Maryland Team Camp: Saturday 2023 Standouts
In this article:
It was a productive day in the Xfinity Center on Saturday as a plethora of local high school teams faced off in Maryland’s annual team camp. It was a great opportunity to get eyes on prospects from the various classes…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt was a productive day in the Xfinity Center on Saturday as a plethora of local high school teams faced off in Maryland’s annual team camp. It was a great opportunity to get eyes on prospects from the various classes and how they’ve progressed through the spring. We’ll start with the rising senior class.
Amani Hansberry Amani Hansberry 6'7" | C Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State #52 Nation MD | Mt. St. Joe
The No. 1 overall prospect in our 2023 rankings, Hansberry had his full skill set on display yesterday for the Gaels. The common argument against Hansberry is that he’s undersized for position, but I’d argue that he’s nearing 6-foot-8 and plays even bigger given his length and activity level. As his high school career has progressed, he’s become a grab-and-go guy who can lead the break regularly while making decisions with the basketball that lead to buckets for his team. He was outstanding as a passer working in the post with his back to the basket where he located cutting teammates on the baseline or down the center of the paint. He knocked down face-up jumpers, had an array of over the shoulder hook finishes and feasted on the offensive glass. Penn State and Illinois are entrenched in the recruitment of Hansberry, but the Maryland staff took note of his performance yesterday and just may get involved sooner rather than later.
Tyler Perkins Tyler Perkins 6'4" | SG Landon | 2023 State #268 Nation MD | Landon
Perkins was exceptional in the game that I saw him drop 26 points in a loss against St. Frances. While Landon doesn’t have the true size or firepower as most, what they do have is a lead guard in Perkins who can fill up the score sheet while also being an effective playmaker for the shooters around him. He’s an underrated athlete who make plays above the rim on both sides, slides his feet well defensively in space and rebounds at a plus rate for his position. Patriot League and Ivy League programs are jumping in on his recruitment and Albany had extended an offer recently.
Omarion Reid Omarion Reid 6'6" | C Mt. Carmel | 2023 State MD | Mt. Carmel
Reid continues to have a productive spring and summer. He’s been active with Team Melo MD23 17U and will likely receive quite the boost in role for the Cougars this winter. He’s a big-body presence inside at 6-foot-6 and has good understanding of how to use his frame to his advantage. While his approach when operating on the block is still developing, what he does really well is catch the ball with soft hands, bury his defender under the rim and finishes through contact creating by digging defenders. Reid runs the floor with purpose and plays with intensity that helps light a spark under his teammates.
Cam Gillus Cam Gillus 5'10" | PG Sidwell Friends | 2023 State MD | Sidwell Friends
Since Gillus isn’t playing AAU, it was the first time catching him in action and he didn’t disappoint. He’s the ultimate floor general who can guarantee execution of his coach’s sets. Gillus gets into the paint with regularity when he gets downhill and has a balanced approach looking for his own scoring opportunities or reacting to the rotations of the defense to find bigs hanging around in the dunker’s spot or shooters spotting up.
Jaden Winston Jaden Winston 5'9" | PG DeMatha | 2023 State MD | DeMatha
With the change of the the staff at DeMatha comes many new faces on the roster, but one that should play a big role as a returner will be 2023 guard Jaden Winston Jaden Winston 5'9" | PG DeMatha | 2023 State MD . A super quick 5-foot-10 guard who plays both on and off the ball, Winston was key in DeMatha’s full court press where he acted as a safety on the football field to collect steals and cause deflections. He made timely buckets during runs that helped shift the momentum of games and will use his leadership and experience with the program to help the Stags keep a powerhouse status in the DMV.
Marvin Brimage | Wilson
Wilson looked solid as a unit in their two games yesterday. I was on site for their win over Bishop O’Connell where Brimage played a major part in establishing a commanding lead that O’Connell couldn’t quite recover from. He’s a 6-foot-2 lead guard who can get buckets at a steady rate. Nine of his 15 points in this win came from beyond the arc and he did so off the bounce or off the catch.
Ace Valentine Ace Valentine 6'2" | PG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State MD | Mt. St. Joe
It’s all starting to come together for Valentine. He’s playing with a confidence that is resulting in the Gaels being the favorites for the MIAA/BCL next season after sweeping both championships in the 2021-22 season. The 6-foot-3 lead guard scored 15 points in their win over DeMatha and did a nice job of getting downhill and finishing around the rim. When he wasn’t getting all the way to the cup, he was stopping on a dime in the mid-range area for fluid pull-ups. Valentine also made some heady plays with the ball as a distributor, which will be key in the upcoming season with the departure of 2024 Bryson Tucker. Several LM programs are recruiting Valentine.
Thomas Batties | Gonzaga
I liked what I saw from Batties yesterday as Gonzaga rolled through their two contests looking like a force. The 6-foot-7 forward spent time knocking down shots from the perimeter, where he seems to be developing into a more consistent presence with time and space. He was effective from 10-to-12 feet and was battling inside on the defensive end to help limit their opponents to one-shot possessions. Patriot League and Ivy League programs should be recruiting Batties.
Ryan Sabol Ryan Sabol 6'3" | CG Gonzaga | 2023 State MD | Gonzaga
Another productive rising senior for Gonzaga was Sabol in the backcourt. The 6-foot-3 guard used his opportunities off the dribble to his advantage with quick step-backs, crossovers or behind the back pull-backs to quickly get into his shot from mid-range and three. It was nice seeing Sabol aggressive when he get an edge on his defender as a driver where he finished with craft to avoid the extended arms of opposing shot blockers. Sabol is a guy who dribbles for profit and should fit in perfectly with what head coach Steve Turner wants to do offensively.
Austin Abrams Austin Abrams 6'3" | SG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State MD | Mt. St. Joe
Abrams looks as smooth as ever when he’s shooting on the move. He comes with a compact release that he can get off in a variety of ways. He’s still developing his skills off the bounce, but his understanding of spacing and how to make himself available based off other’s penetration is going to be a skill that translates seamlessly at the next level. Since he’s built the reputation as an elite marksman, defenders often times sprint to close out. He’s become more consistent with utilizing pump fakes and quickly getting into his shot after one dribble. Abrams scored 13 points in a win over DeMatha.