Sleepy Thompson Opening Round Standouts
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The opening round of the 64th Annual Sleepy Thompson Tournament is in the books, and now its time to take a look back at what we learned. Coaches from Catholic, Columbia, George Mason, Hampden-Sydney, Hood, UConn, Maryland,…
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Continue ReadingALEXANDRIA, VA — The opening round of the 64th Annual Sleepy Thompson Tournament is in the books, and now its time to take a look back at what we learned. Coaches from Catholic, Columbia, George Mason, Hampden-Sydney, Hood, UConn, Maryland, Marymount, Miami, St. Joe’s, Virginia and William & Mary were all spotted in the gym. Here is a rundown of 10 standouts from Thursday’s action.
MAZAE BLAKE | 6’1 G | HARGRAVE ’20
Blake is a fundamentally sound guard who proved that he can get the job done on both ends of the court. He stood out initially on the defensive end, where he applied good pressure on the ball and was active in the passing lanes. As the game progressed, Blake showcased the ability to consistently make shots from the perimeter.
ANGELO BRIZZI | 6’3 G | HIGHLAND ’21
Brizzi impressed with his contributions as a scorer, facilitator, and competitor. The crafty left-handed guard demonstrated confidence in his perimeter jumper but also made guys around him better with his court vision and playmaking ability. Brizzi is a good rebounder for a guard as we saw on Thursday. He pulled down 10 boards to go along with his 32 points.
IJ EZUMA | 6’7 F | HARGRAVE ’21
Ezuma played with a high motor throughout his team’s win over Maret. He excelled on the defensive end, where he was vocal, showed good lateral quickness, and the ability to protect the rim.
DEJUAN MCMILLAN | 6’0 G | FRIENDSHIP TECH ’21
McMillan hit 7 threes for Friendship Tech and he didn’t hug the line either. He’s got in the gym range but is also fearless when he goes to the basket. McMillan seemed to be hampered by an apparent ankle injury but that didn’t stop him from having a big game.
MALACHI POINDEXTER | 6’2 G | STAB ’20
It took a little while for Poindexter to get going, but once he did he was lights out. He’s a big guard with a good handle and the ability to create his own shot at will.
ELIJAH ROYE | 6’8 F | CARMEL ’20
Roye showed that he can be a reliable scorer in the post. He has good footwork and touch as a result of his length. Roye was also active on the boards. He has strong hands and is adept at rebounding out of his area.
JUSTIN TAYLOR | 6’6 W | STAB ’22
Taylor was probably the best long-term prospect we saw in the gym on Thursday. He’s got a strong 6-foot-6 frame and a good looking jumper. Taylor proved that he can hit contested shots in a hostile environment but also has the ability to create space off the bounce.
DEVAWN WHITE | 6’4 W | CARMEL ’21
White is a left-handed wing who plays with a high motor and makes plays on each end. He’s relentless on the glass and can rebound out of his area. White is a crafty scorer who can hit the mid-range pull-up or finish in traffic.
STERLING WHITE | 5’10 G | BISHOP SULLIVAN ’21
White set the tone defensively with his energy. He recorded several deflections, dove on the floor for 50/50’s, applied good pressure on the ball and was alert off the ball. White is a reliable playmaker on the offensive end who can read ball screens and make plays for his teammates.
MISHA ZURABASHVILI | 6’5 F | BISHOP SULLIVAN ’20
Zurabashvili is a skilled wing who can shoot from three, attack closeouts and score from the in-between areas. He’s a good team defender who isn’t afraid to step up and take a charge, but he has to improve his lateral quickness. One thing that stood out about Zurabashvili was how vocal he was on the defensive end.