Recruiting Report 2019: Josh Wallace
Josh Wallace, 6’2″, PG/CG, 2019. DeMatha Catholic HS, Hyattsville, MD.
Grassroots Team: DC Blue Devils
This preseason Josh has been a standout performer in pick up scrimmages at DeMatha. He fits in very well with any of DeMatha’s talented 12 deep guards & any top starting or rotation player. We believe Josh is a strong candidate & probable starter at PG for DeMatha to open the season. He is a downhill True PG whose #1 priority is to get his teammates involved & run DeMatha’s offense. Josh is an excellent all around player who is very tough, plays with a very high motor & IQ with great court vision. Most importantly he knows how to win & does. Josh is an elite facilitator & ball handler. He can make all of the passes on or off the dribble & sees plays before they develop. Josh has the speed & acceleration to blow by defenders in the full court & transition. His handle is very tight compact & he gets very low to split double teams, traps & zones. We have seen Josh use many ball handling moves which include crossovers, spins, between the legs & other handle moves we will not disclose until his opponents see them. If opposing teams do not know who Josh is, they will get a rude awakening.
Josh gets into the paint at will using his power, strength, quickness & smarts. Josh can attack the rim from both sides & finish with either hand thru contact. He has very sneaky athleticism, speed, explosion & can covert some very impressive dunks. He is an expert in creating space by going into his defender or pulling them to him, then making a move or quick burst to get past them. We really like his ability to change gears & the pace of the game. While this will be his 1st season at DeMatha , we firmly believe he can translate his skills to the powerful WCAC & on a national level. We predict Josh will thrive going against all the great players in the WCAC & teams on DeMatha’s national schedule. Josh is a very high caliber floor general who we rate as a very solid D1 prospec
We have seen Josh score from all 3 levels & basically every scenario. If he chose, Josh could score at a very high level, but Josh states, “I am a pass 1st first guard & my priority is to get my teammates involved early & throughout the game. My goal is become an extension of Coach Jones on the floor. Whatever my assignment is, I will execute it.” This summer playing for the DC Blue Devils nationally ranked 16 U team Josh had a very successful summer & posted several double figure games. In one game he scored 14 points in 13 minutes & in the season finale totaled 15 points. If Josh scores 14 points or more in any given game this season , we would be assured that Josh took his shots within the concepts of DeMatha’s offense. The Stags will start 6’11” Hunter Dickinson who is one of the top 15 players in the nation for 2020. If Hunter gets doubled or even tripled teamed, the opposing team will pay heavily since he is an excellent passer. DeMatha is loaded with scoring options & players who know how to get open. Hunter could hit his following teammates with an assist; 6’1″ 2019 CG Jhamir Young, 6’5″ 2020 point forward Earl Timberlake , 6’4″ 2019 CG Justin Moore who will be a 5 star once his knee is 100% or Josh who is an excellent off the ball cutter. In transition Josh can go coast to coast where he usually will chose to facilitate, but if he decides to go all the way to the rim he scores at a very high rate. Josh has developed a beautiful Euro Step he uses in the full or half-court. We really like Josh’s shot mechanics with excellent form & release. If there is any flaw,occasionally Josh shoots with not enough arc, but his jumper is very impressive. Josh has deep range where he can shoot spot ups or off the dribble. He has an excellent mid range game where Josh can score off floaters, 1 or 2 dribble pull ups, straight up from a flex cut, or in transition.
Defense could be the icing on the cake or trump card for Josh’s minutes played this season at DeMatha & college recruitment.He plays very tough ball hawking defense & says “Defenses is a strength for me & I take great pride in it. I study my opponents & I can beat whoever I am guarding to their spot most of the time. If there is a loose ball I will get it, and I like to get rebounds in traffic. I pick my spots for steals & I will get some. During the season I do not rely on my stats or follow them; I rely on Wins & Coach Jones comments & assessment. However, after a game I will know if I played up to my standards, but the final analysis will come from the DeMatha Coaches.”This fall Josh showed he could impact the game without scoring despite his great ability to score. Taking into consideration Josh’s overall game, we expect him to start or receive major minutes this season. It is very possible Josh & Jhamir Young will be the DeMatha starting back-court when the Stags open their season on Wednesday November 15th vs Our Lady Mt. Carmel from Baltimore. The 1st season at DeMatha duo play very, very well together & are impact players.
We asked Josh how his game improved since April & he replied,” This off-season I became stronger & more athletic. Bigger, faster stronger. My defense & ability to finish at he rim have gone up. I am more explosive & I can dunk off 1 or 2 legs in transition or the half court. My handle & 3 point shooting are better. My goals are to keep improving my 3 point & mid range game & overall basketball skills.” Josh is a very hard worker who has a great passion for his team & basketball. He works out days 6 a week & says” My Trainer is Keith Veney who is the brother of Coach Reggie Veney at DeMatha. I have been working out with Trainer Keith since age 8 on my basketball skills. For strength & conditioning my Trainer is Coach Sean from Monster Maker. At DeMatha I work with Coach Toby & our Coaches during the school year.
In the classroom Josh is close to a 3.0 GPA & likes mathematics. He names his parents & aunt as his role models. From the NBA Josh likes to watch Russell Westbrook’s high motor & John Wall’s defenses.This season we believe Josh will have a breakout year in the WCAC & DC DMV in his 1st season playing at DeMatha. We are very impressed with his focus, dedication & basketball skills.