Small College Combine Standouts
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We had to pull up to Bullis on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to check out Coach Kelley’s Small College Combine. An all-day event featuring 25 kids going through stations in the morning run by college coaches before scrimmaging in front…
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Continue ReadingWe had to pull up to Bullis on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to check out Coach Kelley’s Small College Combine. An all-day event featuring 25 kids going through stations in the morning run by college coaches before scrimmaging in front of over 15 small college coaches eager to find some gems. The drills and games flowed well, the young men doing a good job of showcasing their abilities without ball-hogging or bad basketball without ball and player movement. We’ll discuss some hidden gems in what is a LOADED 2025 DMV class, some underrated juniors, and even a high-level young prospect that most have not yet heard of.
The top overall performer from the combine, the 6’5 W can step out and knock down perimeter shots at a high level. Maria puts it on the floor well enough to get by most bigs and used his pivot well around the basket to score. Fought hard to keep guys in front, made the right decisions in transition, didn’t over-dribble, and found teammates well from the high post. Intriguing prospect with some upside because of the shooting and offensive abilities at his size.
Highlights
Probably the most athletic performer in the showcase, he is making better decisions and is getting to his spots with better pace and an improved handle. He’s worked hard on his jumper and it shows, knocking down several C+S looks at the rim from beyond the arc with a good rhythm. Defensively, he has the tools and want-to to earn some minutes on a very good Bullis team that will need guys to step up with several key pieces graduating and moving on to the next leve.
Windell is the son of a coach and you can tell that getting two feet in the paint before creating for others is something that has been drilled into him from a very young age. A heady point guard that probes the defense and gets into gaps, his assist to turnover ratio must’ve been the best in the showcase because he makes the right play without over-extending and trying to fit it through tight passing windows that aren’t there. Would like to see him be more of an assertive scorer on the offensive end and use the rim to deter shot-blockers so he can finish around the rim– but he did knock down open jumpers throughout the drills and pickup games.
With good size as a 6’4 shooter that can contribute in several different areas, I like the upside with this rising junior prospect. The shooting ability will be his meal ticket at the next level but he makes the extra pass, gets to a ton of long rebounds and wins most 50/50 balls. He was effective and efficient with his touches without really needing to put the ball on the floor- a valuable player archetype in today’s landscape.
Angel Long Angel Long 5'11" | PG Gaithersburg | 2025 MD
Angel Long Angel Long 5'11" | PG Gaithersburg | 2025 MD
An incredibly shifty guard, Long served as the best shot-creator and isolation scorer on the day. An effective 3-level scorer that reads the defender’s hips and attacks the top foot, he can get into his pull-up in a hurry going either direction and filled it up while remaining efficient and mostly within the flow of the game. He had several crafty extension finishes and spin moves to create space in the paint– definitely some intriguing upside here.
Probably the best 2-way player in the gym, Warren’s physicality and aggressiveness really set the tone for his team at both ends of the floor– the competitive juices firing, even in a pickup setting. He reads the defense well and plays very simple basketball. If you throw a big at him, he’s setting up for a crossover and blow-by to the rim. Put a guard on him, he’s putting his shoulder into your chest and getting two feet in the paint before making a play. Jumper looked solid from the midrange, fluid elbow pull-up. Intriguing prospect that spent last season at a prep school.
An athletic wing with good length that can do a bit of everything, Drakes really took it upon himself to do all the dirty work for his team. Screening well off the ball, crashing the glass, serving as a switchable wing that could guard essentially every guy out on the floor– he fits in pretty fluidly within every team that he played on whether it was 3 on 3 or 5 on 5. Interesting name to track for a Landon team that will be looking for some senior leadership this season.
Highlights
Hemann knows his role and fills it to perfection, letting it fly from beyond the arc with confidence off movement, off screens, and in C+S situations. With a good, consistent shot with a fluid release– Hemann has the positional size to intrigue college coaches as a guy that knows his role but also isn’t afraid to make the extra pass.
Zayvion Williams
Zayvion Williams
There’s a really good skill base here to work with that shows a very promising upside, as Williams will transfer into Bullis this summer. Already standing at a legit 6’4 with a very diverse skillset, he fits the prototype of a guy that will eventually be a high level 2-way wing scorer. The jumper and handle are improving but he plays hard and is very set on playing the right brand of basketball– moving the rock and finding open gaps in the defense to either score or create for his teammates. Excited to see how his game develops over the next few years.