Five Takeaways: Flint Hill Tip Off
OAKTON, VA — We were at Flint Hill School on Friday for the opening day of their Annual Tip Off Tournament featuring Madison, St. Albans, and Woodberry Forest. Below we give five takeaways from our time in the gym.
MADISON HOLDS OFF ST. ALBANS
Senior point guard Aaron Darab was the catalyst for Madison, who had a 14 point halftime lead over St. Albans of the IAC. 2019 John Finney played a key role on both ends of the floor. He applied pressure on the ball in the back court, and worked hard to win 50/50 balls. The Warhawks would go on to win the game by a final score of 65-60, and were led by three-sport standout Johnny Hecht‘s 19 points.
NNAMENE SHOWS POSITIVE SIGNS
6-foot-9 center Collin Nnamene anchored the paint admirably for the Bulldogs despite the losing effort. The Mount St. Mary’s commit continues to add strength, and is becoming a much more consistent offensive threat. As he continues to develop and grow into his body, Nnamene could be a flat out steal for Head Coach Jamion Christian.
WHO IS MALCOLM SPENCER?
We’ve seen St. Albans play several times at Maryland Team Camp, the DeMatha Summer League, and obviously over the past few seasons. But we’ve never come across senior Malcolm Spencer, who scored a game-high 18 points in a loss to Madison. It turns out that he’s the quarterback for the football team, and stopped playing AAU basketball in middle school. At 6-foot-4, we think he’s a terrific athlete with a high IQ who would do very well at the college level. Spencer says he’s close to committing to William and Mary for football.
FLINT HILL BIGS DOMINANT IN WIN OVER WFS
The transfer of Qudus Wahab signaled a power shift in the MAC, as clear evidence that Flint Hill are ready to be relevant this year. The 6-foot-11 junior excelled on Friday Night in a versatile front court partnership with 6-foot-7 sophomore Dowar Jioklow. The Huskies also received solid two way play in the back court from the always fun to watch unsigned senior Isaiah Moore.
MAX JOHNS LOOKS FANTASTIC
At 6-foot-4 195, Max Johns used his strength to routinely discard defenders and slash into the lane where he finished with flair on Friday night. The unsigned senior, who recorded 17 points (7/12 FG), 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, is quite frankly one of the best available seniors in Virginia regardless of position. He will be in demand as the season continues, and it will be interesting to see how his recruitment unfolds.