CHSL Wednesday Underclass Standouts - Prep Hoops (2024)

30p 7r 5s 1b

-Our #1 player in 2026 certainly played like it in a close loss in the evening’s best game vs Jackson Reed. Despite an up-and-down shooting performance- Samuels did what he normally does and impacted the game by hitting the glass while also contributing 5 steals and a block on the defensive end. Samuels has a nose for the ball and was assertive offensively for a short-handed McNamara team that needed the offense. The handle has tightened a bit and there is more burst in his step as he is overcoming some minor injuries that have bothered him since the end of the HS season.

33p 4r 3a 4s

We keep writing about “Big Honey” because he keeps producing. Able filled the stat sheet while shooting 60% from the floor because he’s mixing in more easy looks: more putbacks, more drives to the rim, more off-ball movement. Strong frame, aggressive on both ends of the floor, capable passer and knockdown shooter– he gets his stats within the flow of the game and consistently makes the right read. While he is moving better laterally, the athleticism/speed/bounce/handle need to improve for him to reach his ceiling as a 2-guard that can fill up a stat sheet while winning basketball games.

20p 4r 2s 1a

-Oxendine’s jumper is a thing of beauty. Good consistent form, can get it off in a hurry, and the lift/arc on his jumper makes all his makes that much more satisfying. He moves well off the ball and finds open pockets in the defense to create a better passing target but isn’t hesitant to make the extra pass if he faces a hard closeout. His handle is good enough to get into his shot but needs to improve to be able to get by guys and take care of the ball when driving into traffic. But there is always room in this game for more shooting and he has that in spades. Had a few double-clutch finishes in midair in traffic that showed the scoring craft that you’re looking for in a young guard. Jumped passing lanes twice and turned it into a bucket at the other end both times. Oxendine has good spatial awareness, knows when to cut and where to cut to, and is an unselfish teammate.

18p 11r 7/8 FG 4/5 FT

-An 18-point double double in 19 minutes of playing time will always turn heads and Dibetto is starting to put it together. A worker under the glass, he understands the timing and the spot that he needs to block out at to grab the rebound and grabbed rebounds in traffic that he wasn’t getting last year. A throwback big that is willing to rebound, put back shots at the rim, set screens, be a roll/lob target, and patrol the paint as the anchor of your defense can be hard to find and his willingness to do all of the above makes him more valuable. Look forward to watching him more to get a better eval on his handle and shooting ability, although 7/8 from the field and 4/5 from the line go a long way in indicating his upside in the latter category.

23p 3r 2s 1a 1b

-Chilton can flat out boogie. A quick, shifty guard that can finish with either hand around the basket and knock down pull-up jumpers going either direction (which is a much more rare characteristic than you think)– he has a fluid, balanced offensive game. With an advanced handle that gets him to his spots efficiently and makes it difficult for him to get sped up, he’s also able to create separation on his pull-ups to create easy looks at the rim. The next stage in development will be using that vision and those paint touches to reverse pivot and hit shooters, hit the dunker spot big, hook pass to the strong side shooter— learning to be a pure point guard will be essential to his development at his size.

27p 6r 1a 1s 62% FG

Hall heated up late in the game and showed that he can really shoot the basketball. He hit a C+S 3 to get going, two movement 3s off of screens, then hit a 3 off the bounce after collecting a steal at the other end. The son of a coach who is 6’5, he’ll likely grow into a bigger frame while adding some secondary play-making/ “connector” value to his game. While his athleticism and defensive footwork need to improve, this could be a sleeper prospect in a loaded 2026 DMV class.

Didn’t play a ton in this one but has the makings of a high-level point guard down the line. Aggressive style of play, handles it well, good feel and change of pace with the ball in his hands. Understands where the ball needs to go and makes plays happen off the bounce, defensively that spatial awareness shows through as he forced several dribble pick-ups and trapped well from the weak side. Interested to see how he develops within a JR system known for development and depth.