St. Johns vs Wise scrimmage: 5 takeaways
11-21-17, Washington, DC.
St. Johns College Cadets. 2607 Military Road, NW, Washington, DC. 20015 Head Coach : Patrick Behan
https://prephoops.com/2017/10/st-johns-college-cadets-team-overview-college-prospects/
VS.
Dr Henry Wise Pumas. 12650 Brooke Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD. 20772 Head Coach: Rob Garner
https://prephoops.com/2017/08/dr-henry-wise-hs-team-overview-college-prospects/
St. Johns won 3 of 5 quarters in the scrimmage & played better as the game progressed. Wise played without 6’8″ big Terrance Gibbons who is a top 3 Puma player & ranked # 58 in our MD/DC 2018 rankings. SJC 2019 6’0″ sniper Devon Dunn did not play due to the flu. The scrimmage featured many different lineups & combinations to evaluate which players play best together as Coach Behan & Coach Garner prepare for the regular season.
SJC is a Top Tier WCAC Team & Top 5 DC/DMV Team who will utilize their speed & depth in their bid to win the loaded WCAC.
The WCAC is stacked this season, but we rate the Cadets in the top 4 in addition to a top 5 DC DMV team which are :Paul VI, DeMatha, Woodrow Wilson, & Gonzaga. Size could pose a problem for SJC with 7 foot Hunter Dickinson DeMatha (2020), 6’10” Tegra Izay (Archbishop Carroll) could cause issues for the Cadets, especially if 6’7″ Navy commit Richard Njoku (right) gets into foul trouble. The next big up could be 6’8.5″freshmen Victory Naboya who we believe will develop into a top 150 player or better for the 2021 class. He saw action last night & played well. Both Richard & Victory run the court extremely well & can keep up the SJC speedy guards. The SJC Bigs will score from 12 feet in & fit perfectly for Head Coach Patrick Behan’s style of play. 6’8″ 2020 PF Treyvon Dodd is making great strides this preseason & could see PT as the season progresses. The Cadets are one of the fastest/quickest teams in the DMV & each starter is a rim runner. As mentioned, the downside is lack of height in the staring lineup which is: 6’01/2″ 2018 PG Tre Wood (UMass, pictured left), 6’3″ 2019 CG Casey Morsell, 6’2″ 2020 wing Ishmael Leggett, 6’7″ 2018 C/PF Richard Njoku (US Naval Academy) & 6’5″ 2019 F/Wing Jalin Abbott. All 5 are high level & high energy transition players. The starters have great chemistry & can hit shots from the perimeter, except Richard who is a force in the paint. 5’10” 2020 PG Delonnie Hunt is a roadrunner who is moving up the depth chart & will play. 6’0″ 2019 sharpshooter Devon Dunn (did not play flu symptoms), 6’4″ 2020 wing Darius Maddox, 6’3″ 2021 wing Devon Savage & 6’3″ 2018 G Zahary Spooner play very well in transition & the SJC fast ball motion offense. We are very familiar with the SJC 10 deep, but a very underrated factor for the Cadets will be the development of Victory Naboya. Possibly by late December he could very well become a key contributor. However, speed will be the Cadets bread & butter this season & which we will allow SJC to overcome their small lineup.
Wise will be one of PG 4A Top teams & ranked in the DC/DMV top 20
It will be hard for the Pumas to duplicate last seasons 21-1 record, but the Pumas could find their way back to the MD 4A semis at the University of MD. In order for this to occur Wise must keep their 3 go to players healthy & out of foul trouble. Sherwyn Devonish, (#1) 6’8″ 2018 PF Terrence Gibbons (pictured left) & 6’1″ 2019 CG Fred Crowell (#21, pictured right) will lead the way & the trio need to average double figures or close to it. Fred could become a breakout player this season for the Puma. He & excels in ball handling with potential to score in bunches, but was held in check tonight offensively .However, he impacted the game with his handle & defense. We rate Fred as a top 12 PG 4A player. 6’1″ 2018 PG/CG Jordan Hicks scored 8 points & will be a major contributor this season. He is very crafty & displayed his ability to score from the mid range & getting in the paint. 5’11” 2020 PG/CG Keyshawn Johnson (#11), can shoot & scored 5 points which included a 3. Keyshawn could start or be a 6th man, but his perimeter scoring will be needed. 6’4″ 2018 CG Daniel Corley (#5) is very long & is one of the best Pumas all around players. 6’1″ 2020 CG/PG Casheus Covington, (#13 ) scored 6 & he played with a high IQ. He will be a big factor this year & one of the top sophomore players in PG with great upside. 6’7″ senior Kevin Chase showed flashes in the paint & he will be in the Wise 10 player rotation. Joel Webb is another Puma who showed signs of being a contributor. Wise trademark has always been a physical & fast paced team & this year is no exception. Wise plays the whole 94 feet & the Pumas will not get out-hustled or outplayed physically this season in PG 4A play. Tonight they proved they will be legitimate PG 4A top 4 tier team, but more likely a top 3.
Casey Morsell begins his case for top 35 nationally.
Casey is ranked #3 in our 2019 MD/DC rankings & he could move up this December. On the national level he is ranked @ #70 by 24/7 sports & # 64 by Rivals. Casey had a superb summer winning CO MVP in the DeMatha Summer League. He played superbly for Team Takeover who finished the Grassroots season ranked #2 nationally for 17U & 16U. Previously Casey was ranked in the top 170 range & his major jump is well deserved. In the Wise scrimmage Casey was the game high scorer with 25 points & he was the Player of the Game. Last season Casey was a slashing 2 guard, but has developed into a legitimate CG & with the ability to play PG. This season SJC PG Tre Wood & Casey each will play on & off the ball while they are in the game together. Casey has developed a deadly 3 pointer he can shoot on or off the dribble. We have seen him convert some miraculous 3 pointers off a flex cut or back screens. He gets into his shot with fantastic footwork & shot preparation that is unguardable. His shot mechanics are excellent with a high /quick release & elevation. Casey’s teammate 6’0″ combo Devon Dunn is another lethal Cadet 3 point sniper with an ultra quick release. The duo have 2 of the quickest triggers in the DC/DMV. In the open floor Casey showed his ability to go coast to coast off the dribble, defend, rebound, & perform all the intangibles. He is a winner & with Tre Wood form one of the best back-courts in the DC/DMV.
Sherwyn Devonish is one of best attack PGs in the DC/DMV
You will not find a tougher guard in the DMV than Sherwyn. His motor is not high, it is high octane high. He excels in breaking down his defenders off the dribble with power & speed. Sherwyn gets thru tight creases & traps with his very crafty style of play utilizing the many ball handling moves in his arsenal such as: crossover, in & outs & spins. In transition he can blow bye his defenders or just will his way to the rim where he is a very strong finisher with either hand. Sherwyn will prove to be menace to opposing defenses with potential & ability to dominate a game. While he can light up the scoreboard, Sherwyn is an excellent facilitator & defender. Currently he is being recruited by D2 schools, but in our opinion possesses many D1 mid major skills. In the SJC scrimmage Sherwyn proved this brief analysis & we will be watching Wise & Sherwyn very closely this season.
https://prephoops.com/2017/08/recruiting-report-2018-sherwyn-devonish/
Wise is tough as nails as usual.
This season Wise will be a tenacious 94 foot ball hawking defensive team. On offense the Pumas will be in attack mode as much as possible in their rapid ball motion & fast paced transition game. This is the Wise Puma style of basketball & they will wear down teams with their speed & power. Head Coach Rob Garner stresses fundamental & heavy ball pressure defense. In most scenarios the Pumas get the 50/50 balls in addition to providing rim protection. The 1st few quarters of the scrimmage was played with NCCA final 4 tenacity. No matter what the score Wise comes at the opposition in waves & the Pumas play with a chip, but are by no means a dirty team. At the end of the day Wise has the pieces & talent in their quest to return to the University of MD for the MD 4A semifinals.