Freshman Showcase: MVP and First Team Selections

Yesterday at Park School, the 2026 DMV Freshman Showcase took place and as usual, it was a productive afternoon getting introduced to some of the up-and-coming talent ready to hit the court this winter for their respective high schools. The event was broken down into two sessions where the attendees played in 3-on-3 games before breaking out into 5-on-5, which allowed the scouts to get a feel for how they read the floor both in a half court setting before getting up and down in more of an uptempo fashion.   As the showcase came to a close the MVP, First Team and Second Team selections were finalized.   For this article, we'll highlight the MVP and First Team (MVP is also included as a First Team member) selections with Second Team publishing on the site shortly after.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MVP: </h2>   2030 Loyola Blakefield/[program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier'] [player_tooltip player_id='3578494' first='Macen' last='Reynolds']    It was clear from the start of camp that Reynolds was out to make a statement. Standing just 5-foot-6, what he lacks in size he makes up for with lightning quick twitch, outstanding lateral quickness harassing opposing ball handlers and consistently lived in the paint where he finished consistently whether contact met him in the air or not.   During 3v3, Reynolds was still pressuring his matchup beyond the three-point line, and in most cases, forcing retreat dribbles back to the half court line in hopes of gaining any breathing space from his active hands. The same energy translated into 5v5 play except on those occasions, Reynolds was poking the ball loose and finishing at the other end before the majority of players on the floor could cross the half court line.   Reynolds jumper was falling consistently yesterday and he drilled catch-and-shoots from deep with regularity. Even when he was operating off the bounce, I was impressed with the combination of speed and balance getting to his spots for pull-ups. As campers adjusted to his ability to get to the rim, he let his court vision emerge as he drew multiple defenders and made good reads to open teammates for scores.   Deservedly so because of his two-way dominance, Reynolds was name MVP of the event.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FIRST TEAM:</h2>   2030 Loyola Blakefield/[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'] [player_tooltip player_id='2269908' first='Owen' last='Cooper']    It was a joy watching the future Loyola Blakefield backcourt duo in Reynolds and Cooper yesterday. From the looks of it, the future is bright for head coach Roger Garfield with his backcourt and while Reynolds brings more of a water bug presence to the floor, Cooper brings good size, a strong frame and a good understanding of how to create space to get his shot off. Making the jump to the varsity level in the BCL/MIAA with undoubtedly be a challenge for both, but Cooper's ability to navigate through contact and even use it to his advantage was evident with yesterday's performance. He's never in a rush and it showed with his poise in his pull-ups off the bounce. Whether it was from beyond the arc or sizing up his man to get to his spots within 15 feet, I never saw Cooper get sped up into a decision. He made good reads in transition as he evaluated the floor and the defense scattering to recover, did a nice job of keeping his man out of the paint and showed some nice vocal leadership for others throughout the duration of the event.    2030 Bullis/[program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] [player_tooltip player_id='3671086' first='Aiden' last='Yarborough']    Yarborough was super impressive yesterday thanks to his intriguing blend of size and skill. It seems like he's getting taller with each viewing and is quickly closing in on 6-foot-4 while maintaining his fluid movement from the point of attack. He's able to create his own shot in isolations from the wing and because he was knocking down shots early in the event, his defender knew they couldn't leave much space, which ultimately led to Yarborough attacking off the bounce using his long strides to get to the front of the rim. The athleticism was loud as he rose up and pinned a layup off the glass after sprinting back in transition. He snagged rebounds in bulk and had no issue pushing the break himself making good decision as a passer/scorer.   Ultimately, Yarborough projects as a toolsy and valuable wing who should develop quickly under head coach Bruce Kelley and his staff over at Bullis.    2030 Trinity Episcopal/[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] [player_tooltip player_id='3722216' first='Grant' last='Wimmer']    It didn't take long to see Wimmer was on another level than most yesterday and it was based off his ability to read the game with or without the ball. The 5-foot-11 southpaw guard can tee off from the corners when left open, but is just as effective attacking closeouts and quickly processing the rotating defense to make the right read. On several occasions whether it came on straight-line drives or in transition, Wimmer used perfectly timed step-throughs as defenders knifed in to attempt to strip the ball away. He maintained balance and control on those drives and finished consistently.   Wimmer made several extra passes that turned a good shot into a great one for his team as they went on to win both 5v5 contests in dominant fashion.    2030 Loyola Blakefield/DC Blue Devils [player_tooltip player_id='3690566' first='Jonathan' last='Aidoo']    Yet another prospect set to be a Don, Aidoo was a mid-range assassin from start-to-finish. At 6-foot with a strong frame that he used to knock his defenders off balance, Aidoo attacked with quick, efficient dribbles before rising up from his spots where he confidently knocked down a bevy of jumpers. He was strong enough to guard various positions on the floor and did a nice job of keeping the shiftier guards at bay in space.   All in all, you can tell Aidoo brought a sense of pride with his competitiveness and when he wasn't scoring, he was doing the little things that result in winning basketball. He shows to be another quality addition to the 2030 class that Loyola has on the way this season.

Yesterday at Park School, the 2026 DMV Freshman Showcase took place and as usual, it was a productive afternoon getting introduced to some of the up-and-coming talent ready to hit the court this winter for their respective high schools. The event was broken down into two sessions where the attendees played in 3-on-3 games before breaking out into 5-on-5, which allowed the scouts to get a feel for how they read the floor both in a half court setting before getting up and down in more of an uptempo fashion.