DMV Dark Horse Scoring Threats (Part 1)
In anticipation of the upcoming high school season, we will be taking a closer look at various teams and players throughout the DC Metro Area. In this edition we highlight five dark horses who could find themselves among the top scorers in the area this season.
DOMENICK BAILEY | ST. STEPHENS & ST. AGNES ’18
Domenick Bailey had a very productive season in his first year at SSSAS. The lead guard finished second on his team in scoring, and first in free throws made/attempted. Given the departure of last year’s leading scorer, Denmark Slay, Bailey will likely be expected to be more aggressive while still getting others involved.
DARIUS HINES | BISHOP IRETON ’18
Darius Hines quietly put together an excellent junior season for Head Coach Neil Berkman at Ireton. He lead the team in scoring, and made a team high 55 threes. Hines, a “coach on the floor” who has been praised for his outstanding work ethic and basketball IQ, hit just 22 threes as a sophomore. Some of his biggest games have come against elite level competition. He scored a season high 28 at O’Connell, and pumped in 27 at Gonzaga.
MATT BECHT | BISHOP O’CONNELL ’18
Teams will obviously do the best they can to deny Matt Becht the ball, but he should get plenty of good looks given the dynamic playmaking ability of his back court mate Xavier Johnson. The Mount St. Mary’s commit works very well without the ball, and doesn’t need much room to get his shot off. The Knights lose their top two leading scorers to graduation, and Becht is expected to help pick up the slack.
JASON GIBSON | SIDWELL FRIENDS ’19
Jason Gibson probably had the best individual performance we saw at summer league. Considered an elite perimeter shooter, the rising junior showed that he can mix it up off the bounce in Vegas, and has always had a knack for putting the ball in the basket. Even though he’s expected to create for others as much as himself this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Gibson have some monster games as is set to assume the starting lead guard role for Head Coach Eric Singletary.
ANTHONY HARRIS | PAUL VI ’19
Anthony Harris was second on the team in scoring as a sophomore. Given the fact that PVI has such a balanced attack, it’s difficult to predict who will beat you on a given night. Brandon Slater, last year’s leading scorer, will also return giving the Panthers a plethora of options once again. One thing Harris has a knack for is heroics. We’ve seen him take, and make several big shots over the course of his high school career.
DONOVANN TOATLEY | RIVERDALE BAPTIST ’18
Donovann Toatley is the only returner for Head Coach Lou Wilson who averaged double figures last year. The electric playmaker, who recently committed to Chattanooga, will most likely be given free reign to be more aggressive and put the ball in the basket more this season. Toatley certainly has the ability to put constant pressure on opposing defenses, and score it at a high level from all three levels.