Best Available 2023s in MD/DC

Over the weekend we witnessed our top player in the 2023 class, Amani Hansberry Amani Hansberry 6'7" | C Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State #52 Nation MD , make his commitment to Illinois. That now brings us four commitments in the current top-10 (updates coming soon). Hansberry to Illinois, Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD to Maryland, Carlton Carrington Carlton Carrington 6'4" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #84 Nation MD to Pittsburgh and Jeannot Basima Jeannot Basima 6'3" | CG John Carroll | 2023 State #200 Nation MD to Yale. As more players should be off the board prior to the season starting, I figured it was a decent time to take a glace at who remain the best available on our board.

Malik Mack Malik Mack 6'0" | PG St. John’s | 2023 State #260 Nation MD | St. John’s (DC)/Team Takeover

Mack helped Team Takeover to a strong showing during Peach Jam which resulted in an appearance in the championship game. His ability to stretch the floor with his outside shot, act as a facilitator when called upon and defend either guard position effectively holds value. Mack will play a significant role for St. John’s this season in the WCAC and is currently being recruited by LM-MM programs.

Cam Gillus Cam Gillus 5'10" | PG Sidwell Friends | 2023 State MD | Sidwell Friends

Gillus didn’t participate in AAU this spring/summer, which seemed to force many to forget how much he brings to the table from the point guard position. He’s a heady floor general that understands how to dictate pace, pick his spots as a scorer and ruthlessly defend opposing ball-handlers the length of the floor throughout the game. More importantly, he comes from a winning program and succeeds at a high level in the classroom. Gillus has heard from programs in the Patriot and Ivy League.

Tyler Perkins Tyler Perkins 6'4" | SG Landon | 2023 State #268 Nation MD | Landon/Team Takeover National

Following a summer that cemented his name as a Division I prospect, Perkins is in the process of lining up visits and deciding between from over a dozen programs that offered him. Perkins plays with an endless motor that contributes to an offensive approach that doesn’t allow his matchup an easy possession. Whoever is lucky enough to land him is getting a productive, gritty guard for four years.

Mike Williams Mike Williams 6'3" | CG Bishop Walsh | 2023 State #141 Nation MD | Bishop Walsh/Team Thrill

Williams will see a boost in the rankings update after acting as a catalyst for a Team Thrill squad that took home the UAA 17U title. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has developed as a balanced scorer who can do so from all three levels and continues to improve his ability to create for others. He’s impactful as an off-ball defender in the passing lanes, a willing rebounder and isn’t afraid to give up his body on a charge. He has set up officials with five programs: Clemson, DePaul, Wake Forest, LSU and Syracuse. He will also visit VCU unofficially before making his decision.

Austin Abrams Austin Abrams 6'3" | SG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State MD | Mount St. Joe/Team Thrill

The fact that more schools aren’t lining up for Abrams confuses me. He’s 6-foot-3 with the possibility of growing another inch or so, has elite shooting ability and is a proven winner as witnessed by helping the Gaels capture both MIAA and BCL titles this winter before helping Team Thrill to their circuit title this summer. Abrams holds one offer from UMBC and while he has garnered interest from a few more LM-MM programs, I have a feeling there will be programs kicking themselves for not pulling the trigger when they look back on it.

KJ Gardner KJ Gardner 6'2" | SG Springdale Prep | 2023 State MD | Springdale Prep/Global Squad

Gardner had a solid summer and was able to gain Division I attention with some strong showings at a series of Hoop Group events. The 6-foot-2 lefty has a strong, nice frame with good burst and athleticism. He finishes at the rim through contact and can really be an impact on the defensive end when dialed in. Gardner also rebounds at a good rate for his position. Becoming more consistent with the jump shot will ultimately be the deciding factor of Division I’s pulling the trigger or Division II’s waiting happily for what would be an instant impact prospect.

Jeremiah Quigley Jeremiah Quigley 5'9" | PG Bishop McNamara | 2023 State MD | Bishop McNamara/Team Takeover

Quigley is a quick-twitch guard who can orchestrate a team as a floor general. He showed ability to do so in several ways through the DMV Live sessions or in the July Live sessions. He’s difficult for others to keep in front, is always looking to make the extra pass for a better shot and can get after it defensively. Quigley holds offers from UMBC, Radford and NJIT.

Aidan Harris Aidan Harris 6'6" | SF St. Mary's | 2023 State #293 Nation MD | St. Mary’s Annapolis/DMV Stags

Harris is going to push to be one of the more productive players in the DMV statistically this season. He’s a double-double threat each time he takes the floor and in the instances in which I saw him this summer, has the ability to fill it up for 25+ points quickly thanks to his ability to score inside/out or finish through contact and convert at the free-throw line. Harris has offers ranging from Division I-Division II programs.

Others to monitor:

Thomas Batties II Thomas Batties II 6'7" | PF Gonzaga | 2023 State MD (Gonzaga/Team Takeover)

Ezekiel Avit Ezekiel Avit 6'3" | SF Churchill | 2023 MD (Churchill/Global Squad)

Jake Stout Jake Stout 6'7" | PF Boys Latin | 2023 State MD (Boys’ Latin/ Mid-Atlantic Select)

Favor Okigweh (Parkville/Mid-Atlantic Select)

Corey Chesley Corey Chesley 6'5" | SF Good Counsel | 2023 State MD (Good Counsel/DC Premier)

Terrell Webster Terrell Webster 6'3" | PG McKinley Tech | 2023 State MD (McKinley Tech/Team Takeover National)

Jaden Johnson Jaden Johnson 6'0" | PG Bishop McNamara | 2023 State MD (Bishop McNamara/New World)

Kevon Corley Kevon Corley 6'6" | SF Shabach Christian Academy | 2023 State MD (Rock Creek Christian/DC Premier)

Kyron Henderson (Rock Creek Christian)

Rieco Hellams Rieco Hellams 5'7" | PG Good Counsel | 2023 State MD (Good Counsel/Team Melo)

Marvin Brimage (Jackson-Reed/DC Premier)

Jaden Winston Jaden Winston 5'9" | PG DeMatha | 2023 State MD (DeMatha/Team Takeover)