Weekly Roundup 1/12-1/19

Our staff of scouts wanted to start a weekly roundup where we touch on some of the players, teams, and matchups that have stood out to us the most over the past week. This will be a weekly post where we try to speak on as many players as possible, please feel free to reach out to our scouts with game scores and stat lines along with video so that we can highlight as many of our young athletes as possible. We will use the same 5 guiding questions each week, and we hope it is representative of the hotbed that is DMV Basketball. Let's dive in!     Our Scouts:   <a href="https://prephoops.com/author/colby-giacubeno-author/">Colby Giacubeno</a>: Twitter/Instagram @colbyghoops/@colbygscouting   <a href="https://prephoops.com/author/van-johnson-author/">Van Johnson</a>: Twitter: @johnsonvj   <a href="https://prephoops.com/author/aaronproia/">Aaron Proia</a>: Twitter: @pr0ia| Instagram: owe_hoops     1 What team(s) have stood out to you this week?   Aaron- Gonzaga. Coach Urgo has the Purple Eagles absolutely rolling as they currently sit at 14-5 with big wins over McNamara on the road (by 18), Spalding on a neutral site (by 18), and Good Counsel on the road (by 2). Allan Mbuyamba has been incredibly productive as an inside-out force while his brother David Mbuyamba has been a double-double machine in the key. [player_tooltip player_id='2524418' first='Jahlil' last='Waheed'] has been providing perimeter shooting while the quadret of PGs in Dylan Higganbotham (‘29)/ Axton Scott (‘29) / Torrance Farrington (‘26) /[player_tooltip player_id='3223516' first='Chase' last='Peterson'] ‘26 provide steady play-making and perimeter defense off the bench. A scrappy bunch that entered the season with low expectations with a brand new roster and coach are proving doubters wrong early.   Colby- Meade continues to look like one of the favorites in what should be a competitive Class 4A pool of teams once the state tournament comes around. The Mustangs picked up two more in-county wins against Broadneck and South River respectively this week. The win against South River came on the road and I cannot emphasize enough how impressive 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2575614' first='Keon' last='Scott'] was. It's been a theme for the 6-foot-2 lead guard this season as he lays the foundation for a POY resume if he sustains this level of productivity. Meade is currently 13-0.   Van- DeMatha Catholic stood out to me after coming back home from a brutal West Coast trip going 3-1 defeating St. Benedict's Prep 76-50, South River 79-41 and Archbishop Carroll 90-53. Only loss of the week coming from a home loss to Bishop O'Connell.   2 What was the best individual performance that you saw?   Aaron- Wrote about it earlier this week but even in a bad shooting game, Laurel's [player_tooltip player_id='3068853' first='Hakeem' last='Oyekan'] was especially dynamic as an aggressive 2-way guard with 18p 12r 3a 4b 4s vs Bowie. His poise as a defensive nightmare that can guard multiple spots should make him a high-floor long term prospect as one of the youngest players in the 2029 class.    Colby- Sticking with my script here and going with [player_tooltip player_id='2575614' first='Keon' last='Scott'] as he put on a masterclass of a performance in the victory over South River. He finished with 28 points (10/17 FG), 8 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists and 5 blocks. As loaded as that stat line looks written out is a good representation of Scott's overall dominance of this contest.    Van- [player_tooltip player_id='2608471' first='Tahkari' last='Bates']: the high volume lefty flame thrower PG pumped in 26 points against a solid Friendship Collegiate team. Knocked down four 3's and dished out 6 assists with 3 steals.     3 What game (s) or tournaments are you most looking forward to this week?   Aaron- Blake at Richard Montgomery. Richard Montgomery (11-1) welcomes in a Blake team (9-3) that has been playing well despite missing their star player. Deep group of guards for both teams, well-coached, both playing a fast-paced brand of basketball that is usually a very exciting watch. Excited to tune into this Montgomery County battle.   Colby- City vs Edmondson is always an intense environment that never fails to deliver. The Knights look to avenge last season's loss in the city title game despite walking away Class 3A state champions as they boast the deepest roster in Baltimore City. The Red Storm are used to stepping up in these sort of matchups and protecting their home floor, so seeing who walks out victorious will be an entertaining watch from start to finish.   Van- I am looking forward to the St. John's at Gonzaga game this week. This rivalry is always a must see. It's equivalent to the Duke/UNC rivalry. Trust me, the Gonzaga atmosphere is going to be Bananas. 2nd game The Sidwell Friends vs Potomac School. Both teams are well coached and have slew of Division 1 prospects on both teams.   4 What fresh/sophomore prospect are you buying stock in?   Aaron- Whitman's [player_tooltip player_id='3072057' first='Rowan' last='O'Brien'] has a nice blend of guard skills, moxie at both ends of the floor, and motor that bode towards long term success. His ability to give his team different positives each game allows Coach Lun a ton of lineup versatility.   Colby-  Landon's [player_tooltip player_id='2981285' first='Yusuf' last='Zaid'] is one of the freshmen who will receive a massive boost in the update later this week and deservedly so. The 6-foot-2 combo guard has been nothing short of impressive this season as he and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2194773' first='Elijah' last='McQueen'] have been a 1-2 punch for head coach Chris Bohlen. Zaid has a polished skillset and plays with an edge that's beyond his years. His ability to score it in a variety of ways, defend multiple positions and compete on the glass will make him a name to monitor for years to come.   Van- [player_tooltip player_id='3035464' first='Khadir' last='Johnson'] a 6-3 lead guard from Friendship Tech College Prep. The young man is an impressive all around guard in the DMV. Comfortable playing off or on the ball. Used the dribble to get any spot on the floor and is impactful on the defense end.   5 What team are you holding stock in for the end of the season?   Aaron- Boys' Latin. Coach Milburn's group sits in the middle of the pack at 4-5 despite dealing with some injuries to key pieces for a very young group. Tough week ahead but opportunities to move up in the league standings on the road against Spalding and Mt. St. Joseph. This group guards, moves the ball, and generates paint touches to shift the defense   Colby- The fact that Largo won the last two Class 2A state titles doesn't make this pick look like I'm taking a huge leap of faith here, but considering the void left behind by Cam Ward, there have been some early season bumps for Rodney Ward's group. More recently though, the Lions have regained footing and getting their swagger back in county play where I believe they'll gain some real momentum as the postseason approaches. [player_tooltip player_id='2453724' first='Jalen' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2571854' first='Ayden' last='Ashe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2800822' first='Toby' last='Echebi'] spearhead a talented group that thrives in an up-tempo style of play.   Van- I am going to go with the Bullis School going to the end of the season conference play with a 12-6 and 0-2 in the IAC. Bullis is coming off an impressive win against a tough Westtown team. Lets see if the young Bulldogs can put a string of victories together.

Our staff of scouts wanted to start a weekly roundup where we touch on some of the players, teams, and matchups that have stood out to us the most over the past week. This will be a weekly post where we try to speak on as many players as possible, please feel free to reach out to our scouts with game scores and stat lines along with video so that we can highlight as many of our young athletes as possible. We will use the same 5 guiding questions each week, and we hope it is representative of the hotbed that is DMV Basketball. Let's dive in!