EBA Pre-Live WarmUp: Saturday's biggest takeaways

<p>It was day two of the EBA Pre-Live WarmUp and as 36 games took place, there was no shortage of standouts and takeaways. We'll file through the standouts this week, but for now, I reflect back on Saturday's action and some takeaways my viewings.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Town looks primed for a state title run</h2>   <p>The Titans made their presence known quickly with their energy, athleticism and shotmaking from the opening tip. In a rematch of last year's Class 3A regional title game, New Town got their revenge over Marriotts Ridge as head coach Derek Wise has plenty of weapons in his arsenal starting with 2027 Josh Jones. The 6-foot-6 hybrid forward is safely the preseason favorite for Baltimore County Player of the Year and had his fingerprints all over their win, but it wasn't just limited to the Division I prospect's production. 2027 Kam Massey brings more senior experience to the starting lineup as well as the option to be on or off the ball as a combo guard. He can play with a physical, downhill approach or make his defender pay for leaving him open on the perimeter. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2954432' first='Michael' last='Brown'] is a hybrid forward who finishes athletically around the rim and accounted for a couple of emphatic dunks throughout the evening. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='3598598' first='Makiye' last='Fenwick'] is a guard who always keeps his foot on the gas as a scorer and pushing the tempo that allows the Titans to put together runs that will make it extremely difficult for teams to recover against. Look for others such as 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2553545' first='Mekhi' last='Moe'] and company to provide further depth in the starting lineup and off the bench depending on the matchup.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Talented crop of freshmen incoming</h2>   <p>The 2028 and 2029 classes have shown plenty of promise in terms of being able to impact the high school level right away. One of my favorite part of these sort of events is it offers a stage for new faces to emerge ahead of their first year of high school. A few prospects belonging to the 2030 class caught my eye today. </p>   <p>Marriotts Ridge has a guard by the name of [player_tooltip player_id='3675572' first='Auntae' last='Banks'] who will be one to monitor. Standing 6-foot tall and just turning 14 two months ago, Banks showed maturity beyond his years handling the ball against significant pressure in their intense matchup against New Town. It wasn't about looking at the box score and being blown away here, it as about the poise and command he brought while orchestrating the offense. He didn't dribble into traps, make delayed reads despite the pace of the game and also was effective moving without the ball where he showed he can spot up and known down three's from the corner with confidence.</p>   <p>McDonogh has an intriguing wing/forward, DJ Walker, who did a lot of good things today in the Eagles' 2-0 showing. First you see the size and frame as Walker has broad shoulders and a strong lower base that allows him to play at the rim when he has space to take off in the open floor. He works at it defensively and given his blend of size and length, will make for a versatile option moving forward for head coach Gerry Abrams to utilize. He's had plenty of prospect with the same archetype over the years that resulted in production, wins and college opportunities.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3576935' first='Chase' last='Oliver'] is a freshman who will be featured at St. Frances this season and has a very strong argument as being the most athletic player in the local 2030 class. He's electric in the open floor, active in the passing lanes and projects as a guard who will be able to mix it up off the bounce as he adjusts to the varsity level.</p>   <p>Maret 2030 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='3675571' first='Cam' last='Hall'] caught my attention with his 14-point performance against South River and despite coming up short on the scoreboard, the lead guard brought stability to the offense as well as a hot trigger from deep. Hall converted on four triples in the contest and mixed it up in the fashion in which he got to his looks. Whether it was timely lifts, hand-offs or creating separation off the bounce he has a good feel for how much space he needs to get his shot over tight contests.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friends' dynamic duo ready to shake things up</h2>   <p>The MIAA B Conference is going to be interesting this year with its mix of teams. Severn, Concordia Prep, St. Paul's and Friends should safely be in the mix to make a run at the title. The Quakers will feature two of the best guards in the league, both of which are seniors with plenty of experience in [player_tooltip player_id='2215677' first='Troy' last='Taylor'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2397813' first='Marc' last='Mason Jr.']</p>   <p>Both of them showed why they're ready to have their team in the thick of things when you forecast towards the 2026-27 season. Taylor averaged 18.5PPG in the two contests on Saturday night, collecting wins against Guilford Park and Reisterstown. His ability to get downhill slither into driving lanes was a consistent sight, but he's also capable of burying a three when left open. He assumes the primary ball handling and playmaking role for this team when the game gets close, which speaks to the confidence that he and his teammates have in him.</p>   <p>Mason provides another scoring punch when the focus of the defense switches to Taylor. At 6-foot-4 with a lengthy frame, Mason can get to spots in minimal bounces, but can tap into some craft to evade defenders on his way to the cup. He's most effective ripping and attacking off the catch as well as in transition where the length comes into play as he extends for finishes. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Headliner lives up to the hype</h2>   <p>Two of the area's juggernauts for the upcoming season in Georgetown Prep and St. Frances faced off Saturday the the matchup lived up to the hype as it came down to last-second heroics from 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2454534' first='Terence' last='Jones III'] nailing a three with less than a second left to lift the Panthers to a 44-41 win. </p>   <p>It was a back-and-forth affair that Georgetown Prep seemed to have a grasp on for a good chunk of the game. Their productive guard play from the 2027 duo in Evan 'Bruiser' Edwards and [player_tooltip player_id='2454539' first='Jarrard' last='Desire'] steered the ship and helped control the pace that St. Frances so effectively forces on the opposition. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2880736' first='Mason' last='Whipp'] is the lunch pale forward this team needs as a four-man, but can also step outside and be a floor-spacer from the corners. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2524416' first='Majok' last='Aguek'], who was mentioned in my Friday write up regarding his progression, put together a nice day of work proving his worth as a true rim presence.</p>   <p>As we've seen over the years, St. Frances is the type of team that makes opposing teams uncomfortable with their pace, relentless defensive pressure and their physicality. Having potent scorers such as Jones and 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2954433' first='Chance' last='McCoy'] alongside others such as 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='3142764' first='Jaliel' last='Spears'] and 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='2546066' first='Mikey' last='Williams'], both of which are so good at doing the little thing that impact winning, make this team primed for another run in the BCL/MIAA. </p>   <p>All in all, the talent on the floor spoke for itself and it was a glimpse of two Baltimore/DMV programs who were looking for another opportunity to better themselves as they are set to contend for their respective conferences titles. </p>

It was day two of the EBA Pre-Live WarmUp and as 36 games took place, there was no shortage of standouts and takeaways. We'll file through the standouts this week, but for now, I reflect back on Saturday's action and some takeaways my viewings.