MDPSSBT Semifinals: Standout underclassmen

The Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament continued on Tuesday with the semifinals for both the A and B divisions taking place at DeMatha. Takoma Academy and Mt. Zion Blue both advanced on buzzer-beaters to the B Championship, with Clinton Grace slated to take on Springdale Prep for the A Championship. Keep reading for a look at a handful of underclassmen who stood out in the semifinal action.    Arguably the biggest takeaway from the night was that Wylie is due for a significant bump in the next update to the 2028 rankings. Despite falling at the buzzer to Mt. Zion Blue, the lefty forward impressed with his inside-out skillset and blue-collar approach to the game. With his team down as much as 19 while he sat with first half foul trouble, he swung the game with his presence in the second half, posing a consistent matchup problem with his ability to score using his size near the basket or step away from the rim with a smooth perimeter stroke. Wylie showed strong engagement and IQ both defensively and on the glass as well. His blend of size, versatility, and basketball bloodlines makes for a pretty clear D1 prospect with real upside to tap into.     Already tracking among the top guards in his class across the region, Brooks has had a chance to further bolster his stock in the absence of McNamara's pair of Power 5 senior guards down the stretch of the season. He went out with a bang to close out his sophomore year, nearly willing the Mustangs back from a 19-point deficit with a masterful second-half performance. With his team looking ready to pack it in, Brooks never stopped attacking, finishing with 21 points with a blend of deep jumpers and smooth drives to the rim. He showed polished footwork getting into his jump shot from a variety of actions along with deceptive strength while attacking downhill through contact. It was a gutsy performance with the season on the line as Brooks continues to build his resumé as a potential mid-to-high D1 guard.     The Gurdak name should be familiar to local hoop fans, with Christian now in the Virginia Tech rotation as a freshman after a standout career in the WCAC. Now his younger brother Xavier, a repeat freshman via Gonzaga (DC), is beginning to ascend as one of the more intriguing young wings in the state. Despite an overtime loss at the buzzer, Gurdak authored one of the best individual performances of the day, looking unstoppable at times on his way to 26 points. He was a constant force using a mix of quickness, strength, and skill to get to the rim seemingly whenever he wanted. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter and overtime, he showed his perimeter ability with a pair of clutch catch-and-shoot 3s. We'll be eager to see more moving forward, with Gurdak possessing a different game from that of his brother but quite the intriguing upside nonetheless.     The top-ranked freshman in the state proved himself yet again with a smooth 16-point performance to help steer Springdale to the championship game. Costley was effective as a shotmaker playing both on and off the ball, knocking down shots off the catch from the perimeter and showing advanced polish to his midrange pullup arsenal. He's a smooth ballhandler who was able to slither to his spots off the bounce and consistently create space to get his shot off. Costley's ability to produce at this level already as a true-aged freshman along with projectable size and length give him an appealing combination of floor and ceiling as a long-term prospect.     Another sophomore who's been asked to step up down the stretch of the season due to injury, Phillips continued to show himself as a valuable Swiss-army weapon on both ends of the floor. He provided a key spark for McNamara on Tuesday with his rim pressure both as a dribble-drive threat or slipping downhill as a timely cutter. His energy and intensity helped set a tone and give his team life to come all the way back from a 19-point second-half deficit. Phillips' versatility along the perimeter should be a primary selling point as he starts building a case as a mid-to-high major prospect.

The Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament continued on Tuesday with the semifinals for both the A and B divisions taking place at DeMatha. Takoma Academy and Mt. Zion Blue both advanced on buzzer-beaters to the B Championship, with Clinton Grace slated to take on Springdale Prep for the A Championship. Keep reading for a look at a handful of underclassmen who stood out in the semifinal action.