Prep Hoops MD Expo: Team Two Evaluations

Another year of the Prep Hoops Expo in Maryland is in the books and it was an opportunity for 100 prospects to put themselves on the radar or build to their already rising stock heading into the 2025-26 high school season. For this article, we'll take a look at the prospects that made up team one of 5-on-5 play and what stood out about their individual games.    Stewart should be one of the better prospects in the city public school scene this season and a lot of it stems with his blend of size and athleticism. His skill set has improved over the last year as he's become more confident operating off multiple dribbles when in attack mode, but throughout the Expo, the 6-foot-5 forward earned his keeps around the rim or in the paint with quick pull-ups. None were more loud than an attack on the baseline where he rose up with two hands and flushed a dunk with authority after beating the defender closing out. He'll be a key staple for head coach Omar Smith and the Knights this season.     It was my first time getting live eyes on Jones and he didn't disappoint. He's a high-motor forward with a willingness to do all of the little things well, even in a setting such as this that's dominated by guards. Jones was an active screen-setter and oftentimes benefited from his action by rolling hard to the rim where he finished strong. He brought multiple efforts on the offensive glass, ran the floor with purpose and his presence on the defensive end around the rim was felt by altering a nearly a dozen drives by opposing guards. Jones is expected to fill a huge role this season at New Town.     Another prospect in who will have an impact in the Baltimore City Public School league is Williams, a 6-foot-2 southpaw guard that showed he can impact the game in multiple ways. He's scrappy and willing to play physical with active hands that result in deflections and runouts for his team. When the game slowed down, Williams got to his mid-range jumper with good balance and his efficiency was key in contributing to wins for his team in 5-on-5 play.     Yette was an active defensive presence as he harassed the opposing point guards as they made their way up the floor with sound lateral speed, disciplined hands, and plenty of effort. His pressure resulted in multiple turnovers that quickly converted into transition opportunities to give his team advantages.     Shifty guard who can get downhill with burst coming out of his crossovers, hesitations or spins to establish a controlled advantage over his matchup. Plays with an edge that is shown in his takes to the rim where he seeks out and absorbs contact while finishing. If Evans wasn't breaking his defender down in isolations, he was knocking down shots off the catch as others such as Stewart demanded the defense's attention on drives.     Shinaba took advantage of the freshman showcase a week or so ago and coupled it with another good showing here at the Expo. Mixed among prospects from all classes, Shinaba did an nice job of blending in with his off-ball activity on both sides. He's quick with the ball, but will need to continue to improve with his overall pace and control as he prepares for the varsity level at some point in time. Nevertheless, he possesses the skill and mindset that you want in your     Small, scrappy guard that made his impact with his overall effort on the defensive side of things. Did an nice job of helping on drives, sparking fast breaks and filling in offensively to keep the floor spaced in a balanced manner.     Athletic, 6-foot-4 wing prospect with ill intentions when he has a head of steam going towards the rim. With a clear lane for takeoff, Ansong is able to rise up and punch thunderous dunks through defenders, but when he isn't finishing above the rim, he's creating contact while airborne with body control to finish through it. His strong frame allows him to guard up a position and as his flexibility improves, his athleticism and quickness should make him an even more versatile defender to matchup against shifty guards.     Leeman is a 6-foot-6 forward who brings and outside shooting presence to provide floor spacing. He has a smooth, confident release and does a nice job of getting his base together on the flight of the ball to get into his shot quickly. While he isn't the most explosive on the floor, Leeman brings instincts to the defensive side of things where he can use his length to alter or get a hand on shots inside the paint as well as hunt down rebounds in or out of his area.

Another year of the Prep Hoops Expo in Maryland is in the books and it was an opportunity for 100 prospects to put themselves on the radar or build to their already rising stock heading into the 2025-26 high school season. For this article, we'll take a look at the prospects that made up team one of 5-on-5 play and what stood out about their individual games.