Top Standouts/Prospects: Beckley Prep vs. Mt. Zion
Last week at the Military Classic, I got the chance to watch two very good postgrad teams in Beckley Prep of West Virginia and Mt. Zion Prep of Maryland. The game was back and forth with Beckley making a major…
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Continue ReadingLast week at the Military Classic, I got the chance to watch two very good postgrad teams in Beckley Prep of West Virginia and Mt. Zion Prep of Maryland. The game was back and forth with Beckley making a major comeback in the second half, but Mt. Zion ended up holding on to win 90-83. There were quite a few prospects, and here’s a look at seven of the top standouts from the game.
David N’Guessan | 6’9” F | Mt.Zion (MD) 2020
One of the best available overall players in the area, N’Guessan showed all of the tools and then some that makes me believe he’s a no brainer high major kid. The native of the Netherlands has tons of potential as a guy with great size who can play inside-out, guard multiple positions and make an impact with his size and athleticism on both ends of the floor. He showed the ability to finish inside through traffic and made shots late in the shot clock, and his versatility is something that means he should be able to make an immediate impact moving forward. He finished with 22 points on 10-for-11 shooting from the field and pitched in 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals in the win.
Woody Newton | 6’8” PF | Mt. Zion (MD) 2020
The Syracuse commit was another big contributor for MZ in their win as his athleticism and size shows the way he’ll be a mismatch moving forward. At times he played the four, at times he played the three, but he has the right body and solid skill set to go along with it and he’s able to guard both positions as well. He’s a natural athlete who’s comfortable on the perimeter both in catch-and-shoot situations and putting it on the deck, and he rebounds well in and out of his area as well. He finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks in the win.
Otiz Frazier III | 6’7” F | Mt. Zion (MD) 2020
One of the best athlete’s I’ve seen all season, Frazier did some things that just straight blow your mind on the basketball court. Within the first five minutes of the game, Mt. Zion forced a turnover and instead of post guard Kendall Bynum taking the layup he pitched it back to Frazier who took a gather and did an easy 360 dunk like it was a warm up line. The 6’7” forward was also active on the defensive end shooting passing lanes and getting deflections, and he showed the ability to hit the three-ball when he was set, finishing 3-for-5 from deep. He finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the win.
Kendall Bynum | 6’0” PG | Mt. Zion (MD) 2020
The former Western Branch star got hurt midway through the second half, but in the time he was on the floor he made a huge impact by controlling the game and getting his guys easy shots. He’s gotten stronger with his extra year and being their main ball handler, he has plenty of weapons to work with and puts them all in positions to succeed. He also showed good finishing ability through traffic and in the midrange, and looked like a division one point guard while he was on the floor.
Lavric Mangala | 6’4” WG | Beckley Prep (WV) 2020
Mangala was a kid I didn’t know anything about before watching him but he was fantastic as he scored the ball well from multiple levels and played with great energy on both ends of the floor. The 6’4” wing showed good athleticism in transition, he shot it well from multiple levels and was great in mid-post actions where he showed a great fadeaway that was very tough to guard. He did well both on and off the basketball and played with energy on the defensive end and competed on the glass. He finished with a team high 26 points, scoring 16 of them in the second half and making big buckets down the stretch for them to keep them in the game.
Fah’Mir Ali | 6’0” PG | Beckley Prep (WV) 2020
The Radford commit showed some real toughness throughout the game as he hurt his shoulder, but continued to compete and fill it up when his team needed him to. He isn’t the biggest guy but he’s very strong and deceptively quick, and he’s able to get to his spots, create space and make contested shots from all over the floor. He finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss.
JJ Eubank | 6’4” WG | Beckley Prep (WV) 2020
A sniper with good size, Eubank hit some big shots for BP when they needed him to and while he looks like he’s coming off of a knee injury as he played with a big brace it looks like he’ll be pretty athletic when that all heals as well. He showed excellent range from deep hitting a couple from NBA range, and he showed good confidence both off the catch and off the bounce. He finished with 17 points, hitting 4 three-pointers in the loss.