Monday Morning Hot Takes

<p>This past weekend was an eventful one. With many DMV teams competing up at Zero Gravity’s "The Summit", and multiple grassroots programs gearing up for Southern JamFest with practices, there was no shortage of action for us to keep up with. Here are five hot takes that have manifested over the past few days. </p> <p><strong>#5 | [player_tooltip player_id="837925" first="Chris" last="Gamble"] is the most improved guard from the DMV</strong></p> <p>Sidwell Friends guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="837925" first="Chris" last="Gamble"]</strong> was locked in at yesterday’s Team Durant Practice. Known as a menacing on-ball defender, Gamble has worked hard on his offensive arsenal, with an emphasis on his mid-range scoring. He is now quite comfortable creating space in iso situations and utilizing his growing arsenal of counter moves. With [player_tooltip player_id="562690" first="Ryan" last="Cornish"] headed off to college in the fall, Gamble will probably need to continue scoring at an efficient rate for the Quakers to reach their full potential. </p> <p>https://twitter.com/cgam_/status/1393985002174619649?s=20</p> <p><strong>#4 | [player_tooltip player_id="1114066" first="Carlton" last="Carrington"] is one of the better long-term prospects from Maryland</strong></p> <p>Standing 6-foot-3 with long limbs, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1114066" first="Carlton" last="Carrington"]</strong> certainly passes the initial eye test. When you find out that he doesn’t turn 16 until July, the intrigue only grows. Even without those facts, it doesn’t take longer than 5 minutes of watching Carrington play to see the type of impact he makes on both ends of the court. He guarded multiple positions, rebounded well, and showcased his tidy ball-handling skills along with his crisp passing ability. Carrington also made a couple of perimeter jumpers with his feet set. </p> <p><strong>#3 | [player_tooltip player_id="957049" first="Jaden" last="French"] is a top-five point guard in the local 2023 class</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957049" first="Jaden" last="French"]</strong> was mostly off the grid during the pandemic, but he’s evidently been in the gym working on his game. A sturdily built 6-foot-2 guard with length, he is robust at the point of attack defensively. French’s dependable floor game is one of the main reasons why he will be considered an elite point guard from this area. He is a pass-first guard who initiates the offense, protects the ball well, has a quick first step, and can score when he needs to. </p> <p><strong>#2 | [player_tooltip player_id="954641" first="Rihards" last="Vavers"] is the most dangerous perimeter shooter in the DMV</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="954641" first="Rihards" last="Vavers"]</strong> debuted at Carroll before the pandemic and initially stood out as a reliable marksman. He returned home to Latvia in 2020 and was forced to stay longer than expected, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing for him. Vavers now stands close to 6-foot-6 and weighs over 180 pounds. He gained some national team experience and is shooting the ball just as well, if not better than he did before going back overseas. Furman is one Division One program that is currently expressing interest in his services, but this list should grow as his exposure begins to ramp up. </p> <p><strong>#1 | [player_tooltip player_id="999641" first="Jayden" last="Ross"] is a high major prospect</strong></p> <p>The transformation that <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="999641" first="Jayden" last="Ross"]</strong> has undergone over the last two years has been nothing short of amazing. He has sprouted up from about 6’0" to 6’6", and at the age of 16, it’s a safe bet to assume that he is probably still growing. Ross is more than just a prospect. He is a productive player right now. He plays above the rim, rebounds out of his area, guards multiple positions, and can shoot from outside as well as finish in traffic. Ross still has many things to work on, but he is on the right track both on and off the court. </p>