MDPSSBT Quarterfinals: DeMatha 75, Glenelg Country 63

With a berth in the semifinals on the line, fourth-seeded and defending champion DeMatha advanced past Glenelg Country in the Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament. The Stags mostly controlled the game throughout but broke things open with a 28-14 third quarter in which they shot 6-for-8 from 3 (13-for-24 on the game). Junior guard and reigning tournament MVP Ashton "Ace" Meeks led all scorers with 26 points. Here we'll take a look at Meeks and a handful of other unsigned prospects who stood out in the up-and-down affair.    As electrifying a shot-maker as you'll find in the junior class, Meeks wasted no time getting going with three triples in the opening quarter, all of increasingly difficult variety. With his lightning-quick pickups and release, and an ability to square himself up from seemingly any angle, he's able to get a high volume of 3s up consistently despite his size. Meeks has also developed in his ability to leverage his shooting gravity to attack closeouts for an increasingly efficient midrange and floater game. He can also always be counted on to be a pest on the defensive end. It's an unconventional mold as he's not a true lead guard while being undersized, but the consistency with which he impacts (and wins) high-level games has Meeks justifiably on high-major radars entering the spring and summer.     Getting the start in place of an injured [player_tooltip player_id='1351693' first='Kade' last='Sebastian'], Proctor was steady throughout the first half before breaking things open with a third quarter flurry from deep. A well-established floor-spacing threat, he was able to shake free and bury four catch-and-shoot attempts while displaying consistent mechanics and impressive footwork for his age. Proctor also showed a nice activity level in the floor game and was a threat getting out in transition. He never pressed the issue en route to an efficient 16 points. The talent here is obvious, with consistency at this level of production being the next step in turning his potential into high-level offers.     In what would be the last game of his high school career, Baker went out with a flurry in an effective 16-point effort. He got off to a hot start with his vintage midrange game, working from the middle of the floor to get to his spots and rise up over smaller defenders with his soft touch. Baker would step things out later in the game showing enticing flashes of pullup shooting from 3 at his size. Once he gets into the flow of the game he also shows an ability to impact as a playmaker on D. The size and shotmaking make for a really interesting late addition for scholarship-level programs of a wide range of levels late in the cycle, with consistency being the only thing holding him back from steady D1 recruitment.     Another bright spot for Glenelg despite the setback was the play of Marshburn, who showed signs of what's to come as he takes the reins next year with the graduation of the rest of the Dragons' perimeter weapons. A swingman with good size and versatility on the perimeter, he plays a consistently clean and efficient game. Marshburn knows where his spots are and shows consistent mechanics and touch both off the catch from 3 and off the bounce in the midrange. He can also be effective at times as a cutter or running out in transition. We're curious to see more of his ball skills and a more consistent defensive impact but it would be no surprise to see Marshburn attract D1 eyes this summer.     Precocious both in his maturity and production, McKnight shined with his dynamic dribble-drive play and increasingly consistent shooting. With an airtight handle and quick first step, he's also gotten strong enough to where he can bully opposing guards en route to his spots for finishes at the rim or open pullups. He's always shown advanced touch in the midrange but has upped his volume from beyond the arc while maintaining relative efficiency. Like any DeMatha guard, McKnight is also more than willing to pick up 94-feet and bother opposing guards. We'd like to see a bit more consistency in his decisionmaking but the on-ball talent with McKnight is abundant.     The impact wasn't as loud or consistent as his near double-double in the second round, but Nyok still showed glimpses of the talent that has him firmly on breakout watch entering the grassroots season. It's just so rare to find prospects his size who move with so much flexibility and twitch (even just weeks back from a year-long knee injury), not to mention with a baseline IQ for the game and consistent motor to match. Despite his slender frame, Nyok is willing to consistent mix it up inside using his enormous length to protect the rim and high-point rebounds. He showed nice touch on his finishes inside, though playing with more physicality is an area of note to work on moving forward. Despite the modest production it's clear the ceiling with Nyok is extremely high.

With a berth in the semifinals on the line, fourth-seeded and defending champion DeMatha advanced past Glenelg Country in the Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament. The Stags mostly controlled the game throughout but broke things open with a 28-14 third quarter in which they shot 6-for-8 from 3 (13-for-24 on the game). Junior guard and reigning tournament MVP Ashton "Ace" Meeks led all scorers with 26 points. Here we'll take a look at Meeks and a handful of other unsigned prospects who stood out in the up-and-down affair.