This year, Nijel Howard Nijel Howard 6'6" | PF Fairfax Christian | 2024 State VA was the leading scorer for a talented and well-balanced Fairfax Christian squad. Nijel is an elite shooter with great size and excels at spotting up. Nijel is a great athlete and can score from the post or the mid-range. He has a lot of potential as a defender, as well. Nijel was player of the year, first-team all-state, and an all-met honorable mention. He is a player talented enough for a starting spot, but because of the abundance of wing talent, I have him in my honorable mentions.

Howard continues to show a balanced inside-outside game as a catch and shoot sniper that can also score effectively out of the midpost or serve as a play-finisher around the rim off of lobs. I expect college coaches to get involved down the stretch of the season as he projects well as a productive 3+D prospect

Howard was the most impressive player on the day erupted for 18 of his 24 points of the game in the 2H to lead FCS to a comeback victory. Howard finished with a balanced 24p 7r 1a stat line, scoring from all three levels at a sizzling 65% from the field. Although his lateral movement skills still need improvements to stick with guards at the next level, he seems to have taken a step athletically as punctuated by this one-handed poster dunk in transition from above the block. He gets to his spots in the low post and has a consistent fader from the post in addition to an ability to duck under and hit touch shots off the glass in the paint. Continues to be one of the best sleeper prospects in the 2024 class.

Howard was a much needed presence in the paint on the defensive end this past weekend for Team Take Over. Howard, a determined rebounder did everything coaches want to see in terms of rebounding. When a shot went up, Howard was putting a body on someone and boxing out for the defensive board as well as chasing down long defensive rebounders and making quick outlet passes, some leading to transition assist. On the Offensive end, Howard used his strength to create shots for himself in the paint. Howard also showed the ability to attack closeouts on the perimeter as he used a pump fake to get the primary defender jumping and takes one dribble into the mid-range for the pull-up jumper with great elevation over the contest of the secondary defender on one of his early possessions of the event.