Doctors of Dunk: Best Dunkers in the Washington, DC DMV, Part 1.
Each season players from all of Maryland/DC & Northern, VA (NOVA) produce elite athletes & dunkers. We look for high elevation, explosion & power since live games are not dunk contests. Additionally, we evaluate where & how the players get to the rim. Examples can be transition, from the wing or key off the dribble & on alley oops. We chose Julius Erving as our cover photo because many NBA & the former ABA experts point to The Doctor as the player who started the dunk phenomenon. While there were many great dunkers before Doctor J such as Gus Jonson (Baltimore Bullets) & Jumping Joe Caldwell (ABA & Atlanta Hawks), I believe Julius Erving is “The Doctor of Dunk.”
Matthew Balanc, 6’3″, CG, 2018. Springbrook Blue Devils HS. Silver Spring, MD.
Grassroots Team: Mid Atlantic Select 17U.
This summer Matthew exploded on the national scene with scoring outbursts & highlight reel dunks. He was awarded 1st Team All DeMatha BSN Summer League and shined for Mid Atlantic Select 17U on the Grassroots circuit. Matthew is one of the most explosive players in Maryland/DC DMV& possibly nationally. He has many D1 offers, but has named his to p5 schools via Twitter which are: UMBC, Florida Gulf Coast, Rhode Island, & Quinnipac. Georgetown is showing heavy interest but has yet to offer. Without question Matthew can play at high major program, but like many high school players he has the choice to play at a mid major where he could be a 1st year impact player or waiting his turn at high major. Matthew is a great all around player & a 1st Team All Met candidate. Springbrook HS will contend for a MD 4A State Title this coming season & we will be providing live game coverage for many of the Blue Devil games.
Prentiss Hubb, 6’3″, PG, 2018. Gonzaga Eagles HS. Washington, DC. Notre Dame commit.
Grassroots Team: DC Premier 17U.
Last season we saw Prentiss throw down some great dunks. He can dunk with with either hand and he has sneaky explosion & athleticism. On one attempt last season, Prentiss exploded to the basket for a 2 handed dunk with his head at rim level, but he was fouled. Currently Prentiss is ranked @ #51 by Prep Hoops & in the top 50- 65 by other polls. We have written numerous articles on Prentiss who is close to a lock for 1st Team All Met this coming spring by the Washington Post. Last year we awarded Prentiss 1st Team All DMV I-495 which is our version of the All Met team. He is a fantastic player on both ends of the court & we believe he will be an impact player at Notre Dame. This coming season Gonzaga HS could once again be ranked in the nations top 25 teams, where the Eagles finished last season @ #8 by Max Preps. In our opinion Gonzaga has 8 plus D1 players on their roster.
Xavier Johnson, 6’2″, PG, 2018. Bishop O’Connell Knights HS. Arlington, VA.
Grassroots Team: Team Takeover 17U.
This summer Xavier was awarded MVP in the prestigious DeMatha BSN Summer League. He played for Team Takeover 17U who had superb season finishing the summer ranked #2 in the Nation. TTO won the FAB 48 National Tournament in Las Vegas defeating the Oakland Soldiers for the championship & Xavier’s play was splendid all summer. Xavier is possibly the best rim attackers in the DMV & he can finish at the in the half court with an explosive dunk. He is deadly in the fast break with his speed & quickness & the end result can be one of his patented tomahawk dunks. Xavier recently listed his top 6 schools which are: Washington, Creighton, Nebraska,Georgia Tech, South Florida & Georgetown. Prep Hoops rates him as the #116 player in the nation. Xavier is tremendous all around player, a winner & a 1st Team All Met Candidate.
Mezie Offurum, 6’6″, WG/WF, 2018. Georgetown Prep Little Hoyas HS. Rockville, MD.
Grassroots Team: Mid Atlantic Select 17U.
This summer Mezie was a highlight reel film with his numerous powerful dunks from all angles at the DeMatha BSN Summer League. For his great all around play, Mezie was awarded 2nd team all Summer League by Capitol Hoops & Adam Ayalew. Mezie can fill up stat sheet & in several games this summer he was close to a triple double. He is a 1st Team All Met Candidate, & Georgetown Prep will be one of the best teams in the DC DMV. We will be providing in depth coverage for Georgetown Prep this season & all of their players. Mezie has numerous D1 offers which include Indiana, Maryland, George Washington, UAB, Tulsa, Towson State, Rhode Island, Rutgers, Bucknell, UCF & Virginia Tech.
Brandon Slater, 6’6.5″, WG/WF, 2018. Paul VI Panthers HS. Fairfax VA. Committed to Villanova.
Grassroots Team: Team Takeover 17U.
In our 2018 national rankings Brandon comes in @ #44. He is a very versatile player who is an elite defender & can guard multiple positions. Brandon can score from all 3 levels & and he is an excellent facilitator. Brandon is always a threat for a high rising dunk in transition or from the perimeter off the dribble. Brandon can wind up with very his long wingspan executing a tomahawk dunk with authority & power. This summer he started on Team Takeover 17U which won the FAB 48 Tournament in Las Vegas & ranked #2 in the nation. Brandon had an excellent summer & Paul VI has the potential to be nationally ranked team. We will be providing in depth coverage for the Panthers & all their players this season with live game reports. We believe Brandon will have a great career at Villanova & become a starter very early in his career for the Wildcats.