'26 Rankings Update: Unsung Heroes

-One of the unsung heroes of an OLMC that has gotten off to a 24-4 start this season, Heflin serves a vital defensive role on this team. Heflin's wingspan allows him to get to a ton of blocks that the shooter thinks that they can get off cleanly, serving as a good help side and on-ball shot-blocker that initiates fast breaks quite often for his team with blocks or rebounds. Heflin plays within himself, thriving in his role as a screen-setter, rebounder, and defender that affects the game with his energy/effort. Elliciting that type of buy-in speaks to his unselfish approach to the game, well-liked by his teammates and the coaching staff alike.     -Probably could've gone a bit higher in this rankings update after seeing him in person several times over the past few weeks. Miller impacts the game as a microwave scorer that can get hot from the perimeter while still not settling for jumpers and getting to the rim to score or draw a foul. He's got a slippery change of pace off the bounce that makes it hard to send double teams or stunt at on-ball to cut off his path to the rim. Bringing more consistency on a nightly basis as an offensive performer will likely come from an improved attention to detail on the defensive end of the floor-- but the upside is there.     -It's sometimes easy to get lost in the sauce in a very deep SJC guard rotation, but Boney consistently finds ways to impact the game. A standout on the gridiron, Boney uses that physicality and burst to tussle with bigs for rebounds in the paint while also serving as a menace of a driver off second side ball reversals. Those instincts also show through on the timing of his disruptive, twitchy jumps into the passing lane to either discourage ball movement or pick off an errant pass. Whether he plays 20 minutes or 5, Boney always brings physicality off the bench to contribute to winning.     -Rice probably has the highest chance of making steady leaps up our player rankings after debuting at Southern MD Christian Academy. A raw athlete that is surviving off instinct for the time being, Rice is able to cover a lot of ground with his quickness and measurables to serve as a formidable shot-blocker and rebounder for a swarming SMCA team. Rice is a consistent go-to scoring move or two away from being a consistent double double threat that plays his role within the flow of the offense to put pressure on the back line of the defense.     Finished with 21 and 13 with 5 stocks to place himself on our radar a few weeks ago in a close OT loss to DCI. Really strong downhill driving guard that has the balance and biomechanics to stop on a dime from a dead sprint in transition to pull up for a short jumper. Murphy made a point not to settle for jumpers, hitting the offensive glass extremely heavy for a guard (7 O Boards) to create extra looks at the rim for himself or others in the paint.     -Has played well enough in front of our scouts to continue his upwards trajectory in our rankings as a floor-spacing guard for Takoma Academy. Love his decision-making attacking closeouts, usually making the right read to pull up for a jumper after hitting his matchup with a pump fake. But he's also capable of making crosscourt skip passes or finding open passing options in the paint for an easy one for one of his bigs. As his handle continues to improve, I expect those soft skills to be accentuated as he matures within a fairly deep Takoma Academy group.