By: Cooper Hart
6’2” ’24 Zion Walker (The Burlington School/Mount St. Mary’s)
In what continues to be a regular occurrence, Walker had a high-level performance against a tough opponent. He finished with 19, 5r, 5a, & 4s while shooting 3/3 from three. He handled a lot of responsibility on both ends and did as much to impact winning as anyone on the floor. His poise, consistency, and overall ability to control the flow of action is incredibly impressive. His decision making seems to continually progress in the right direction which should allow him much more positional flexibility at the next level.
6’4” ’27 King Gibson (The Burlington School)
Gibson had arguably the most intriguing performance of the early day, finishing with 15p & 4r while shooting 6/8 from the field and 2/2 from three. His fluidity and comfort level at a variety of positions jumps out at you immediately as he’s seemingly always under control regardless of the situation. His shooting mechanics continue to look smoother and smoother and he’s getting into his release quicker than ever. Defensively, he displayed a knack for filling in gaps and was seemingly always in the right position.
6’5” ’25 Jackson Keith (Southern Durham)
Keith finished the opening game with 24p & 11r while shooting 10/14 from the floor. He dominated in the mid-post area, consistently hitting tough shot after tough shot. His ability to leverage his strength and footwork was impressive as he has a clear understanding of when and where he can attack within traffic. He continues to be a strong defender, playing with a good motor and a clear willingness to compete on that end of the floor. He’s able to succeed against bigger and stronger matchups, allowing him an intriguing amount of versatility on both ends of the floor.
5’9” ’25 Chance Mallory (St. Anne’s-Belfield)
Mallory had one of the most (if not the most) productive/dominant performances of Day 1, finishing with 28p, 10r, 9a, & 4s. His near triple-double was the highlight of STAB’s dominant offensive outburst as they put up 84 points as a unit. What stood out about Mallory was his elite change of pace and decision making. He got into the paint literally whenever he wanted and took whatever the defense gave him. He made floaters, pull-ups, contact finishes, and dump offs without hesitation, making it near impossible for the defense to get comfortable.
6’7” ’24 Jackson Rein (Ravenscroft/Williams)
Rein was impressive in the loss to STAB, finishing with 22p, 13r, & 3a while shooting 10/18 from the field and 2/5 from three. He played with a consistently high motor on both ends, displaying toughness and good instincts on the glass. His footwork and wiggle as a face up threat has always been an underrated part of his game, with today being no exception. He simply knows how to carve out space for himself in traffic. He makes a habit out of playing off two feet and absorbs contact well which makes him even more intriguing as an offensive threat when given his consistently high shooting splits.
