Maryland/DC Summer Stock Risers: 2023 Guards
We’ve wrapped up what has been the most unprecedented summer in AAU basketball history as COVID-19 prohibited any live evaluations periods to occur. Nevertheless, programs and facilities worked together in order to give players a platform as college coaches watched…
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Continue ReadingWe’ve wrapped up what has been the most unprecedented summer in AAU basketball history as COVID-19 prohibited any live evaluations periods to occur. Nevertheless, programs and facilities worked together in order to give players a platform as college coaches watched via live stream. Before May, the chances of having any basketball this summer were very slim, but fortunately that wasn’t the case and players were able to boost their stock along the way.
For this series, we’ll be taking a look at stock risers from the area in various classes.
Let’s make our way to the 2023 guards.
Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD | 6’3 | St. Frances/Team Durant
Lamothe has the argument of being the biggest stock riser regardless of class from his play this spring and summer. He made drastic improvements to his body on top of growing a couple of inches. Those improvements unlocked new quickness and athleticism that didn’t appear much throughout his freshman campaign. Another part of Lamothe’s game that was evident was his ability to operate off the dribble. As a freshman at St. Frances, he was utilized off the ball as more of a spot-up shooter from outside, but he’s proven to be much more than that this summer. Lamothe is a three-level scorer with vastly underrated playmaker with advanced court vision. His play generated offers from the likes of Austin Peay, Bryant, DePaul, Georgetown, Mississippi State and Pittsburgh.
Ace Valentine | 6’1 | Mount St. Joseph/Team Durant
It was my first time getting a chance to see Valentine a handful of times in practice or game settings this summer and I walked away impressed. He boasts solid size at 6-foot-1 and doesn’t take long to prove his worth as a scorer from three and around the rim. An underrated aspect of his game is the way he can distribute. Valentine makes the right play and while it may not always be flashy enough to make the highlight tapes, it puts his team in a position to win games. Valentine is in line to be another talented guard that comes out of Mount St. Joseph.
Tjay Beckles Tjay Beckles 5'10" | PG Overlea | 2023 State MD | 5’11 | Overlea/Team Melo
Beckles is another name people may not be familiar with right now, but that shouldn’t last long. He’s a modern day point guard in that he shoots with extended range on his three-point shot and can convert at an efficient clip. As we see in today’s game, many primary ball handlers are used to space the floor, attack driving lanes to get to the basket and finish or have a good enough feel in ball-screen scenarios to make the defense pay. Beckles does all the above. Had there been live evaluation periods this spring and summer, Beckles’ name would be surfacing as a young prospect that programs would look into closely.
Isaiah Arnold Isaiah Arnold 6'2" | PG DeMatha | 2023 State MD | 5’11 | DeMatha/New World
It was my first time getting to see Arnold in action this summer and he didn’t disappoint. The 5-foot-11 guard seems to have great instincts and an advanced feel for the game as a lead guard. He’s balanced in the scoring and distributing categories while bringing an intangible quality of leadership that every coach longs for in his point guard. Arnold’s name will be one to track as he continues to develop at DeMatha.
Alex Mostashari | 6’3 | Gonzaga/District Basketball Club
The first thing that stood out to me about Mostashari is how hard he plays. Whether it’s running the floor, crashing the glass or chasing down 50/50’s to give his team an edge, Mostashari is going to give full effort. His stock rises further when he lets shots go from three and the mid-range. He has solid technique and form on his release and is capable of knocking down shots in volume.