2030 Watchlist: 8 prospect who have our attention

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our initial watchlist for the 2030 class officially dropped today! This group of rising freshmen show plenty of promise as not only impact players at the JV or varsity level in their first year of high school, but also some intriguing tools long term that will contribute to being the next wave of coveted prospects in MD/DC. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is just an initial watchlist, meaning there are no rankings that are official. We've been fortunate enough to get eyes on these players leading up to this release, but as time goes on, official rankings will surface as will new names that emerge over the next 3-to-4 months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To kick things off here, I'll be highlighting 10 names that should make quite the splash during their freshman campaigns for their respective schools. These names are in no particular order.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Khyri Tomlinson | Gonzaga/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There aren't many players on this list that are more suited for the WCAC varsity level than Tomlinson both from a physical and skill perspective. The 6'5" wing is packed with power, shows some pop around the rim and has the willingness to impact the game in many ways. He spent the spring/summer playing up on 15s with Durant's E15 group where he was a consistent contributor within the rotation averaging 7.2PPG, 5RPG and 1.3APG. He looks to focal point for a Gonzaga team that will be one of the younger, but deeper rosters in the DMV. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3665471' first='Amir' last='Richardson'] | St. Frances/[program_tooltip program_id='2076999' first='Team' last='Melo']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richardson is in the argument as the top freshman prospect in the Baltimore Metro Area entering the 2026-27 season. Similar to Tomlinson, Richardson is expected to provide a splash as a freshman, but do so about an hour north of Eye Street for St. Frances Academy. He also put together a body of work at the 15U level for [program_tooltip program_id='2076999' first='Team' last='Melo'] where he averaged 8.7PPG, 3.1RPG and 1.9APG. Richardson brings a blend of positional size as a combo guard, ability to create space off the bounce and has shown early glimpses of playing through contact while maintaining balance within his attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Henry Larranaga | Sidwell Friends/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Larranaga has the early stronghold in this local class as the top sharpshooter. It isn't often you come across a freshman with the combination of size, spatial awareness and the killer mentality as a driller from beyond the arc. In summer events with Sidwell, it's already clear that Larranaga will be involved in a fair share of actions to free him up from three and the results have been promising.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3665634' first='Naeem' last='Easter'] | St. John's (DC)/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Obviously this class will require patience from a developmental standpoint, but Easter is largely viewed as one of the guards in this class who's expected to draw eyes. He brings a truly unique combination of size and skill for a freshman guard standing 6'4"-6'5" and is very comfortable controlling/dictating pace for his teams. The early data points having to do with his mature approach as a playmaker, his shooting ability from the outside off the catch and his floor vision/processing are all indicators for a valuable prospect as the years progress.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2886589' first='Wale' last='Oladotun'] | Blake/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oladotun enters high school with lofty expectations left behind by his older brother Baba, who is entering his freshman season after being regarded as a top-10 prospect nationally. At this stage, Wale is a much different prospect standing around 6'0"-6'1" but brings a similar impact on the game as a scorer who can do damage from all three levels. He spent the summer averaging over 12PPG in Capitol Hoops Summer League play and will get plenty of valuable in-game reps on the ball as an initiator, which will only benefit his development long-term with the high likelihood of him growing a handful of inches over the coming years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3664576' first='Jayden' last='Nunez'] | DeMatha/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nunez is another physically imposing freshman who won't have as rude of a wakeup call transitioning to the varsity level. Standing around 6'8"-6'9" and somewhere in the vicinity of 230-240 pounds, Nunez has the frame of prospect who could have quick success in the trenches of the gridiron, but luckily for us we get to watch him bully opponents in the paint for scores around the rim. He has some touch from 10-to-12 feet, but he's at his best scoring around the cup on dump-offs, hard rolls after punishing screens or with operating with his back to the basket. Nunez accounted for 4.9PPG and 5.1RPG in 15.7MPG for Durant 15s this spring/summer in E15 play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3142030' first='Elijah' last='Maples'] | Archbishop Spalding/[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maples is another guard on this list who does a nice job of controlling pace and setting the tempo for his team as a lead guard. He plays with nice change-of-pace, manipulates the defense with his eyes and can play through contact tapping into the physicality that he brings to the football field. The 6'0" guard caught our eyes at DMV Live where he contributed in high-intense environment with impressive poise and processing skills along with the competitive edge that he brings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2768388' first='Bryson' last='Cofield'] | Mount St. Joseph/[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill']</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cofield will be one of the long-term guys on this watchlist as he brings a nice frame at 6'6", fluid mobility and a skillset that seems to improve with each viewing. Putting on size and adjusting to the speed of the varsity level will be an adjustment throughout his freshman year, but Cofield has the makeup and is the archetype that can pose a high-ceiling as his skill catches up with his frame. He'll play an important role for head coach Pat Clatchey this season in the BCL/MIAA A Conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->