EBA Warmup's Top Rising Seniors

New readers: Use code Proia30     I drove out to Pikesville to check out the Sunday slate of games at EBA's Warmup event in between the two scholastic live periods. The schedule featured some high-level games between both public and private schools in all 3 states in the DMV. In this article I will breakdown the top rising senior performers that stood out. Let's dive in!    18p 10r 1a 5b vs Hammond, 42p vs St. Mary's   -Loved the two-way impact and effortless pace that Colston played with in a pair of wins for his team. Colston impacts the game as an athletic guard prospect that can force stops on the ball and prevent baskets off the ball as a bouncy shot-blocker that takes pride in the defensive end of the floor. Colston plays with a start and stop pace with decisive changes in direction that makes it difficult to force turnovers and dribble pick-ups because defenders struggle to anticipate his timing. Colston knocked down shots from all 3 levels both off the bounce and off the catch, filled out his stat line by drawing fouls around the basket for easy points at the charity stripe, and showed that he is a gamer capable of stepping up in big moments down the stretch of games for his team.     18p 4a 5r 1s; 28p vs St. Mary's   -One of my favorite prospects to watch in HS basketball because of the floor-raising, winning brand that he plays with at both ends of the floor. Gray is a relentless downhill driver that shows good vision as a creator capable of diming tight passes through small windows in the defense, makes up for offensive mistakes by sprinting back to serve as a disruptive defender adept at creating turnovers, and flashes a competitive fire that raises the level of play from all of his teammates. The shot-making off of stepbacks and sidesteps or behind screens was an affirming sign of development as a pretty complete point guard prospect that should make an impact at the next level early on in his career.     21p 5r 1s (6/10 3P) vs Pallotti   -Willingham's shooting midway through the 1H stopped a big Pallotti run to cut a 30-point lead in half before intermission to give MR a shot of life. Willingham started things off with a pair of wing 3s off the catch, executed a perfectly-timed 45 cut to score an AND1 lay at the rim, dribbled into a pair of transition 3s to cut the lead to 16 just before half, and hit contested shots down the stretch to prove his value as a long distance sniper. The moxie shown to sneak in for offensive rebounds to extend possessions for his team raises his floor as a small college prospect that can provide spacing and serve as a connector from the wings.     8p 4r 3a 5s vs Huntingtown   -He didn't take many shots in this game but was an effective midrange jump-shooter that impacted the game at the defensive end of the floor for his team in a win over Huntingtown. The pull-up elbow jumper going either way is money as Mason gets into his shooting form quickly off the bounce and is capable of making the shot over bigger guards. Mason hit a tough fall-away jumper pivoting away from the rim after the defender forced him to pick up his dribble, did a good job of touching the paint and kicking to corner shooters, and got his hand on a ton of passes in the frontcourt to turn his opponent over before they even reached halfcourt. Loved the pace and patience that he plays with as a good decision-maker that is constantly looking for the best shot for his team.     14p 3r 1a 3s vs Marriott's Ridge   -Today was further proof to me that Dory is one of the best POA defenders in the area as a scrappy guard that does a great job of keeping his man in front and staying down on shot fakes while still coming up with a ton of steals/stops. Dory's perimeter defense and aggressive downhill drives were one of the key driving forces in Pallotti starting the game up 32-4 midway through the 1H. His first step and burst with the ball in his hands allows him to blow by taller defenders on long closeouts to swoop into the paint to score before the defense can react. If he can add more weight to his frame and prove that he can space the floor as a movement shooter, I expect his recruiting interest to pick up.     12p 3r 3s vs Friends   -Liked how aggressive Montgomery was at both ends of the floor while playing within himself and not forcing the issue. He started off the game with two steals that resulted in a transition bucket for him at the other end and continued to impact the game with paint touches in the 2H to force defensive rotations that led to several hockey assists for the senior guard. Likely in for a big senior season as one of the leaders of a scrapping H-Town group that will need to pass and cut at a high level to succeed in their league.

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