Deng was the showcase’s best rebounder and most imposing player in the paint. The 6-foot-5 forward used his exceptional strength and elite motor to get to the front of the rim on every offensive rebound possibility, and he secured tons of them with his long wingspan and sticky hands. When he doesn’t get it on the first time around, he uses his second jump to get the scraps. The sophomore threw down a handful of dunks in transition, too, and exhibited some solid touch in the paint when he needed to score around the trees. Defensively, he hung with older players all day and wasn’t scared in the slightest. Deng has an extremely bright future ahead as a true sophomore, and he should be one of Salem’s best players this season during their title defense.

Deng is like a man amongst boys. Against a tough and big Expressions squad on Saturday, the Team NSSA product was the strongest and most athletic player on the floor. The 6-foot-5 forward was an absolute beast on the boards and probably had a double-double from put-backs alone in the first half. He also has phenomenal hands in the short roll, can protect the rim effectively on the defensive end, and has a budding perimeter skillset. Deng missed an insane dunk attempt, too, that would’ve totally rocked the gym. He’s going to be one of Salem’s best players this coming season and has scholarship potential if he can keep improving and getting bigger. Prep schools should be all over him.

Deng was one of the more productive underclassmen bigs in the entire MIAA last season for a Salem squad that won the state chip, and he continued his development into the spring/summer with NSSA. Whenever I watched him play, I was amazed with the 6-foot-5 forward’s hands and strength in the paint—he has a knack for finishing with contact and catches everything his guards throw to him. His perimeter skillset continues to grow, too; I saw him make some really nice spin and crossover moves this spring and think he’ll take on A LOT more responsibility this season for Salem, which should allow him to showcase his game to local prep schools. Deng may or may not crack my Top 50 MIAA Rankings, which are coming out this weekend.