Last Week's Top W/F Performers

7p 15r 1s vs North County   -The shot wasn't falling for him on this day but he found a way to impact the game as rebounder and off-ball mover. Soumaoro grabbed 15 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive boards in traffic to extend possessions for his team-- the biggest of which gave him a trip to the line in OT. The footwork and lateral mobility seems much more fluid as he is able to guard most 2s and 3s while also guarding up against forwards when called upon. Had a great catch in traffic on the block and scored off a spin move and lay with the left off glass, then hit a C+S 3 in transition a few possessions later to show the offensive versatility     11p vs Gerstell   -Playing well off the ball as a mobile 2/3 that can crowd opponents whether he is a trapper or 1 on 1 on an island, generating turnovers with a + wingspan. Scored off a curling lay off the side PnR, timed a great backdoor cut for the floater off the window to bring his team to within 1 with 4 mins left in the game in an eventual win over Gerstell. If he can consistently knock down open looks from 18 feet and continue impacting the game as a defender and off-ball mover, he can find a way to move up in our rankings.     11p 15r 7a 3s 2b vs South River; 17p 4r 1a vs Meade   -Pretty dynamic wing that does a little bit of everything for a pretty balanced North County team. Piñeda can beat his man off the bounce, knock down open jumpers, and switch 1-4 in the county. He has a nose for the basketball at both ends of the floor, using his athleticism and quickness to beat opponents to spots for rebounds. Started out hot against South River, canning a corner 3, baseline pull-up middy, and hitting a 3 off the bounce. He handles the ball well enough to initiate the break or create in the halfcourt, beating his matchup for extension lays at the rim several times. Showed the versatility in his skillset against Meade with a floater off glass in transition, hit a 1-dribble baseline pull-up, walked into a pull-up 3 from the wing, curled into a corner 3 with a rapid 1-2 step to help him get off the shot quickly, and scored off a face cut into the catch and 1-dribble lay to cut it to 1 late in the 4Q. Really intriguing blend of skills, expect him to be a coveted prospect this AAU season     -Love what I'm hearing out of Essex as Howard is putting together a productive junior season in new threads playing for Coach Tony Martin at OLMC. His attention to detail and motor allow him to stay in the game for longer stretches of time to show his upside as a stretch-forward that can also impact the game at the rim. Although he needs to continue to improve his conditioning to give him more stamina on the glass, Howard's hands have improved to finish putback opportunities in the paint through contact and rebound out of his area at both ends of the floor. Carving out a starting role over the course of the season for a tough OLMC team that currently sits at 22-3 overall and at a half game back of 1st in the BCL has raised his stock.     16 points vs Gerstell   -DiBitetto showed his offensive versatility throughout a tough MIAA matchup with Gerstell Academy at home. He hit a running hook over his left shoulder, executed a drop step into the right hook off glass, knocked down a 3 above the break, hit a C+S baseline jumper and later hit a face-up jumper from the other side of the rim in the same spot. He's doing a better job of patiently scanning the floor while taking care of the ball when faced with double or triple teams in the short corner or near the paint. Bigs usually develop latter in the process of their HS career but he seems to have made some big strides and is consistently producing for a St. Mary's team that needs his leadership as they push for a BCL A Conference invite next season.       21p 3r 1a 3s 3b vs South River, 18p 13r 4a 4b vs Meade   -First time seeing him this HS season and Avery did not disappoint. The explosive wing got after it at both ends of the floor, particularly impressing as a help side shot-blocker that has improved his spatial awareness at that end of the floor. Avery scored on a baseline drive with a smooth lay off the glass before hitting the ensuing FT, had a nice pivot lay from the block, and was disruptive defensively throughout the night. I like how well North County schemes baseline out of bounds plays to get him easy looks at the rim by throwing him and alley, setting him cross screens for layups, or setting pindown screens for him to get a nice catch at the elbow before making a play OTB or by pulling up for a jumper in the key. In his second game of the weak on the road against a very good Meade team, Nash produced a double-double with several explosive plays in midair. Nash hammered home two dunks in transition off of lobs, swatted 4 shots, had a great kick ahead in traffic to the shooter, and showed his floor game with a beautiful 1-handed chest pass with the left after going behind the back to get past a guard on the wing. His motor and feel look much improved, the only thing standing between him and the #1 spot in this class is consistency. With a big role on a pretty deep North County team that looks poised to challenge for the AA County championship, Nash is in good shape to not only learn through reps but also play alongside a talented group of teammates around him.