Grambling State jumped in the sweepstakes for two DMV combo guards during their time in PG County and one was McKenzie, a smooth southpaw scoring guard who did it at a high clip with the staff courtside. The 6’3″ lefty is coming off an accomplished junior season that included leading Takoma Academy to the MDPSBBT Division B title and while he’s put together a strong spring with Team Takeover Showcase, his work was put under the bright lights of DMV Live and he put on a show averaging over 26PPG.

McKenzie rose 25 spots in the latest update from No. 53 to No. 28 for a few reasons. One being his MVP run for Takoma Academy as they captured the MDPSBBT Division B title. He was also named as an Adventist Hoops All-American for his junior season and he parlayed those honors with averaging an alarming 26.5PPG on 52 percent shooting from the field in his four games through DMV Live in June. The crafty, smooth southpaw bucket-getter earned his first Division I offer from Grambling State as a result of his June production and looking forward to July where he’ll continue to lead TTO Showcase , McKenzie’s recruitment could just be getting started.

20p 6a 1a 1s vs Good Counsel

-McKenzie stood out as the engine of a scrappy Takoma team that put together a great regular and postseason summer league run. McKenzie usually stands out because of the ease and diversity of his scoring as a guard prospect that can really fill it up from all 3 levels. But in a semifinal matchup with a WCAC team he showed the full arsenal of play-making ability in ball screens, from the short corner over the top of double teams, crosscourt dimes before the screen arrived, drive-n-kicks, and several crisp outlet passes– loved his vision as an unselfish passer looking to create easy looks for his teammates. McKenzie scored off a spin move lay off the window, hit several 3s off the catch and off the bounce, hit touch shots in the paint, and knocked down a long 2 off a pull-up at the top of the key.

22p 5r 2a 4s vs Spalding

-Love the pace that McKenzie played with in ball screens to get to his pull-up midrange jumper from either side of the nail. Both his jumper and his handle are compact, keeping the ball close to his body as he executed pull-up jumpers and high dribble pick-ups to navigate through the defense to get to his spots to score. McKenzie anticipates defensive stunts well and uses his defender’s momentum against them to get them on their back foot and force them to gamble on a direction before he shoots the opposite way. He hit several key jumpers–often after snagging steals in TA’s fullcourt ball pressure schemes– late to make this a close game all the way down to the wire.

McKenzie was one of the few 2027 prospects to receive an offer as a result of his play this weekend. The 6-foot-3 southpaw scoring guard earned his first Division I offer from Grambling State and following his 38-point outburst in Takoma Academy’s opening game, he demanded the attention of college coaches to follow up with him on Sunday where he went for 20PTS in a win over VA Academy. Takoma only played two games on the weekend, going 1-1 behind McKenzie’s 29PPG and 6RPG.

Heck of a junior campaign for McKenzie as it ended by leading Takoma Academy to the MDPSSBT Division B title and taking home Tournament MVP honors behind 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. The 6-foot-3 lefty is a smooth operator with the ball who operates well in quick isolations due to the attention his long-range shooting ability demands. He has great instincts on the catch in how to attack closeouts where he can straight-line his way to the rim before using his plus length to finish extended layups and make it tough for defenders to get a clean contest without fouling. As impressive as his season was this year, we expect McKenzie to raise the bar as a senior and is why he made such a big jump from No. 111 to No. 63 in this update.

McKenzie took home tournament MVP honors as he led Takoma Academy to the first ever B Division title in MDPSSBT history. The smooth, southpaw scoring guard was the primary option throughout the season for the Tigers and proved his worth once again through this run as a guy who can create his own offense with regularity. Using the reputation he has built as a shooter to demand aggressive closeouts, McKenzie did a nice job of attacking the defender’s top foot and straight-line driving to the basket where he used his length to finish on tough angles or force a ref’s whistle with the contact he draws in mid-air. McKenzie averaged 19.7 points on 50 percent shooting from the field while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game in Takoma’s three wins.

Leading the way in a thrilling overtime win, McKenzie put on a show down the stretch in a back-and-forth contest on his way to an electric 25 points. The southpaw started off uncharacteristically slow but stepped up when it mattered most, putting together a dynamic second-half effort. He was effective using his quickness to work his way downhill and finish with touch in the lane, but really got going as a pullup shooter with polished mechanics and endless confidence once he sees one or two go down. McKenzie flashed his vision as a playmaker for others and was a pest on the defensive end with 5 steals. He needs to add some strength to his frame and continue growing as a facilitator but the scholarship-level talent is evident when McKenzie gets into a rhythm.

Matt was on fire this summer with TTO. He created his shot very efficently off the dribble. Matt can get to his jumper off a simpke dribble combo mixed with his first-step burst. Matt is athletic enough to rise over contests with his jumpshot whether off-the-dribble or spotting up outside the three-point line. One of TTO’s main factors all summer long, especially during MADE Hoops as a go-to option. Matt was dominant during Takoma Academy’s big regular season run, and only increased his productivity during the summer. One of DMV Live’s top scorers through the event. I see Matt becoming one of the leaderboard’s finest when it comes to scoring, as his productivity should only increase as a more experienced player.