MDPSSBT Round 2: Uncommitted standouts

The second round of the third annual Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament took place Saturday at Mt. Zion Prep, with eight of the top independent programs in the state squaring off for the right to advance and face one of the four top-seeded double-bye teams. As expected, there were a number of standout performances. We take a look here at some of the top performers, with the exclusion of committed seniors Patrick Curtin (Bucknell), Miles Franklin (Columbia), and Pat McDonough (Army).    No prospect left a bigger impression on the day than Nyok, as we'd seen glimpses of his talent in the past in lesser-structured settings but had yet to see him put it all together given the time he's missed due to injury. Now healthy and playing extended minutes, Nyok posted a near double-double while showing the versatility, motor, and mobility that make him such an enticing prospect. He's still catching back up to the speed of the game but had multiple sequences that point to upside for the highest levels. We'll be monitoring his progress closely into the summer as he gets back to 100% with a real chance to break out on a national scale.     The highest-ranked prospect taking the court on the day, Samuels backed up his standing with an energetic double-double. As consistently prolific a scorer as there is in the class, it's become expected for the southpaw to score the 24 points that he had (if not more), but it was great to see him impact the floor game with his rebounding, passing vision, and physicality. He hauled in 13 rebounds, made plays in passing lanes to get into open floor situations, and routinely found his way to the middle of the lane before setting up a teammate. While the scoring is understandably what's gotten Samuels recruited at the level he is, it'll be the continued contributions in the rest of the game that will go a long way towards determining his ultimate success at that level.     One of the more impressive young wings in the DMV, Briscoe had his talent on full display throughout the narrow win. A natural shot maker, he showed his smooth release with increasingly advanced footwork getting into the type of catch-and-shoot attempts that translate at the next level. Where Briscoe stood out most though was with his progression as a ball handler. He displays outstanding pace to his handle with either hand, methodically breaking his man down with an advanced understanding of angles and footwork. For such a young player, he also has a knack for regularly being in the right positions to maintain spacing offensively. There's a lot to like here as Briscoe continues parlaying potential into production, with a chance for him to catch high-major eyes beginning this summer.     The biggest revelation of the day was undoubtedly Beloni, who quickly made us get familiar with him thanks to his size and extensive inside-out skillset. The Brazilian forward came out firing, and while he struggled converting from deep, showed a plenty believable southpaw stroke that can translate across all kinds of actions in the frontcourt. Far from a one-trick pony, Beloni showed polish and aggression off the dribble with an ability to finish in traffic inside using either hand. Playing mostly on the wing in jumbo Springdale lineups, he at least showed a willingness to get involved defensively and on the glass, though we'll look to see more from him there in future evaluations playing more at his natural position. Nonetheless, there's plenty to work with moving forward as Beloni figures to draw eyes from varying levels of D1 coaches now that he's in the U.S.     The other junior leader of a young but talented McNamara group, Moody had a nice showing while displaying his progress as a lead guard. A natural bucket-getter in his early years, he's gradually taken on more on-ball responsibility, and while it's been a work in progress at times, he shows all the capability of a paint-touch point guard at a high level. Moody was crisp and explosive with his downhill attacks, catching a poster dunk early in the game but really impressing with his passing reads and deliveries. He's also always an impactful defender at the point of attack and a regular threat to turn over opposing ballhandlers. Further balanced showings like this one should give Moody his pick of high-major offers by the end of the summer.     While McLaughlin had his way throughout the game, he saved his best for last with a cold-blooded stepback 3 in the waning seconds to break a tie and secure the win. He was dynamic as a shot maker all game, showing increased fluidity to his pullup stroke while knocking down four 3s. McLaughlin also showed an advanced ability to use his strength and leverage to outmuscle opponents en route to the rim, despite being nominally undersized. As always, he was a pest defending the ball while regularly forcing turnovers to spark transition offense. While he won't catch the eye with his physical or athletic measurables, McLaughlin's spirited 3-and-D contributions have a chance to land him on D1 radars over the next year.

The second round of the third annual Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament took place Saturday at Mt. Zion Prep, with eight of the top independent programs in the state squaring off for the right to advance and face one of the four top-seeded double-bye teams. As expected, there were a number of standout performances. We take a look here at some of the top performers, with the exclusion of committed seniors Patrick Curtin (Bucknell), Miles Franklin (Columbia), and Pat McDonough (Army).