Updates on the Top 5 ’21 Available Maryland Prospects
The past two months have been unprecedented to say the least. By this time we’re usually in the thick of the high school season enjoying holiday tournaments featuring a ton of prospects. Thanks to COVID, things are still at a…
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Continue ReadingThe past two months have been unprecedented to say the least. By this time we’re usually in the thick of the high school season enjoying holiday tournaments featuring a ton of prospects. Thanks to COVID, things are still at a stand-still in the Maryland/DC area and will continue to look foggy for the next month or so. Updates within top available prospects are always valuable, so that’s what I’ll do in this article along with including the names outside the top five available that should be on college program’s radars.
Bez Mbeng Bez Mbeng 6'3" | CG Good Counsel | 2021 State #190 Nation MD | 6’3 | Good Counsel/ DC Premier
Mbeng ranks as the No. 6 players in our 2021 MD/DC player rankings and for good reason. At 6-foot-3, he has ideal size as a combo guard at the Division I level and has developed as a scorer since entering high school. He’s at his best playing as a slasher who attacks and finishes at the rim while also having the vision and playmaking ability to create for others. He can be a versatile option defensively who can guard multiple positions at the high school level. He’s a plus rebounder for his position and isn’t afraid to challenge shots at the rim. Mbeng’s jumper has been his blemish, but he has put in serious work and become a capable shot-maker from three and from mid-range when operating off the bounce. Mbeng recently received an offer from Yale and although a handful of other programs have officially offered, I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled the trigger with the Ivy League program sooner rather than later.
Elijah Hawkins Elijah Hawkins 5'9" | PG DeMatha | 2021 State MD | 5’10 | DeMatha/New World
I’ve been scratching my head for a while when it comes to Hawkins’ recruitment. The 5-foot-10 guard is the definition of a floor general who is a proven winner on both ends of the floor. Many programs tend to point the finger at his height, but if we’ve learned anything about this new wave of prospects and how they translate to the college level it’s that you cannot put enough value into having players who know what it takes to play within a system and bring winning tools. Hawkins checks every box. He recently received an offer from Howard and a few other programs continue to monitor him. Personally, I’m a strong believer that CAA programs would be getting a steal in Hawkins who could come in right away playing rotational minutes at the point guard position as a freshman.
Day’sJuan Waters Day’sJuan Waters 6'3" | SF Good Counsel | 2021 State MD | 6’3 | Good Counsel/ DC Premier
Waters is another intriguing prospect from Good Counsel that brings solid size as an off-ball guard. At 6-foot-3 with a dangerous jumpshot and solid athleticism, he’s a guy defenses must account for in both the half court and open floor. He competes at a high level defensively and has the tools to be very effective on that end as he progresses through his college career. Waters holds three total offers from Canisius, East Tennessee State and Stony Brook. Buffalo has been a program that has been monitoring Waters closely and could be one to watch if they officially offer.
Ahmad Harrison Ahmad Harrison 6'1" | PG National Christian | 2022 MD | 6’1 | National Christian/Team Thrill
Harrison was primed for a big year at National Christian after making the move from City. He was coming off a productive summer with Team Thrill where he had the chance to showcase his true point guard skills and prove to people that he has potential in quarterbacking a team at the next level. If there is any high school season, Harrison will likely have to miss it due to a leg injury he suffered. Harrison was able to get a couple of events under his belt with National Christian and impressed enough to earn a surprise PAC-12 offer from Arizona State. He still remain available, but that could be short-lived, as he’ll likely take the Arizona State offer. I will make it clear however, that his recruitment remains wide open.
Bobby Hill Bobby Hill 6'5" | PF Reservoir | 2021 State MD | 6’5 | Reservoir/Team STAT
Hill rounds out our top 20 in the 2021 MD/DC player rankings and put together a nice summer for Team STAT after winning Howard County Player of the Year in 2019-20. Hill has great length to go with a frame that should fill out nicely once put into a college lifting and conditioning program. He’s a versatile option offensively who can knock down catch-and-shoots (especially from the corner), can operate in mid-post touches and has displayed soft touch on shots inside the paint. Given his size and skillset, he’s a bit of tweener depending on which level you evaluate him on. He holds an offer from Millersville (DII) and is being pursued by over a handful of good DIII programs. Navy has even peeked into his recruitment, but nothing significant has developed yet. I think Hill is an instant impact as a freshman at the DIII level with a chance of being an All-Conference player by his sophomore and junior season. At the DII level I believe Hill could find some minutes within the rotation right away, but would need some time to develop as a player overall before becoming comfortable. It doesn’t surprise me that DI programs are considering him given his versatility and upside. No timetable for Hill’s decision has been made.
Other notable available players:
F Jamai Felt Jamai Felt 6'8" | C Randallstown | 2021 State MD (Randallstown/Team Choo)
G Byron Ireland Jr. Byron Ireland Jr. 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD (St. Frances/DMV Stags)
C Jonathan Izemef Jonathan Izemef 6'9" | C National Christian | 2021 State MD
G Jalen Bryant Jalen Bryant 5'11" | PG John Carroll | 2021 State MD (John Carroll/Team Thrill)
C Garfield Turner Garfield Turner 6'7" | C Mt. Zion Prep | 2021 State MD (Mt. Zion Prep)
G Primo Spears (Mt. Zion Prep)
G AJ Lopez AJ Lopez 6'5" | CG Mt. Zion Prep | 2021 State MD (Mt. Zion Prep)
G Will Reynolds Will Reynolds 6'3" | CG DeMatha | 2021 State MD (DeMatha/New World)
G James Gross Jr. James Gross Jr. 6'3" | CG Rock Creek Christian | 2021 State MD (Rock Creek Christian/New World)
G Ryan Prather Jr. Ryan Prather Jr. 6'3" | CG Bishop Walsh | 2021 State MD (Bishop Walsh/DBC)
W Barry Evans Barry Evans 6'7" | SF Poly | 2021 State MD (Poly/DMV Stags)
F Clarence Obiajulu Clarence Obiajulu 6'7" | C National Christian | 2021 State MD (National Christian/Team Thrill)
G Dylan Edwards Dylan Edwards 6'1" | CG St. Andrew's | 2022 MD (St. Andrew’s/DBC)
W Mohamed Toure Mohamed Toure 6'6" | SF Hun | 2022 State NJ (Sandy Spring/DBC)
W Ian Wallace Ian Wallace 6'5" | PF Mt. Zion Prep | 2021 State MD (Mt. Zion Prep)