I loved the intensity that Costley brought to the gym as he was a tenacious on ball defender all weekend, getting in the grill of opposing ball handlers and making life uncomfortable for them. Costley also was an organizer offensively, helping get his team set up and putting wings and forwards in positions to score. Costley also had some hot perimeter shooting stretches throughout the weekend. Consider myself a fan of Costley as a name I’ll be closely monitoring in the 2029 class from Maryland.

Costley – the top prospect in the local 2029 Rankings – needs no introduction, and continued to impress with a strong weekend in Spooky Nook, averaging a team-high 10.3 points per game as the Lions went 3-1.

The 6-foot-4 Costley has great size for a lead guard, and plays with great IQ, pace and control. He uses his height to see over defenders and find open teammates, and is equally comfortable operating in the halfcourt or in transition. Springdale has enough guard talent/depth to let him operate on and off the ball, and he’s impactful in either role.

Offensively, Costley showed good touch on his jumper and did a good job of picking his spots. He never forced the action, and struck a good balance between playmaking and finding his own shot when he needed to.  Defensively, Costley played with energy and an edge, showing confidence and toughness.

Costley is attending Team USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Miinicamp October 9-11 in Colorado Springs, CO, where he’ll get a chance to test himself against some of the top players in the nation.

Saving the No. 1 ranked prospect in this local class for last, Costley showed his worth against high-level competition with his clean, efficient approach as an offensive threat. His effortless stroke from three dropped time and time again even when it was crunch time in an absolute classic of a game against Archbishop Carroll (DC) that went into overtime. He used this weekend as a nice tune-up before heading to Colorado Springs to compete in Team USA Minicamp against the other elite prospects belonging to the other three classes of the high school level. Costley isn’t going to blow you away with laboratory athleticism or freakish measurables, but what he brings are some skills that organization at the highest level are seeking out. Shooting, IQ and connectivity within a role.

One of the best long term prospects at camp, Costley’s size, ability to create off the dribble, and advanced scoring all stood out on the first night and set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Whether it was making defenses pay with his ability to create for others, or by knocking down shots- Costley turned in a complete showing throughout.

While movement is expected in this class as a whole, the top two prospects in Costley and the player below seem to have a stranglehold a the top. There was no reason to move the 6’4″ combo guard from the No. 1 spot and in fact, he’s only gained ground on his top position after an MVP showing at UA Future 60, a strong/efficient couple of weekend at DMV Live and the success that he had playing up on 16s for Team Thrill in UAA play. Costley brings an intriguing skillset as a fluid shot maker with fundamentals playing off the bounce. His playmaking and ability to process reads off the live dribble has improved significantly and the potential that remains considering his young age is why programs such as Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Villanova and Virginia Tech have all extended offers.

Legitimately playing up an age-group and without the ball in his hands, Costley simply made by being active. He attacked on-the-go with cuts off-ball and in transition. Costley also hunted misses on both ends, whether he was getting a putback or grabbing a defensive board and going coast-to-coast. His nose for the ball and ability to produce are a testament to his feel.

Another showing of the top-ranked 2029 MD/DC prospect backing his status as Costley was a key ingredient in Thrill leaving with an unscathed, 4-0 record in S1. His biggest bucket came in the final game when he cut backdoor for a layup at the buzzer to escape an early morning Sunday matchup against NJ ShoreShots. He showcased his prolific outside shooting ability with a super quick trigger in transition fading to the wings as the ball handler crossed half court or coming off pin downs in the half court with sound, compact footwork to get into his release. Costley is much more than just a sniper. He made quick reads with the ball as a distributor as this Thrill team has multiple guys with great instincts as off-ball cutters. He’s showing better processing speeds on the catch with how much gravity he demands from the defense on any catch from beyond the arc.

-Costley was consistent and steady for Springdale all season as a young point guard prospect that can make winning plays both on and off the ball. He is a talented spot up shooter, does a great job of reading the floor in side ball screens, and uses his positional size to score on post faders or step through finishes when matched up with a smaller defender on the block. Loved his defensive development over the course of the season as a guard that could switch 1-3 and showed an active set of hands that consistently created live ball turnovers that he turned into points off a bucket or assist at the other end. Costley will remain playing up an age group as he competes with Thrill’s talented 16u group this offseason.

Costley will be playing up an age group as our top-ranking freshman is coming off a high school season that included the Maryland Private School State title. The combo guard has as quick of a trigger as you’ll find and it doesn’t matter if the attempt is coming off the catch or off the bounce. The mechanics, fluidity and quickness of the release will bode well for him long-term as a college prospect and his ability to knock them down in bunches is a great foundational piece to his overall skillset. He did a nice job of operating off of off-ball screens and actions on tight curls, fade or drops to the corner where he cashed in from range. If the closeout was there in time, Costley made quick decisions of either attacking the top foot for mid-range pulls or getting it out of his hands and ensuring ball movement.

The top-ranked freshman in the state proved himself yet again with a smooth 16-point performance to help steer Springdale to the championship game. Costley was effective as a shotmaker playing both on and off the ball, knocking down shots off the catch from the perimeter and showing advanced polish to his midrange pullup arsenal. He’s a smooth ballhandler who was able to slither to his spots off the bounce and consistently create space to get his shot off. Costley’s ability to produce at this level already as a true-aged freshman along with projectable size and length give him an appealing combination of floor and ceiling as a long-term prospect.