Uptown Festival by More Than Basketball Preview: Part 2
12-6-18. Georgetown University NcDonough Arena, Home of the Hoyas.
Beginning at 11am at More Than Basketball Founder @_Arize_ presents the Uptown Hoops Festival at McDonough Arena @ Georgetown University. More Than Basketball INC goal & mission is to provide a platform for inner city student athletes to compete & get evaluated at the highest level & providing them with the same opportunities as more privileged schools. This great event is a 14 team / 7 game showcase featuring teams from the DCIAA, DC Charter, WCAC & Capital Beltway Conferences. It will be loaded with many College excellent prospects from Prep, JUCO, D3, D2 & D1 levels & from 2021 classes thru 2108. Many of the players are DC DMV hidden gems. Please come out & support these great teams, players, coaches & families for a great cause. Prep Hoops will be in attendance with 2 separate game Recaps which will lead to follow up articles for the players & their college recruitment. Part 2 Preview is coming out later today.
Game #5
McKinley Tech Trainers ( 7-4, DCIAA) vs Cesar Chavez Eagles (4-4, DC Charter) @ 5:40pm
Head Coach Ali Foster is another excellent DCIAA basketball Coach who works very hard with his team off & on the court. He has an excellent trio of players in Daniel Allen, Woody Newton & Trevondre Williams all of which are excellent college prospects. Additionally, Tech has 6 players who average over 5 ppg which are: Sekai Artis (6’1″ 2019) 8.1 ppg, Jerimiah Stroman (6’2″ 2019) 8 ppg, Dellano Kinoch (6’1″, 2019) 7.7 ppg, Demetrius Fisher (2018) 5.2 ppg, Ronald Grose (5’5″, 2020) 5 ppg & Micah Jones (6’2″, 2019) 5.0 ppg.
McKinley Tech Key Players : Head Coach : Ali Foster
Daniel Allen, 5’10”, PG/CG.2019. (far left)
Woody Newton, 6’8″ F/W, 2020. (middle)
Trevondre Williams, 6’0″ CG, 2019. (near left)
Cesar Chavez Key Players : Head Coach : Malcolm Battle
Head Chavez Coach Malcom Battle led Chavez to 25-9 record last season & sent senior guards Kaleaf Tate to Niagara where he is now starting & Jacob Long to Bowie State. Coach Battle is an excellent basketball coach, but more important is a mentor & role model to his players many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds. If you watch Cesar Chavez during timeouts & their bench during games, Coach Battle’s players are very attentive & loyal to him. This season the Eagles are 4-4, but they have some excellent players. Martin Lawrence is one the top players in all of DC, yet he does not get his just due. Martin is a warrior & his motor & IQ are high octane. I will be chatting with Martin, his teammates & of course Coach Battle tomorrow.
Martin Lawrence , 6’2.5″, WG/GC, 2018. 22ppg,
Khalel Tohlen, 5’9″, PG, 2019. 12 ppg
Tyson Minor, SF, 2019. 11 ppg
Lamont Tate, 6’0″, G, 2020. 10 ppg. Lamont is the younger brother of Kaleaf.
Game #6
Theodore Roosevelt Roughriders (15-2, DCIAA) vs Thurgood Marshall (9-5, DC Charter) @ 7 pm
Head Coach Rob Nickens goes plus 10 to 14 deep in games & he is constantly shuffling players in & out. It is working for the Rough Riders who have a 14-2 record to date. Darius Mikes & Marcus Dockery are ranked @ #9 & 27 respectively in our 2020 MD/DC rankings & are D1 prospects. Expect Marcus to make quite a move up in our next rankings update. Coach Nickens has done an excellent job at Roosevelt in the last 2 seasons postings records of a 27-5 (2016) & 24-14 (2016). I hope to meet Coach Nickens today & I really like his style of coaching. Top Roosevelt Players include : Marcus Dockery 6’0″, PG, 2020. 12 ppg (far left pictured below), Kareem James, 5’5″, PG, 2020. 10.3 ppg, Darius Miles, 6’6.5″ W, 2020. 10.1 ppg (pictured @ bottom near left), Micko Reeves, 5’8″, CG, 2o19. 9 ppg, Arande Johnson, 6’4″, F, 2020. 6 rpg, 7 ppg, Kareem Johnson, 5’10, G, 2018. 7.0 ppg,, Daruis Buchanan, 6’4″, C/F, 2019 7 ppg, 4 rpg, & Terrance Graves, 6’4″, F, 2018. 6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Thurgood Marshal Coach Lawrence Dublin scheduled several very nice tournaments for Thurgood which included The Jump Ball Season Tipoff @ Carroll HS, The DMV Elite Tipoff @ North Point HS (Waldorf, MD), The Richard E. Doub Classic in Hagerstown, MD, & the Governors Challenge is Salisbury , MD & today at he Uptown Festival @ Georgetown University. Thurgood is lead by 6’4″ 2018 CG Savion Gallion who is having a fantastic season who is a great college prospect. His plaing style reminds e of George Hil from the NBA . 2021 PG Mike Aiken is on our freshmen radar 7 ping great. Janaoski McNeil Jr & Darius Richardson are key players who play in the paint. I am very impressed with Coach Dublin as a coach & person. He does a great work off the court with his team.
Mike Aiken, 5’7″, PG, CG, 2021. 12 ppg, 4.6 apg (left)
Savion Gallion 6’4″ CG, 2018. 23.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.7 apg (upper left)
Janoski McNeil Jr. 6’4.5″ F, 2018. 9.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Darius Richardson, 6’4.5″ F, 2018. 9.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg
Game # 7
Woodrow Wilson Tigers vs National Christian Eagles @ 8:20 pm
Head Woodrow Wilson Coach Angelo Hernandez (12-8, DCIAA) has had some close losses this season & Wednesdays controversial 80-78 defeat @ Georgetown Prep was tough one, However the Tigers bounced back with a big win vs DCIAA opponent Bell last night. Wilson could be the most talented team in the DCIAA, but they must get more cohesive. The Tigers have shown some flashes, & there is tine for Wilson to play at least seasons superb 29-4 teams level. Ayinde Hakim (left)has a D1 offer rom Qunnipiac & he is averaging 14 ppg this season. Ayinde leads Wilson in assists. He is one of the most explosive CGs in MD/DC & a superb athlete with excellent strength. Ayinde plays with a very high IQ, high motor & is an excellent floor general. Jay Heath, 6’3″, CG, 2020. is very athletic, strong & can score from all 3 levels & defend. He is an excellent D1 talent with huge upside. Ricky Lindo, 6’8″, Wing, 2018. is a fantastic player & great college prospect holding 18 D1 offers,which include 5 from the Ivy League in Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Penn & Yale plus local GWU. He can score from all 3 levels & defend his super long wingspan once blocking 10 shots in a game, Josiah Marable, 6’8″. PF/C, 2018. Josiah has made great strides since last season. He is a wide body & low post player who scores very well around the rim & has a nice touch from 17 feet in. Dimingus Stevens, 6’5″, WG, 2020. He is one of the best players in DC/MD who can score in bunches & light up the scoreboard with NBA 3 point range. He is very long with potential to become a superb defender. Dimingus is D1 talent & averages 13.5 ppg for Wilson. If he reaches his potential Dimingus could become a D1 high major. Carlos Dunn is a 5’10” 2019 CG/PG who plays with great energy, score from all 3 levels & score in bunches from 3.
Last season the National Christian Academy (5-4, Capital Beltway) won the very highly rated Capital Beltway Conference Tournament defeating DC DMV top 5 ranked Rock Creek Christian 76-55. In 2016/17 the Capital Beltway was the 2nd best conference in the DC DMV behind the WCAC. This years NCA team is loaded with underclassman & t his will be my 1st time scouting NCA this season. Head Coach : Trevor Brown: National Christian Key Players : Ihsan Khan, 6’5″, G, 2019, 16 ppg (far left), Jimmy Kpadeh, 5’11”,PG, 2019, 10 ppg (near left), Jakai Robinson, 6’5″, G, 2021. 16 ppg., Oumar Koureissi, 6’9″,F/C, 2020. 7.7 ppg.