Live Period Notebook: 17U DMV Programs

<p>The only live period of the spring is now behind us and as the dust settles, I've been able to catch up on some action from circuits/events that took place around the country. Below is a notebook from some of my observations from various programs and prospects that seems to be trending in the right direction as the June scholastic live periods are around the corner.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill']</h2>   <p>Thrill completed a perfect 4-0 sweep, earning wins over programs such as Middlesex Magic, Gulf Coast Blue Chips, STARS Basketball and NJ Shoreshots. The obvious formula that has fueled their winning ways (8-0) continue to be the defensive impact from their trio of guards in 2027 Darrell Davis, 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2889373' first='Jay' last='Green'] and 2027 Samartine Hill. It seems like in every contest thus far, as the game progresses in the second half, the constant heckling both on the ball and in the passing lanes force opposing guards to crack. All three of these guards are tremendous at generating quick offense from that defensive effort.</p>   <p>Davis is the bell cow and facilitated in ball screens where he's lethal at finding the slimmest of driving lanes to exploit and finish tough-angled layups. Hill uses his blazing end-to-end speed to put pressure on the rim and Green does a nice job of providing the balance as an outside shooting threat (50 percent on 22 attempts through seven games) as well as a bulldog that can finish through contact around the cup.</p>   <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2454529' first='Junior' last='Mancho'] continues to provide the size and strength inside, leading the team in rebounds by a considerable margin while finishing efficiently with his attempts inside the paint. I also thought 2027 David Lunn III was impactful as a strong-framed wing who thrives attacking closeouts or playing in the open floor where he can get downhill and use his strength to bully his way for scores. Also flashed athleticism with his poster dunk driving baseline that caught some momentum on social feeds.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier']</h2>   <p>Premier bounced back from a shaky showing in S1 by leaving Ohio with a 3-1 record in their four contests. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2629848' first='Kyle' last='Logan'] had arguably the strongest weekend of the bunch as he impressed with his positional versatility and scoring from inside the arc. Whether it was timely cuts, running the lanes with purpose or operating off a couple of dribbles, Logan was getting where he wanted and finishing with physicality if necessary. He's got soft touch on his mid-range jumper and showed nice confidence and balance letting it go at the peak of his rise. </p>   <p>More good signs from 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353583' first='Damon' last='Nelson'], particularly in the last game where his 21 points came in key in defeating Riverside Hawks. Some other standouts along the way include 2026 Bryton Barrett, 2026 Wisdom Mintz, and 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2639998' first='Brandon' last='Brooks'].</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='2076989' first='Mid' last='Atlantic Select']</h2>   <p>Finishing with a 4-1 record this weekend, this [program_tooltip program_id='2076989' first='Mid' last='Atlantic Select'] group has an intriguing crop of players that could make things interesting in MHC play as the summer rolls on. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2888893' first='Devin' last='Wingfield'] has proven himself over the last year or so as a knockdown shooter, but what caught my eye was his willingness to take advantage of the opportunity in playing more on the ball. Whether he was attacking closeouts and stopping on a dime, making good deliveries to bigs following ball screen actions or getting to the rim in minimal dribbles for quick layups, it's clear his game and overall confidence in his skillset is rounding out nicely. </p>   <p>Also in the backcourt, 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2353604' first='DJ' last='Lee'] showed why he can be a complement to Wingfield as a guy who can share ball handling duties and pose as a slasher that can get into the paint to collapse the defense. In the frontcourt it was 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2815039' first='Jamar' last='Nix'] who stood out to me. The 6'5"-6'6" forward has a 'no nonsense' approach offensively. If he gets a catch in the mid-post and he cant duck in for quick buckets, he'll look to escape dribble where he can knock down jumpers from 12-to-15 feet with consistency. If his catches come out on the perimeter, he's a straight-line driver and with a clear launching pad, can rise up and punch it down authoritatively. He's arguably most valuable as an off-ball mover where he possesses good instincts and timing as a flasher at the high-post or along the baseline in the dunker's spot. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='3541711' first='Team' last='Takeover National']</h2>   <p>TTO National finished their time in Baltimore City with a perfect 5-0 record in MHC play. Winning at a high level has been the norm for this organization and despite former head coach Chuck Henry hanging up his whistle following last year's title run, this year's team shows no room for let up. </p>   <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2639997' first='Gabe' last='Colston'] continued his scoring ways from his 2025-26 high school season where he was named MoCo Player of Year as he filled it up from three. He's the type of shooter that requires aggressive closeouts on all catches from the corner, but can quickly get his feet set coming off pin downs or elevator screens to let it fly. He's a willing passer in transition, moved his feet well defensively and used his gravity to open up the floor for those around him.</p>   <p>A couple other names that caught my attention were 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2722737' first='Jamari' last='Rogers'] and 2027 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2698942' first='Eric' last='Ndaka']. Rogers is a nightmare to guard in ball screen actions given the range on his three-ball. He can let it fly from 4-to-7 feet beyond the arc with accuracy and you combine that with his quick-twitch ability to expose driving lanes and it makes for a handful for the opposition to contain throughout the course of a game. As for Ndaka, he's a prospect that flashed in spurts, but there's no denying the long-term intrigue he poses with his wiry frame, fluid skillset and untapped potential.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Blue Devils/[program_tooltip program_id='2458561' first='Global' last='Squad']</h2>   <p>BDGS went 2-3 on the weekend as they continue to work out the kinks within their roster that brings some nice guard play and should bode well once things heat up in July. </p>   <p>2027 Evan 'Bruiser' Edwards sustained his strong play from the winter where he led Georgetown Prep to an IAC title, but on this team the ball handling duties is more of a shared assignment between the other names I'll highlight in this blurb. I liked the way Edwards operated in ball screens and showed ability to deliver pocket passes on target to rolling bigs or crisp Ginobili passes to wings lifting up to the top of the key. When he was looking to call his own number, Edwards did a nice job of attacking off 1-to-2 dribbles and rising up from mid-range with solid balance.</p>   <p>Another trio of 2027 guards I wanted to bring light to is Luka Marjanovic, [player_tooltip player_id='2215677' first='Troy' last='Taylor'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3530453' first='Malakai' last='Jones']. Marjanovic played a somewhat limited role this high school season on a talented Springdale team, but carved out key minutes as a closer once the postseason hit. For this group, he manned a bulk of the initiating and control of the tempo from the lead guard spot where he brings good size, change-of-pace and overall feel.</p>   <p>Taylor showed nice twitch in his attack, particularly in the open floor where he can use his burst to get to the rim in a flash where he finished with craft when necessary. His effective speed with the ball in transition helped put pressure on the defense and once they showed their hand scattering to halt his drives, Taylor delivered some simple passes to the open streaker for scores.</p>   <p>As for Jones, he bring nice positional size at 6-foot-4 that allows him to toggle between three positions depending on the lineup. He took over the reigns this high school season as the point guard for Glenelg Country, which in this setting, makes him a legitimate grab-and-go guy who can make things happen in transition. He can use his length to finish at the basket, use his size to put his defender on his back in the mid-post for fadeaways or can pick up his dribble on drives and see over the defense to locate shooters on the weak side as well as cutters on the backside. </p>

The only live period of the spring is now behind us and as the dust settles, I've been able to catch up on some action from circuits/events that took place around the country. Below is a notebook from some of my observations from various programs and prospects that seems to be trending in the right direction as the June scholastic live periods are around the corner.