National High School Hoops Festival Brings Elite Talent to DeMatha: Powerhouses and Future College Stars Converge

Top-ranked teams from across the country — including IMG, Prolific Prep, Oak Hill and Wasatch — headline a loaded three-day field in Maryland featuring dozens of five-star prospects and major Division I recruits.

Five-star Bruce Branch (3) and his Prolific Prep teammates will be hand at the National High School Hoops Festival at DeMatha this weekend. / Grind Session

A variety of nationally ranked boys basketball teams and players are scheduled to compete in the National High School Hoops Festival at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland this weekend. 

A National Showcase Lands in Maryland

The three-day event runs from December 12-14 and features elite high school basketball programs from various states around the country including Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Utah and Virginia. 

Powerhouse Programs From Across the Country Arrive

Prolific Prep (Florida), Bella Vista (Arizona), IMG Academy (Florida), Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) and Wasatch Academy (Utah) are among the teams expected to converge at DeMatha this weekend. 

Prolific Prep Brings Two Elite Five-Stars

Prolific Prep features Caleb Holt, a 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard, and Bruce Branch, a 6-foot-7-inch small forward. Both student-athletes are five-star prospects in the Class of 2026. 

WCAC Programs Ready to Defend Home Turf

The festival will feature a handful of squads that compete in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) including the host school DeMatha. Archbishop Carroll (DC), St. John’s College (DC) Paul VI (Virginia), Bishop O’Connell (Virginia) and Bishop McNamara (Maryland) are also scheduled to participate in the three-day event. 

Archbishop Carroll’s Ant Brown Continues Breakout Season

Washington DC’s Archbishop Carroll boasts senior point guard Ant Brown who has already signed to play college basketball at Vanderbilt University. Brown took home MVP honors last weekend at the Capital City National Showcase against elite competition. 

PVI’s Jordan Smith Headlines As Nation’s Top 2026 Guard

Paul VI (Chantilly, Virginia) features senior combo guard Jordan Smith who is being recruited by various Division I men’s college basketball programs. Smith, who is the top-ranked guard in the Class of 2026, has trimmed his college list to six schools: Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana and Syracuse. 

Bishop McNamara Features Two Major Division I Stars

Bishop McNamara boasts senior standouts Qayden Samuels and Prince-Alexander Moody who are both major Division I talents. Moody, a 6-foot-4-inch combo guard, has already signed with Indiana. 

“Prince is the ultimate team guy and competitor,” said Indiana head coach Darian DeVries. “He has a great feel for the game and will fit in perfectly with what we do at both ends of the floor.” 

Moody was named MVP at the Capital City National Showcase after finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds in a 57-52 victory over Sierra Canyon last weekend. 

Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6-inch Samuels, a five-star prospect, has received offers from various college programs including Alabama, Georgetown, UConn, Florida State and Georgia. 

Bullis and Sidwell Friends Add More Star Power

The Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland) and Sidwell Friends School (Washington, DC) are also scheduled to participate in the National High School Hoops Festival. 

Bullis is led by talented 6-foot-4-inch sophomore Xavier Skipworth, a five-star prospect. The Bulldogs also boast 6-foot-8-inch senior Finley Billy, a University of Pennsylvania (Ivy League) men’s basketball commit.  

Sidwell Friends boasts 6-foot-5-inch senior Jalyn Collingwood who has already signed to play college basketball in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) at Mississippi State University.