For the second weekend in a row, Sulaiman impressed me with his two-way impact.

The Lakers’ floor general controlled both sides of the floor in a 48-40 win over CTA Red, posting 14 points to go with 5 steals. Sulaiman kept defenders off balance with his nice blend of strength and quickness, and showed nice touch on his jumper when opponents gave him space. Defensively, he was opportunistic and read passing lanes well.

Sulaiman has impressed many of our scouts in recent viewings with his command and ability to set the table as the Boys’ Latin lead guard. His sturdy frame, quick feet and competitively-wired approach all help set the tone for the talented sophomore and freshmen that surround him. He’s stepping into more of a leadership role for the Lakers and seems to be embracing the responsibility even as more of a vocal presence than in year’s past. Always known as a hellish defender, Sulaiman spent the two days harassing opposing guards the full length of the floor with active hands that resulted in a few steals and quick buckets. Off the ball, he’s always looking to dig down on bigs during post touches or as others look to penetrate from the top of the key as the help side defender. His shotmaking has improved steadily throughout the last year and he’s now a guy that the defense must account for at all three levels. His best game, in my opinion, came against Canada Top Flight where he scored 14PTS and racked up 5STLS in the win.

An MIAA All-Conference selection as a sophomore last season, Sulaiman is in line for an even bigger junior campaign.

At 6-foot with a nice blend of strength, quickness and vision, Suilaman was in full control in the Lakers’ 46-38 win over Bridgeport United (CT), efficiently running the show while putting up a team-high 22 points.

Alongside sharp-shooting 2029 guard Brayden Whitaker Brayden Whitaker 5'11" | PG/SG The Boys Latin School of Maryland | 2029 State MD , the Lakers have a very intriguing young backcourt.

14p 2r 3a 4s vs NC GBB

-One of my favorite parts of Sulaiman’s game is the fact that he LIVES in the paint as a downhill driving guard once he gains an inch of space with bumps created by his strong upper body. Sulaiman started the game slow (playing through an injury) but roared back to life in the 2H to make it a 1-possession game late vs an out of area team that had nice positional size across the board. He got things going with a steal that he took C2C to score at the rim, hit his matchup with a double crossover to throw him off balance and his a floater with the left off the window, hit an awkward double clutch bucket from the middle of the paint, and hit an off balance floater with the left going left through contact to earn the AND1 bucket. The scoring runs that he goes on (personal 8-0 run to give his team the lead with 3 minutes left) allows BL to sustain their offense through dry shooting spells and gives him a safe floor as a scoring PG prospect that can get to his spot vs a slew of different defenders.

Sulaiman received a 10-spot boost up inside the top-20 and for good reason. The southpaw lead guard embodies plenty of traits that a coach would look for in a point guard and it all starts with his will to win. There aren’t many in this class who give effort to both sides of the ball like Sulaiman. If he isn’t providing pressure to his man the full length of the floor, he’s constantly looking to jump in passing lanes, making sharp rotations to draw a charge or battle among the trees for defensive rebounds. Offensively where his game has noticeably improved is his jump shot. It was never necessarily a blemish in his game, just an area that needed some improvement to keep defenders honest. He’s a downhill assassin that uses a blend of quickness and strength to bully his way to the bucket against opposing guards. His threat of shooting off the catch allows for more attacks on closeouts and his balance in getting to his spots within the mid-range has rounded out nicely. Sulaiman’s ability to touch the paint with regularity also allows for him to show off his vision as a playmaker, which is an approach he’ll gladly take on if it puts his team in a better position. Some of the proof can be seen in the year that freshman duo Brayden Whitaker Brayden Whitaker 5'11" | PG/SG The Boys Latin School of Maryland | 2029 State MD and Austin Pitts Austin Pitts 6'3" | CG/SG The Boys Latin School of Maryland | 2029 State MD are having.

Sulaiman has been of the premier sophomores in the Baltimore area this season as he’s hung a few crooked numbers in the scoring column thus far for the Lakers. His showing in Salisbury was more about filling the stat sheet as a whole, something that he’s been known for ever since his middle school days. The tough-nosed, two-way southpaw lead guard had his better showing against a team that many consider as the No. 2 ranked programs in Delaware, St. George’s, as he finished with 11 points, six assists, four steals and two blocks. The backcourt duo of Sulaiman and Brayden Whitaker Brayden Whitaker 5'11" | PG/SG The Boys Latin School of Maryland | 2029 State MD will be a fun one to watch as the years progress.

Previous Rank: 33

-Sulaiman is a lot for opponents to handle as a physical, dynamic lead guard prospect. The southpaw stepped up when a few backcourt teammates were out with injury at The Challenge and showed what he can do as a scoring point guard that can fill it up from all 3 levels. He hit shots off the bounce, got to the rim at will, earned several trips to the FT line, and showed his tenacity at both ends of the floor. Offensively- he is dishing out the pain with physical drives to the rim while defensively he bumps his matchup off their driving lanes to the rim while forcing a ton of turnovers and dribble pickups. Should be one of the better guards in the MIAA this season.

The Lakers were without the services of their senior point guard Ghavyne Saint-Pierre and Sulaiman took full advantage of the opportunity to display his lead guard abilities. The 5-foot-10 southpaw is a downhill nightmare who puts relentless pressure on the defense with his quickness and mindset of exposing the slightest of driving lanes. Sulaiman has always been a stop-and-pop threat in the mid-range, but over the weekend he showed off improved mechanics and balance on his looks from deep. He’s also pest on the defensive end who plays with active hands and a strong base that allows him to withstand more physical guard play. With more opportunity coming his way, it’s clear that he’s the building block for this young, talented Boys’ Latin group for the foreseeable future.

-Sulaiman will likely be one of our highest risers in our next rankings update as he has been performing at a high level as BL deals with a few injuries at his position. Sulaiman is a dynamic downhill driver that can stop and pop at the elbow or get all the way to the rim to score with an advanced bag of finishing moves. The lefty had it going vs Middletown scoring off of drives to the rim through contact, 3s behind ball screens at the top of the key, and elbow jumpers off the bounce. His best stretch came at the start of the 2H when he hit a stepback jumper out of an iso set, came away with a nice strip on the way up to prevent a basket and hit a face up 3 on the kickout to give his team their first lead of the game. Should be one of the top sophomores in the MIAA this season.

Sulaiman is a high octane scoring point guard who knows all the right times to exploit a defense for scoring opportunities. He does a great job getting to spots in the mid-range. He is able to slither past defenders with ease. He finsihed with 19 points and was the leading scorer for his team. Sulaiman is an elite rebounder who has a nose for coming up with the basketball. He also was a threat from behind the arc converting on several chances from behind the three point line.