Hoop Buzz DMV Finale-Saturday 16U Standouts

We are now in the final live period weekend of the summer and conveniently for me, The Hoop Buzz held an event in District Heights, MD at the Athletic Republic. The DMV Finale featured teams from around the are and even though many of the 17U teams are spread throughout the country, the young, promising prospects of the DMV still demanded a respectable amount of college coaches. Let's look at some 16U prspects who caught my eye throughout the day.   [player_tooltip player_id='1494081' first='Rodney' last='Scott'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'] '25   Scott has to lead this list considering this was the best performance that I've seen out of the 5'8 floor general. In a tightly contested matchup against [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'], Scott found his way to the paint at will. Takeover threw different defenders at him throughout the game, but the results were the same. Once Scott got into the paint, he dropped dimes to bigs roaming the baseline and zipped kick-outs to shooters on the perimeter. While he is more of a pass-first driver, Scott can put the ball in the basket to keep the defense honest. He did so with floaters, mid-range jumpers from the free-throw line or quick scoop lay-ups. Despite the loss to Takeover, Scott scored a game-high 21.   [player_tooltip player_id='1782696' first='Jordan' last='Smith Jr.'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] '26   Every time Smith takes the floor he reminds you why he's one of the special talents in the 2026 class even on a national scale. He impacts the game in a multitude of ways and is continuing to improve his ability off the bounce. At 6'3 with the frame of a grown man, Smith got downhill with regularity and used his strength to bully his way to the basket or initiating enough contact that would earn trips to the charity stripe. Smith possesses good patience playing off of two feet in the paint, rebounds at a high rate for a guard and has feel as a playmaker. Smith's team-high 15 points were crucial in holding onto the victory.   [player_tooltip player_id='2918820' first='Jamari' last='Jenkins'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] '25   Jenkins took advantage of his opportunity to log important minutes in the game against [program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'] as the 5'9 guard buried four triples to total 12 points. Two of those three's came late in the game to give Takeover momentum. He also made sound decisions as a ball-mover and did a solid job of keeping his man in front defensively.   Jayden Kelsey | WeR1 '25   WeR1's 16U team is stacked with intriguing long-term prospects, but one that seems to be a little ahead of the curve at the moment is 2025 wing Jayden Kelsey. At 6'7, he has good positional size, a smooth lefty shooting stroke and ability to put in the on the floor to make a play when his defender closes out too hard. WeR1 faced a scrappy District BC that pushed them to the limit until Kelsey and company closed out on a strong run in the final 3-to-4 minutes. The Westtown standout scored 13 points in the win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1768963' first='Jaylen' last='Wills'] | District BC '25s   Will played with an edge and quiet competitive spirit in this one. Forming a tough backcourt duo alongside 2025 Pat McDonough, Wills made his impact with his shot-making off the bounce. He quickly got to his spots off 1-to-2 dribbles and pulled up with great balance and confidence. Wills was huge in the second half scoring 15 of his game-high 19 points in the loss. Wills is one that I'll plan to check in on this high school season at St. Albans.   [player_tooltip player_id='1374773' first='Cam' last='Fleming'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'] '25   Other than Scott, Fleming was the key cog for Thrill and he relied heavily on his off-ball movement. His activity was rewarded oftentimes from Scott's pinpoint passes, but it was Fleming's athleticism that allowed for finishes over contested defenders. He ran the floor with purpose, defended well around the basket and closed down the glass.

We are now in the final live period weekend of the summer and conveniently for me, The Hoop Buzz held an event in District Heights, MD at the Athletic Republic. The DMV Finale featured teams from around the are and even though many of the 17U teams are spread throughout the country, the young, promising prospects of the DMV still demanded a respectable amount of college coaches. Let's look at some 16U prspects who caught my eye throughout the day.