The Expo: Second Team

The Expo took place today in District Heights as Athletic Republic welcomed over 105 prospects to play in front of college coaches and our scouting staff. It was a day filled with competitiveness, intensity and individuals making their case to be moved up in the rankings OR provide a body of work as to why they should be included in the next update.   We announced our MVP and First Team yesterday and now we move on to the Second Team selections.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Second Team:</h2>    It was a productive day for Magnon as we had predicted comin into the event and it all stems with his relentless motor. He looks to be nearing 6-foot-5 and showed off some improvement with his ability to attack his defender out of face-ups or catches along the perimeter with space to operate. The southpaw consistently got downhill to his right hand before spinning back to his left where he finished through contact. Magnon brings an infectious energy to the floor that can quickly flow through his teammates. As his confidence emerged, so did others and he challenged them to meet his energy and aggression on the glass, with individual defense and making hustle plays to help seal victories.     Another player we had high hopes for coming into the event was Suggs and it didn't take long for him to prove as a dynamic, downhill threat from the point of attack. He brings a nice combination of size, length and twitch off the catch or as he sizes his defender up with jabs or crossovers. He found driving lanes with regularity and even when his defender was able to recover and contest his layup attempts, Suggs would use his long wingspan to create an angle to get it off cleanly. His jumper was flowing in the mid-range when he couldn't maneuver his way to the cup and his end-to-end speed was evident on grab-and-go's as he was one of the better rebounding guards in attendance.     I was really pleased with the play of Maliar and in an environment when the flow of games can get tricky as quick shots become the norm, there was a calmness to Maliar whenver he got the ball. He made quick decisions off the catch to either attack or keep it moving, made good reads as a passer on paint touches if he couldn't use his soft-touch floater and made his defender pay for any hesitation on closeouts from three. He brings a sturdy frame that he used to wall penetrating guards defensively, cleared space out around the rim with box outs and maintained width while filling the lanes in transition. Maliar was productive, efficient and showed good processing skills on plays that translate to winning basketball.     There simply weren't many defenders that could keep McClain in front of them throughout the duration of The Expo. The 6-foot lead guard has a super quick first step and can get into his counters just as quickly while changing direction and attacking different angles. What made life even more difficult for McClain's defender was his deep ball. Especially on kick outs, the defender was at McClain's mercy as they attempted to closeout with control, but I didn't recall anyone being able to either get a clean contest on his shot or brace themselves for him to attack without allowing him to find entry into the paint.   He was dialed in defensively and guarding his yard with pride, had his eyes up in transition looking to deliver advance passes and did a nice job of causing deflections in passing lanes.     This was a great stage for a player like Makinde, a strong, brusing 6-foot-2 guard who initiated and finished through contact with ease throughout the event. In the open floor, he invited contact his way in a fashion that actually looked like it helped him maintain his rhythm to the bucket before finishing with either hand. As defenders adjusted and braced for him to put his head down to drive after catching around the arc, Makinde confidently pulled the trigger with quick mechanics and a nice rotation on the ball following the release.   He was an active defensive presence who played with a sense of urgency. You could tell he takes pride in his individual matchup and does whatever he can to keep his man contained even if it means battling through multiple screens to do so. His effort, offensive production and physicality is what contributed to him getting a Second Team nod.

The Expo took place today in District Heights as Athletic Republic welcomed over 105 prospects to play in front of college coaches and our scouting staff. It was a day filled with competitiveness, intensity and individuals making their case to be moved up in the rankings OR provide a body of work as to why they should be included in the next update.