Mt. Carmel Open Gym Takeaways

Last season head coach Trevor Quinn's squad finished with an impressive 25-8 overall record that included an appearance in the MIAA A Conference championship game. As their run came to a close last season the questions around who would fill the void left behind by dynamic lead guard Deon Perry (Loyola MD) were the topic of conversations when projecting their success for the 2022-23 season. The summer can be tricky for any high school program with how quickly prospects are to transfer schools in today's climate. The Cougars sustained two significant hits in that regard with 2024 Luke Bamgboye heading west to Bella Vista Prep (Ca) and 2024 guard/wing Dwayne Williams transferring to International Sports Academy (OH).   Last night was an opportunity to drop by workouts and get a feels for this year's roster. While the loss of Perry and Bamgboye are massive from a production standpoint, it seems as if the Cougars will still remain a top program in the MIAA and BCL.   Here are takeaways I gathered from the workout:   A stable of guards    Dating back to last season, the roster was made up of smaller, but scrappy guards led by Perry. This year's team will be expected to replace that production by committee, but 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1127307' first='Andrew' last='Dixon'] is taking on the responsibility as the lead guard. The 6-foot-1 combo guard is a downhill threat who can change direction quicker than most of the guards in the area. He's lethal in the paint when he resorts to finishing with floaters and can get crafty to finish with either hand on his lay-ups. The biggest blemish in his game has been his jumper, but Dixon's shot looked more fluid than it has in year's past last night. If he can demand the defense's respect in that area, he'll be a handful to keep contained.    For what size 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1494081' first='Rodney' last='Scott'] lacks he makes up for with his toughness, resiliency and leadership. Even as just a sophomore, his ability to verbalize situations and strategy to his teammates will prove to be vital in league play. He's also a threat in ball screen situations where he can slither his way through just about any coverage to find his way in the paint and force a defensive collapse. Scott has good feel and vision with ability to locate bigs along the baseline or shooters in the weak side corners. If the big doesn't hedge the ball screen, Scott is capable of pulling up off the bounce from three or mid-range with efficient results.    2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1370512' first='Mario' last='Tatum'] is a guard that I'll monitor closely this season after a productive summer with Team Durant 15U. He has good size at 6-foot-1 and can make shots from beyond the arc at a good clip. He's a quick trigger off the catch but also knows how to react against hard close outs and make the defense pay for their late rotations. He'll have his opportunities to make plays off the bounce, but will largely look to be effective in moving without the ball, spacing the floor and putting pressure on the defense in transition.   2023 Drazen Sinigoj looks to be in better physical shape than he was last season and much lighter on his feet. The Argentina native seemed to have more burst off his back foot and better elevation on his finishes at the rim, but his calling card with this team will continue to be his outside shooting. The 6-foot-3 guard has a smooth release and can knock it down from all around the three-point line. He has good basketball IQ and understands how his gravity can help others get open.   Key returners in the frontcourt    2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1482974' first='Omarion' last='Reid'] has carved out a reputation for himself as a big-body, physical paint presence at 6-foot-6. Like Sinigoj, it's evident that Reid has worked hard over the summer to tone up his body by shedding weight, but his strength and leverage remain. If he can continue to run the floor with purpose, play effectively off setting ball screens and rebound at a high rate, the Cougars will be in good shape as a team this season.   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1579094' first='Allen' last='Mordi'] continues to be one of the more intriguing prospects in the Baltimore Metro area to me because of his size, skill and potential. At 6-foot-4, Mordi can knock down shots off the catch, guard multiple positions and be a presence on the glass. There are short stints throughout games where he'll really catch your eye with an authoritative finish or an athletic play on the defensive end. The goal for Mordi now is to make that a consistent occurrence. He'll be an important and valuable piece for this season's team.    2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1164829' first='Mitchell' last='Kalu'] is one of the more violent finishers you'll find in Baltimore. At 6-foot-5 he packs a strong punch and isn't afraid to test anyone at the rim. That goes for either side of the floor. Kalu pursues any chance for offensive rebounds and takes pride in locking down the glass defensively. He was a valuable screen-setter last year for Perry and should carry over to be the same for Dixon and Scott. Kalu has good hands, instincts around the rim and a motor that is hard to find.   New faces that will play a role   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/10/IMG-0297-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/10/IMG-0297-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1613753"/></a></figure>   The find of the night was 2024 Tautoko Wynyard, a 6-foot-9 New Zealand native who looks to help fill the void left behind by Bamgboye. While Bamgboye was a thin, mobile rim-running big, Wynyard is overwhelmingly strong and will provide a massive paint presence with his mindset. His bother, Tai, played at Kentucky and now plays professionally in New Zealand. During the open gym run, it was clear that Wynyard embraces physical play inside. He has good timing with blocking shots around the rim and strong hands to corral rebounds. He sets hard screens and rolls with wide base to demand weakside tagging. When posting up, he has good instincts as guards drive baseline to lift toward the front of the rim for dump-offs where he had dependable hands and the intent on bringing the rim down with two hands on finishes. It'll be interesting to see how quickly he can adjust to the American style of play.   2023 Aaron Finley should bring more production from the backcourt this season. The 6-foot-3 guard transferred in from Poly after averaging just about 10 points per game as a junior. He shot the ball well from three and has confidence in his ability to operate off the dribble in quick isolation situations.

Last season head coach Trevor Quinn's squad finished with an impressive 25-8 overall record that included an appearance in the MIAA A Conference championship game. As their run came to a close last season the questions around who would fill the void left behind by dynamic lead guard Deon Perry (Loyola MD) were the topic of conversations when projecting their success for the 2022-23 season. The summer can be tricky for any high school program with how quickly prospects are to transfer schools in today's climate. The Cougars sustained two significant hits in that regard with 2024 Luke Bamgboye heading west to Bella Vista Prep (Ca) and 2024 guard/wing Dwayne Williams transferring to International Sports Academy (OH).