Battle of Baltimore: Team Thrill vs Team Melo 15U

Over the weekend the city of Baltimore was fortunate enough to witness a matchup that has been asked for for some time now as Team Thrill and Team Melo came together for an afternoon of games between the 15s, 16s and 17s. We’ll break down different players from the said matchups throughout the week in a slate of articles starting with the ever so talented 15U group. Cam Fleming | Team Melo Fleming has all of the tools to be the next big prospect out of the Baltimore Metro area. At 6-foot-6 and nearing 6-foot-7, Fleming has the size and explosive athleticism that not many in his grade are working with. He played on Archbishop Spalding’s JV program last season in large part because of a senior laden roster, but will be a critical piece to the varsity team in 2022-23. Fleming finished this game with 8 points and impressed me in face-up scenarios where he used jabs or sweep-throughs to attack his matchup, get to the rim and either get fouled or a tough bucket. Defensively he used his length and quick pop to disrupt numerous shots around the rim and did a nice job of pursuing rebounds outside of his area to secure possessions. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8373.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1464315" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8373-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1370502" first="Jeff" last="Exinor"] | Team Thrill Exinor was the prospect turning heads for Thrill. Early on in the game he couldn’t find his mark from three, so instead used his strong 6-foot-4 football frame to finish through contact inside. He led all scorers with 18 points and once he set his mind to getting into the paint, there was very little that his defender could do to stop him. Exinor brings versatility as a wing that can match up against much bigger players thanks to his physicality. He’s also able to guard smaller, shifty guards with his lateral movement and athleticism. Jasiah Cannady | Team Melo Of all the prospects, it was Cannady who I walked away most impressed with in this game. The 6-foot-1 2026 point guard, who plans on attending Bishop O’Connell in the fall, has advanced feel and vision as a lead guard. He played with great patience in pick-and-roll scenarios where he could make the right read, saw backside cutters for lob opportunities and still remained assertive as a driver and scorer. Cannady can be looked at as a table-setter especially when put next to player who can shoot it, as he understands drive-and-kick principles. He also provided toughness and an on-ball presence defensively. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/IMG-7906.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1415050" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/IMG-7906-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1371863" first="Omarr" last="Smith"] | Team Thrill I have a weakness for shooters and there’s a good chance that Smith will be the best one in the Baltimore area for his class. At 6-foot-3 he has good size and a fluid lefty stroke on his jumper that can extend 5 feet beyond the three-point line. He connected on a handful of triples on his way to 15 points, all of which came from catch-and-shoot scenarios. Smith catches the ball in shot-ready position whether it comes off the catch in transition, pin-down screen or in kick-out fashion. Adam Oumiddoch | Team Melo Melo had a sniper of their own in Oumiddoch, who canned three triples and scored 12 points in the win. Another talented 2026 prospect who will attend Bishop O’Connell, Oumiddoch has great size at 6-foot-4 to pair with his deadly shot from deep. He brought energy as a defender and after connecting on three three’s in the first half, he used the attention given to him to free up others with space. Caleb Burgess | Team Thrill Burgess finished the game with 10 points, but it was a loud 10 points thanks to the fashion in which he scored .The 6-foot-5 wing/forward doesn’t disappoint in the open floor where he can showcase his athleticism with rim-rocking dunks. One of his dunks came in the second half when Thrill made a late run to get back into striking distance and as Burgess flushed a one-handed throw down, the gym erupted. His game on the perimeter is still a work in progress, but Burgess will relentlessly crash the glass, earn second chance points for his team and has soft hands on dump-off passes from penetrating guards. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/Malik-Washinton.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1335722 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/11/Malik-Washinton-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1370513" first="Malik" last="Washington"] | Team Melo Washington is a guy who I will always make time to watch simply because of how hard he plays at both ends. He’s the ultimate energy guy at 6-foot-5 who can fill a number of roles for his team by stuffing the stat sheet. He’s a constant presence in the paint as a rebounder, scores efficiently on touches in the paint and makes good decisions with the ball. While you won’t see him handle it along the perimeter a ton, he has great vision from the top of the key as a swingman or when posting up on the block as he fits the ball into tight windows to cutting teammates. Rodney Scott | Team Thrill Scott has really grown on me since seeing him take over as the primary floor general. His role should increase next winter at Mt. Carmel and he’s showing why by getting consistent paint touches off the bounce where he forces the defense to collapse and delivers crisp passes to teammates for open looks. The 5-foot-6 point guard finished with eight points in the contest and was efficient with his attempts. He hit a clutch three late in the game to give Thrill a lead before Melo answered back. As Scott continues to polish on his overall game, he could be the next great small point guard to come out of the Mt. Carmel program. [player_tooltip player_id="1370509" first="Jacob" last="Ross"] | Team Melo Ross is a prospect that garners attention because of his long, lanky frame to go with his guard skill set. He’s 6-foot-5 and a capable shot-maker from three and in the mid-range operating off of 1-to-2 dribbles. In this particular game, Ross made a few tough shots from 17-feet and in after creating space from his defender off the dribble. Ross also had a nasty step-through on a drive where two defenders rotated and tried to prohibit his journey to the basket, but his footwork and ability to contort his body in a way to prevent contact for a clean lay-up was impressive.