MDPSSBT Quarterfinals: 2024 Standouts

There was no shortage of excitement throughout the four quarterfinal matchups at the first ever Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening. Bishop McNamara, Shabach Christian Academy, St. Andrew's and Mt. Zion Prep Academy all punched their ticket to the Final Four, which will take place at Takoma Academy on Sunday for 12:00pm and 1:45pm tip-offs.   For this article, we'll look at the juniors who stood out among the rest.   Jack Furman | Riverdale Baptist   Furman was a name I had never come across until Wednesday evening and man did he start the game off quickly. He scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half and caught plenty of eyes from the college coaches in attendance with his pure shooting stroke. Whether it was on off kick-out passes or coming off of screens with textbook footwork, Furman had a quick trigger that hit his target. St. Andrew's adjusted a bit in the second half and did whatever they could to deny him or doubling off screens when his primary defender couldn't stay with him. All in all, he scored 16 points on 5-of-9 from the field and will be one to monitor moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='1366891' first='Xander' last='Alarie'] | St. Andrew's   It was my first time seeing Alarie since earlier in the summer and it is evident he has taken strides in his development. The 6'7 forward is fluid when operating with his back to the basket, a legitimate pick-and-pop threat and was a consistent presence on the defensive boards from start to finish. He scored his team-high 15 points on 5-of-9 from the field, went a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and ripped down eight rebounds in the win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1114028' first='Jayden' last='Brown'] | St. Andrew's   There's a lot to like about Brown when projecting long term due to his size and length. He's 6'6 with wide shoulders and long arms that should all fill out overtime to pair with a solid offensive skill set. Brown can handle the ball better than you think and it was on display Wednesday as he got to the paint for tough finishes where he'd utilize that length to score over smaller defenders. He was a tool on the defensive side and helped make life difficult on Furman and Jace Mosely when he was matched up against them. Brown posted 14 points, only missing one of his six shot attempts.   Andre Thomas | Shabach Christian   The Eagles' roster is comprised mostly of seniors, but Thomas is a junior that coaches should keep an eye on as spring approaches because of his ability to impact the game with or without the ball. He split ball handling duties and always looked to push in transition where he found teammates on multiple occasions by delivering crisp advance passes. His stat line is a good representation of how he can assert himself in many areas as he finished with 12 points that included two three's, four rebounds, four assists and four steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='1370514' first='Malcolm' last='Thomas'] | DeMatha   Thomas continues his rise this high school season and despite coming up on the losing end against McNamara, performed his duty of impacting the rim at both ends. He used his explosive jumping ability to finish around the basket or block opposing layups with good timing and body control. Thomas recorded 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='1225255' first='Tyler' last='Boston'] | Bullis   The No. 1 seeded Bullis was upset, but it had nothing to do with Boston's efforts. While he could've shot the ball on a more efficient clip, his change of pace twitch with the ball is one of the best you'll see in the DMV. He operates in ball screens at a high level and can finish or deliver passes in a variety of ways once he gets into the heart of the defense. Boston scored 15 points, dished out five assists and hauled in four rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1579096' first='Logan' last='Suber'] | Mt. Zion Prep Academy   The Warrior's backcourt of Suber and [player_tooltip player_id='1225262' first='Hassan' last='Dorman'] were crucial in their effort in completing the upset of Bullis. What stood out most was his determination on the glass from the point guard position. He'd finish with nine boards and three of them were of the offensive variety. It was clear that Suber was willing to give his bigs a hand as they fended off the bigger Bullis frontcourt. Suber was also a determined shooter as nine of his 13 points came from beyond the arc.   [player_tooltip player_id='1225262' first='Hassan' last='Dorman'] | Mt. Zion Prep Academy   Suber's backcourt mate also played a vital role on the glass as he recorded nine rebounds in total as well. Dorman's scoring came more on drives or in transition where he utilized his crafty finishing to counter opposing shot-blockers. Dorman finished with 11 points paired with the nine rebounds and three assists in the victory.

There was no shortage of excitement throughout the four quarterfinal matchups at the first ever Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening. Bishop McNamara, Shabach Christian Academy, St. Andrew's and Mt. Zion Prep Academy all punched their ticket to the Final Four, which will take place at Takoma Academy on Sunday for 12:00pm and 1:45pm tip-offs.