It’s been tough for me to walk away from a game that involves Spears and ignore what he does. Even in one of the most low maintenance manners, Spears leaves his fingerprints on a game because of the work that he does without the ball. A versatile, toolsy connector who can log time at the 3/4 right now, his blend of versatility, motor and adaptability all pop to me. While he isn’t a guy that will finish a game with 4-5 three’s (yet) simply due to volume, the mechanics and confidence in the release are clear. He’s an athlete that can make consistent plays above the rim and make an impact much larger than his listed 6-foot-3 height.

Another prospect that we’ve been ahead of the curve of showed plenty of reason for another bump in the next set of rankings updates. Spears filled more of a utility role for St. Frances this season and did so in such a fashion that head coach Nick Myles inserted him in the starting lineup for the final stretch of the season. Now playing the 2/3 for this Melo team depending on the lineup, more of Spears’ ability and skillset will be showcased as he preps for a bigger role with the Panthers as a junior. Standing 6-foot-3 with a plus wingspan, Spears is a presence around the rim at both ends of the floor. His competitive motor runs high, which sets him up for thunderous put backs, chase down blocks or securing rebounds out of his area. While he embodies the style of a rough, rugged utility player, Spears actually has a very fluid skill set offensively. His jumper is pretty from start to finish and he’s proven to be a guy that the defense must account for beyond the arc in the corners. He continues to build his ability off the bounce and adopting more counters to his approach and if he’s able to get around the vicinity of the rim, he has ill intentions.

Spears really came on in the final stretch of the season and forced head coach Nick Myles’ hand to insert him in the starting lineup. It really all stemmed with this ability to shine in the little things that impacted winning. St. Frances used their stable of guards starting with TJ Jones TJ Jones 6'4" | SF Severn | 2027 State MD and Carter Fisk Carter Fisk 6'2" | CG/SG St. Frances | 2027 State MD to lead their attack, but finding the complementary role players was a process and it seemed like Spears answered the call emphatically. More 6’4″ than 6’3″ at this point, his plus length and bouncy athleticism around the rim carry a much bigger presence. Pair those with his hardhat mentality and physical frame and the Panthers had a versatile frontcourt piece that impacted the glass, actions around the rim and proved himself as an occasional shot maker with soft touch. St. Frances’ roster will have a pretty substantial makeover next season, which leaves an excellent opportunity for Spears to become a consistent contributor for the reigning BCL champions as a junior.

12p 7r 3a 3s vs St. Mary’s

-Liked Spears’ activity and utility within the SFA rotation to serve as an effective help defender that has the lateral mobility to guard on an island at this young stage in his career. Spears started things off by showing that defensive versatility with a steal and dunk by blitzing a passing lane at the top of the key. His feel for where to be in help on the back line of SFA’s fullcourt defensive schemes let to 2 more steals and the handle-while not all the way there yet- is good enough to move to space before finding a guard to initiate the fastbreak. His sprinting endurance kept opposing players out of the key in transition to force up long shots and long rebounds that ignited the SFA transition offense that eventually put the game away. Intrigued to track his development this summer to see what he is capable of as a shooter and finisher around the rim.

Spears is a name that I was intrigued with during fall workouts as he boasts and intriguing frame, plus length and an underrated skillset. Over the course of this season, he’s had to earn his way into the rotation and eventually blossomed into someone that head coach Nick Myles inserted into the starting lineup. That boost of confidence served him well as different layers of his game started to emerge and last night folks were witnesses to the soft touch he possesses on his three-ball. He scored 10 points, six of which came from two catch-and-shoot triples all while flashing explosive athleticism around the rim on both ends. The sophomore worth monitoring tallied seven rebounds and two blocks in the effort.