Weekly Roundup: Surging Publics, Top Performances, Underclassmen

Our staff of scouts wanted to start a weekly roundup where we touch on some of the players, teams, and matchups that have stood out to us the most over the past week. This will be a weekly post where we try to speak on as many players as possible, please feel free to reach out to our scouts with game scores and stat lines along with video so that we can highlight as many of our young athletes as possible. We will use the same 5 guiding questions each week, and we hope it is representative of the hotbed that is DMV Basketball. Let's dive in!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. What team(s) have stood out to you this week?</h2>   Aaron- South River. Beat Chesapeake (70-27), Arundel (81-41), and Glen Burnie (79-66) handily and should challenge Meade in the county. Backcourt filled with seniors that have been playing together for 3 years, several contributing pieces off the bench, and a 6'10 prospect developing on the block. They are a group that is at their best in transition but the balance on their team should give them a great shot this postseason.   Colby- Magruder continues to figure it out and remain on unbeaten Whitman's heels as they are 14-1 with five regular season games remaining on the schedule. After the weather dismantled everyone's routine, the Colonels faced two opponents battling it out to enter themselves into the upper tier of MoCo in Sherwood and Paint Branch. Magruder won both contests by a combined 5 points and were tests that I believe will benefit them moving forward. Being forced to learn how to win close games are valuable lessons for potential championship teams and after a four-game streak where they won by 15 points or more, these sort of matchups will allow them to be comfortable in crunch time.   Van- Elkton HS has continued their solid play in the Upper Chesapeake Regional play with a 15-2 record. And a 7 game winning streak going into this week.   Will- John Carroll. They have continued to pile on the wins against formidable opponents which we did not see this late into the season last year. Leaving the court consistently with wins of at least 10 points will provide some real momentum heading into the postseason starting in a couple weeks. Feeling pretty confident about their chances in the BCL playoffs this postseason, especially if they can matchup well before the Final Four.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2 What was the best individual performance that you saw?</h2>   Aaron- [player_tooltip player_id='2343207' first='Jaden' last='McDuffie']'s 32p 10r 6a 5s 2b Senior Night performance versus a scrappy Glen Burnie team that kept things close for the first 3 quarters. McDuffie was dynamic in transition both on and off the ball, overcame an up and down perimeter shooting night by attacking the rim to get to the FT line. The Northwestern football commit showing that he has some game on the hardwood and is looking for his second county championship.   Colby- Riverdale Baptist senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1588140' first='Ean' last='McLaughlin'] poured in 32 points on Saturday to help the Crusaders to a win over Minnesota Prep. In one of the more physical games I've covered, the 5-foot-10 lead guard caught fire in the fourth quarter to create separation by burying four of his seven three's. If the 32 points weren't enough to impress, he also filled out the stat sheet with seven rebounds and seven steals to further support his activity. He's a quick-twitch guard with blazing end-to-end speed who keeps the ball on a string and applies constant pressure to the defense as a threat to both score or create.   Van- Anthony Brown Archbishop Carroll 34 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a victory over Good Counsel.   Will- [player_tooltip player_id='2731617' first='Ellis' last='Johnson'] Calvert hall - had multiple performances with 15+ this week win or loss. Ellis has been versatile this year and consistent with his scoring lately which has me excited for the future at Calvert Hall. He leads the team with his fearlessness and competitiveness, never letting the opponent shake his motives. Looks to leave an impact on the floor every night and definitely makes his presence felt each night.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. What game (s) or tournaments are you most looking forward to this week?</h2>   Aaron- Tonight's Coolidge at Dunbar game will be a banger to start the week as two of DC's best teams matchup in a marquee game. Tuesday I'll check out Glenelg Country for the first time this season as the Dragons have a road matchup with a scrappy Pallotti group. Meade at Severna Park is another good option for Tuesday as the undefeated Mustangs will look to remain undefeated in league play against a well-coached SP group. Wednesday's slate is absolutely LOADED. SMAC matchup with Lackey/Huntingtown at 6:15, DC charter matchup between Digital Pioneers/DC International at 6:45, Montgomery County showdown with Sherwood/Whitman at 7:15, WCAC #1 vs #2 seed in PVI vs SJC at 7:30, and an MPSC headliner between Clinton Grace and Riverdale Baptist at 7:30.   Colby- There are quite a few games that have my attention this week in the various public/private school leagues:   Monday we have an intriguing Baltimore City v Howard County matchup as Baltimore City makes the trip to Marriotts Ridge.   Tuesday, Wise and Laurel will have my attention as the Pumas will look to force Laurel in an uptempo pace as 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2528359' first='Dion' last='Walker'] continues to prove himself as one of the best prospect in the county while 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='3068853' first='Hakeem' last='Oyekan'] is coming off a 38-point explosion last week in a win over Northwestern.   Wednesday offers a can't miss AA County dual between Meade and Severna Park.   Looking ahead to Saturday, Mount St. Joseph will travel to Mt. Carmel for a makeup game that could hold significant BCL playoff picture implications.   Van- Bishop O'Connell at Archbishop Carroll on February 10th.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. What fresh/sophomore prospect are you buying stock in?</h2>   Aaron- Glen Burnie G Tillman Brown really showed me something against South River, starting for his team and filling up the stat sheet with 12p 6r 3a 2s 2b. Dynamic driver that makes plays in space and is really difficult to stay in front of in the open court or halfcourt offense.   Colby- 2028 St. Frances hybrid forward [player_tooltip player_id='3142764' first='Jaliel' last='Spears']. Spears caught my eye in the preseason as a sophomore that spent his freshman year playing a major role at the JV level. He's got a strong, cut up frame at 6-foot-4 with good length, athleticism and a skillset that I believe can project nicely long term. He's more of a junkyard guy on this year's 30-5 St. Frances team, but had arguably his best game against Mt. Carmel on Sunday, which was pivotal in the Panthers putting themselves in the driver's seat as regular season champs. Spears finished with 12 points, helped fend off the size advantage that Mt. Carmel posed with physical play, and was a presence on the glass as both ends.   Van- Christian Towe, 5-10, PG, Freshman. Smooth southpaw has played with the poise of an upperclassmen. Leading the Hayfield Hawks to a 14-6 record and 10-1 1st District 3 record.   Will- [player_tooltip player_id='3453657' first='Jeremiah' last='Williams'] 2029 / Walter Johnson - Standing at 6'6” this freshman has all the tools to be special in the future. Already one of Walter Johnson's key players/starters. Sweet shooting guard/wing that can stretch the floor with his size and versatility on the perimeter. Really looking forward to his postseason in the tough MoCo division, going to be interesting how he plays under likely the most pressure he'll face to date in his young career.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. What team are you holding stock in for the end of the season?</h2>   Aaron- Southern. Balanced roster with consistently-good guard play and an athletic frontcourt that could lead to some upsets in postseason play. Currently 4th in the region at 12-4 but have some winnable games down the stretch run of the season.   Colby- Rolling with City here as they approach a critical stretch in Baltimore City Public School league play to end the regular season over the next 10 days. The Knights suffered a surprising loss to Forest Park last week, but rebounded with a strong win over Mervo thanks to 30 points from senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='3275517' first='Jayden' last='Hargrove']. As mentioned above, they'll travel to Howard County to take on one of the top public school programs this season in Marriotts Ridge before facing a daunting schedule to close things out against Dunbar, Poly, Edmondson and Lake Clifton.   Van- Sidwell Friends 16-5 always seem to peak around the end of the regular season and this year is no different. They are 1st in the always tough Mid-Atlantic conference going into a tough game against the Potomac School (14-5) Team this week.   Will- St.James impresses me each week with their consistency and overall performance. I think they have a real chance in the MAC playoffs this season after a disappointing end last yar. Although they just had a tough matchup with Sidwell, their experience could prepare them to play with more strategy and preparation in the postseason.

Our staff of scouts wanted to start a weekly roundup where we touch on some of the players, teams, and matchups that have stood out to us the most over the past week. This will be a weekly post where we try to speak on as many players as possible, please feel free to reach out to our scouts with game scores and stat lines along with video so that we can highlight as many of our young athletes as possible. We will use the same 5 guiding questions each week, and we hope it is representative of the hotbed that is DMV Basketball. Let's dive in!