DMV Breakout Candidates

The DMV continues to show each year why we are considered one of the top hotbeds for grassroots basketball in the country with impact freshman (Malik Mack-Harvard, Tyler Perkins- Yale, Carlton Carrington- Pitt) as well as upperclassmen that continue to perform at a high level (Hunter Dickinson-Kansas, Justin Moore- Villanova, Erik Reynolds- St. Joe's) in college basketball. With all of the talent coming out of the area each year, it can sometimes be easy to enter the college ranks a bit under the radar. Let's cover a few prospects that we're higher on than the national consensus, players poised for a breakout year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1366892' first='Kingston' last='Price'] '24 6'2 G Severn School   -I wrote about Price's development and production last week in his team's close loss to Mt. St. Joseph at home, which can be viewed <a href="https://prephoops.com/2023/12/severn-vs-mt-st-joseph-standouts/">here</a>. Price is a 6'2 combo guard that possesses two of the most sought-after skills in our game: shot creation and shooting ability. Price can get into his pull-up quickly off the bounce from 25 feet and in, with a balanced shot diet that will see him shoot from all 3 levels regardless of the defense that he faces. One of the favorites in the MIAA B Conference this season, I expect him to perform well in several non-conference matchups (St. Andrews, St. Stephens St. Agnes, Norfolk Collegiate) as well that figure to boost his recruitment.     [player_tooltip player_id='1948338' first='Nate' last='Wooden'] '24 6'2 G Riverdale Baptist   -The 2-sport athlete (track and field) continues to fly under the radar despite producing at a high level for the past 3 seasons. 6'2 with a stocky frame and strong upper body, Wooden is an incredible athlete that uses his athleticism to finish over defenders in transition as well as block shots at the rim. He plays incredibly hard, plays both ends of the floor, can get to the rim whenever he wants, and has improved his FT shooting. It will be interesting to see what schools get involved in his recruitment     [player_tooltip player_id='1371865' first='Akbar' last='Waheed III'] '25 6'6 G Georgetown Prep   -Fresh off of winning MVP honors of the Xaverian Classic, scoring at least 15 in every game, Waheed is poised for a breakout campaign that will recognize the strides that have been taken in his development as a solid all-around basketball player. He's rebounding the ball at a high level for his position, beginning to see and deliver on passing reads from a standstill in the high post, and is playing with better pace-- taking much better shots and letting the game come to him. Unranked nationally, he holds offers from Pitt, Penn State, Xavier, and Boston College--among others-- but I expect his recruitment to see an uptick as his team will take a big step forward this season.     <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/adlan-elamin/">Adlan Elamin</a> '25 6'8 W Paul VI   -An extremely talented wing prospect that started to put it together this summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'], Elamin transferred from O'Connell before the Live Period and figures to be a key piece in a Panthers rotation in need of scoring in the second unit. The lengthy wing's shooting will be key in creating driving lanes for talented backcourt teammates as well as 5-star center Patrick Ngongba. Just inside the top 75 on only one of the major sites, I expect Elamin to solidify himself as a national name in an increased role. VCU, Arizona, and Penn State all offered and are tracking him closely.     [player_tooltip player_id='1414529' first='Omari' last='Witherspoon'] '25 6'4 G St. John's   -Witherspoon has developed more since the end of last season than any player that I've seen in the DMV, transforming from a score-first guard to an incredibly well-rounded lead guard that excels at both ends of the floor. He'll be relied on HEAVILY on Military Road as a scorer and facilitator that controls the tempo of the game. He's still getting paint touches and scoring, but now he is delivering the reads that will make him successful at the next level as a floor general. An improved touch from beyond the arc will be the biggest swing skill to determine what his recruitment ends up looking like for the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1434218' first='William' last='Harper'] '25 6'4 G Gonzaga   -The athletic guard enjoyed a productive summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier'] on the UAA Circuit and will look to parlay that experience into a good junior season on Eye Street. An incredibly-explosive athlete that has been making plays above the rim for two years, he put a ton of time into improving his catch and shoot ability from beyond the arc and the early returns have been extremely positive. Knocking down jumpers consistently, defending at a high level, and attacking closeouts will be instrumental to the Purple Eagles success this year as most of his opponents will have their defensive focus dialed in on his highly-touted backcourt teammates (Nyk Lewis and [player_tooltip player_id='1370496' first='Derek' last='Dixon']).

The DMV continues to show each year why we are considered one of the top hotbeds for grassroots basketball in the country with impact freshman (Malik Mack-Harvard, Tyler Perkins- Yale, Carlton Carrington- Pitt) as well as upperclassmen that continue to perform at a high level (Hunter Dickinson-Kansas, Justin Moore- Villanova, Erik Reynolds- St. Joe's) in college basketball. With all of the talent coming out of the area each year, it can sometimes be easy to enter the college ranks a bit under the radar. Let's cover a few prospects that we're higher on than the national consensus, players poised for a breakout year.