DMV Roundtable: Biggest 2020 stock riser, transfer impact, DMV area collegiate players to watch
In this week’s DMV roundtable, the Prep Hoops Maryland team of Adam Ayalew, Colby Giacubeno and Houston Wilson take on three questions regarding prospects in the 2020 class, the positive impact of the transfer market now that school is set…
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Continue ReadingIn this week’s DMV roundtable, the Prep Hoops Maryland team of Adam Ayalew, Colby Giacubeno and Houston Wilson take on three questions regarding prospects in the 2020 class, the positive impact of the transfer market now that school is set to begin and players to watch from the DMV area at the college level for the upcoming season.
1 With our player rankings set to release at the end of this month, we’ll answer at least one question from each class on our roundtables. Which prospect of 2020 will see his ranking increase the most?
Giacubeno: For me this answer is easy, Will Thomas. Thomas caught the attention of many national scouts for his efforts in Team Thrill’s successful run in the UAA Finals that ended in the final four. Thomas had impressive performances throughout the run and it brought plenty of optimism to what we can expect to see this winter. The 6-foot-5 Swiss army knife recovered well from the Jones’ fracture that he suffered before the 2018-19 high school season. He seems to be back with full force in attempt to make Mervo a tough out in the 4A class. The injury actually brought maturity to Thomas both on and off the floor, so I expect him to be even better than when the high school scene last saw him as he poured in 34 points against the eventual champion Perry Hall team. Thomas recently cut his list to three schools: Towson, Coastal Carolina and Coppin State. There’s a strong possibility that he commits this month.
Ayalew: Jason Edokpayi is currently ranked 80, but will likely move into the top-50 come the end of the month. He had a great summer with New World and took advantage of the new NCAA Calendar by playing well with MSJ at DMV Live. Edokpayi just turned 17 and it’s evident that his best basketball is still ahead of him.
Wilson: Right now we have Wade Jackson of Pallotti slotted at 34 in our Maryland/DC 2020 rankings. There are a lot of high level players in front of him but I could definitely see him moving up a bit after a very productive summer. He certainly made a good impression of himself in front of college coaches this summer and that did not only uptick his recruitment but it will also help him move up in our rankings right before the high school season starts. I think he could have a monster senior season at Pallotti that should only help his recruitment more if he doesn’t decide to sign during the early signing period.
2. Now that all of the transfer news is official, which team will see the biggest improvement in their record for 2019-20?
Giacubeno: Milford Mill experienced a down year to their standards by going under .500. For this season, they’ll look to reload and become a tough opponent in Baltimore County once again thanks to a slew of transfers. ’21 center Detwan Montague, ’22 guard Andrew Rheubottom, ’22 point guard Sammy Scott and ’21 wing O’Meech Wilson bring the talent that the Millers desperately needed. Each player contributes in a different way. ’20 guard Jermaine Goodwyn will have the opportunity to play off the ball and impose his scoring ability as he did in a handful of games last season. Plenty of teams in the area got stronger with transfer additions, but I don’t think anyone will experience a bigger turnaround in their overall record like Milford Mill.
Ayalew: TC Williams went .500 last year, but they should improve on that mark based on their new-look roster. TJ Horton, Stalin Oaks, and Michael Henderson are three significant transfers that will all play key roles for the Titans and should help propel them to a winning record.
Wilson: I love the new backcourt at Riverdale Baptist led by Guy Fauntleory who transferred from Rock Creek and Devon Savage who was at St. John’s last year. Both of the 20201 guards made an immediate impact for Riverdale in Capitol Hoops Summer League and we expect that to continue this season. Fautntleory averaged an impressive 17.1 points per game during summer league. Savage who is coming off a nice Peach Jam with Team Takeover, averaged 16.0 points per game with Riverdale in summer league. We expect this duo to be one of the best best backcourts in the DMV. They also got a late addition in another 2021 guard being Willie Rivera who will provide great depth.
3. Which DMV player are you most looking forward to watching in the collegiate ranks this season?