Xaverian Classic: Saturday Eye-Catchers

Prep Hoops was in attendance for Saturday’s slate of the Xaverian Classic, which featured teams from MD, VA and GA. Four games took place to determine who will compete for tomorrow’s championship as well as games to fill out the consolation bracket.

Here are the prospects who caught eyes with their play:

Brendan Johnson Brendan Johnson 6'4" | SG Calvert Hall | 2024 State MD | Calvert Hall ’24

Johnson has been on fire to start the 2022-23 season, posting multiple 25+ point performances including the 30 points that he finished with in today’s win over Coolidge. The 6’3 guard connected on six three’s and is demanding early attention as one of the best shooter in MD/DC regardless of class. He gets into his shot quickly off the catch with good foot preparation, a fluid release and a strong follow through. He hit a number of shots off the catch this afternoon, but also had a few nice pull-ups after attacking closeouts with 1-to-2 dribbles.

Tyrin Bizzelle Tyrin Bizzelle 6'2" | PG Calvert Hall College | 2024 State MD | Calvert Hall ’24

Bizzelle and Johnson form a stout backcourt duo who complement each other well. Bizzelle does more of his damage off the dribble where he operates in high ball screens. He’s a capable shooter from beyond the arc, can get to his spots from 12-15 and thrives going left and getting all the way to the bucket. The 6’2 southpaw followed Johnson with 17 points.

Lafayette Williams Lafayette Williams 5'8" | PG Archbishop Carroll | 2023 State MD | Coolidge ’23

Coolidge stuggled as a team to get going offensively, but Williams took control of the offense in spurts and generated scores on his own. The 5’9 lefty is shifty with good burst off his back foot and saw good results using ball screens at the top of the key. On a couple of occasions, he made the big pay for dropping to deep and confidently buried a couple of three’s. When there was a delay in his man recovering back to him following the screen, his burst allowed him to expose driving lanes and get to the rim.

Brennan Chatman | Norfolk Collegiate ’24

Chatman led a dominant performance from his team with a game-high 27 points. Athens Christian came out in zone defense and the 6’3 lefty was quick to expose any late rotations or closeouts without a contest. He was a presence in passing lanes on the defensive end with active hands and held his own against forwards thanks to his sturdy frame.

Corey Chesley Corey Chesley 6'5" | SF Good Counsel | 2023 State MD | Good Counsel ’23

The transfer portal has made a difficult path for the current senior class, but it’s hard for me to believe that programs are knocking on Chesley’s door. At 6’3 with broad shoulders and a frame that continues to fill out nicely, he translates at the LM level well. He’s above average as an athlete and can finish routinely around the basket through contact. Chesley led the way for Good Counsel with 24 points, knocking down two three’s. He also had a couple of midrange jumpers off the bounce. When he’s hitting shots such as catch and shoot three’s, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on the list of LM programs who are still looking for off-ball guards.

Justin Bumbray Justin Bumbray 6'4" | SG Good Counsel | 2024 State MD | Good Counsel ’24

Bumbray is on a short list of players who I could watch shoot the basketball all day long. He catches the ball in shot-ready position whether it’s off a quick swing or setting his feet after coming off a pin down. There’s no wasted motion in his load-up and gets sound rotation on the release. He hit four three’s in this contest on his way to 14 points. The 6’4 junior will continue to be the necessary floor-spacer on this Good Counsel team that will benefit guys like Chesley and 2023 Rieco Hellams Rieco Hellams 5'7" | PG Good Counsel | 2023 State MD .

Akbar Waheed | Georgetown Prep ’25

Waheed did his damage early in this one as an aggressive slasher. He looks to be more confident operating in isolations since I saw him over the summer and on his way to the rim he was effective in initiating contact to draw fouls or finish through them. He helped lead the young Georgetown Prep squad against a tough Good Counsel team. They came up short, but Waheed produced 11 points.

Tyler Garrett | Georgetown Prep ’25

Another talented sophomore on Prep who caught our eye was Garrett. He stands 6’8 with decent length, good mobility and showed some ability to mix up his scoring approach. He has good hands and anticipation as guard penetrate for dump-offs, can score in face-up scenarios and shows signs of being able to sweep off the catch and create in short spurts from the perimeter. Garrett led Prep with 13 points in the loss.

Rejuan Gray Rejuan Gray 6'6" | SG Takoma Academy | 2023 State MD | Takoma Academy ’23

Gray has had a strong start to the season and continues to show improvement operating off the bounce and creating for himself. The 6’7 wing/forward used a variety of long crosses, step backs and hesitations before getting solid elevation on his jumpers and converting in ways that took any momentum Fairfax Christian had previously out of the picture. In the few instances that he got the ball on the break, Gray used the paint for lift off as he rose up to rock the rim. He led Takoma in the win with 24 points

Malcolm Day Malcolm Day 6'6" | SF Takoma Academy | 2023 State MD | Takoma Academy ’23

While Gray had some back breaking jumpers, Day supplied the nail in the coffin with a few catch-and-shoot three’s from the left wing and a couple of emphatic finishes on the break in the second half to build a commanding lead. When these two get it going, Takoma is a tough team to keep up with. This duo can put up points in bunches and can be two legitimate three-level scorers. The 6’5 wing recorded 16 points in the win.

Dorian Credle Dorian Credle 6'1" | PG Takoma Academy | 2023 State MD | Takoma Academy ’23

If Gray and Day weren’t enough, Credle added salt to the womb by hitting back-to-back triples in the second half. The 6-foot senior guard connected on four triples for the game en route to 19 points all being a disruptor on the defensive end. Whether Takoma was playing zone or man, Credle always seemed to be the catalyst behind turnovers around the perimeter. When he’s connecting on shots from outside it opens up driving lanes for him to use his quickness and take advantage of. This trio of unsigned seniors should be a monitoring list for college programs from all levels.

Jovani Galarza Jovani Galarza 6'2" | CG Fairfax Christian | 2023 State VA | Fairfax Christian ’23

Galarza was a joy to watch for Fairfax because he just got things done. In transition he made the right, simple passes that led to scores, took advantage of driving lanes where he finished consistently and knocked down his only clean look from three. There may be other guys that fit the eye test better on his team, but he was by far the most productive on both ends. He led Fairfax Christian with 14 points in the loss