Minor belongs in the same conversation as Hopkins when you talk about MD/DC stock rising guards in the 2027 class. He made the move from Team Loaded to New World and proved to be a missing piece as a floor general who could impact the box score in a handful of ways. Minor led New World to a Sweet 16 appearance and while they came up short to a surging ASAK Elite group, Minor refused to go out quietly by wrapping up his 3SSB career with a consolation win over Compton Magic. As for his senior season, Minor will suit up for PGCA after spending last season at Mt. Zion (National) where he put together a couple of strong performances on The Grind Session. If the level of confidence that he ended his grassroots career with translates to the high school season, PGCA will be a prominent team in the DMV landscape.

It was an up-and-down weekend for Minor and New World 3SSB , but it was clear to see that he’s one of the most skilled scorers in Maryland. I caught up with them in a slow-paced encounter with Game Elite, where Makel put up 11 points on an efficient 5-for-10 shooting in a win. In that game, Minor showed a knack for creating space off the dribble with high speed and a tight handle. Whether he was elevating over defenders in the mid-range or flying past them to the rack, he was a tough assignment for the opposing team. He only had 2 assists, but there was some playmaking upside shown by Makel, especially as he started to see more bodies in the paint.

Minor received a boost in the latest update of hte 2027 rankings and he gave zero room to worry with his play throughout the weekend in Rock Hill. His on-ball presence was exactly what this New World team needed to function efficiently as Minor can handle the ball under pressure, pose as a volume-scorer who can do damage at multiple levels and bring a scrappiness defensively that in infectious for his teammates. He once again showed up big in New World’s consolation win against Compton Magic where he scored his 14PTS on just seven attempts from the field while controlling the pace to fend off what many thought to be the favorites to win the 3SSB title.

Minor caught serious momentum in the month of June as he lit up the DMV Live stage to a tune of 17.4PPG on impressive shooting splits of 50 percent from the field, 41 percent from three and 81 percent from the free-throw line at Prince George’s Christian Academy went 6-2 through the two sessions of play. The shifty lead guard is a handful for defenders and it starts with gravity he demands from beyond the arc, but it’s his twitch and ability to stop on the dime from the mid-range and convert in bunches that make him such a tough check. Due to his recent surge, Minor finds himself in the top-30 at No. 27 from his previous spot at No. 40.

Minor is a guard whose motor is always running hot. He allows is effort to be felt on the defensive end with his willingness to heat the ball handler up in full court pressure while maintaining disciplined hands in the process. On the offensive side, he’s also applying pressure whenever he has the ball. He showed throughout his S2 weekend that you can’t forget about him on the perimeter, but as his shot started falling and he demanded aggressive closeouts, the 6-foot combo guard attacked off the bounce and has the ability to stop on a dime and quickly rise up for mid-range shots. The last two games were a scoring clinic for Minor as he went for 32 and 33 respectively, with his better of the two coming in the 33-point outburst where he finished a blistering 13-of-16 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep.

18p 3r 2a 2s vs Academy of Central Florida

-Minor looked good in new threads with PGCA as a scoring guard whose midrange scoring onslaught kept the game close as his teammates struggled to get anything going with several injuries hamstringing the roster. Minor knocked down multiple stop n pop jumpers with and without a middle ball screen to get to either elbow, broke his matchup down with a double crossover into a pull-up long 2, hit his opponent with a nasty stepback after the spin move in transition to knock down an 18-footer, and got his opponent in the air to kick to a teammate and relocate to open space for a C+S jumper. Loved his willingness to go right at different defenders thrown his way, scoring at will against an athletic backcourt that had some nice size to try to slow him down.

Back to run the team again this season, Minor is a lead guard who can score at all three levels. He changes speeds effectively, uses his strength well, and shows a strong feel for the game. Minor sees the floor, creates for teammates, and does a good job utilizing ball screens.

A recent transfer from Bishop O’Connell, Makel is quickly gaining a reputation as a prolific long-range shot maker. When he’s locked in, Makel can ignite from behind the arc, using a quick, confident release whether pulling up off the dribble, coming off a screen, or catching and shooting. His ability to heat up in a hurry makes him a valuable asset for his team’s perimeter attack.

Makel was impressive in the Boo Williams 16 EYBL showdown. Scoring 21 points knocking down 4 threes in the game in the victory. Makel is a consistent threat from the perimeter that thrives off the catch, dribble, screens or picks. He’s got paint touches when slashing to the cup and is efficient with his dribble to get to his spots. Which is lethal with his quick release.