National Hoopfest Underclass DMV Standouts
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The National Hoopfest returned after a year hiatus at DeMatha High School in Maryland, bringing some of the top talent from around the DMV and the country together for one of the top events in the country. There were teams…
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Continue ReadingThe National Hoopfest returned after a year hiatus at DeMatha High School in Maryland, bringing some of the top talent from around the DMV and the country together for one of the top events in the country. There were teams from the DMV as well as PA, WV, OH, AZ, NY and NJ in attendance.
Here’s a look at some of the 2024 and 2025 standouts from teams in the DMV.
Daquan Davis Daquan Davis 6'1" | PG Overtime Elite (GA) | 2024 #119 Nation GA | 6’0” PG | St. Frances 2024
Davis had himself a breakout weekend as he was the team’s MVP and leading scorer in their day one win over Huntington Prep, and he made tons of plays for them down the stretch in their win over DeMatha. He’s an absolute dog of a guard who will defend the length of the floor, has a quick first step and is able to create for himself and others off the bounce and he’s absolutely fearless when he has the ball in his hands. He finished with 24 points on 5-for-8 shooting from deep and 4 assists in their win over Huntington, and he made a key steal to keep DeMatha from having a chance to tie the game in their win over them.
Darren Harris Darren Harris 6'6" | SF Paul VI | 2024 State #59 Nation VA | 6’5” WF | Paul VI 2024
Harris has had a very good career already, but he showed this weekend that he may be one of the elite shooters in the 2024 class on the east coast if not the entire country. The 6’5” wing has terrific footwork to get open and get into his shot, he has a quick release and deep range and he has excellent form with a good release and can make shots with little to no space. He averaged 17.5 points per game in their two wins and went 8-for-11 from deep, including 5-for-5 from deep in their win over Archbishop Spalding.
AJ Swinton AJ Swinton 6'6" | SF Bishop O'Connell (VA) | 2024 State #134 Nation VA | 6’5” WF | DeMatha 2024
Swinton is another 2024 that is seeing his stock rise with a great event to start his sophomore season after having a big game in their win over Westtown. The 6’5” wing is an explosive athlete who can play above the rim and rebounds well, he’s a good catch and shoot guy from deep and he can create off the bounce for himself and others. He finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds while being named MVP of their win.
Jaeden Mustaf Jaeden Mustaf 6'4" | SG OTE | 2024 #51 Nation GA | 6’5” WF | DeMatha 2024
Mustaf is another DeMatha young player who will be recruited at a very high level as he has a mix of athleticism and skill set that makes him very intriguing. He’s very good on the basketball as he can get in the lane and create shots for himself and others, he can make shots from multiple levels including from deep and he’s a good on ball defender as well. In their close loss to St. Frances he finished with a game high 17 points and pitched in 4 rebounds.
Del Jones Del Jones 6'2" | PG AZ Compass Prep | 2024 CA-S | 6’2” PG | Bishop O’Connell 2024
Jones is one of VA’s top young point guard prospects, and he showed his knack for scoring the basketball and creating for himself and others off the bounce. He’s very smooth off the bounce and can get to spots and make tough shots, he is confident in his ability to make shots from multiple levels and he can set the tone on both ends of the floor. In their loss to Huntington Prep, he finished with an impressive 14 points.
Machi Chester Machi Chester 6'3" | PG Friendship Collegiate | 2024 State MD | 6’3” WG | Bishop O’Connell 2024
Chester is another talented O’Connell scoring guard with a good frame and the ability to get hot and score it in bunches. He’s an excellent shooter who works well off the ball and has a quick release, he is able to get downhill and use his strength to finish in traffic and he can score it from multiple levels. He’ll be one to keep an eye on moving forward.
Christian Gurdack | 6’10” C | Paul VI 2025
Gurdack was one of the youngest players in the entire event, but you wouldn’t have guessed that with the way he played as he was efficient and productive in both of their wins. The 6’10” big is still growing into his Boyd but he was active on both ends of the floor, he showed good hands and good touch in the paint and he didn’t back down from anyone in the paint. He finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting from the field in their win over Patrick School, and he had 10 points and 5 rebounds on 5-for-5 shooting from the field in their win over Archbishop Spalding.