Hoop Buzz DMV Finale-15U Saturday Standouts
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We are now in the final live period weekend of the summer and conveniently for me, The Hoop Buzz held an event in District Heights, MD at the Athletic Republic. The DMV Finale featured teams from around the are and…
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Continue ReadingWe are now in the final live period weekend of the summer and conveniently for me, The Hoop Buzz held an event in District Heights, MD at the Athletic Republic. The DMV Finale featured teams from around the are and even though many of the 17U teams are spread throughout the country, the young, promising prospects of the DMV still demanded a respectable amount of college coaches. Let’s look at some 15U prospects who caught my eye throughout the day.
Angelo Dickerson Angelo Dickerson 6'3" | SG Bullis | 2026 State MD | DC Premier ’26
Dickerson capped off what has been a productive spring and summer as he looks to be a part of the rotation more for head coach Bruce Kelley at Bullis School this season. The 6’2 southpaw guard led Premier to a win over Team Thrill to start the day and registered a game-high 17 points in the effort. He spent the first half establishing his three-point shot before mixing it up in the second half where he got in the paint drawing contact on his way to visit the free-throw line, finish tough lay-ups or find open shooters with quick kick-outs.
Diego Joy | New World ’26
Another guard who made his impact on a game in the first half with his deep ball was Joy. Fresh off the 3SSB title last weekend, New World built a commanding lead against WeR1 HGSL Saturday morning in large part to Joy’s accuracy from deep. He’d finish with a team-high 13 points, nine of which came behind the arc and was key with his decision-making late in the game as WeR1 stormed back within striking distance.
Jaylen Bernikow | WeR1 HGSL ’26
Leading the late comeback effort for WeR1 against New World was Bernikow, a 6’1 lead guard who exploded for 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. Bernikow flipped a switch in the final 16 minutes where he scored from all three levels in a variety of ways. In the open floor, he’d find his way to the rim for crafty finishes and when he was without the ball, would fade out to the corner and bury three’s off the catch. He showed ability off the bounce and quite frankly, made scoring look effortless.
Karon Bailey | DC Premier ’26
It was a tight-knit game from the opening tip against Team Thrill , but Bailey’s five points in the final 26 seconds helped lift his team to a victory. It was in buzzer-beating fashion as he pushed the ball down the floor and banked in a floater from three at the top of the key. Bailey followed Dickerson up with 14 points.
Aidan Able Aidan Able 6'3" | SG John Carroll | 2026 State MD | Team Thrill ’26
Able used the DMV Live stage to establish himself as one of the top marksmen in the local 2026 class. Anytime he takes the floor, he’s eligible to put up 25+ points thanks to his ability to knock down triples by the boatload. Coming off the bench for Thrill this morning, he got himself on the board in the first half by actively cutting without the ball. His teammates found him with timely passes that resulted in a few lay-ups to get started. In the second half, Able settled in and buried two three’s well beyond the arc. Able would go on to score 10 points in the loss.
Zoje Owinje | New World ’26
It was my first time getting eyes on Owinje and he will definitely be one that I make time to check in on this high school season. The 6’5 rising sophomore is still growing into his body, but already brings plus length, a good motor and solid skill as a connecting piece for any team. He did his diligence on the offensive glass, sprinted the lanes hard in transition and defended multiple positions. Owinje would go on to score nine points in the win, but his value was felt beyond the box score.
Shane Pendergrass Shane Pendergrass 6'8" | PF Mt. Zion | 2026 State MD | DC Premier ’26
Pendergrass’ size at 6’8 is the first thing you notice watching him anchor this Premier team. He has intriguing length that should fill out over time and surprises you with flashes of skill on his catches from the perimeter. He still can improve as a physical presence, but his motor in showing multiple efforts on the glass seems to be improving with each viewing. Pendergrass logged 11 points in their win.
Greg Taylor | Team Thrill ’26
Taylor has a productive high school season ahead of him at Milford Mill and has used the month of June in the EBA Summer League to spark confidence within his overall role. He did a little bit of everything with the ball in his hands. On drives he has the vision, feel and instinct to deliver passes off the live dribble to cutting teammates for scores. He can also jump stop and play off two feet with patience where he surveys his defender to decipher if he’ll go up strong or rise up for fall away jumpers that he can convert efficiently. Able and Taylor led thrill with 10 points each.