Mayhem on Military Road: Preview

Capitol Hoops will be hosting a top tier event at St. John's College HS in Northwest DC Thanksgiving weekend, welcoming teams from the DMV and surrounding states to compete in a 2-day tournament. This kickoff showcase tournament will include matchups across leagues, pit public schools against private schools, and serve as an early barometer for these team's success in the season ahead of us. Let's dig in!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/IMG_7416_6d80a2.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/IMG_7416_6d80a2.jpeg?w=774" alt="" class="wp-image-2673247" /></a></figure>   Best individual matchup:   MZN F [player_tooltip player_id='1494076' first='Francis' last='Folefac'] vs Carroll's [player_tooltip player_id='2340825' first='Liberty' last='Fusire'].   -Interested to see how this matchup between senior forwards goes as Folefac's brute force and motor matches with Fusire's length and athleticism around the basket   Best team matchup: Georgetown Prep vs St. John's   -Both teams boast some pretty good depth, but Prep's stable of bigs will pose a challenge for the Cadets' relative lack of frontcourt depth. How does Prep guard Witherspoon on the perimeter? Who do the Cadets have Barton shadow throughout the contest? Which backcourt can get paint touches while limiting turnovers? Does Waheed serve more as a perimeter scorer or passing hub for Prep from the high post? How often does each team turn to a zone vs man to man defense? Which team can execute at a higher level down the stretch this early in the season?   Fun coaching matchup: DeMatha vs Sidwell   -Similar coaching styles should make this an interesting battle as defense-first, outside-in programs that don't usually match up will face off. The Quakers' PG stable of Lewis/Gillis/Washington will face off with another trio of PGs in the Stags' Wallace/McKnight/Meeks, most of which are undersized defensive pitbulls that generate turnovers to get their teams going in transition. Both teams have upperclassmen wings that play their role, can hit shots, and defend. Whoever wins the turnover and rebounding battles will likely win the game, execution under the bright lights should make for an interesting early season tilt.   Underrated matchup: Mt. Zion National vs Carroll   -Coming off of some signature wins out west over Prolific Prep, Corner Canyon and Utah Prep, MZN will look to continue a successful start to the season against a reloaded Archbishop Carroll team from the WCAC. With guard depth on either side and a stable of bigs, it will be interesting to see if Carroll looks to speed up the tempo and test MZN's depth or if they will look to execute in the halfcourt. Can MZN's backcourt win their matchup with Brown/Graves? Will either bench shift the tide of the game with their scoring? Will Folefac/Wylie get it done defensively and score effectively against a 4-man rotation in the frontcourt for Carroll?   Unsigned 25s who could make a name for themselves:   Chris Richards '25 Bullis, Jeremiah Gorham '25 Highland, John Gray '25 Cardozo,   -Richards should pop onto the radar in a bigger role as a defender, C+S threat on the perimeter, and rebounder for a very good Bullis team. Gorham will have to score it at a high level and take care of the rock to give Ament/Rivera some support in two marquee matchups this weekend. John Gray does it all for a scrappy Cardozo team playing with house money this weekend.   Underclassmen that will put themselves on radars:   [player_tooltip player_id='2353562' first='Ian' last='Condon'] '27 Sidwell, [player_tooltip player_id='2194788' first='Xavier' last='Skipworth'] '28 Bullis, [player_tooltip player_id='2454538' first='Bruiser' last='Edwards'] '28 Georgetown Prep   -I think Condon will surprise people with an improved range on his jumper and his physical play in the paint. Skipworth will be a jack of all trades for a Bullis team ready to use his versatility at both ends of the floor. Edwards can provide steady PG play off the bench in two marquee matchups that will require Prep to limit TOs and execute in the halfcourt   Invaluable stars in their role:   [player_tooltip player_id='2148719' first='Mekhi' last='Polk']- Friendship Tech, [player_tooltip player_id='1782596' first='Angelo' last='Dickerson'] III '26 Bullis, [player_tooltip player_id='1494083' first='Akeem' last='Clark'] Georgetown Prep   -Polk's whirling dervish style of play regularly disrupts opponent's gameplans at both ends of the floor as he usually provides a boost for his team whether he's starting or coming off the bench. Dickerson will likely make a statement to the area as a scoring combo guard with good size that can carry the offensive load at the end of shot clocks or when Reibe/Stevens are on the bench or in foul trouble.   Shooters:   Wyatt Klein- Bishop Ireton, [player_tooltip player_id='2607605' first='Ryan' last='Lewis'] Mt. Zion Prep, [player_tooltip player_id='1956023' first='RJ' last='Roche']- St. Andrew's   -Klein transfers into an Ireton team that needs his shooting to space their floor for their drivers, fully expect him to take advantage the defensive attention that his backcourt mates draw. Lewis has proven that he can score in bunches and should continue giving MZP some self-creation punch in a matchup with Huntington Prep. [player_tooltip player_id='1956023' first='RJ' last='Roche'] steps into a larger role as a shooter that can also take his matchup off the bounce, defend, and move the ball well on second side reversals-- I expect him to fill it up in transition.   Floor generals:   Julian Rivera- Highland, [player_tooltip player_id='1969210' first='Geremy' last='Clark']- St. John's, [player_tooltip player_id='2620491' first='Diego' last='Joy']- Jackson Reed   -Rivera will need to control pace and generate easy looks for his teammates while scoring at an efficient clip himself in his team's matchups with 2 of the most explosive offenses in the area. [player_tooltip player_id='1969210' first='Geremy' last='Clark'] has the keys to the kingdom as a traditional point guard with plenty of mouths to feed for a SJC team that can have 3 different leading scorers each night. Jackson Reed's roster has some depth but lacks a ton of shot creation, how often Joy is able to create a clean look for himself and teammates will weigh heavily on their success this weekend.   Defenders:   Khaliq Carson Ireton, [player_tooltip player_id='2242030' first='Flynn' last='Rillstone'] Cardozo, Ron Alford- Glenelg Country   -I think Carson will turn some heads defensively as a lightning quick guard that anticipates changes of directions well to force turnovers and get his team going the other way. Rillstone steps into a big role as a shot-blocker that can also finish off defensive possessions with a rebound for a Cardozo team that will rely on their defense to generate offense. Ron Alford should provide strong, pesky POA defense for a Glenelg team looking to make a statement on Military Rd.

Capitol Hoops will be hosting a top tier event at St. John's College HS in Northwest DC Thanksgiving weekend, welcoming teams from the DMV and surrounding states to compete in a 2-day tournament. This kickoff showcase tournament will include matchups across leagues, pit public schools against private schools, and serve as an early barometer for these team's success in the season ahead of us. Let's dig in!