Early Season Observations: New Faces

The high school season is now a couple of weeks in and it's time to reflect on the action that we've taken in thus far. It's been a busy start to the month of December and along they way I've been able to get out and see some new faces that could project as strong contributors at the next level.   Bryson Whitley | Eleanor Roosevelt '23   For whatever reason, it was my first time getting eyes on Whitley in the Mount St. Joe preseason four-team scrimmages and he caught my attention with his command as a point guard. He's 5'10 with a solid frame and surprised me with the burst he gets off his back foot. A strong finisher through contact, Whitley is a threat to score or create for others on drives. Currently he is garnering Division II and Division III interest.   [player_tooltip player_id='1362721' first='Arinze' last='Achufusi'] | Sidwell Friends '23   Friends has a loaded rotation and while Achufusi's number will be called throughout the season, he may not be a heavy rotational player in tight games at this point in the season. Make no mistake, he's always ready and can fill it up in a hurry from three. He's a confident off-ball guard who stands around 6'2-6'3 with a wiry frame and would be a good under-the-radar addition for a Division III program.   [player_tooltip player_id='1260005' first='Ari' last='Hobson'] | Landon '24   I caught Hobson in the first-round of Sleepy Thompson where he had a good performance shooting the ball from outside. At 6'4, he has good size and plays more like a wing at this point, but was tough and essential in Landon's opening round victory.   Aidan Able | John Carroll '26   Able is a freshman guard who I wasn't familiar with until catching the Patriots' game against Mt. Carmel. They ended up on the losing side of things, but what stood out was Able's confidence in his three-point shot. Despite the loss, Able finished with 16 points in this contest and gave showed off why he's an intriguing freshman to monitor moving forward in the MIAA/BCL.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114071' first='Lafayette' last='Williams'] | Coolidge '23   At the Xaverian Classic, Coolidge took a tough loss to Calvert Hall, but among the standout was 5'9 senior point guard in Williams. He operated in a plethora of high ball screens and made the big pay for dropping too deep in the coverage as he stepped into a couple of smooth triples from the top of the key off the dribble. He also made a few finds to open teammates that demonstrated some feel and provided tough on-ball defense throughout. Williams scored 16 points in the loss.   Parker Robinson | Good Counsel '26   Robinson didn't take long to have an impact beyond the box score in Good Counsel's win over Georgetown Prep. He has good size at 6'3, plays with a high IQ for his class and isn't afraid to get into the mix for rebounds or 50/50s. In this game, he scored off sound off-ball movement and in efficient manner.   [player_tooltip player_id='1017200' first='Aaron' last='Davis'] | First Love PG '23   Davis had a solid outing in an impressive win over Mt. Zion last week and displayed why he's garnering low-to-mid Division I programs' interest. He has great positional size as a guard at 6'6 and plays with tremendous pace. He's an offensive-minded guard who can get to his spots in the midrange, knock down three's off the catch or use his size to create mismatches.   Seth Brown | First Love PG' 23   Brown had the hot hand early in the win over Mt. Zion. The 6'5 guard is a pure shooter who made that known from the jump, but then used the gravity to his advantage by utilizing pump fakes as aggressive close outs flew by. He'd side-step, reset his feet and knock down the three with confidence. Brown has interest from multiple low major Division I programs. He'd be one to monitor.   Jose Tanchyn | First Love PG '23   Tanchyn was effective thanks to his size at 6'10 and ability to be a threat in popping scenarios after setting ball screens. When he's able to get his feet set, his release is higher so that when combined with his height and length, makes it difficult to truly contest. He's still slight of frame, but that didn't negate the Spain native of asserting himself on the offensive glass where he generated second chance points for himself or extra possessions for his team.   Tony Pope Jr. | Gwynn Park '24   I attended a preseason workout at Gwynn Park back in October, but Pope had to sit out with an injury, so it was my first time getting eyes on him during their battle against Grace Brethren. I see why head coach Rob Garner raved about the 5'9 floor general given his feel and ability to control the game. He's a southpaw, tough-nosed lead guard that knocked down jumpers off the bounce and put pressure on the defense with paint touches. Defensively, he takes pride in making life hard for opposing ball handlers. Gwynn Park came up short, but Pope led the way with 14 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1579102' first='Daouda' last='Traore'] | Grace Brethren '24   I was extremely pleased with the group from Grace Brethren and their approach to the game. They're a pack of wolves that bring grit on both sides of the ball. Traore was a name that I had heard about prior, but never got to see live and he's very intriguing. At 6'5 with plus length, he exploded above the rim on two occasions and caught the gym's attention. He didn't look to operate off the bounce much, but instead was constantly moving without the ball and finding himself in good spots around the basket for finishes or trips to the line. His combination of length, athleticism and size make him a versatile defensive piece. Traore was instrumental in the win with 16 points.   Christian Jackson | Atholton '23   Jackson transferred to Atholton from St. John's (DC) and immediately took over as the lead guard. The 5'9 senior led his team into an intense environment to open their season at Parkville, but showed signs that he'll be a productive player in Howard County this season. He plays with good quickness off the bounce and can get to the rim in a hurry. He struggled at times to finish contested layups, but his resiliency helped in leading the Raiders with 22 points. Jackson also made good decision as a distributor in the open floor as he reacted to defenders.

The high school season is now a couple of weeks in and it's time to reflect on the action that we've taken in thus far. It's been a busy start to the month of December and along they way I've been able to get out and see some new faces that could project as strong contributors at the next level.