High School Notebook: DME Academy vs. The Rock School
DME Academy and The Rock School are two of many high-level high school basketball programs in the state of Florida. Both schools consistently produce players that make an impact at the college and professional levels. Here are some of the takeaways from a number of prospects that made an impact in DME's 77-68 win against The Rock.
Sammie Yeanay
Junior | 6’8” Forward | The Rock School (FL)
Yeanay was a stand out for The Rock in this game. Standing at 6-foot-8, Yeanay showed an interesting ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own drives with his combination of size, strength, fluidity and body control, despite not having an elite level of quickness with the ball in his hands.
While he struggled a bit as a self-creator against DME's defense, Yeanay was really effective as a play finisher both below the rim and in catch-and-shoot jumpers. He has the combination of tools and skills to become a versatile forward prospect at the college level who can make his presence felt in the paint as an interior scorer and in the perimeter as a floor-spacer. It's definitely interesting that he is given the opportunity to initiate the offense with the ball in his hands; those on-ball reps could prove to be important for him in terms of future development.
Baraka Okojie
Junior | 6’3” Guard | DME Academy (FL)
Okojie ran the show for DME, having the ball in his hands for most of the possessions and he made the most of the opportunity in this game, as he had an outstanding performance as a shot creator both for himself and for others. Okojie was able to score from multiple levels of the floor, getting to the rim with his impressive combination of speed and body control. As a shooter, he was able to create his own jumper from inside the arc, showing a solid level of touch off movement.
Okojie also made his mark as a passer, especially on the move, being able to react quickly to help defenders, finding open teammates and making the right plays with consistency. As a defender, he was able to get in passing lanes and to create steals and deflections. His main improvement area is his shooting, as he’s clearly more comfortable inside the arc at this point and according to Cerebro Sports’ database he shot just 13% from three across FIBA events.
Holding just one D1 offer at the moment according to Verbal Commits, I expect Okojie’s recruiting to pick up steam quickly if he continues with this level of play, as his all-around game at the Guard position can be valuable for the majority of Division 1 programs.
Nigle Cook
Senior | 6’6” Wing | DME Academy (FL)
Cook played mostly off-the-ball for DME, but he made the most of it by being extremely efficient as a shooter. He shoots an extremely easy and repeatable ball and is able to hit shots with deep range, which makes it easy to project him as a consistent and versatile shooter at the next level of competition. With the ball in his hands, he showed fluidity and speed, being able to attack closeouts. In these situations, he was able to exploit help defenders by finding teammates on the move.
Cook played extremely well in this game, having the requisite size and length for the wing position, it’s easy to see him bringing value to an NCAA team from day one as a shooter who is also able to selectively put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket.
Ryan Jones Jr.
Junior | 6’9” Forward | The Rock School (FL)
Jones is an impressively strong 6-foot-9 forward who is able to utilize his strength extremely well to punish mismatches. In the paint, the forward is able to create space out of sheer physicality and when he catches the ball on the 3-point line, he’s able to put the ball on the floor and simply bully opponents on his way to the rim. The most interesting aspect in this game was the ability to create his own shot in the perimeter, showing great footwork and touch on jumpers off-the-dribble.
Holding multiple high-major offers, Jones was the most highly touted prospect coming into the game, even if he didn’t dominate in the way it could be expected, he showed impressive perimeter abilities for his size which more than justifies the high-major attention he is receiving.
Other Prospects of Note
• Kam Wright (Junior - The Rock) is a toolsy 6-foot-6 wing who was able to utilize his size and length to make an impact on both ends of the floor. He was also able to space the floor. Holds multiple D1 offers and he could be an impactful two-way wing with his tools and his shooting ability.
• Petras Padegimas (Senior - DME) is one of the most smart and timely cutters I’ve seen in a while, he took advantage of The Rock’s zone defense to make cuts and his teammates were able to find him with lobs on multiple occasions. Padegimas uses his tools on defense as well, being able to cover perimeter positions. Definitely a player to watch for the D1 level considering his tools.
• Austin Leslie (Sophomore - The Rock) played mostly off-the-ball but he made an impact by hitting jumpers and making the right plays in transition. Definitely a player to follow as the next few years go by.
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