Whitman v Walter Johnson: Standout Prospects

As the regular season comes to a close later this month for public schools, the race in Montgomery County is gearing up to be an exciting one as usual. Last night, the top ranked Whitman Vikings traveled to Walter Johnson for another critical league game and were able to remain atop of the standings with a 67-57 win. The victory secured a second-straight MoCo Central Division title in as man years as they sit with a 15-1 overall record, undefeated in MoCo competition.   After Whitman built a 20+ point advantage at halftime, the hosting Wildcats clawed their way back into contention and at one point, cut the lead to single digits before the Vikings regained control. Below, we'll highlight some prospects that stood out along the way. Important to note that Walter Johnson's fabulous freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='3453657' first='Jeremiah' last='Williams'], did not play in this contest.    The straw that stirs the drink for this Whitman team, Williams offers dynamic playmaking ability and dependable ball security as the lead guard. He proved that statement once again leading Whitman to victory behind a game-high 29 points to go with 11 rebounds. Williams' ability to beat his man off the dribble with a quick first step or lull them to sleep with change-of-pace dribbles to get into the paint where he can effectively decelerate for floaters. Where his game has really improved over the last year has been his three-point shot. He knocked down four in last night's game. The confidence and release have clearly improved as has the results, making him an even tougher matchup for opposing defenses to contain on a nightly basis.     With Williams out, it put even more of the offensive load on Walker's shoulders and Whitman's defensive gameplan was centered around making life difficult for him throughout. Still, he was able to expose gaps or driving lanes off catches with quick rips where he attacked and got into the teeth of the defense. Walker faced multiple hands around the bucket on his attempts in the paint as the defense collapsed quickly and while it was a bit of a struggle to get into rhythm, the lead guard managed to score 13 points, nine of which came from beyond the arc. Defensively, Walker was active in passing lanes no matter if Walter Johnson was in man or zone.     Zedak got off to a quick start to this one and set an early tone for Whitman as he sprinted the lanes in transition for a couple of easy buckets to get going early. He maintained that energy throughout, but in the halfcourt remained patient while making sound reads both as a shooter and ball-mover within their offense. The flurry of buckets in the first half would account for 13 of his 15 points on the night, but the gravity he demanded throughout the rest of the game opened up the floor for others in the second half as Whitman played in more of a halfcourt setting.     Brooks is a skilled, quick-twitch point guard who will be on my radar moving forward. In the spurts that Whitman played man defensively, it was a fun matchup between he and Max Williams. There's no question of confidence with Brooks, as he's a commanding on-ball presence and liable to shake his defender with an array of moves or counters to get where he needs to. When he's able to create space on the perimeter, he has a quick trigger off the bounce that he doesn't hesitate to pull. Again with [player_tooltip player_id='3453657' first='Jeremiah' last='Williams'] sidelined, Brooks had to be more aggressive as a scorer and was as he finished with 13 points. The passes he zipped off the live dribble were even more impressive, as it showed complete floor vision and IQ with high-level anticipation and manipulation using his eyes to move the backline of the defense.     Another sophomore on Walter Johnson who caught my attention was Rugaba, a lengthy 6-foot-7 forward who has the looks of a prospect with intriguing upside. For now, he poses as a shot-altering presence in the paint with his plus wingspan, possesses good lateral movement in space for someone who is still growing into his frame and some budding offensive skill. He contributed 11 points in this one and did much of his damage making himself available in the dunker's spot stepping into dump-off passes for finishes with either hand. On one possession in the second half, Rugaba popped out to the right wing, attacked a closeout off the catch and delivered a nice no-look pass to a teammate along the same side baseline for a score after demanding his defender in the rotation. He'll be a name on our radar moving forward.

As the regular season comes to a close later this month for public schools, the race in Montgomery County is gearing up to be an exciting one as usual. Last night, the top ranked Whitman Vikings traveled to Walter Johnson for another critical league game and were able to remain atop of the standings with a 67-57 win. The victory secured a second-straight MoCo Central Division title in as man years as they sit with a 15-1 overall record, undefeated in MoCo competition.