St. Johns College Cadets Team Overview: College Prospects
The 2017/18 St. Johns College Cadets Team Overview (Members of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, WCAC )
2607 Military Road, NW, Washington, DC
Early last week we visited St. Johns College HS & Head Coach Patrick Behan to get a pre, pre season look the very deep & talented Cadets. We rated the Cadets in mid summer as a top 5 tier 1 team in the DC/DMV this summer with potential for a top 25 national ranking & nothing has changed. In fact SJC is deeper than this summer & the players are in superb condition having worked on the games tirelessly. After going thru rigorous workout & drills the Cadet players looked ready for another session. We observed great comradery last season,this summer & last week between the players who have excellent team chemistry & a close bond on & off the court. This coming season SJC must replace sharpshooter & glue player Reese Mona who is now playing at the University of MD, Emanuel Hylton who commited to the University of San Diego & 6’7″ LJ Bryan. Last season St. Johns finished @ 25-10 facing a brutal schedule under Head Coach Sean McAloon who did a fantastic job of placing SJC back on the map as a top WCAC team taking over the helms in the 2013/14 season. Numerous excellent players played under Coach McAloon which include Tre Campbell (Georgetown), James Palmer (Miami), Jeff Dowtin (Rhode Island), Dejuan Clayton (Coppin State), Mason Gray (Albany football starting safety), Darian Bryant (Delaware), Darian Anderson (Farleigh Dickinson starter last 2 years & All Conference), James Mitchell ( St.Thomas Aquinas, returning starter) Mike Morsell (Towson star, brother of 2019 CG SJC Casey Morsell), Anthony Cowan ( U of MD starting PG) Last seasons resume included wins over neighboring Woodrow Wilson who finished the year ranked #3 in the DC/DMV & WT Woodson who won the Virginia State 6A State Title. We know Wilson & WT Woodson very well & both are excellent teams last season & this coming season. A rematch with WT Woodson will take place early in the year. The Cadets split wins with every WCAC top 5 team during the regular season which included Gonzaga, Paul VI, DeMatha & Bishop O’Connell. SJC played a very tough out of conference schedule & recorded win versus St. James (MD), La Jolla Country Day (CA), Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, CA), Providence Day (NC) & Scott County (KY). Under Coach McAloon the Cadets played a very tough ball hawking defense which many times applied full court tenacious on ball pressure. & fast paced ball movement offense. This season Coach Behan takes over the helms @ SJC where he was an Assistant under Coach McAloon 4 years ago & the St. Mary Ryken Head Coach the last 3 seasons. After Coach McAloon accepted a Head Coaching position @ IMG, Coach Behan was hired as the SJC Head Coach in mid June. Coach McAloon was very familiar with Cadet seniors Tre Wood, Richard Nwoku, Zachary Spooner, & Quanzi Samuels. The transition from Coach McAloon to Coach Behan was very smooth & the Cadets will play the same style as basketball as last season with Coach Behan adding,” Coach McAloon & I are from the same mold & we coach our teams with the same philosophy. We will run the same style of playing style utilizing a motion spread offense & an aggressive on ball man to man defense.” Earlier this summer SJC was struggling after Coach McAloon took his position at IMG. However, when Coach Behan was hired in mid June, the Cadets were rejuvenated & played superbly. Under Coach Behan SJC won the DeMatha BSN Summer League with a impressive 68-55 victory over highly rated Georgetown Prep who fields 5 plus D1 players. Please click on each photo in this article to enlarge, since all are thumbnail versions.
Please view the See Video Below courtesy of friend Marc Stern of Capital Hoops:
In the DeMatha BSN Championship Video below the players wore the following #s.,Casey Morsell #14, Tre Wood #3, Richard Nwoku #32, Jalin Abbott #0, Ishmael Leggett #5, Devon Dunn# 4, Zachary Spooner # 15, Devon Savage #1
Video courtesy of our friend Marc Stern @ Capital Hoops.
Head Coach: Patrick Behan
Coach Behan is a DC/DMV native & played college basketball for the D1 Bucknell Bisons for 4 seasons. After college he played professional basketball in Germany for 1 year. Coach Behan coached at St. Marys College of MD for 1 season, then became an Assistant Coach at St. Johns under Coach Sean McAloon in 2013/14, The following year Coach Behan became the Head Coach of St. Mary Ryken who are members of the WCAC. Last season SMR played Paul VI & Gonzaga, very tough & knocked off DeMatha in late February. For his outstanding Coaching efforts he was awarded WCAC Co Coach of the Year & was named Head Coach of the Capital All Stars who played the USA All Stars in the Capital Classic. In late June Head St. Johns Coach Sean McAloon accepted the Head Coaching position at the IMG Academy in Brandenton, FL. Shortly thereafter, Coach Behan was named Head Coach at SJC & in addition he currently teaches Geography at St.Johns College HS. Please view the video of Coach Behan at the bottom of this article entitled : “Beyond the Xs & O’s with Patrick Behan”
2017/18 St.Johns Cadets Player Overview
Casey Morsell, 6’2.5″, CG, 2019. Grassroots Team: Team Takeover 17U
This spring & summer Casey took his game to another level & in our opinion could enter the nations top 70 players in the near future. We scouted Casey & SJC extensively over the summer & he was awarded all DeMatha BSN summer League 1st Team & was award Co MVP with WCAC & Bishop O’Connell PG Xaier Johnson who just committed to Nebrsaka. Additionally, Casey had a fantastic season for Team Takover 16U who finished the year ranked #2 in the nation. Casey is a legitimate high major recruit who proved this summer he can play on or off the ball as a GG. However, Tre Wood will be run the show for SJC this season & is great floor general. Last season Casey had great sophomore year at SJC, & we predicted he would blow up. He can score from all 3 levels, defend, & impacts the game on so many levels. His ball handling & range have improved due to his tremendous work ethic. We will be updating Casey within the next week.
Richard Njoku, 6’6.5″, C/PF, 2018. Grassroots Team: DC Premier 17U
Richard had a brilliant summer & he just committed to US Naval Academy. When we visited SJC last week he was all over the floor with tremendous hustle, going to the floor for loose balls, blocking shots, rebounding, & scoring in the paint. Richard is in elite condition & will be a huge piece in SJCs success this year as a rim protector, rebounder & low post scorer. Richard plays with a very high motor & plays with a very high IQ. His 1st & 2nd jumps & timing are elite. This summer he played great in the DeMatha BSN summer League & DC Premier. His work ethic on & off the court is excellent.
Tre Wood, 6’1″, PG, 2018. Grassroots Team: Team Takeover 17U
On our visit to SJC Tre blew us away with his superb conditioning, speed & explosiveness. His is in elite basketball shape & his lean strong physique is very impressive. Tre was tireless in the full court & delivered several jaw dropping plays. He converted a dunk on a fast break with his head at rim level. Tre plays with a very, very high motor & excellent on ball defense. Tre gets into high gear very, very fast & is lethal on the fast break. He can beat his man off the dribble with his speed & quickness alone, but Tre has an array of ball handling moves. We believe Tre will take his game to another level this season. His perimeter shot which was already very good has improved & finishing at the rim is continually improving. He is one the top PGs in the DC/DMV & all of MD. Tre currently holds offers from UMass, George Mason, Towson, VCU, Coppin State, George Washington, Penn State, Iowa, Old Dominion, St.Joseph & UCF.
Jalin Abbott, 6’5″, WF/WF, 2019. Grassroots Team: DC Premier
Jalin had a splendid summer playing for SJC in the DeMatha BSN Summer League & For DC Premier. Last season he was a reserve on the varsity, but showed flashes. Jalin’s role will increase significantly for 2017/18. He is a very probable starter & will play the stretch 4 position. This summer Jalin displayed a very versatile skill set & high IQ. He can score from all 3 levels, rebound & his defense has improved immensely at SJC under Assistant Coach Lamar Butler. In our 2019 player rankings for MD/DC Jalin has shot up the rankings to #23 based on his strong play this off season & great upside. We believe he will develop into a legitimate D1 recruit this season..
Ishmael Leggett, 6’2.5″, G, 2020. Grassroots Team: Team Takeover
Ishmael made a huge statement this spring with his outstanding performances in numerous player showcase events. His play this spring & summer were so impressive, we ranked Ishmael @ #8 in our 2020 DC/MD rankings. Ishmael was a well known middle school phenom, but will prove himself this year at SJC in his sophomore season. We saw flashes of excellence last season when he played varsity for SJC as true freshmen. We rate Ishmael as a D1 recruit with potential to become a high major in the near future. While Ishmael is well known in the DC/DMV he should break into the 2o20 national rankings this year. Ishmael is fearless with super high motor & scores in traffic & thru contact at very high conversion rate. He can score from all 3 levels & has an excellent high elevation jumper. Ishmael possess one the highest energy levels we have seen this summer to go along with excellent athleticism. With his long wingspan he can defend multiple positions & wreak havoc on his opponents from both sides of the ball.
Devon Dunn, 6’0″, G, 2019. Grassroots Team: Team Takeover
Devon lit up the DeMatha BSN Summer League with a 3 point shooting barrage. In our opinion Devon is one of the top 3 point sharpshooters in the DC/DMV. He has a very quick & high release with range well beyond 3 point line. Devon possesses an excellent basketball IQ, passing skills & can score from the mid range very well. He will fill a Microwave roll for SJC & be one their 1st players off the bench this season for the Cadets providing instant offense & spacing. Devon is fantastic at reading the defense & he is a great ball mover if a shot opportunity is not available. In addtion, Devon is very very good on ball defender.
Qwanzi Samuels, 6’8″, WF/WG, 2018. Grassroots Team: Team BBC
Unfortunately, Qwanzi suffered a knee injury this summer & probably out for the season for the Cadets. However, he is still very engaged with SJC & his rehab is coming along very well. We believe Qwanzi will make a 100% recovery & he is in great hands at St. Johns. He has the tools to become a very good D1 player. Qwanzi’s tremendous wingspan & excellent lateral movement allow him to guard multiple positions. He has a nice handle & can shoot very well from the perimeter. We will provide an article for Qwanzi within the next week & report on his rehab, college offers & plans for next season.
Zachary Spooner, 6’3″,CG, 2018. Grassroots Team: District Basketball Club
Zachary had an excellent summer in the DeMatha BSN Summer League & for The District basketball Club. He can score from all 3 levels & ran some PG this summer. Zachary possesses a very high IQ, is a great facilitator & performs all the intangibles for the Cadets. He is a total team player whose college stats could easily surpass those for SJC. Zachary has thrived at St. Johns in his basketball development & he is a college scholarship player. https://prephoops.com/2017/07/recruiting-report-2018-zachary-spooner/
Devon Savage, 6’4″, W, 2021. Grassroots Team: Team Takeover
Devon made a huge statement in the DeMatha Summer League playoffs where he displayed a huge upside & impacted the games in a large magnitude. He has a tremendous upside & is already being monitored by D1 Coaches. Devon can score from 3 levels & possesses an excellent outside shot. He utilizes his long wingspan to defend & rebound. Coach Behan says Devon picks up things very fast & in our opinion Devon will be an impact player in the very near future. He is so talented that he will be in the Cadets rotation this year as a freshmen.
Darius Maddox, 6’3,”W ,2020.
Darius is a very athletic sophomore, who can really shoot the ball. He is very smooth, skilled & really impressed us last week. Darius will be in the Cadets rotation this coming season & he has aalready received an offer from UMass. We. will be providing a Prospect Spotlight for him next week.
Victory Naboya 6’9″, C, 2021.
Victory joins the Cadets this season as freshmen from Nigeria & he has a great upside. He is a player who we believe has the potential to develop into a high caliber player.
Treyvon Dodd, 6’8″, PF, 2020.
Treyvon is working very hard for SJC this pre season & he some very nice upside. We will be providing an article for Treyvon this season.
Delonnie Hunt, 5’11”, PG, 2020.
Delonnie will be a very valuable reserve PG for the Cadets. He gets downhill very fast & can facilitate.
Video Courtesy of our friend Marc Stern of Capitol Hoop.
Cover photo & 2nd photo courtesy of Washington Post, Devon Savage by Adam Ayalew, Devon Dunn by All Met Elite.