DMV Live at DeMatha: 2024 Standouts, Part I
Session II of DMV Live at DeMatha brought out a lot of college coaches to take a look at some rising stars in the DMV area. Take a look at Part I of some names that caught my eye in…
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Continue ReadingSession II of DMV Live at DeMatha brought out a lot of college coaches to take a look at some rising stars in the DMV area. Take a look at Part I of some names that caught my eye in the 2024 class from the event.
Khani Rooths Khani Rooths 6'7" | SF IMG Academy | 2024 State #16 Nation FL – 6’9 Wing/Forward – Bishop Walsh
Rooths is a name with some national implications in the Maryland 2024 class given his stature and ability at 6-foot-9. He’s a hybrid wing/forward prospect that showed he can score it both inside out with 16.3 ppg on 43.1 percent shooting from the field. He likes to shoot it at volume though he’s quite the rebounder (9.3 rpg) and rim-protector as well. He also finished the weekend ranked second among all players in blocks per game (2.3), showing his willingness to meet opponents at the rim and alter shots. As he adds in some weight training to his development, look for his name to grow over at Bishop Walsh in the 2024 class.
Makhai Johnson – 6’4 Wing/Guard – Bishop Ireton
Johnson was impressive at DMV Live at DeMatha, especially in the upset of St. Frances Academy in sudden death, where he put together his best performance of the weekend. He put up 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block against St. Frances Academy to close out Day 2 then followed that up with five rebounds, five steals and three assists against Georgetown Prep in a win. He does a lot of good things without the ball in his hands to make his presence felt as a guard that can also operate at the 3-spot as a rebounding/interior presence.
Eli DeLaurier Eli DeLaurier 6'8" | C Miller School | 2024 #173 Nation VA – 6’9 Forward – Miller School
It’s easy to see why DeLaurier is such a highly-touted name already in VA’s 2024 class with Miller School. He plays with a relentless motor as his stats showed after the weekend with 7.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and 2.0 bpg. His shot wasn’t falling in a few games but he still stayed in games and didn’t let it deter his efforts on defense. As he puts on muscle, look for his foul trouble issues to subside, which is a current trend for him against bigger post players.
Ben Hammond Ben Hammond 5'10" | PG Paul VI | 2024 State #143 Nation VA – 5’10 Point Guard – Paul VI
Hammond is quite the floor general prospect that’s emerging in the Paul VI backcourt in VA’s 2024 class. He’s an aggressive defender that showed off an ability to also push the pace, finish in traffic and make plays for others. He closed the weekend out with an 11-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist and 4-steal performance on 5-of-11 shooting against Mt Carmel. He doesn’t try to overdo things offensively while maintaining quite a quickness and nose for the ball on defense. Finished the weekend ranked ninth in steals per game (2.6) as a rising junior. One to keep an eye on this summer.
Darren Harris Darren Harris 6'6" | SF Paul VI | 2024 State #59 Nation VA – 6’5 Guard/Wing – Paul VI
Harris showed flashes off his ability as a shot-maker and playmaker in the Paul VI rotation. He’s still finding his way a bit as a threat on the perimeter but he showed he could put the ball on the floor and make things happen in spots as well. As he shows more of a willingness to rebound and find easy buckets around the rim, he’s a prospect to keep an eye on in the 2024 class.
Aristeides John Hobson Aristeides John Hobson 6'4" | SG Landon | 2024 State MD – 6’2 Guard – Landon School
Hobson stepped up a big way against Good Counsel in a back-and-forth battle that eventually turned in their favor. He went off for 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from the arc to show off his ability to take things over when given opportunities. He’s a prospect over at Landon School to track at the combo guard role. He’s quite the defender to watch also.
Bryson Cokley Bryson Cokley 6'5" | SG Christ School | 2024 State NC – 6’5 Guard/Wing – Christ School
Cokley is another 2024 prospect with some national recognition already given his status with Team CP3 on the EYBL stage and he lived up to his billing for the most part. He plays with a ton of energy on the floor, flying around for rebounds and blocks while also moving around on the perimeter offensively as a threat on the perimeter. In his best performance against Bishop Ireton, he went off for 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 2-of-3 from 3-point land to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. He averaged 12.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.3 apg on 55.3 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3. As he shores up his 3-point efficiency, look for more teams to pull the trigger on him.