DMV Live 2024 Standouts (Part 2)
It was a great weekend of hoops this past weekend as division one college coaches had their first “live period” in almost 2 years, allowing them to get in the gym and evaluate prospects in person finally. There were two…
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Continue ReadingIt was a great weekend of hoops this past weekend as division one college coaches had their first “live period” in almost 2 years, allowing them to get in the gym and evaluate prospects in person finally. There were two events in the DC area, with the main private school one being DMV Live at DeMatha.
I was there live streaming the event for the CBG Live Network, and you can see all of the games archived here.
There was tons of talent in the gym, so much that I’ll have to break the standouts down into multiple parts per class! Here’s a look at part one of the top 2024 prospects, looking at standouts from the Virginia schools.
Darren Harris | 6’5” WF | Paul VI
Harris is showing early on that he’s one of the top 2024 players in the VA class, as the 6’5” wing not only has great size for his position and game but also has a great understanding of the game for his age. A sniper from deep, Harris knows how to work off the basketball to get open and he has deep range off the catch, he has a great up fake and can attack closeouts, he makes good reads with the ball in his hands and he’s a good help side defender as well.
Ben Hammond | 5’9” PG | Paul VI
It’s hard not to see the comparison to current Paul VI point guard and Michigan commit Knasir McDaniel Knasir McDaniel 5'9" | PG Paul VI Cathlolic (VA) | 2022 State #126 Nation VA , as Hammond is not only about the same size but has the same type of speed and shiftiness that McDaniel excels with. He has great speed and a lightning quick first step, he’s able to get downhill and suck the defense in to kick out and he’s an excellent on ball defender that can guard the length of the floor.
David Rochester | 6’6” WF | Bishop O’Connell
There were quite a few 2024s that played for O’Connell in their only day at the DMV Live, Rochester really intrigued me with his skill set and understanding of the game as well as his production. He isn’t the most athletic guy of the crop but at 6’6” he’s a good shooter and moves well off the ball, he makes good decisions with the ball in his hands and he plays with a great motor on both ends.
Del Jones | 6’2” CG | Bishop O’Connell
Jones is one of the better known 2024s on this group, and he’s supposedly already getting recruited by division one schools and it’s easy to see why. He’s a natural athlete at the point guard with good speed and shiftiness off the bounce, he has good length and is likely still growing and he showed the ability to both run the show and make a variety of tough shots from multiple levels off the bounce.
Chance Mallory | 5’5” CG | St. Anne’s-Belfield
Mallory is the type of kid that if you don’t like watching him play you just don’t like basketball, as he’s almost always the shortest guy on the floor but he’s a fearless competitor and skilled in many ways as well. He’s a knock down shooter from deep that can get hot quickly, he’s a good ball handler who’s slippery and has a good first step and he competes on both ends as he averaged close to 7 rebounds a game and had a game where he had a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Kenneth DeGuzman | 5’9” PG | National Christian
DeGuzman is part of a talented National Christian team that has a lot of prospects on them, but he would stand out in many ways with his ability to handle pressure, get in the lane at will and make plays for others. I nicknamed him “Da Goods Man” because he has a bag that includes a good handle and good vision and passing ability, he can make shots from deep and he has good body control and can finish among the trees too.