2021 Guards Most Affected by AAU Postponement
As many high school team’s saw their season come to an end, the focus for prospects began to shift towards spring. Sure, there were still a small number of schools competing for championships, but the majority of prospects were at…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs many high school team’s saw their season come to an end, the focus for prospects began to shift towards spring. Sure, there were still a small number of schools competing for championships, but the majority of prospects were at home awaiting their AAU practices to commence and eventually, the live periods of April to help boost their recruitment. Over the years we’ve seen plenty of players catapult their play in the spring months into college interest and offers.
The world was hit with the unknown that is now the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has caused all spring events to be canceled and hope remains we can pick up sometime this summer or even as early as May. Will the live period calendar see adjustments? That’s yet to be announced, but what we do know is that a number of 2021 guards in the Maryland and D.C. areas needed a spring session to either jump start their recruitment with programs or continue to get exposure in hopes of building a bigger offer list. Those are the players we will be mentioning in this article.
Bez Mbeng Bez Mbeng 6'3" | CG Good Counsel | 2021 State #190 Nation MD | 6’2 | Good Counsel
Mbeng’s name has surfaced with many of the local low major schools in the area. There’s much to like about Mbeng and while he’s featured more as an off-ball guard at 6-foot-2, he has an above average wingspan for his size. His athleticism also makes him intriguing along with his ability to finish around the rim. With his jumpshot still a work in progress, the spring would’ve been a crucial time for Mbeng to win over coaches and turn interest into offers. Bryant, LaSalle and St. Francis have all extended offer to Mbeng.
FreeHoops 💔 pic.twitter.com/sUvYXOSrx7
— Bez.Mbeng (@BezMbeng) April 8, 2020
Jalen Miller Jalen Miller 6'2" | PG Bishop Walsh | 2021 State #151 Nation MD | 6’2 | Bishop Walsh
Miller is a prospect that many scouts believe has his best basketball ahead of him. At 6-foot-2, Miller is a solid option at point guard who can score and distribute. His jumper has improved especially from three and his crafty finishes keep shot blockers guessing. When locked in, Miller can be a ruthless on-ball defender determined to pick up 5-second counts. This spring would’ve been huge for Miller to get his name out more with Team Thrill on the UAA Circuit. Bryant, Lehigh, Loyola (MD) and Stony Brook have all offered, but if there is any sort of AAU season I expect that list to expand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lcgy7kzNOY
Ryan Cornish Ryan Cornish 6'3" | CG Sidwell Friends | 2021 State MD | 6’3 | Sidwell Friends
Cornish made a successful transition to Sidwell this season and continued to impress with his shooting range and volume scoring. Cornish sits with two current offers from James Madison and Bryant, but would’ve looked to use the spring platform to win over more schools who worry about his defensive shortcomings and his ability to distribute from the point guard position, both areas in which Cornish took strides in the right direction in 2019-20.
Nick Marshall Nick Marshall 6'4" | CG River Hill | 2021 State MD | 6’4 | River Hill
Marshall is an intriguing prospect because of his size as a combo guard. A proven three-level scorer, programs want to reassure themselves that Marshall has the athleticism and intangibles to compete at the low-to-mid major level. Loyola (MD) and Howard have already extended offers and been involved with the River Hill standout. Marshall would’ve been running with Team Thrill on the UAA during AAU, where his arrays of skills certainly would’ve caught the eyes of onlooking coaches.
@highlightreelhs we back pic.twitter.com/kQCAuGIRsE
— Nick Marshall (@NickMarssshall) February 11, 2020
Jalen Bryant Jalen Bryant 5'11" | PG John Carroll | 2021 State MD | 5’10 | John Carroll
Bryant has a stellar year for a much improved John Carroll team. The 5-foot-10 guard proved he can play both on or off the ball, shoot from NBA range with efficiency as well as play make off the bounce. He’s a pesky on-ball defender who has natural instincts when it comes to anticipating in the passing lanes and baiting his match-up into offensive fouls. While he may not have the height that most coaches hope for, his IQ and will to win shine bright enough to overcome that measurable. Bryant does not hold any offers.
Devin Ceaser Devin Ceaser 6'1" | CG St. Stephen's & St. Agnes | 2022 State VA | 6’0 | St. Mary’s Ryken
Ceaser is a name that many local programs are inquiring about. He’s proven himself as a consistent play maker as the lead guard for Ryken the past two seasons. What catches scout’s eyes is his explosive athleticism for his size. It comes to light in transition, but Ceasar can also be an impact in the half court by scoring from all three levels or making smart decisions as a facilitator. Like Bryant, Ceasar has yet to receive an offer, but I’m confident that playing on the right platform this spring would’ve gained the interest of a handful of programs.
D’Angelo Stines D’Angelo Stines 6'2" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD | 6’2 | Mount St. Joseph
A late-bloomer to the 2019-20 season that impressed in postseason play, Stines was slated to run with Mid Atlantic Select this spring. The 6-foot-2 combo guard can impact a game with or without the ball. He’s a confident three-level scorer that can play well within a structured offense. His production in the second half of this season manufactured two offers from Howard and Mount St. Mary’s. Don’t be surprised if we see a few more schools get in the mix here shortly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xBdzs49IbE&feature=emb_logo
David Brown III David Brown III 6'5" | SF Bishop McNamara | 2021 State MD | 6’4 | Bishop McNamara
A year that consisted of battling a head injury and adjusting to a new team, Brown struggled to find his groove. There’s no denying the success we saw him have as a sophomore at McDonogh that resulted in Bryant, Columbia, Howard, Loyola (MD), Stony Brook and UMass-Lowell all extending offers. At 6-foot-4, Brown is an impressive shooter off the catch and has the size to mix in well within many offenses. The spring would’ve been a great chance for him to redeem himself and prove his worth with the right AAU team.
Mike Myrie Mike Myrie 6'2" | CG Magruder | 2021 NC | 6’2 | Magruder
When I caught up with film from this past season, it floored me how explosive and exciting it was to watch Myrie. If you haven’t seen him in over a year, Myrie will look and play like a completely different player. He’s 6-foot-2, full of athleticism and plays with a fire that not many players have in today’s age. He channels that passion and uses it effectively on both ends. He would’ve been in my short list of players that used the spring platform most effectively in a short amount of time.
https://twitter.com/MichaelMyrie8/status/1246565352512856065?s=20
Khyrie Staten Khyrie Staten 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD | 6’2 | St. Frances
Staten caught the entire area by surprise with his consistent level of production for nationally ranked St. Frances. The 6-foot-2 guard was a reliable marksman from deep and a lock down defender. He was often assigned the opposing team’s best perimeter player and the majority of times was the smaller in size, but held his match up to limited success. He didn’t have to make much happen off the dribble considering the teammates he had, so spring would’ve been a chance to prove his worth off the bounce. Multiple local programs have been monitoring Staten, but none have gone through with pulling the offer trigger.
https://twitter.com/khyriestaten/status/1234965863889063938?s=20