DMV Spring Warm Up 17U Standouts (Part 1)

The DMV Spring Warm Up took place at Alexandria City High School this past weekend, and it was a great event to get to know some of the top teams in the mid-atlantic and had some big time matchups as well. We will take a look at the top performers from each age group, starting with part one of the 17U group. If you’d like to watch the event, all of the games were streamed and are available for playback on the <a href="http://cbglivenetwork.com">CBG Live Network</a>. [player_tooltip player_id="1387026" first="Xavier" last="Brown"] | 6’2” PG | Team Loaded VA 2022 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Brown-Xavier-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1421153" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Brown-Xavier-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Brown continues to look like he’ll have a huge summer with Team Loaded before deciding if he’ll go to college or take a prep year, as he was fantastic in both their wins over Team Durant and Prospect U. The 6’2” point guard is a natural leader who makes winning plays and keeps everyone together, he’s super dynamic off the bounce and can get in the lane at will where he’s athletic enough to finish above the rim or through contact and he can guard the other team’s top scoring guard as well. He’s a natural floor general with great athleticism that can both score and facilitate at a high level. Davin Cosby | 6’4” WG | Team Loaded VA 2023 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Cosby-Davin-Loaded.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1421165" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Cosby-Davin-Loaded-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Cosby is in a good spot with this Loaded group as he’s their designated shooter and has guys who can make plays for him, and when he plays within himself he provides a very integral part to their team. He has a quick release and gets set quickly on the move to knock down shots coming off of screens, he has deep range and is consistent from deep and he can heat up and knock down shots in succession as well. He’s also a good athlete so he can do a little bit more off the bounce and finishing around the rim and isn’t a liability defensively either. Rob Dockery | 6’5” WF | Team Loaded VA 2024 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Dockery-Rob.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1421284" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Dockery-Rob-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Dockery is going to be the x-factor with his versatility at his size, as he played multiple positions throughout the two games and when the bigs got into foul trouble against Durant he moved to the five and the team went on a huge run to come back and win the game. At 6’5” he can play on the ball and get to spots to make plays for himself or others, he’s a good athlete and is strong enough to guard in the paint and fast enough to stay in front of guards and he scored the ball efficiently and in big spots when his team needed him to. He’s a very gifted player at his size that should have a big summer and will lock himself in as a national 2024 to keep an eye on. Amani Hansberry | 6’7” PF | Team Durant 2023 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Hansberry-Amani-Durant.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1421288" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Hansberry-Amani-Durant-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Hansberry was fantastic throughout the event and always has played well when I watched him, and while he’s a little short at his position he’s also very crafty and versatile and it allows him to be very productive. At 6’7” he’s strong in the paint and knows how to use his body to create space and draw fouls, he can step out to the three point line where he’s a very good passer and can put it on the deck, he showed good touch in the midrange and he brings it on both ends of the floor. He’s set to have a big summer if he plays the way he played this past weekend in the EYBL. Shawn Simmons | 6’6” WF | Team Durant 2023 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Simmons-Shawn-ECE.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1148661" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Simmons-Shawn-ECE-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> The PA native is one of the most physically gifted players on this Durant group as he’s long and has great size and bounce to play on the perimeter, and the energy he plays with on both ends is very infectious to his team. He’s improved in his ability to knock down shots off the catch from deep, he slashes well and cuts well to get to the rim where he can finish above the rim and he’s a very good rebounder at his position too. As he shows his improvement in his offensive game he’ll be a guy to keep an eye on as the season continues. [player_tooltip player_id="1259623" first="Del" last="Jones"] | 6’2” PG | Team Durant 2024 Coming off of a very good sophomore year at Bishop O’Connell, Jones started at the point guard position playing up with the 17U group and he showed a lot of improvement and potential moving forward. The 6’2” guard is dynamic off the bounce with good burst and shift, he got in the lane well and showed the ability to finish in the paint and make plays when the defense collapsed and he scored it well from all three levels. His natural ability to score from multiple levels with the ball in his hands makes him very intriguing and he looks like one of the top guards in VA in the class of 2024.