St. Frances Academy Fall Workout- Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Frances Academy has been an established powerhouse in the Baltimore area for some time now. The reigning MIAA A Conference champions enter the 2023-24 season with a reconstructed roster from last year's team as they look to protect their MIAA A Conference crown and make another run towards the Baltimore Catholic League title. Here are three takeaways from our time in the gym recently while watching a fall workout. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Frontcourt production</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the first thing that sticks out about this Panthers team is their lack of true size throughout the roster. Fortunately for them, they'll feature a solid frontcourt duo in 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2148704' first='Donovan' last='Flamer'] and 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1374773' first='Cam' last='Fleming'], both of which had impressive spurts throughout DMV Live play in June. Flamer brings the height and length at 6-foot-9 and while he continues to grow into his body and improve his overall explosion, he possesses good instincts around the basket at both ends. He plays with a good motor and is always looking for an opportunity to stalk down offensive put-back dunks on opposing players. Fleming brings more of the athleticism to the court where he's a lob threat both in transition or in the half court on baseline cuts. When Fleming is locked in at both ends, his impact can be felt in multiple statistical categories. There isn't much depth in size off the bench, so Flamer and Fleming will shoulder much of the responsibility inside, which will be crucial as St. Frances embarks on another national schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Boatload of guards</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The talent from the guard spot is healthy. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1579098' first='Josiah' last='Legree'] transfers in for his senior season after being a catalyst for Parkville's Class 4A state title run in 2022-23. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782591' first='Jasiah' last='Cannady'] brings an explosive scoring presence as a lead guard with elite end-to-end speed, which will promote the chaotic pace with which they plan to play. 2024 unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id='1948344' first='Jordan' last='Downs'] will enter his senior season with a bigger role and look to build off a strong summer. 2026 Kamauri Lawson brings a toughness at both ends that head coach Nick Myles thrives with in his point guards. 2024 unsigned senior Tyler Baldwin looks to contribute as a streaky scorer and high-effort defender while 2025 transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1414526' first='Trent' last='Egbirmolen'] brings a nice combination of size and shot-making at 6-foot-5. Also look for [player_tooltip player_id='2241987' first='Jahshua' last='Lamothe'] to bring valuable intangibles to the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Embracing cohesion</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are five new faces to this roster, all of which will play heavy minutes this season. It'll be crucial for this group to come together quickly and respond to the punches taken during the season accordingly. They have a chance to be an explosive scoring bunch who wears teams out with a relentless pace and intensity at both ends, but just like with any team, ironing out roles and expectations will ultimately help decide how high their ceiling is. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->