Davis is one of the toughest players pound-for-pound that you’ll find in Baltimore and it comes to light on his drives to the rim. He finished a couple of buckets through contact last night and dove on the floor multiple times for 50/50s. Davis finished with nine rebounds and seven points on the night.
Tevin Curtis Tevin Curtis 5'9" | PG St. Frances | 2021 State MD | 5’11 | Black Panthers ’21
Curtis was exceptional last night and a much-needed presence off the bench in the second half for the Panthers. He was crucial in helping his team ultimately pull away for an easy win and did so by holding his personal target practice from deep. The 5-foot-11 southpaw finished with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. As the defense adjusted and began closing out aggressively on his catches, the senior guard made them pay with sound bounce passes inside to his bigs for easy buckets. Curtis dished out four assists in total.
Rasheed Cooley | 6’2 | Rocktop Academy ’21
Shifty, quick twitch guard who can squeeze into tight driving lanes and get to the rim. Aggressive scoring mindset whenever he has the ball and doesn’t take much to get into a groove. Good at seeking out contact in the air on the way to the bucket. Cooley was on a mission last night even after the momentum changed. He refused to go down easily and led Rocktop with a game-high 34 points. The 6-foot-2 guard scored in a variety of ways and is a difficult matchup to keep at bay.
Bernard Blunt Jr. | 6’1 | Rocktop Academy ’21
Dependable lead ball-handler who got his team into sets in the half court. Set an early tone with his outside shot off the dribble. Competed on the defensive end and had multiple steals in the passing lanes. Blunt had a tendency to immediately put the ball on the floor from the catch as the Panthers were pressing. Those situations usually resulted in quick turnovers for Rocktop and layups for the Panthers. All in all, Blunt and Cooley were the engine for this team. Without them, the fast start would’ve never occurred. Blunt tailed off in the second half but still recorded a solid 21-point outing in the loss.