MD Live's Best: OOA Wings

New readers: Use code Proia30   I attended three different events during the first scholastic live period session to try and see as many of the local teams play as possible in a big weekend for college recruitment. In this article we will focus on the top wings and forward prospects from outside of the area that I saw at Maryland Live at the Severn School in Severna Park, MD this past weekend. Let's dive in!    17p 4r 2s 2b vs Boys' Latin; 6p 4r 2s 4b vs Pallotti   -Probably my favorite 2-way player from the weekend at any of the events that I attended, Walters' impact at both ends of the floor was noticeable for a GBB team with some new pieces that are still working out the kinks. Walters balanced a rollercoaster shooting performance in the first game by being a menace both on and off the ball at the defensive end of the floor as a disruptive wing prospect capable of guarding all 5 spots vs Pallotti. In the second contest against BL- Walters got it going at the offensive end of the floor to show the full arsenal of skills by knocking down jumpers off the catch, finishing lob dunks in transition, crashing the glass for putbacks, and finishing around the rim with finesse with either hand. The work ethic continues to chip away at his weaknesses as a ball-handler, and once he is able to run the break or maneuver through traffic without turning the ball over-- his college interest will continue to pick up as a scholarship-level guy to watch in 2027.     18p 7r 1a 3s 1b vs Pallotti; 17p 5r 4a 1s 1b vs Boys' Latin   -It's rare to see this type of motor with a blue chip recruit, but Parker showed out as a competitive 2-way wing prospect in both MD Live and later in DMV Live. Parker uses a smooth stride/euro step combination to maneuver around the help to score at the rim both in transition or in the halfcourt after he tight-roped the baseline. Liked the combination of on-ball creation as a primary in ball screens and as a connector moving well in the short corner or middle of the zone to give his team both a passing and scoring option. Liked his activity off the ball at the defensive end of the floor as well, where Parker served as a rangy defender capable of absorbing body contact from bigs throwing their shoulder but also has quick enough feet to ice or hedge ball screens on guards. Aready a very capable midrange shooter from the elbows and from the baseline off the bounce, he can break through to the next level of prospect if he can sharpen his handle to navigate through tight spaces in the paint or keep up with his long strides in transition. But the blend of size, skill base, and intangibles spell both a safe floor and high ceiling for this promising prospect in the 2029 class.     20p 4r 3a 2s vs St. Paul's   -Probably my favorite find of the weekend, Williams joins the list of prospects that played well both in Maryland and DMV Live as one of the leaders for a scrappy Catholic group. The high academic prospect showed an ability to knock down shots off the catch from the elbows and beyond the arc, is a scalable wing defender that gives his teams some lineup versatility as a 2-4 that can also handle the rock, and played hard from start to finish. Loved how quickly Williams accelerates in the open floor and is often looking to punch on somebody at the rim or at least get fouled trying to make that happen. Williams sprinted out ahead to collect runout buckets, executed a perfect pro hop between two defenders to float a bucket in off the window, jumped passing lanes from the back line, blitzed ball screens to collect a steal or force a turnover/ dribble pick-up, and was comfortable both on-ball and on the wing in transition. An aggressive prospect that shows a nice IQ to get his own buckets within the flow of the offensive game plan always stands out, and Williams turned down a few scoring opportunities to make the one-more hockey assist pass to lead to a higher percentage look for his group.     11p 3r 1a vs St. Paul's   -The young 2/3 tweener prospect filled a role nicely in multiple viewings this weekend with one of the prettiest jumpshot arc's that I've seen. Youngblood has nice positional size for a young prospect, takes good shots within the flow of the offense, showed both good footwork and excellent timing on his off-ball movement to free himself up for better looks off the catch, and didn't make a ton of defensive mistakes whether he was playing the helper or screen navigator in ball screen defense. Want to see his handle improve to take advantage of his long strides to the rim and set him up well for the afore-mentioned rainbow jumpers as it will unlock another level of his game as an on-ball creator. Earning early minutes on both BW and Catholic speaks volumes about his ability to play with other good players and carve out a useful niche as a 3+D wing with some creation upside.     11p vs Calvert Hall   -Disruptive wing prospect that had some really nice athletic flashes both finishing above the rim and contesting/blocking shots for Gillion. Harper vacuums up space on his matchup before they can began to dribble after making the catch but is also a ball-hawking help-side defender that rotates well to the rim to challenge shot attempts. His lateral quickness and athleticism also made him a threat as a slashing cutter in the halfcourt and above-the-rim play-finisher in transition. Interesting prospect to track in the VA 2029 class.

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