Game Preview: DME Academy v.s. Prolific Prep
In the opening night of the Theme Park Classic in Orlando, DME/Prolific Prep will be one of the most heavily anticipated events. After a tumultuous down year, one which saw their entire roster from the previous year cleansed and causing them to scurry to fill roster spots, DME has vaulted back into the realm of Florida basketball relevance.
Against Prolific Prep, wide-bodied 7-foot Class of 2019 Center Assane Diouf will have a fight on his hands. In arguably the biggest matchup of the season for Diouf, he will be tasked with neutralizing Pro Prep’s 6-foot-11 Jordan Brown.
With a scorer’s mentality and an ability to back down defenders in the post, Brown is one of the country’s premiere bigs. He proved this during a 30-point showing against Tennessee Prep Academy recently, en route to taking home MVP honors. As raw as Diouf is offensively and as much as he’s a work in progress in adapting to the intricacies of the game, he’s quite the shot-blocking presence. If he can front Brown and utilize his big body and wingspan to manipulate, influence, and alter the trajectory of his inside looks, DME could eliminate such a threat.
Amadou Sow, Prolific Prep’s jumbo 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, is another area of concern for DME. Savvy around the basket and highly efficient with point blank finishes, Sow is always an active presence on the offensive glass. DME’s frontline must play up to par in order to contain this experienced, proven frontline.
A year after playing a supplementary scoring role at The Conrad School, 6-foot-8 Madiaw Niang is embracing the go-to guy mentality. He’s had several 25+ point games, including a recent 35-point explosion during a 95-84 defeat of Downey Christian last week. He also grabbed 14 boards in that one, an area in which he must contribute when playing a team of Prolific Prep’s magnitude.
Pro Prep’s Jeenathan Williams, a Buffalo commit, is a skilled 6-foot-7 guard/forward known for electric displays of athleticism. He’s also been rather streaky and feast or famine this season. A matchup between Williams and Niang, who many regard as a mid-major prospect, adds intrigue.