Chaplin may not have been called on for a ton of production but nonetheless thrived in his minutes while continuing to get comfortable in his new locale at Mt. Zion. A repeat junior via Concordia Prep (MD), Chaplin is having to adjust to playing against competition that can more consistently match up with him physically and athletically but looked increasingly comfortable as Mt. Zion pulled away from the Skyline Boys of Florida. The rangy hybrid forward brought great energy in the floor game as an athletic finisher around the rim and versatile defender. He shows glimpses of being able to develop into a true wing over time with fluid movement patterns and a stable foundation as a standstill shooter from the perimeter. It figures to be a season of steady growth for Chaplin in a confined role but the finished product could wind up looking really interesting by the time he puts all the pieces together.

Chaplin was another prospect voted to the First Team for this event and it had to do with his two-way presence that, especially in the first 5v5 game of the afternoon, was nothing short of dominant. He tee’d off from three at the top of the key, used his long strides when operating in isolations to establish an advantage against his man and whenever he had a clear path to take off he rose above the rim and flushed it home. Chaplin made his presence felt early defensively with multiple blocks both when chasing down others in transition or rotating over from the weak side. Setting the tone early on that end made forced others to hesitate and locate Chaplin on proceeding takes to the cup.

There were long spurts where Chaplin was nothing short of dominant. Particularly in the first 5v5 game, Chaplin had a dozen buckets consisting of powerful dunks in transition or drives baseline, three’s from the top of the key and creative finishes if he didn’t have a clear path for takeoff.

As valuable as he was offensively, Chaplin brought the same level of presence on defense. He was quick to put his head down and sprint in transition where he swatted away or pinned layup attempts on the glass. It looks like he’s getting closer to 6’7″ every time I see him, which played a role in this setting as a dominant rebounder to close down possession and limit the opposition to one shot.

Another prospect who jumped onto our radar after last year’s Expo, Chaplin has spent the year testing himself against high-level competition playing for DC Premier and now, looks to carve out a role in the rotation of a talented Mt. Zion Prep group. He brings size with versatility to play either forward spot and in some lineups, could slide up as an off-ball guard. Chaplin has touch on his jumper from deep with space, but is at his best in the open floor where his athleticism allows him to be a lob threat. In this sort of setting where the pace will be up-and-down, I expect to have a few highlight plays out of the junior wing, who attended Concordia Prep last season before making the move to Mt. Zion.

Chaplin is a prospect who grows on me with each viewing. A 6-foot-6 shotmaker from the wing, he provides valuable length and versatility on the defensive end to present as a two-way impact player. He was lethal as the corner man when the Concordia guards broke the MSJ press and forces rotations as a spot-up shooter and even hit an important triple from the wing after a timely lift to keep his team in striking distance after the MSJ run. The one aspect of Chaplin’s game that folks will be familiar with moving forward is his athleticism in the open floor. He didn’t get many opportunities at all in this showing to display it, but his 16 points were critical positioning Concordia to always have a chance in this contest.

Matthew is one of the most intriguing prospects we have added to our 2027 list. Matt has the height of a forward and the offensive skillset of a go-to guard/wing. He can create his own shot off the dribble thanks to his elusive and shifty handle. Shakes off defenders with ease whether utilizing his size and strength or with his speed on the perimeter. Shoots the ball very well outside and inside the arc, and proved all summer he can create space and score effectively off the dribble. Matthew is not afraid to get down low and drive the ball inside, looking to finish strong over the smaller defenders and take the contact from helping bigs. A lot to like from Chaplin as he has a chance to grab the attention of some big-time recruiters if he can fill his game out. Very versatile wing prospect for any college program.

Matthew was a clear standout to our scout team after his work at the Expo Showcase. He made his name as a versatile scorer with a lot of skill out on the wing. Matt showed he can operate from anywhere on the perimeter and get a basket off the dribble comfortably. I was impressed to see the way Matt attacked the midrange and used his height and speed to make pullups over closeouts. Had plenty of dunks blowing by his matchup or breaking out in transition. Showed every reason why he was a second-team selection for the Expo from our scouts.

Chaplin will be a name that is on the rise in the MIAA B Conference this season and Sunday was a good indication as to why. Standing around 6-foot-6, Chaplin thrived getting downhill for straight-line drives where he used his burst to get by opposing wings or bigs and finished high around the rim. He was aggressive with his touches, which fueled him on the defensive end to corral rebounds and spark transition opportunities himself. Chaplin’s jumper wasn’t falling as it usually does, but if he can become more consistent in that sense and really tune into his defensive upside, his ceiling rises even higher.