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DMVelite 2019-20 Preview: Impact Transfers

By Marcus Helton, 12/04/19, 11:00AM EST

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A look at the area's top players in new uniforms.


Jordan Hawkins - shown with DMV Stags in the 2019 DMVelite Fall League - is now a DeMatha Stag. [ISIAH HERMANS]

With the 2019-20 season now officially upon us, a host of players will be looking to make impacts in new surroundings.

Several high-profile players were on the move in - and out of - the DMV this offseason; here’s a look at some of the biggest names switching homes:

Jordan Hawkins, 2021 Wing - Gaithersburg (Md.) to DeMatha (Md.)
Hawkins’ move was one of the most talked about of the offseason, especially after he started making a name for himself nationally while playing with Team Durant EYBL. He gives the defending Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions another dangerous piece for their already loaded lineup.

“I just felt like it was the best decision for me,” he said this fall, “and where I I could get better as a basketball player going against Earl [Timberlake] and Hunter [Dickinson] and those guys. And getting that exposure will definitely make me a better player.”

Hawkins holds offers from Bryant, George Washington, James Madison, Mount St. Mary's, Norfok State and Xavier.

Noah Batchelor, 2022 Forward - St. Maria Goretti (Md.) to Glenelg Country (Md.)
After a promising freshman campaign at Goretti, Batchelor absolutely blew up this summer, earning an invite to USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp and picking up scholarship offers from Clemson, Florida, George Washington, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.

Zack Blackwell, 2020 Guard - Patterson (Md.) to Lake Clifton (Md.)
After helping Patterson to the Maryland 2A state title last year, Blackwell made the move to Lake - last year’s 1A winner. Expectations should be high again for the Lakers, with Blackwell and 2020 guard Mike Gray giving them perhaps the toughest set of backcourt defenders in the state.

Max Brooks, 2020 Wing - Great Mills (Md.) to St. Charles (Md.)
The Spartans lost a huge piece when Darius Miles transferred to IMG Academy, but gained another one when Brooks arrived for his final season. The Massachusetts-Lowell signee brings length and athleticism to a St. Charles squad that has the talent to make a deep playoff run.

David Brown, 2021 Guard - McDonogh (Md.) to Bishop McNamara (Md.)
A Charles County, Md. resident, the 6-foot-5 Brown had a breakout year at McDonogh, but opted to get back closer to home. His arrival is key for McNamara, which needs to replace the output of current University of Rhode Island freshman Mekhi Long. Brown currently holds offers from Bryant, Columbia, Howard, Loyola (Md.), Stony Brook and UMass-Lowell. [Brown was injured after a hard fall Dec. 3 against The Heights; we wish him a speedy recovery.]

Miasiah Brown, 2021 Guard - Cesar Chavez (DC) to Wilson (DC)
The former Chavez star will help the DCIAA power fill the perimeter void left by the transfer of Dimingus Stevens to Bishop Walsh, and the graduations of Jay Heath (Boston College), Carlos Dunn (Prince George’s CC) and Romaro Hutchinson (Virginia Prep).

Ryan Cornish, 2021 Guard - Richard Montgomery (Md.) to Sidwell Friends (DC)
The Quakers graduated every player who scored a point in last year’s DCSAA Championship victory, most notably DMVelite DC Player of the Year Jason Gibson, but Cornish will help offset some of that missing offense.

Isaiah Folkes, 2021* Guard - Stonewall Jackson-Manassas (Va.) to Middleburg (Va.)
Prince William County’s top scorer last year (21.2 points per game) was one of the first players to formally announce a transfer this year when he said he was joining the Dragons in May. The move has already paid dividends on the recruiting front, as he’s picked up offers from Elon, James Madison, Lehigh, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Radford, Stetson and Youngstown State since June.

Tawain Hardy, 2022 Guard - Parkside (Md.) to Wicomico (Md.)
After a solid freshman campaign, Hardy has the chance to step into a huge role at Wicomico, which lost the bulk of last year’s Maryland 2A state runner-up squad. Wi-Hi star guard Jaden Baker transferred to Christchurch (Va.), and it graduated key contributors Dorian Stevens, Keshawn Marshall and Matt Lowe, leaving ample opportunity for Hardy to come in and produce.

Torrence Horton, 2020 Guard - Paul VI (Va.) to TC Williams (Va.)
After a quiet season at PVI, the former Mount Vernon standout made the move to TC, where he’ll look to help the Titans build on the improvements they began last year under coach Daryl Prue. Expect Horton to put up nice numbers in his senior year.

Byron Ireland, 2021 Guard - Annapolis (Md.) to St. Frances (Md.)
A talented scorer at Annapolis, Ireland provides yet another weapon for the defending MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League champion Panthers. So far he’s fit in very nicely alongside Ace Baldwin (Virginia Commonwealth) and Jordan Toles (Louisiana State) in the St. Frances backcourt.

Wade Jackson, 2020 Guard - Gonzaga (DC) to St. Vincent Pallotti (Md.)
The Loyola (Md.) commit had a breakout summer with The District Basketball Club and gives the Panthers some offensive firepower. Now that he has the chance to be a focal point, expect him to put up some good numbers for the Panthers.

Julian Reese, 2021 Forward - New Town (Md.) to St. Frances (Md.)
The 6-foot-8 Reese was the biggest - literally - of several talented transfers the Panthers brought in, giving coach Nick Myles some size to offset the graduation of Jason Murphy (New Jersey Institute of Technology) and the transfers of forwards Detwan Montague (Milford Mill) and Adam Walden (Poly).

“It’s been real good,” Reese said of the move. “More competition and better players.”

Reese currently holds offers from Coastal Carolina, Connecticut, Georgetown, George Washington LSU, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Stony Brook, VCU and Virginia Tech.

Devon Savage, 2021 Guard - St. John’s (DC) to Riverdale Baptist (Md.) 
Savage is in line for a breakout season with the Crusaders, teaming with fellow transfer Guy Fauntleroy (Rock Creek Christian) to form a formidable tandem. Riverdale definitely has the talent to make a run at the Capital Beltway title.

Dimingus Stevens, 2020 Guard - Wilson (DC) to Bishop Walsh (Md.)
The Seton Hall commit headlined the new influx of transfers into Bishop Walsh, which made marked strides in its first season under Coach Dan Prete last winter. Among the familiar names at BW are 2020 center Churchill Bounds (Stephen Decatur), 2021 guard Jordan Rayford (Georgetown Day) and 2022 guard Jayden Rainey (Georgetown Day).

MORE NOTABLE TRANSFERS

Jahmal Banks, 2020 Guard - Bishop O’Connell (Va.) to St. Frances (Md.)
Jules Bikoy, 2020 Guard - St. Mary’s Ryken (Md.) to Friendly (Md.)
Phillip Carter, 2020 Forward - Good Counsel (Md.) to Wilson (DC)
Chase Cook, 2021 Guard - Rock Creek Christian (Md.) to Coolidge (DC)
Yuri Covington, 2020 Guard - Clarksburg (Md.) to National Christian (Md.)
Guy Fauntleroy, 2021 Guard - Rock Creek Christian (Md.) to Riverdale Baptist (Md.)
Avery Ford, 2021 Forward - Paul VI (Va.) to Centreville (Va.)
Kyree Freeman-Davis, 2020 Guard - Bowie (Md.) to Rock Creek Christian (Md.)
Lou Hutchinson, 2022 Guard - Maret (DC) to Episcopal (Va.)
Isaac James, 2020 Wing - St. Frances (Md.) to New Hope (Md.)
Garrett Johnson, 2021* Wing - Oakton (Va.) to Episcopal (Va.)
Keyshawn Johnson, 2020 Guard - Archbishop Carroll (DC) to Fairmont Heights (Md.)
Kent King, 2021 Wing - Chavez (DC) to Archbishop Carroll (DC)
Kris King, 2021 Wing - Chavez (DC) to Archbishop Carroll (DC)
Xzavier Long, 2021 Forward - St. James (Md.) to Middleburg (Va.)
Hasson Massenburg, 2021 Forward - Poly (Md.) to New Hope (Md.)
Joemel McNair, 2020 Guard - St. Vincent Pallotti (Md.) to Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.)
Detwan Montague, 2021 Forward - St. Frances (Md.) to Milford Mill (Md.)
Jordan Nkoa-Abessolo, 2022 Forward - National Collegiate (DC) to St. Maria Goretti (Md.)
Stalin Oaks, 2021 Guard - St. Vincent Pallotti (Md.) to La Plata (Md.)
David Onanina, 2022 Forward - Capital Christian (Md.) to Bishop O’Connell (Va.)
Jaiden Rainey, 2022 Guard - Georgetown Day (DC) to Bishop Walsh (Md.)
Jordan Rayford, 2021 Wing - Georgetown Day (DC) to Bishop Walsh (Md.)
Andrew Rheubottom, 2022 Wing - Pikesville (Md.) to Milford Mill (Md.)
Willie Rivera, Jr., 2022 Guard - Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.) to Rock Creek Christian (Md.)
Yusef Salih, 2021* Guard - Patriot (Va.) to Highland School (Va.)
David Stewart, 2021 Wing - Broadneck (Md.) to Mt. Zion Prep (Md.)
Carter Svenson, 2020 Guard - Stone Bridge (Va.) to Battlefield (Va.)
Trey Thomas, 2022 Guard - Archbishop Carroll (DC) to Wise (Md.)
Darius Tilghman, 2021 Guard - City (Md.) to Parkville (Md.)
Kaleb Torrence, 2021 Guard - Wakefield School (Va.) to Fairfax Christian (Va.)
Uche Unegbu, 2021 Guard - St. Mary’s Annapolis (Md.) to Loyola-Blakefield (Md.)
Adam Walden, 2022 Center - St. Frances (Md.) to Poly (Md.)
Bryce Walker, 2020 Guard - Good Counsel (Md.) to St. Vincent Pallotti (Md.)
Josh Walker, 2020 Forward - DeMatha (Md.) to Riverdale Baptist (Md.)
Khiyon Washington, 2020 Guard - Indian Creek (Md.) to Southern-AA (Md.)
Rahim Woni, 2021 Forward - Stonewall Jackson (Va.) to Osbourn Park (Va.)

NOTABLE AREA DEPARTURES

Jaden Baker, 2021* Guard - Wicomico (Md.) to Christchurch (Va.)
Javonte Brown-Ferguson, 2020 Center - Mount St. Joseph (Md.) to Thornlea Secondary (CN) [UCONN]
Arnardo Camacho, 2021* Guard - National Christian (Md.) to Evangel Christian (NY)
Marcus Dockery, 2020 Guard - Bishop O’Connell (Va.) to Brewster Academy (NH)
Ike Cornish, 2021 Wing - Dulaney (Md.) to Legacy Early College (SC)
Julius Ellerbe, 2021 Wing - Potomac (Md.) to Olympus Prep (NJ)
Che Evans, 2020 Wing - Dulaney (Md.) to Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) [SAN DIEGO STATE]
Brayon Freeman, 2021 Guard - Bishop O’Connell to Huntington Prep (WV)
Ben Li, 2020 Forward - Middleburg (Va.) to Thornlea Secondary (CN) [Lehigh]
Jake Nichols, 2020 Forward - Boy’s Latin (Md.) to Brewster Academy (NH)
Darius Maddox, 2020 Guard - St. John’s (DC) to Oak Hill (Va.) [VIRGINIA TECH]
Darius Miles, 2020 Wing - St. Charles (Md.) to IMG Academy (FL)
Victory Naboya, 2021 Forward - St. John’s (DC) to Greenwood Laboratory (MO)
Amir Nesbitt, 2020 Guard - Virginia Academy to Miller School (Va.)
Bendji Pierre, 2020 Forward - Bishop Walsh (Md.) to St. Patrick’s (NJ)
Elijah Wood, 2020 Guard - Bethesda-Chevy Chase (Md.) to Berkmar (Ga.) [RHODE ISLAND]

NOTABLE AREA NEWCOMERS

Marchellus Avery, 2020 Wing - Life Christian (Va.) to Virginia Academy
Dende Ceder, 2021 Center - Compass Prep (AZ) to Bishop Walsh (Md.)
Nestor Dyachok, 2021 Forward - Russia to Bishop Walsh (Md.)
Jaden House, 2021* Guard - Henrico (Va.) to Middleburg Academy (Va.)
Corde Jenkins, 2020 Guard - Maury (Va.) to Virginia Academy
Dwayne Koroma, 2020 Forward - Germany to Bishop Wash (Md.)
Kevin Siakam, 2020 Forward - Tennessee Prep to Veritas Collegiate (Va.)
Koralp Turk, 2021 Forward - Turkey to Mount Carmel (Md.)
Chase Whippen, 2020 Forward - Scituate (MA) to Westfield (Va.)
Kyle Whippen, 2020 Forward - Scituate (MA) to Westfield (Va.)

*Reclassifying