St. James Elite Fall League - DMV C/O 2022
Lorenzo Nichols || Virginia Academy || 5’8 PG || 2022
Lorenzo has a quick first step and outstanding ball-handling skills that complement his natural playmaking ability. He is always trying to create easy shots for his teammates and does so by effortlessly threading the needle and making difficult passes in a crowded paint as well as no look kick-outs to the perimeter; he always keeps his head on a swivel. Although his priority is setting up his teammates, he is just as effective as a scorer. He is very crafty in the paint and can make acrobatic layups. He also has a smooth jump shot with a quick release that is lethal from beyond the arc. He is also very active and aggressive on the defensive end of the floor; he may not be the biggest player out there, but he reads the game so well that he is usually at the right place at the right time and times his reach-ins extremely well.
Gene Anderson || Patriot High School || 6’6 C || 2022
Gene was an absolute presence in the paint throughout the tournament on both ends of the floor. He creates so many second-chance opportunities with his next-level offensive rebounding. He is a good finisher in the paint; being left-handed makes him slightly harder to guard. However, he has room to grow even more in that area, which will elevate his game even further. Defensively he is tough to score on his agility allows him to move quickly in the paint to get in front of drivers where he uses his strength to stand his ground and force difficult shots or get blocks.
Ridge Parks || Maret High School || 5’11 PG || 2022
Ridge is a scoring first point guard with a very smooth jump shot from downtown. He is tremendously quick and shifty, which makes him extremely hard to guard because if you give him too much space, he will attack you aggressively coming downhill, and if you guard him too closely, he will break you down with his tight ball handle to get to his sweet spots on the court. He is also an excellent spot-up shooter who can effectively play off the ball and space the floor for his teammates. He is also an extremely tenacious defender who utilizes his speed and positioning to stick to assignments trying to get to the rim or play him on the perimeter.
James Lerner || Maret High School || 5’11 PG || 2022
What stood out to me about James during this tournament was his contributions defensively; he applied constant ball pressure and played the passing lanes well. On the offensive end, he is always trying to push the ball or set up his teammates to score. He likes to drive and kick, where he draws a lot of attention and finds open teammates on the perimeter. He doesn’t always need to have the ball in his hands to make an impact.
Christian Gamble || Sidwell Friends High School || 6’1 G || 2022
Throughout the tournament, Christian played with a maturity beyond his years. He plays with so much aggressiveness and is always looking to attack defenders. He is fearless when driving to the basket, even in a crowd.
Miles Webb || St. Stephens & St. Agnes School || 6’7 F || 2022
Miles is a very versatile forward who is dominant in the restricted area. He is very effective in the pick and roll action due to his speed and ability to effectively finish at the rim. He also runs the floor very well to get easy fast-break points. Miles is also a relentless rebounder who utilizes his length and power to secure boards. Defensively, he can effectively guard smaller players on the perimeter and is a brilliant shot blocker.
Elliot Black || St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School || 6’6 SF || 2022
Elliot is a high energy wing player with tremendous footwork that he utilizes very effectively to get to the basket without needing to force the issue. It also helps him in the paint when he is posting up smaller defenders. He is an above-average passer using vision to find open shooters on the perimeter. One of his biggest assets is his leadership; on multiple occasions when his teammates were down on themselves, he would approach them to talk to them and offer words of encouragement.
Until next time...
Written by: George Khnouf