For this week’s roundtable, the crew tackles three questions surrounding the story lies of early signing day, D3 prospects of note and what duos will be must-see this season. 1. With National Early Signing Day coming up, what is one…
For this week’s roundtable, the crew tackles three questions surrounding the story lies of early signing day, D3 prospects of note and what duos will be must-see this season.
1. With National Early Signing Day coming up, what is one storyline you are watching?
Giacubeno: I’m eagerly monitoring the recruitment of Bez MbengBezMbeng
6'3" | CG Good Counsel | 2021State#190NationMD
. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is the No. 6 ranked player in our MD/DC 2021 player rankings and has a high ceiling as a prospect. He isn’t being courted by any high major programs, but still has a nice list to select from. There’s so much uncertainty surrounding this class and recruitment with everything that COVID-19 has brought, so in a sense I understand why he is deciding to wait a bit. In the same breath, prospects who aren’t nationally coveted should lock in their scholarships sooner rather than later. As for a fit, I like James Madison for Mbeng, but Canisius recently offered and is showing some willingness to invest the time as well. Last time I caught up with the Good Counsel standout, he preferred to take visits to campus. It won’t look like that will be happening anytime soon. Will he cave and decide to commit? Time will tell.
Ayalew: I’ll be interested to see who signs early and who decides to wait. With all the uncertainty, I’d expect many players to sign early, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see some others wait.
Wilson:For me I have to go with the recruitment of Trevor KeelsTrevorKeels
6'4" | SG Paul VI | 2021State#18NationVA
. There is no sign of him signing early but you never know what could happen in the coming days. Keels is down to a final three of Duke, Villanova and Virginia and has shown no hints of when or where he will be committing to.
2. Who are some 2021 prospects that D3 programs should be recruiting?
Giacubeno: I’ll stick with my Baltimore roots for this question. A few guys come to mind immediately. Pikesville point guard Evan Flaks is one who already has a handful of high-academic D3 programs actively recruiting him and if you’ve seen him in action, you can understand why. Flaks is a 5-foot-9 point guard who plays extremely hard on both ends while fulfilling the role as a floor general to its definition. He understands how to control a game’s pace, ensures his team’s execution in half court play, knocks down three’s with regularity and picks up his man full court defensively. Flaks does a bunch of things that don’t show up on the box score as well such as taking charges, communicating effectively and making the hockey assist on drives or quick swings.
Jeremiah StantonJeremiahStanton
5'11" | PG Gerstell Academy | 2021StateMD
is a guard out of Gerstell Academy who programs need to be aware of. He’s one of the players that has improved his game and body the most since stepping foot on a high school campus. Stanton is a marksman from three when he’s playing next to guys who can create open shots for others. However, when that’s not the case, Stanton is good at getting to the rim and finishing with either hand. Stanton’s work ethic speaks for itself and I truly believe any Division III program that could land him would benefit from having him not only on the court, but in the locker room.
Quentin Wells is a combo guard from Randallstown with good size at 6-foot-2. He’s a solid all-around scorer who could improve at all three levels, but at this point he’s a player that needs to be accounted for by opposing defenses. Wells takes pride in guarding his matchup defensively and isn’t afraid to dive on the floor for 50/50s.
Ayalew: One solid D3 prospect that not a lot of people know about is Sid Smith. Smith will be playing his senior season at B-CC. He’s a very good three-point shooter who adds value as a team defender who communicates
Wilson: There are a lot of strong division three programs around the DMV and there are a slew of prospects from coaches to choose from. I will start with 2021 6’1 Ed Johnson of Bishop McNamara. Johnson is a reliable shooter that can hit from multiple areas on the floor. When he is not scoring he also can get others involved well. Johnson would be a nice addition for any ODAC program as he is constantly engaged on every possession and someone you can count on both ends of the floor.
Another prospect that could fit the division three level well is 6’2 shooting guard Vincent PayneVincentPayne
6'2" | CG St. Maria Goretti | 2021StateMD
out of St. Maria Goretti. Payne is another guard that you can rely on to make a lot of shots and has shown signs of getting better defensively. If Payne is able to get in the right system, he is another guy that will thrive at the division 3 level.
3. Name a duo that will be well worth checking out this season.
Wilson:New head coach Kenny Johnson has brought a lot of talent to National Christian led by George Washington pledge Brayon Freeman. Johnson also brought in 2021 unsigned guard Ahmad HarrisonAhmadHarrison
6'1" | PG National Christian | 2022MD
. I am very excited to watch this backcourt as National Christian could be one of the most improved teams across the DMV