DMV Live I Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DMV Live Session I is in the book and as usual, the event drew coaches of all levels from around the country to evaluate the high level of talent in the DMV area. In this article, we'll look at some takeaways from the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>DeMatha goes 5-0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It didn't take long for head coach Mike Jones to instill his culture of toughness shortly after accepting the DeMatha job last spring. Another thing that he made obvious was that he isn't afraid to play a 12-to-13 man rotation throughout the course of a game. The 2023-24 team looks to be much of the same, except the underclassmen who were introduced to his style this season seem to have completely bought in while improving their individual games along the way. The Stags earned wins over St. Frances, St. Stephen's St. Agnes, Highland School, Fairfax Christian and an overtime thriller that ended in buzzer beating fashion against Paul VI. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782654' first='Ashton' last='Meeks'] was nothing short of impressive. The 2026 class in the DMV is loaded with elite guard play and Meeks showed why his name belongs in the conversation by averaging 19 points per game on a blistering 48.8 percent from deep in 41 total attempts. He's a tough, scrappy guard that brings the edge with a cold-blooded scoring style. Others in the backcourt such as 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2231831' first='AJ' last='McClary'] and 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1494077' first='Jacob' last='Wallace'] each had strong showings as well. Wing production from the 2025 duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1351693' first='Kade' last='Sebastian'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1579108' first='Cole' last='Bowser'] were vital. The paint presence of 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1370514' first='Malcolm' last='Thomas'] is real. On paper DeMatha may be undersized against some of the elite teams, but Thomas proved himself as a disruptive force even when matched up against players 6'10+. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1225259' first='Jordan' last='Brathwaite']'s stock on the rise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brathwaite made the decision to transfer from Good Counsel to Mount St. Joe for his senior season just a couple of weeks back. Since then, his play in Maryland Team Camp and this weekend have resulted in earning offers from Albany, American, Bucknell, Drexel, Nicholls St., Towson and William &amp; Mary. At 6'4, his ability to play on and off the ball with balance as a scorer and play maker are what drew coaches in. He averaged 15.4 points per game and connected on 64.7 percent of his 17 attempts from three. He'll be a key cog Mount St. Joe group that lost significant production due to graduation and will help them defend their BCL crown this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>O'Connell's perfect weekend</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another WCAC program who finished without a loss was Bishop O'Connell. The Knights defeated George School, Good Better Best Academy, Georgetown Prep and capped their weekend off with a big win over a good Bullis team. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1259625' first='Jadyn' last='Harris'] put forth an extremely productive showing. While the first two games had their ups and downs for Harris individually, he ended with 19 points against G'Town Prep and 24 against Bullis. His blend of size and versatility at 6'7 had coaches marking their roster books as a prospect to monitor. Harris can fill the stat sheet in multiple categories. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782695' first='Adam' last='Oumiddoch'] reminded folks why he's one of the more gifted scorers in the 2026 class with his smooth shot-making ability. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1494118' first='Wyatt' last='Norton'] looks to be a tough forward who isn't afraid to get into the mix while providing a scoring threat from all three levels. The spurts that 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1259626' first='David' last='Rochester'] and 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1494106' first='Shane' last='Lincoln'] gave helped swing the course of games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>A name to know: 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759729' first='Cameron' last='Mise']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mise burst onto the scene with Hargrave Military as a 6'0 lead guard who can run a team and control a game. With shifty burst and creativity with his scoring approach, Mise finished the weekend averaging 25.7 points per game. He wasn't solely focused on putting the ball in the basket. Mise's performance in a win over Archbishop Spalding where he logged 33 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and five steals will be one of the most impressive performances you'll see in this event. He's a confident shot-maker that can expose driving lanes if his defender shows him a hint of an opening. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Quick Hitters:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Other than the loss to DeMatha, Paul VI looked nothing short of dominant and a top five high school team for 2023-24. They're roster is stacked with high major talent throughout the various classes. The 2026 duo of Jordan Smith and [player_tooltip player_id='1782683' first='Anthony' last='Brown'] is special. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-MPSC will be a conference to watch this season. The energy and grit that Grace Brethren and Mt. Zion Academy play with are fun to watch. When you add others such as Shabach Academy, there will be plenty of matchups to be excited for.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-I'd expect more colleges to get involved with 2024 Calvert Hall guard [player_tooltip player_id='1366890' first='Brendan' last='Johnson'] after averaging 24.5 points per game this weekend. His efficient shot-making is something that shouldn't go overlooked.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Bullis will be a power in the DMV once again. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1225255' first='Tyler' last='Boston'] sets the pace and table. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1164818' first='Caden' last='Diggs'] shows flashes of being a high level athlete on the wing. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1579101' first='Jewel' last='Walker'] (Ohio State lax commit) brings toughness, shooting and intangibles that this team needs. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1367431' first='Adrien' last='Stevens']' ascent is real. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1955967' first='Eric' last='Reibe']'s size, skill and potential have the makings for a highly sought after big by dozens of power five programs. I'm looking forward to the emergence of 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782596' first='Angelo' last='Dickerson']. The 6'2 southpaw will have more of an opportunity this season in the rotation and showcase his long range shooting. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->