Prospect Spotlight: Darius Maddox (2020)
Darius Maddox isn’t kidding when he says he’s a good offensive player. The 2020 guard, who started and scored 7 points for St. John’s in their win over Ireton on Sunday, is part of a promising crop of young prospects coming up through the Cadets program. Maddox broke down his team’s performance after the win.
“I feel like in the first half, we came out with a lot of energy. We let the defense kind of dictate what we were doing,” Maddox stated. “We scored a lot and we got out in transition.”
The Cadets certainly played with great intensity on the defensive end, where they held the Cardinals to just 14 points before the break. Maddox believes a big reason why he’s seen his role expand in recent weeks is due to his commitment on that end.
“I have to say my defense is underrated. Offensively usually people know what I can do,” Maddox explained. “Defense is where I struggled earlier, but now I feel like I’m getting better at it.”
Maddox mentioned that he’s still working on all aspects of defense, both on and off the ball. He also discussed the evolution of his role over time.
Many believe that Maddox has the chance to be a big time scorer“Earlier in the season I didn’t really play too much. I had to work on my defense and talking,” Maddox began. “Then mid-season I started playing a little bit more. Scoring, doing what I do, and then now I’m starting. Just getting more comfortable every game.”
Maddox, who says his GPA is close to a 3.1 right now, picked up his first scholarship offer in the fall from UMass. What can he bring to a college program down the road?
“I feel like I can bring energy, offense, and make little plays to help win games.”
Darius Maddox is ranked by Prep Hoops as a top 25 prospect in his class. To see the full ranking of Maryland and DC’s 2020 class, click here.