SPRINGFIELD, VA - The third annual Locked In Elite Showcase returned to The St. James Health and Wellness Center on August 3, with some of the area’s top talents on display.
Here’s a look at just a few of the standouts:
NEIKO MUNDEY, SHABACH CHRISTIAN (MD) 2026 GUARD
Mundey is a player who has been in the spotlight since his elementary school days, and his emergence as one of the area’s top 2026 players has been right on track.
Mundey enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign at Shabach and a strong summer on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit with New World, collecting scholarship offers from Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, Old Dominion, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Wake Forest, among others.
“It's exciting to know that you're reaching your next steps for your main goal and where you want to go in life,” Mundey said of his growing list of suitors. “It's really exciting for me.”
The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder was in attack mode from the start on Saturday, showing a good combination of size, speed, strength and explosiveness. In a gym filled with top talent, Mundey jumped out - but that’s something he’s grown accustomed to over the years.
“It definitely makes you want to stay in the gym and always be hungry and always want to work for more," he said. "Definitely, having that target on your back makes you want to work harder.”
With his junior season on the horizon, Mundey has set his sights on expanding his game.
“Just to show people that I’m not just a scorer and I’m a point guard, too, and I can find my teammates and win games,” he said. “[Just working on] Distribution and making sure everybody gets involved and also getting my game going to do what I do and score the ball.”
CAM WARD, LARGO (MD) 2025 GUARD
Ward had his full arsenal on display, earning Co-Most Valuable Player alongside Bishop McNamara (MD) guard Qayden Samuels. He played an integral role in his team’s championship game victory, with his block leading to an Ashton Graves (Archbishop Carroll) dunk for the winner in sudden death regulation.
Coming off a high school season in which he led Largo to the Maryland state championship, Ward has narrowed his recruitment to 10 schools and recently announced he will take official visits to Kansas State, Maryland, Michigan State and Alabama this fall. He’ll then turn his attention to adding to Largo’s trophy case.
“I’m blessed,” Ward said. “[The summer] went great, honestly, from Peach Jam to the High School Live Period; it was a great experience and I loved it, personally. … [Next] I’m just trying to improve my resume as far as winning games and winning championships. And improving on the court as well and then just on to next year for high school and college stuff.”
ERIC REIBE, BULLIS (MD) 2025 CENTER
Reibe had a cast on his left hand due to an injury suffered while training with the German National Team and didn’t participate in team action on Saturday. Still, he showed enough skill in the drills portion to show why he’s so highly coveted by college programs.
“I’m very versatile,” Reibe said of his strengths. “I can play inside-outside as a big man. I can shoot it, I can dribble, I can pass. I can bring it up off a defensive rebound.”
The 7-foot Reibe holds 20-plus scholarship offers and recently trimmed his list to Connecticut, Creighton, Harvard, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford and West Virginia.
“[I’m looking for] The ability to play right away and where I can showcase my game,” he said. “A place where a big guy like me is needed, and where I feel comfortable with the coaches and I have a good relationship with them.”
Since his arrival in the United States from Germany a year and a half ago, Reibe adjusted quickly, emerging as one of the area’s top prospects for the Bulldogs. He has big plans for his final high school campaign.
“My goals are winning the state championship, also committing in the preseason to a school,” he said. “We’re going to the City of Palms with Bullis, so we’re going to dominate that too, and just try to get as far as we can - maybe even Chipotle [Nationals], if we get that far.”
SHANE PENDERGRASS, HARGRAVE MILITARY (VA) 2026 WING
Pendergrass has seen his recruitment reach another level over the past year while playing for Mt. Zion Prep (Md.) and DC Premier.
The 6-foot-8 wing showed his catch and shoot skills, as well as the ability to play inside-out and connect from mid-range.
“I think everything went well,” he said of his summer. “Coaches are starting to take notice, and I think I’m just starting to make a name for myself.”
Pendergrass announced in July that he’s heading to Hargrave for the next two seasons, and is looking forward to the move.
[It will give me] Just discipline and growing as a player and as a man,” he said. “And I know they have a vast history of sending people to the League, so just using that to the best of my ability, and using all the resources they give me.”
Pendergrass’s list of offers include George Mason, George Washington, Iowa, Maryland, Old Dominion, Quinnipiac, St. Joseph’s and Stetson.
“[I’m looking for] A school that's just going to let me grow as a player when I go there and immediately make an impact,” he said.
QAYDEN SAMUELS, BISHOP MCNAMARA (MD) 2026 GUARD
Samuels was named Co-MVP of the event along with Cam Ward, continuing his consistently strong play. After a breakout First Team-All Washington Catholic Athletic Conference season at McNamara, he shined with Team Takeover on the travel circuit.
“It went great,” Samuels said of his summer. “I feel like I did my thing; I’ve still got more to improve, though. My defense, that’s the biggest part. I feel like my offense is there, but it starts with defense.”
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Samuels is a natural scorer and had his arsenal on full display at The St. James. He can pull up from anywhere off the dribble, off the catch and coming off screens, and also finishes well in traffic and at the rim.
Samuels has picked up offers from Alabama, Connecticut, Georgetown, Georgia, Michigan, Syracuse and West Virginia in the past few months, to go along with previous offers from Illinois, Maryland, Providence and Virginia Tech.
“The coaching staff - I want trust,” Samuels said when asked what he’s looking for in a school. “I want to play as a freshman and play through mistakes and just move forward.”
PRINCE MOODY, BISHOP MCNAMARA (MD) 2026 GUARD
One of the most dangerous scorers in the area’s junior class, Moody said he focused his summer with Team Takeover on showing he could be a point guard, and feels he accomplished that goal.
“I am big, but I don’t want to just be a scorer,” the 6-foot-3 Moody said. “At the next level I'm going to be a point guard, anyway, so now I’m getting to it, I might as well just get ready for college now instead of waiting [to figure it out].”
In addition to focusing on playmaking and making reads, Moody said solidifying himself as a leader was the biggest area of focus.
“That’s my thing, is the leadership part and being a great teammate,” he said. “You’ve got to watch how you talk to people and how to deal with certain people. Like, I can yell at certain people, but I can’t yell at certain people. You can’t curse at people. It’s just a mental thing - you’ve got to learn how to work with people and I’m really good at that.”
Moody’s list of offers includes Charleston, Georgia, Georgetown, Illinois, Maryland, Old Dominion, Providence, Syracuse and Virginia Tech. He said physical proximity won’t be one of his deciding factors.
“My thing is, does it feel like home?” he said. “Like, can I have fun with these people but be serious with them at the same time? Are they going to push me to where I need to be? Are they going to help me the way I need to be helped? Like, I need people like [Takeover assistant and Locked In Elite Showcase staffer] Ray [Brewer]; even though Ray’s one of a kind, but somebody somewhat like him. He pushes me but also we can laugh and joke and stuff like that. I’m a real genuine, natural, funny guy, but I like to work hard and get it done. So just people and coaches that complement me a little bit. That’s just my thing, and the money’s going to come with it, so in my opinion the money doesn’t matter to me. I’m just trying to buy my Momma a house at the end of the day - that’s just my goal.”
DARIUS BIVINS, BISHOP O’CONNELL (VA) 2026 GUARD
It’s been a summer of challenge and change for Bivins, who played up on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit with Washington Warriors and transferred from Alexandria City (Va.) to O’Connell. He admitted it hasn’t all been smooth.
“I would say it's not how I wanted it to go - I wanted it to go amazing and us win 3SSB, but it didn’t go that way,” he said. “I feel like this summer I really fought through adversity playing 17’s and playing up. It’s a different game with faster and stronger players, so I just feel like it was a good summer for me to fight through adversity and just go through the roughest times.”
Bivins added that he didn’t feel he played his best with O’Connell at DMV Live, but has grown more comfortable with Coach Joe Wooten and his new teammates. He looked back in his element on Saturday, showing his ability to score and distribute off of pick and rolls and setting up teammates in transition.
“I feel like now I can really go through anything mentally because I was at my lowest this summer,” he said. “One of the biggest things I’m doing right now is trying to get my body right - getting in better shape and trying to get stronger, faster and all that. So I feel like the next four months before high school season starts, I’m just going to keep working on my body and by the high school season I should be good.”
Bivins has emerged as one of the area’s top point guards in the past two years, picking up offers and has gotten used to the extra attention that comes with it.
“Honestly it's a blessing, because every game I go out someone’s trying to come at me, so I just feel like I take it well,” he said. “I know I’ve put in more work than anyone out here, so I just go out there and I just play.”
ADDITIONAL STANDOUTS
Tyrell Bowles, CH Flowers (MD)
Ant Brown Jr., Archbishop Carroll (DC)
Jasiah Cannady, St. Frances (MD)
Zyion Chase, St. John’s (DC)
Quintin Cooper, Coolidge (DC)
Silas Devonish, Bishop Ireton (VA)
Ashton Graves, Archbishop Carroll (DC)
Will Harper, Gonzaga (DC)
Riley Jacobs, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (VA)
Josiah Legree, Shabach Christian (MD)
Parker Robinson, Overtime Elite
Jacob Ross, SoCal Academy
Jalen Rougier-Roane, Sidwell Friends (DC)
Omarr Smith, City (MD)
Sol Vita, Mt. Zion Prep (MD)
