12p 1r vs MSJ

-Johnson came alive late in the 2Q to fuel a CH run that cut the lead to 5 at halftime and continued that strong play in his 3Q minutes as well. Johnson got things going with a rip through from the wing that was too fast for his matchup and the helper, sprinted ahead of the pack to collect two passes over the top to score in transition, knocked down midrange jumpers off the bounce, and flew in for an offensive rebound amongst the trees in the key to draw a trip to the free throw line. A super dynamic leaper that has a ton of speed in the open court, his athleticism raises his floor as a prospect that can compete with the best of them and it will be fun to watch that potential become realized over the next 2.5 seasons

Ellis continued his strong week with multiple games as a top scorer on the team. Last week and more-so over the length of the season, Ellis has shown real growth as a consistent offensive threat. He created shots for himself off the dribble and scored in a variety of ways, having an answer for each defensive adjustment. The jumper looked noticeably improved and his consistency continues to trend upward. Even after misses his confidence never wavered. Ellis played with constant energy and stayed aggressive from start to finish. Has a ton of potential to realize as he closes out his sophomore season in good fashion.

Johnson poses as one of the big-3 for the Cardinals alongside Cameron Wood Cameron Wood 6'3" | CG/PG Calvert Hall | 2027 State MD and Billy Stanfield, so this isn’t a candidate who plays a minimal role. Nonetheless, guard play is what wins games in this league and if Calvert Hall plans to make any sort of postseason run, Johnson’s scoring and dynamism as a lead guard will hold much weight. He’s shown to do damage both off the catch or getting to his spots as a shooter and is best slashing in straight-line fashion. While Wood is good for a scoring outburst once or twice out of every handful of games, Johnson’s name can always be found as the leading or second-leading bucket-getter in the effort. Calvert Hall sits 11-16 overall.

Johnson, along with Stanfield, have been bright spots for the Cardinals as productive underclassmen. The overall record of 11-14 is an indication of the growing pains that come with depending heavily on their younger prospects, but all have shown tremendous potential with sustained development. As for Johnson, he’s a smooth operator as a southpaw combo guard who can get going at any given time as a shotmaker. Whether that be in catch-and-shoot scenarios or getting to spots off 2-to-3 dribbles, his compact and repeatable mechanics bring nice results. Continuing to grow his feel and IQ for time-and-score as well as his ability to make plays with the intent of creating for others are areas of his game that can be unlocked. Still, we are buying high here with Johnson as we moved him up 15 spots from No. 45 to No. 30.

Calvert Hall has experienced a few hiccups as of late, but Johnson has been consistent with his impact as a 6-foot-2 southpaw scoring guard. He’s a smooth operator off the bounce who can get to his spots with good pace and quickly get into his fluid pull-up. Johnson sees the floor well and processes reads correctly, but is definitely more wired to score at this point of his development. Calvert Hall is on a six-game losing streak after winning their first six of the season, but with the young and talented core of Johnson, Billy Stanfield III Billy Stanfield III 6'6" | CG/SF Calvert Hall | 2028 State MD , and Cameron Wood Cameron Wood 6'3" | CG/PG Calvert Hall | 2027 State MD , there’s hope to regain their footing and reel off some victories come conference play.

No. 75 – No. 45

Ellis is smooth with the ball and can get to his shot in many ways. Shoots the ball with confidence and consistency from the 3 and the midrange. Noticed some improved efficiency in his decision-making when it comes to scoring the ball. Ellis will take his opportunities in doses, driving the ball inside off the dribble or pulling up after a quick first step. Very impressive wing with a ton of potential. 

Johnson continues to find his rhythm with his new team and this weekend was another step in the right direction. The 6-foot-3 lefty has a smooth load up getting into his shot whether it comes off the catch or off the bounce. He averaged over 13PPG, knocking down 50 percent of his shots from the field and converted on 10 of his 18 looks from beyond the arc. As this young Calvert Hall group gets more reps on the floor in live game action, the better the product will be. Things seem to be headed in the right direction as the Cardinals went 3-1 in their York showing. Johnson looks to be a big piece of their puzzle this winter.

Ellis jumped out immediately while watching Calvert Hall play at The Challenge. He was a go-to option for the team and they looked to him to create offense on the floor consistently. While Ellis was a problem for the defense on the perimeter with his handle and quick first-step, he could also mix it up and take the ball inside and go up strong. I was impressed to see the efficiency and versatility from the floor. He stretched out to the wing and knocked down his catch-and-shoot opportunities consistently. Ellis was elusive with the ball and could put the ball on the floor and get into the paint. Was impressed with his strength and effectiveness in the paint amongst the bigs. Excited to see how how Ellis shapes out with his natural skill already with 3 seasons left to play at high school level.

Ellis had a nice feel to his game with the ball in his hands. Took a lot of good looks in the midrange after creating space with the handle. Made a few catch-and-shoot threes during scrimmage play as well. Ellis boasted his athleticism with some great defensive plays. Grabbed some steals and got out on the break for the finish. Topped off his performance with a pair of uber-athletic putback layups. Lot of potential from the ’28 guard.

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-Thought he showed an advanced level of feel and wasn’t bothered playing alongside/against upperclassmen. Landed on two in the paint and had a beautifully-timed kickout to a teammate for the three. Johnson performed a swift face cut in the halfcourt and scored with a sweeping underhand lay off the window just past the hands of the defense to continue his hot streak in the 1st game. His best play however came on a high dribble pickup across the paint and extension lay with the left off the window through the contact for a converted AND1 bucket.