UAA Finals: Emerging DMV Prospects

The Under Armour circuit concluded this past weekend with the UAA Finals in Louisville, with the following DMV prospects catching our eye as prospects to watch moving forward.    Still somewhat of a sleeper in recruiting circles given his muted role to this point within the powerhouse Paul VI program, Djossinou is continuing to emerge quickly and showed continued signs of progress in Louisville. With a consistent rotation role for the first time, he showed strong flashes throughout the June live periods, but flourished in a much different role within the AAU setting. More of a defense-first glue guy for PVI, he took on much more of a scoring load for VA Elite, showing a far more composed handle and more polished mechanics on his pullup than we'd expected to see from him. His standout size, length, and athletic tools on the perimeter provide for a consistent two-way impact, with the defensive upside in particular being especially appealing to scholarship-level coaches up to the D1 level. Young for his grade, Djossinou could be an intriguing post-grad option when the time comes but is continuing to trend upward toward the scholarship level even as things stand today.     Steering a narrow win for [program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier']'s 15U on Saturday morning, Brown continued to build on a strong June scholastic period while showing long-term upside that's right there with most any BCL guard in his class. A lanky playmaking guard with standout positional size, Brown was constantly in attack mode but managed to consistently stay under control in the process. He saw the floor well when cut off on his drives and showed a willingness to attack through contact despite lacking much strength on his youthful frame. Brown will be new to the varsity level this year but should make his mark quickly and could have D1 coaches beginning to monitor his progress before much longer.     While catching the fourth quarter of a nailbiter for [program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier']'s 15U group, Thompson stood out with his long, lanky frame and a budding offensive skillset. He showcased a smooth stroke off the catch out to the perimeter, knocking down the go-ahead 3 in the final minute of play. Thompson also showed some ability as a secondary ballhandler to help relieve pressure in the backcourt. He'll be stepping onto the varsity level for the first time this season, but young for his grade and with strong basketball bloodlines, Thompson should continue to emerge onto the radar within the gauntlet of the WCAC.     Playing two years up on the 17U level, Khan didn't make a huge impact statistically but showed promising glimpses of long-term potential. Blessed with standout size and fluidity, he was effective as a cleanup man around the basket with quick feet, solid hands, and swift touch in traffic. He brought good energy to both ends of the floor while showing no signs of the speed of the game being too much for him despite the older competition. Even at a powerhouse program like PVI, it shouldn't be too long before Khan has a chance to make a splash at the varsity level and emerge onto college radars at the same time.     Coming off a solid June scholastic stretch with DeMatha, Jones continues to show signs that he's due for a big jump this coming season as he enters into his upperclassman years. Jones ran the show effectively for a WeR1 group that unfortunately got healthy and hit its stride too late in the summer. While not a standout in terms of size or length, he looks to have taken some notable steps forward physically and had some added bounce in his step while bursting past defenders to make plays from the lane. Jones shows advanced touch on his floaters and is also starting to extend that touch into his pullup game from beyond the arc. The son of a coach and former high-level player, Jones could be an intriguing late bloomer for D1 programs to begin tracking sooner rather than later.     We didn't get to see too much of Hope in action but it doesn't take long to see how Hope's blend of evolving physical tools and a naturally aggressive motor projects as an appealing one for college coaches while he continues refining his game in the years to come. With a growing frame and smooth athleticism in space, Hope shows some ability executing out on the wing in space but can also be effective as a rim-runner in transition or utilizing his length to finish around the basket in the halfcourt. His length, mobility, and effort also make him a steady factor on the defensive end. We hope to see more of Hope moving forward as he shows signs of developing into a scholarship-level prospect.

The Under Armour circuit concluded this past weekend with the UAA Finals in Louisville, with the following DMV prospects catching our eye as prospects to watch moving forward.