12p 6r 4a 4s vs Warriors HGSL

-Early has really grown on me as a prospect because of the substance to his game that balances out all of the flashy skill work. Love the way that he keeps his head up as soon as he grabs a defensive rebound or outlet to advance the ball as quickly as possible to get good looks at the other end before the opposing team can get set up. Early knocked down a baseline pullup jumper, completed a smooth high pickup lefty floater off the window, hit a hanging layup through contact off the window, and got the step on his matchup to finish at the rim several times in transition. What he lacks in explosiveness he makes up with in off-ball positioning at the defensive end of the floor, goading opponents into making crosscourt passes or post entries that he can pick off and take the other way. Love the stop n go pace that he plays with in ball screens to keep both his defender and the helper honest to either score or deliver passes to teammates at just the right time.

22p 3r 3a 2s (50/50/80) vs Riverdale Baptist

-Early is a shifty guard that could create space in a phone booth with some advancing footwork and scoring craft as he maneuvered to his spots in the halfcourt. He knocked down a 3 off the catch, hit several pull-ups going to his left off the bounce, utilized his pivot well to create clean looks to score or facilitate from vulnerable spots in the middle of the defense, and does a good job of keeping his dribble alive when processing offensive options or when blitzed with double teams in ball screens. His shooting touch and unorthodox change of pace in transition makes him a difficult cover despite different defenders that RBS threw his way throughout the game.

Early Jr. was coming off a weekend at Spooky Nook getting back to his scoring ways within the mid-range that he established himself with as a freshman. This past weekend however, it was good to see his willingness to be more of distributor and make high level dimes off the live dribble. On multiple occasions whether it was off ball screen actions or him establishing advantages on drives, Early zipped passes around the floor and put the ball right where it needed to be for quick scores around the rim or to shooters in their pocket where they could immediately get into their jumper before a closeout could occur.

Early got his spring off on the right foot in his showing at East Mania this weekend as the 6-foot-1 southpaw combo guard knocked down shots with improved rhythm from what I saw during the high school season. He seemed to be more sure of himself when he put the ball on the deck to find holes in the defense for stop-and-pop jumpers. As a result, the efficiency followed, reaching double-figures in the scoring column throughout his team’s 2-0 showing. He has the ability to play on or off the ball and on this squad, it looks to be featured more as a two with Eyan Valadez or Chauncey Word Chauncey Word 5'11" | CG/PG Mount St. Joseph | 2028 State MD at the helm. Continuing to play with the confidence he showed this weekend will be a key factor for Melo once they hit the EYBL Circuit, as their wing and froncourt rotation will hold sturdy from a talent perspective.

Early had a nice bounce back game after he went through some shooting struggles on Friday night in a win over Glenelg Country. Fortunately, the Gaels were able to sustain there level of play and combine it with a much better shooting performance out of the 6-foot-1 southpaw guard on Saturday in their victory over Gonzaga. Early got out in transition often and made nice plays both as the ball handler or the streaker. His timely passes as the defender committed or the ability to withstand contact in the air helped the Gaels establish an advantage and maintain a tempo that favored their side of the deal. When he wasn’t in transition, Early looked to attack from the perimeter and in this case, he was able to knock down a couple of jumpers that he struggled with the night before. The three-headed monster of BJ Ranson BJ Ranson 6'1" | PG Mount St. Joseph | 2026 State MD , Early and Chauncey Word Chauncey Word 5'11" | CG/PG Mount St. Joseph | 2028 State MD allow this team to run on all cylinders. That was the case Saturday morning as Early finished with 16 points.

No. 20 – No. 15

Aaron Early Jr made strong impressions over the summer and has looked well early on in the preseason with MSJ. Pretty much replacing Purnell as the team’s scoring combo-guard. He can fill up the scoring column with his quick-twitch first step and a steady jumper. Aaron is confident in his scoring ability but does not force his shots up. Good at taking what the defense gives and utilizing all facets of his game to get baskets. Very unpredictable on the offensive end.

Early is a jet quick guard who thrives getting paint touches in a matter of seconds. His quick first step allows him to propel by defenders. He took what the defense gave him and glided to spots to show off his in-between game. He found ways to come up with steals. Early also didn’t let the ball stick to his hands. He filled the lane with ease. Early had great touch around the bucket. Early is a ball hawk and found ways to get the ball in his mitts. Excited to see how he progresses the coming years.

-The smooth lefty scorer has impressed early playing for a Mt. St. Joseph’s team that graduated a ton of their depth. Early uses a tight handle to throw his defender off balance and get to his spots to pull up for smooth jumpers from all 3 levels. He uses an unorthdox dribbling cadence that is difficult for defenders to time steals and he is beginning to see the floor much better as a play-maker. Early’s play has earned him a starting role amidst a 4-game win streak for the Gaels