MDPSSBT: Next Wave

New readers: Use code Proia30     The Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament's Quarterfinals did not disappoint, with a really nice collection of talent coming from across the state in the champions/top-performers from the different leagues. It's always an interesting evaluation setting to see contrasting bring different elements out of the players and coaches to make this tournament mean something to everyone involved. First, we'll start by breaking down some of the prospects that performed at a high level from the freshman and sophomore class. Let's dive in!    12p 2r 2a 1s 5/9 FG 1/2 3P   -Carpenter has really bought into and has shined in his role as a roving connector and play-finisher around in the rim in the halfcourt that takes advantage of his point guards' creation skills. Carpenter showed that he can knock down open perimeter looks off the catch, had an emphatic putback dunk with two hands, and gives Clinton Grace some lineup versatility to play him as a small ball four when they go to smaller lineups (or tonight, when missing some of their front court depth). Once the motor is humming on all cylinders, he's an opponent that needs to be accounted for at both ends of the floor.      11p 5r 3/8 FG 5/5 FT vs Springdale Prep   -Encouraging flashes from a promising young prospect as Miller often makes the most of his minutes, showing his upside as a 2-way prospect with his all-around performance. Miller is routinely taking advantage of open corner 3 looks as a floor-spacing wing that can serve as a shooting or lob threat with well-timed backdoor cuts for easy twos. Miller has taken some nice strides defensively to rotate better as a helper in the halfcourt, the next stage in his development will be him  using his athleticism to become a true defensive terror     18p 8r 1s 4b 7/9 FG 2/3 3P 2/3 FT vs Springdale Prep   -Probably the most impressive and well-rounded performance that we've seen out of the freshman as he has carved out a starting role with the Warriors as a productive W/F tweener on the back line. Nuñez spent the evening blocking shots both on and off the ball, showed off the improved shooting touch on C+S 3s and a quick catch baseline jumper off the BLOB, and was hitting the glass with some emotion. Our scouts came away impressed by how he was sizing up with bigger matchups and using his length to alter shots around the rim or finish with two hands at the offensive end of the floor. Motor has been superb throughout the year but was especially on 10 tonight, a good indicator of his ability to raise both his floor and ceiling as a prospect in the long-term.     10p 8r 4a 1b 2s 5/6 FG vs Georgetown Prep   -Phillips' coachability, motor, durability, and versatility have been particularly impressive to our scouts down the stretch run of the season as a prospect that has really bought into being a defensive stopper and glue guy on a team full of scorers. Phillips crashed into the paint to tip out missed shots to collect several assists off of offensive rebounds to shooters on the perimeter. He's looking more and more comfortable as a driver in tight spaces, finding opportunities within the flow of the game to attack the paint from the wings and maneuver around the help defense to score at the rim with some high pickups or euro steps in the lane. Once he smoothens/quickens the load-up on his jumper off the catch to have consistent follow-through at the top, he will be an extremely valuable 3+D guard that should have a more prominent role next season with the graduation of several key rotation players.     6p 2a 2r 1b  2/3 FG vs Georgetown Prep   -Want to shout out the sophomore G/W prospect for his physical play at the defensive end of the floor and willingness to do the dirty work for his team. Conley takes on the challenges of guarding wings or guards as a primary or help defender, rotating well as a helper to bother shots around the rim and close out defensive possessions with a rebound. He's picked up his activity in transition to sprint to be in position for putbacks or catch and finish layups around the basket. But his biggest area of growth has been his ability to use his pivot to find shooters on the wing or pass out of off-balance shot attempts in traffic around the rim. His effort and execution have earned a prominent role with a coaching staff that has rewarded that effort both in practices and games with tangible opportunities on the floor.     12p 6r 2a 1s 5/11 FG vs McNamara   -Pierre-Louis was key for a nice run in the 3Q that brought Georgetown Prep back to within one basket after trailing by as many as 13. His blend of intangibles and ball skills allow him to play multiple positions in the frontcourt as a wing that can knock down open shots, use his length to collect deflections or steals that ignite fast break opportunities. He's gained confidence over the course of the year to be a more decisive downhill driver and shot-taker on the perimeter despite his youth on a G Prep team that won an IAC Championship this season. Will be really interesting to see what AAU team he runs with this spring and summer to continue to foster his growth/development as a 2-way wing with upside.

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