2023 Baltimore Prospect Outside the Top 25 to Watch

<p>With the release of our updated rankings for the 2023 class last week, we’ve had a good number of articles to follow breaking down the update. After pointing out the Baltimore prospect who were included in the top 25, I’ll take a look at some names who were outside the top 25 that have a chance to make some waves throughout their junior season.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1049863" first="Ace" last="Valentine"] | 6’2 | Mount St. Joseph/Team Melo</strong></span></p> <p><em>Ranking: No. 34</em></p> <p>From the sounds of it, Valentine is looking sharp in preseason workouts and open gyms. The 6-foot-2 combo guard was a familiar face in head coach Pat Clatchey’s rotation last season and will be extremely important in 2021-22. Led by 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1127305" first="Bryson" last="Tucker"], 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957018" first="Amani" last="Hansberry"] and 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1110551" first="Aidan" last="Mess"], the Gaels will need consistent production from their guards in order to reach their full potential as a team. Valentine has shown to be a capable shot-maker from three with time, can shoot it off the bounce in the mid-range and has soft touch on his floaters. While their success rests heavily on the shoulders of the three players mentioned earlier, Valentine will be a guy who can lift them over the top as the season progresses.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="1219880" first="Cam" last="Bush"] | 5’10 | New Town</span></strong></p> <p><em>Ranking: No. 36</em></p> <p>Bush may be a name that is new to many, but he was a clear standout from the EBA Summer League and is poised for a productive season for the Titans. Bush is a quick, shifty guard who is very difficult to keep in front of. He is a routine visitor in the paint and from there, can make correct reads depending on how the defense rotates. He’s a skilled finisher around the basket and can do so with either hand. He’s a competitor on the defensive end and makes life difficult for opposing teams when he plays in the passing lanes with active hands. The one area that will need to be more consistent is his jump shot. If he can even be consistent with pull-ups from 15-to-17 feet it’ll make him an even tougher matchup and warrant college coaches to take a longer look his way. Still, I think Division II and Division III programs should be spending time breaking down his film and recruiting.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957034" first="Tjay" last="Beckles"] | 5’10 | Mount Carmel/Team Melo</strong></span></p> <p><em>Ranking: No. 58</em></p> <p>After a pretty big dip in ranking over the last two updates, Beckles has a chance to dramatically boost his worth at his new school. The 5-foot-10 guard is an elite outside shooting presence and next to 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"], should make opposing coaches have to scheme defensively in a unique manner. Beckles should also see opportunities come his way to operate off the bounce in ball screens where he can use his outside shooting threat to his advantage and display his vision as a passer.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957058" first="Ian" last="Robinson"] | 6’7 | McDonogh</strong></span></p> <p><em>Ranking: No. 69</em></p> <p>Robinson is another player on this list that will hold significant weight for his team in the production department. McDonogh is a young team who lacks true size and Robinson will be counted on to play bulk minutes and be a paint presence. Throughout the EBA Summer League, he showed progression in his face-up 15-foot jumper and is cementing himself as a plus free-throw shooter for a big. Robinson will also need to be a rim protector while holding his own on the glass against other very talented forwards in the MIAA.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1280966" first="Ryan" last="Johnson"] | 5’11 | Loyola</strong></span></p> <p><em>Ranking: 89</em></p> <p>Johnson made his first appearance in our rankings after showing some potential in the EBA Summer League with the Dons. They’ll be slim at the point guard position, which should mean for Johnson getting ample experience and responsibility as the team’s primary ball handler. Johnson still has to polish his game in a number of ways, but has ability to get by his man with good speed and is a decent finisher around the basket. He can initiate offense and make good decision with the ball on quick swings. Loyola received news that they’ll get back 2022 forward [player_tooltip player_id="904648" first="Gavin" last="Walsh"], which adds significant talent that they were missing in their frontcourt and another main option for Johnson to use and rack up assists.</p>