Westwood High School Open Practice Evaluations + Season Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The calendar has turned to November and basketball is fully in the air! The Westwood Redhawks, led by one of the best young coaches in the state and featuring a stacked Senior Class, had their first practice of the 2025-26 Season on Wednesday. They were kind enough to open their doors to Prep Hoops South Carolina, allowing a glimpse into what could be in store for their group this year. Check out my takeaways: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team Information:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>School: Westwood High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>City: Blythewood, South Carolina</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head Coach: Trent Robinson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Classification: SCHSL Class 5A Region 5 (Division 2)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notable Returning Prospects:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2078979' first='D'Marcus' last='Thomas']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2447621' first='Jayden' last='Crews']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2868500' first='Daytron' last='Cockfield']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Names to Know: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1303623' first='Cylan' last='McLeod']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2559342' first='Jahlil' last='Jenkins']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2029 [player_tooltip player_id='3041765' first='Desmond' last='Grant']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Potential Contributors: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2910012' first='Quentin' last='McGill']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1303622' first='Bryson' last='Hardy']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2632934' first='AJ' last='Veal']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2384915' first='Ariel' last='Huell']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Open Practice Evaluations:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2078979' first='D'Marcus' last='Thomas'] - First up on the list of open practice evaluations is [player_tooltip player_id='2078979' first='D'Marcus' last='Thomas']. Thomas is exactly the type of Point Guard that you want on your side every day. He brings physicality, vocal leadership, and sets the tone on both ends of the floor. D'Marcus is also a very skilled player who is adept at working off two feet in the paint, changing pace in attack, and playing through contact with the ball in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2447621' first='Jayden' last='Crews'] - Alongside Thomas, Crews makes up one of the best backcourts in the Columbia. He feeds off the playmaking of all the talented Guards on this team, providing spacing in the half-court and capitalizing on lax defending. Jayden shot the ball well and had a few tough finishes off drives in live drills this morning. Crews made 24 of his 50 attempts from three in 2024-25, but I expect the attempts to rise this season, even if it means the efficiency dips slightly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1303622' first='Bryson' last='Hardy'] - Bryson is going to be a key figure off the bench for the Redhawks this season. Another in the group of talented Seniors, Hardy is a very good athlete who simply makes good things happen around the rim. He was very active in Wednesday morning's practice, saving possessions multiple offensive rebounds and making intelligent cuts to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1303623' first='Cylan' last='McLeod'] - I was very impressed with what I saw from McLeod in practice today. He stood out in every part of practice, including both drills vs air and live action. He is an excellent passer who can hit shooters with live-dribble passes or bigs with dump-off feeds under the basket. Cylan also made several spot-up threes with a smooth and repeatable jump shot. However, above all the other things, his defensive engagement and instincts were elite and could be a difference-maker this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3041765' first='Desmond' last='Grant'] - Rounding out my evaluations from Westwood's first practice is the lone Freshman on the roster, [player_tooltip player_id='3041765' first='Desmond' last='Grant']. Grant is a gifted scorer who is already a knockdown three-point shooter. That attribute alone is one that could earn him minutes in his debut season, but Desmond is also noticeably comfortable with the ball in his hands and making decisions for his age. Keep an eye on this 2029 as one who could be near the top of his class over the next four years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team Takeaway</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westwood returns an elite core of Seniors in [player_tooltip player_id='2078979' first='D'Marcus' last='Thomas'], [player_tooltip player_id='2447621' first='Jayden' last='Crews'], [player_tooltip player_id='2868500' first='Daytron' last='Cockfield'], [player_tooltip player_id='1303622' first='Bryson' last='Hardy'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2910012' first='Quentin' last='McGill']. Thomas and Crews are two of the best players in the state and will lead them to wins even when the supporting cast isn't at their best, but the improvement of 2027 bigs [player_tooltip player_id='2384915' first='Ariel' last='Huell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2632934' first='AJ' last='Veal'] should free up Cokfield to be a more versatile offensive weapon. Incoming transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1303623' first='Cylan' last='McLeod'] will slot right into the starting lineup and bring tons of two-way production. Youngsters [player_tooltip player_id='2559342' first='Jahlil' last='Jenkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3041765' first='Desmond' last='Grant'] can both put the ball in the basket at a high level, but their feel within the offense is the difference in major minutes and second-unit scoring. The Redhawks were elite in the first two months of the season in 2024-25, winning their first 13 games, but stumbled in region play to a 4-8 record. However, I expect them to push for a Region Championship and be one of the teams to beat in the Lower State of Class AAAAA Division 2 in 2025-26. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->