Last night I was able to catch some great DMV middle school action. The PYBL is a league for the top talent in the DMV and it has been extremely competitive since it was created four years ago. The league has been home to USA Basketball 16U members Jeremy Roach, Isaiah Todd, and Zion Harmon. Recent Notre Dame signee Prentiss Hubb (Gonzaga) played on the first ever championship team in the league. The PYBL has now expanded into 14 teams at the “Elite” and “Rising Stars” age groups, not to mention a girls division. I also played in the PYBL last year and I can tell you first hand it is the most competitive middle school league in the area. Last night I caught two high profile games and some players really stood out to me.
Jamar Curtis (Charles County)
Curtis recorded the first triple double of the summer with 16 points 13 boards and 12 assists, but I don’t even think that explains his presence on the court. He was absolutely everywhere, and although he was quickest player on the court, he stayed very composed while creating easy looks for himself and for his teammates. He led his team to a big win with just one guy on the bench. Curtis’ feel for the game mixed with his strength and quickness is a deadly combo, he is definitely a name to keep an eye on in the DMV.
Dylan Williamson (Southern Maryland)
This is my second time seeing Williamson and he’s definitely improved since the last time I’ve seen him. He is an absolute knockdown shooter and a born scorer. He was more aggressive than when I saw him in the winter, which was great to see. He has a great feel for the floor and knows exactly where to get his shots. Williamson was also competing on both ends of the floor with Team Takeover teammate Judah Mintz, which added to the great environment. I can tell he is very competitive and passionate about the game, which is a good sign for a player of his talent.
Judah Mintz (PG County)
Mintz really impressed me this time around. He was also on the Takeover team that I covered while doing play by play analysis for Monumental Sports Network in the winter, and I loved what I saw from him last night. He was absolutely relentless going to the rim and didn’t back down from anybody. He is a great free throw shooter and knows how to absorb the contact resulting in multiple huge and-ones. The PG star also showed off some handles as he had a dribble combo that completely spun his defender around then finished it by hitting the three. He, like Williamson, is a born competitor, and the team rallied behind him for the W against a very talented Southern Maryland team last night.
Devin Dinkins (Southern Maryland)
Surprise! Another Team Takeover player dominated the game last night. I absolutely love Dinkins’ game and he became huge for the Cardinals down the stretch. Even though they ended up falling to PG, Dinkins showed off his entire arsenal. His vision and composure for a kid his age is unbelievable, and he also was able to get wherever he wanted with the dribble. I’m not sure if you can tell the impact he makes on games from looking at the stat sheet, but I can tell you Southern Maryland would be a completely different team without him.
Shoutout to everyone at the PYBL for all of the support. You guys created a great thing for DMV grassroots basketball and I advise everyone to check out some PYBL action this summer. This is a great league that showcases the best middle school talent in the area. Look on www.pybl.orgfor the complete lineup.