STARTERS
G. D.J. Slaughter, John Paul the Great
G. Jeremy Roach, Paul VI
G. Xavier Lipscomb, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes
G. Jared Cross, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes
C. Noel Brown, Flint Hill
RESERVES
Tymu Chenery (Episcopal), Coretez Lewis (John Paul the Great), Sese Mobutu (Bishop Ireton), James Berry (Bishop Ireton), Andre Screen (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Kaleb Torrence (Fairfax Christian), Jamel Melvin (The Potomac School)
D.J. Slaughter, JPTG–We can’t think of anybody around that poured in points like Slaughter did in 2019-2020. The guard delivered a career-high 39 points against Flint Hill in January–and then scored 47 in a game against Bishop Ireton a few weeks later. As you might expect, Slaughter can hit a lot of threes, but he also uses his body expertly to seal off defenders while he attacks the rim. While he’s not particularly tall, you would never know it watching him play and get to the line against even huge front lines. It’s hard to imagine Slaughter not having a similar impact at the next level. He’ll play for the California (PA) Vulcans next year.
Jeremy Roach, Paul VI–It doesn’t seem that long ago Roach was bursting onto the scene as a freshman. Now he’s off to Duke, where he’ll likely see minutes at the point guard right away. Roach tore an ACL early on last season, but returned with a vengeance this year to average around 18 a game as Paul VI won the VISAA title. We only saw PVI a few times this year, once in a scrimmage, but it didn’t seem to take Roach long to round into shape. Even when he wasn’t scoring he was impacting the game with his crisp passing, defense, and on the boards. We’ll enjoy watching him on the big stage next year.
Xavier Lipscomb, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes–It was great to see Lipscomb get some due this year–we feel Radford is getting an absolute steal in him next year. While the Saints’ roster is as deep as anyone’s in Northern Virginia, it is fair to say Lipscomb was the heart and soul of SSSA. He energized his team on both sides of the ball, delivering tough, relentless on-the-ball defense and consistent scoring. The IAC Player of the Year showcased his talent in the VISAA championship versus PVI, delivering 15 points, seven boards, and six assists in a close loss. His intensity and all-around game definitely translates to the next level.
Jared Cross, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes–When the Saints offense was really rolling, Cross was often a big reason. Right off the bat Cross led his team in scoring in its first two games, pouring in 23 off six threes in a win over St. Anne’s-Belfield. The guard has good lift on his mid-range jumper and is often deadly from long range. He’s versatile, able to handle the ball in the backcourt against quick guards, but also athletic enough to rebound a decent amount down low in a four guard lineup. Cross’ steady improvement was a major reason for the Saints’ success this season. He’ll play his college ball at Army West Point next year.
Noel Brown, Flint Hill–The big man in the middle for the Huskies had another great year, continuing to improve in all facets of the game. He averaged around 12 points a game on offense to go with eight boards. He didn’t always need to score but when he did he certainly could, such as when he went for 40 in a victory over St. James. Brown, who will play basketball at George Washington next year, still has significant upside, as he hasn’t played organized basketball for very long. With pretty good footwork, natural intelligence, and the potential to alter shots even at the next level, Brown will be one to watch in the A-10 going forward.
Tymu Chenery, Episcopal–The talented forward, one of the best finishers in the area on the break and at the rim, is headed to Quinnipiac to play next year. Chenery has good anticipation and loves using his long arms to spark transition off a steal. His dunks are fun to watch, but he can also shoot–he had four three-pointers in a big win over Bullis and 28 points altogether in a win over Landon.
Coretez Lewis, John Paul the Great–Lewis is a guy you’d love to have on any team. The tough guard can fill it up very much like his teammate, D.J. Slaughter. In a four-game stretch during a week in early December Lewis averaged 27 points, attacking the rim relentlessly against good competition. He has pretty good range, too. He’ll be a steal for whoever lands him next year.
Sese Mobutu, Bishop Ireton–Maybe we’re biased because we were present when Mobutu scored a career-high 36 points in a win over O’Connell, but man, this guy can play. The combo guard had a great season for the Cardinals, averaging around 18 points a game. It seems every year an Ireton talent goes under the radar and this year the second team all-WCAC selection is that person. Some college, especially one that plays up-tempo, needs to get on him yesterday. He’s not small, and he’s electric.
James Berry, Bishop Ireton–Mobutu’s teammate, James Berry, was also a second team all-WCAC selection. A shooting guard/wing with great size, Berry did damage inside and out in 2019-2020 for Ireton. He was a great stabilizing presence, often delivering key buckets when his team needed them most. Berry will play at Merrimack College next year.
Andre Screen, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes–There’s no doubt the big center made a huge jump this year. Though always highly regarded, 2019-2020 was the first time Screen consistently logged big minutes, and he delivered for Mike Jones’ squad in a big way. With his physical strength much improved, the Bucknell recruit had some big scoring games (23 in one) and owned the paint. For example, against Paul VI he had six blocks in the VISAA title game.
Kaleb Torrence, Fairfax Christian–A rock-solid point guard, Torrence will play for Millersville next year after a very good senior campaign. Torrence is one of the best around at varying his pace quickly to keep a defender off-balance, and he translates that into lay-ups for himself or his teammates. He’s also a very good shooter, capable defender, and good rebounder for a backcourt player. We’re pretty sure the VISAA Division III first teamer scored 50 points on his team’s senior night, too. Which is nice.
Jamel Melvin, The Potomac School–Not many players could influence a game on both ends of the floor like the 6’9″ Panthers forward did this season. A good bet for a double-double every night in points and rebounds, Melvin impacted the game even more on defense patrolling the lane. He had well over 100 blocks his senior year, anchoring his team’s defense and helping to bring home some big wins. Melvin will play his college ball at Northern Colorado next season.
HONORABLE MENTION
William Paige (Paul VI), Jack Fitzpatrick (Episcopal), Chase Beasley (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Jamal Barnes (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Kurt Samuels (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Dowar Jioklow (Flint Hill), Ronald Ayers (Flint Hill), Justice Ellison (Flint Hill), JT Tyson (The Potomac School), Levi Morales (Veritas Collegiate), Chad Wilkerson (Veritas Collegiate), Latief Mustafaa (John Paul the Great), Dominic Olszewski (Seton), John Paul VanderWoude (Seton)