Governors Challenge: Emerging MD/VA Underclassmen Pt. 2

The 2025 Governors Challenge is in the books and over the course of the next few days, the notebook will be emptied out as I took in over 65 games in the span of five days. This is part two of highlighting the emerging underclassmen from Maryland/Virginia that we saw over the span of the event.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/governors-challenge-emerging-md-underclassmen-pt-1/">For part one, click here.</a>    Nunez is benefitting from playing amongst older, stronger prospects on a nightly basis on Mt. Zion Prep (Grind Session). The 6-foot-7 southpaw forward has not only embraced the challenge from a physical standpoint, but his pace and timing continues to improve quickly as the experience piles up. His footwork around the rim is sharpening, his hands are improving as is his touch from corner three's off the catch. One thing I've liked a lot about Nunez is he isn't afraid to contest above the rime. Even when facing 6'10"+ opposing bigs, he's going to attempt to protect the rim with a sense of pride. He doesn't let a big play against him impact his effort or body language on the following possessions. What we have here is a skilled, energetic utility forward with plenty of upside left to be tapped into.     On a roster that boasts a handful of Division I prospects, Brooks III seems to bring some calmness and control when the ball is in his hands. One of the more seasoned sophomore guards in the DMV, the sharpshooting point guard uses the gravity demanded by his three-point shot to keep his defender on alert at all times. He's doing a better job of changing pace in order to get to his position in the half court in order to initiate action. He moves well off the ball and has good understanding of how to come off pindowns shot-ready. If a defender chases him over the screen, he has the soft touch to finish floaters off two feet in the painted area. McNamara suffered a big loss to Roman Catholic in their only game of the event, but Brooks' 12 points and the manner in which they were scored was a bright spot.     Friendship Tech met a familiar foe in Riverdale Baptist for bracket bragging rights and although Tech fell in double overtime, the outing that Morrison had is tough to forget. For starters, he hit the game-winning three to send the game into its first overtime, but throughout he did a nice job of attacking his man off the bounce and using counters on his way to the rim. He's shown this season alone that he's no stranger to coming through in the crunch time of games by hitting difficult shots. Consistency will remain the key for Morrison to continue to climb, but despite some ups and downs, he's been the secondary scoring punch alongside [player_tooltip player_id='1782661' first='Malik' last='Shackleford'] this season. He scored 17 points on 6-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three along with 5 rebounds in the Riverdale loss.     Friend looks the part as a prospect who has plenty of potential left in the tank. For now, he's a rangy 6-foot-3 guard/wing who plays with intriguing fluidity when it comes to attacking off 1-to-2 dribbles and pulling up in the mid-range. He's also shown evidence as being a guy who can fill it up off the catch from three when his feet are set. His frame poses as one that will make him into a versatile defensive piece and as he puts on mass, the mismatch capability on the offensive side of things should blossom with more consistency.     Sulaiman has been of the premier sophomores in the Baltimore area this season as he's hung a few crooked numbers in the scoring column thus far for the Lakers. His showing in Salisbury was more about filling the stat sheet as a whole, something that he's been known for ever since his middle school days. The tough-nosed, two-way southpaw lead guard had his better showing against a team that many consider as the No. 2 ranked programs in Delaware, St. George's, as he finished with 11 points, six assists, four steals and two blocks. The backcourt duo of Sulaiman and [player_tooltip player_id='2882931' first='Brayden' last='Whitaker'] will be a fun one to watch as the years progress.

The 2025 Governors Challenge is in the books and over the course of the next few days, the notebook will be emptied out as I took in over 65 games in the span of five days. This is part two of highlighting the emerging underclassmen from Maryland/Virginia that we saw over the span of the event.