DMV Spring Showcase: All Junior Team
The DMV Spring Showcase last weekend at Potomac High School brought together some of the best talent from across the Virginia-Maryland area. It featured players ranging from freshman to seniors, and the intensity level was high as they played in front of multiple scouting services and over 15 college coaches in the gym. Here’s some of the standouts from the class of 2018.
MVP: Jared Bynum | 5’11” | Georgetown Prep
Somehow we managed to put Bynum and Toatley (below) on the same team, and it was a point guard clinic on Team 3. Bynum plays with tremendous pace, sees the game one play ahead and has patience and poise when he’s trapped. He makes good decisions and is unselfish, finishing fourth in the camp in assists, and he’s also a deadeye shooter from deep, finishing second in the camp in three-pointers made, going 8-for-16 on the day from deep. He has a mature game and the type of game that coaches want out of their point guard.
Demetrius Mims | 6’5” | Baltimore Poly Tech
Talk about a freak athlete, Mims showed his explosive leaping ability on both ends of the floor with some highlight reel worthy dunks and blocks throughout the event. The Baltimore native thrived in the uptempo style of the camp, and when he played with a high motor it worked out. Mims finished the day averaging 13.3 points in his three games, but he left a huge impact on scouts and coaches with his unbelievable finishing ability above the rim.
Donovann Toatley | 5’8” | Riverdale Baptist
Toatley, who transferred to Riverdale Baptist from St. Stephen’s St. Agnes, was as fun a player to watch throughout the event. The lightning quick guard with mixtape like handles thrives in these situations, where he can push the tempo and show his flare and creativity. He created space well off the bounce to get his shot off, finished over players much bigger than him and had the crowd on its feet everytime he touched the ball. Everyone is going to continue to doubt him because of his size, but he gets it done against the best of the best in every opportunity he can.
Darius Hines | 5’11” | Bishop Ireton
The other junior point guard who impressed with his IQ was Bishop Ireton’s Darius Hines. One of the most underrated guards in the WCAC, he showed the ability to create his own shot, and shots for others, with ease. He was unselfish, not shooting it more than eight times in a game, but his understanding is what made him so impressive. He seemed to always make the right decision, whether it was pushing it ahead in transition or reading the pick-and-roll right, and most importantly he didn’t turn it over once throughout the day.
Brendan Adams | 6’4” | Calvert Hall
Adams showed flashes of his brilliance throughout the camp, and the 6’4” wing has a lot of potential at the next level. He created his own shot well in the midrange, finished in transition above the rim and showed that he’s capable of playing and guarding multiple positions both on the perimeter and in the paint. It’s no wonder he has close to 10 offers, including Kansas Sate, St. John’s and Standford.
Caidon Owen | 6’4” | Glenelg County
His numbers don’t stand out against the rest of the camp, but there’s something to be said about a player who can meet up with 9 new guys and look like he’s been playing with them for years. A very underrated scorer, Owen can fill it up from pretty much anywhere on the floor, and he excels shooting the deep ball especially in transition. He has good size and feel from the wing too, and won’t shoot you out of any games.
Matt Urbach | 6’4” | WT Woodson
Fresh off of a VHSL 6A State Championship, Urbach came in hot and wasn’t afraid to let it fly. He was the camp’s top three-point shooter, just edging out Bynum by going 9-for-17 from deep. He also showed off his toughness defensively, and almost brought the house down when he JUST missed a poster dunk toward the end of the event in which he got fouled on. He was a breakout performer at Woodson this season, and he showed there’s more to his game than just being a catch-and-shoot guy.
Miles Latimer | 6’4” | Paul VI
Another shooting specialist that showed he has more, Latimer had a great camp despite rolling his ankle in his first game. He showed toughness by not only shaking that off, but he also didn’t settle despite having one of the best strokes in the entire camp. He showed his athleticism with some tough finishes above the rim, and also showed creativity around the basket by finishing through contact with both hands.
Josh Cornish | 6’2” | Calvert Hall
There’s something to be said about guys who score the basketball, and Cornish has the entire repertoire to be a go-to scorer at the next level. The 6’2” off guard finished in the top 10 in the camp in scoring at 13.7 points per game, and he did so by scoring well at all three levels. He’s a good shooter off the catch, can break down defenders in isolation situations and he finishes well through traffic at the rim. He’s poised to have a huge summer with Team Melo, and if that momentum can carry into his senior season Cornish will see a big jump in recruitment.
Justin Nwosu | 6’5” | St. Andrew’s Episcopal
I knew Nwosu was a freak athlete, but ever since a knee injury forced him to change his game he’s become a much more well rounded offensive player. He showed his new skill set, as he finished in the top 15 in scoring at 12.7 points per game, and he finished first in three point field goal percentage making all five of his attempts from deep. He’s a strong and athletic defender as well, and at the next level there’s no doubt he could be a “3 and D” guy at the scholarship level.