Game Recap: Tatnall School 64, Sanford School 49

Visiting Tatnall School continued to build a resumé as one of the top teams in Delaware with a win over defending state champ and perennial power Sanford School. The Hornets were led by the play of consensus 5-star sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1755072' first='Mason' last='Collins'], who dazzled with a game-high 23 points. Freshman forward [player_tooltip player_id='2818415' first='Jalen' last='Littlejohn'] and senior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='2773627' first='Ayinde' last='McLendon'] supported while sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2607491' first='Jacob' last='Allen'] (14 points) paced Sanford.    One of the top sophomores in the country and among the best overall prospects Delaware has seen in some time, Collins continued a strong start to his debut season in the First State, stuffing the stat sheet while scoring a seemingly effortless 23 points. Collins picked his spots like a seasoned pro, showing his three-level scoring ability in spurts both in the halfcourt and transition, but also using his size, intellect, and budding on-ball skill to set teammates up for easy looks all over the floor. He played an active and high-IQ two-way floor game, constantly directing traffic both with and without the ball in his hands. His final stat line would include 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 emphatic, tone-setting blocks in the early going. Just how high his ceiling is will hinge in part on his growth as a jump shooter, but it's readily apparent already why Collins has the attention of a long list of high-major programs.     Helping support Collins across the board as he's done all season long, McLendon was quiet in the scoring column for much of the game before breaking loose in the fourth quarter to help establish momentum for good. McLendon was effective filling in gaps on both ends of the floor, doing most of his damage around the rim both as a cutter and a quick, athletic slasher able to taking on contact on his way to the cup. While he didn't make a 3, he showed himself to be capable from the perimeter on a handful of clean misses off the catch. McLendon is a bit undersized for a utility wing at the scholarship level but could be a really nice piece for a variety of small-college programs to key in on over the rest of the winter.     Emerging quickly as a focal point for the Warriors as the year goes on, Allen impressed despite the loss with a team-high 14 points. He came out aggressive, showing a nice crispness to his attack off the bounce with clear decisiveness whenever he spotted a seam. Allen would get himself going later on as a jump shooter, knocking down a pair of second half 3s to help keep the game within reach. Above all, he stood out with infectious two-way energy and an impressive blend of both poise and confidence to his decisionmaking with a heavy load of ballhandling reps on his plate. Allen will be tracked closely moving forward with the chance to emerge as a scholarship-level prospect with appropriate development over time.     One of a handful of freshmen making an instant splash for some of the state's top teams, Littlejohn took a bit to settle into the game but would impress as things progressed on his way to a workmanlike 12 points. Playing as the nominal center, he was active inside, utilizing his strong body to establish position within 15 feet before punishing weaker defenders with physical finishes around the bucket. His flashes of ball skills while attacking from the perimeter offered a glimpse of where his long-term upside could be while he continues to add finesse. While he's a bit of a tweener for the time being, Littlejohn has plenty of time to iron out his positional designation while his size and production place him on D1 watch lists already at this early stage.     We're not used to highlighting 8th graders Pechickjian's ability to fit in seamlessly at the varsity level and even stand out for stretches at a time make him more than deserving of mention. Slotting into the starting lineup, Pechickjian came out aggressive on his way to an 11-point effort, showing himself to be a highly dynamic shooting threat who only needs a sliver of space to get his shot off. He flashed impressive craft as a scorer off the dribble along with a clear toughness to his two-way approach in the floor game, while also looking to have big feet and moving like he could be on the verge of a meaningful growth spurt. It's too early to speculate on Pechickjian's college projection but we look forward to tracking his development in the coming years.

Visiting Tatnall School continued to build a resumé as one of the top teams in Delaware with a win over defending state champ and perennial power Sanford School. The Hornets were led by the play of consensus 5-star sophomore Mason Collins Mason Collins 6'7" | SF Tatnall | 2028 State #12 Nation DE , who dazzled with a game-high 23 points. Freshman forward Jalen Littlejohn Jalen Littlejohn 6'4" | SF/PF Tatnall | 2029 State DE and senior swingman Ayinde McLendon Ayinde McLendon 6'2" | SG Tatnall | 2026 State DE supported while sophomore guard Jacob Allen Jacob Allen 6'0" | PG Sanford | 2028 State DE (14 points) paced Sanford.