BOWIE, MD – The inaugural DMVelite Summer Live event took place July 28-30 at Bowie City Gym. Here’s a look at the bracket champions and standouts:

17U - METRO ALL-STARS
Metro All-Stars opened on Saturday with a 77-65 win over NoVa 94 Feet and held on to edge The Unit 43-42 to claim the top seed headed into bracket play. They opened with a 66-38 rout of Team Renegade and cruised by NoVa 94 Feet in a rematch 87-46 to reach the final. They dominated the title contest, running away to an 80-54 win over Maryland D-Fenders.

“Yesterday we started off really slow,” Laurel (Md.) 2018 guard Delahney Williams said. “One of the teams we beat today we kind of struggled to beat yesterday, because of our team effort – we weren’t really playing defense as well as we did today. That’s what helped us.”

16U - NC XPRESS UNITED
Xpress United opened with a 45-42 win over Maryland Movement and beat Metro All-Stars 53-41. In bracket play they beat Maryland Elite 64-51 and took down Maryland Movement again in the title game, 71-49.

“The key was that we kept it at our pace and we got up big early,” Xpress 2019 guard Latrell Campbell said. “We kept our lead and kept our composure. [Saturday] we were struggling a little bit and that’s why it was so close, but today we made all of our shots and played as a team.”

15U -TEAM MELO EYBL
Melo beat Metro All-Stars 61-39 and Nova 94 Feet 60-52 on the opening day. They were tested in their bracket opener, narrowly edging DMV Stags 66-64 on a Montez McNeil tip-in the in the final seconds. They immediately followed that game with a 55-44 win over All City Elite to reach the final and beat Erick Green Premier, 52-42.

DMVELITE LIVE PLAYER NOTES

TYLER BRELSFORD, TEAM MELO 15U

The Mount St. Joseph (Md.) guard was outstanding all weekend, providing a short-handed Team Melo with consistent scoring punch and leadership.

Brelsford posted 22, 20, 15 and 14-point performances while also setting up teammates for easy buckets.

Brelsford played junior varsity this past year at MSJ, but looks ready to contribute on the varsity level after a strong summer.

“It’s going to help me a lot,” he said. “I’m just preparing, getting better on defense and doing me. It’s been going real good. [I’m] just getting better every day.”

GREG ROWSON, NOVA CAVALIERS (GREY-MENDES) 17U

Rowson was one of the event’s top performers, showing a well-rounded offensive game that opponents had issues with all weekend.

The 6-foot-5, 200 pound 2018 wing from Robinson (Va.) made defenders pay for leaving him open beyond the 3-point line, and showed a knack for driving to the basket and finishing whenever they overplayed him.

“Formerly, I relied on the 3 for most of my scoring,” he said, “and I’ve become more of a two-dimensional player where I can go to the basket, too. And my mid-range has developed.”

Rowson had 29 in a 69-67 overtime playoff loss to Maryland D-Fenders, going 12-of-20 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range with 7 rebounds to nearly single-handedly get a win. He had 29 in a 55-52 win over Maryland Elite. He said he’s attracted heavy Division III interest, naming Christopher Newport (Va.), Dickinson (Pa.), Franklin & Marshall (Pa.), Mary Washington (Va.), and Roanoke (Va.) among others.

JABRAUGHN SHINGLER, MARYLAND MOVEMENT 16U

Shingler was highly active on both ends of the floor to help MD Movement to a 16U runner-up finish.

The 6-foot-6, 175-pound Shingler is transferring from Oxon Hill (Md.) to Frederick Douglass (Md.), and will look to continue his progression.

“It’s going to help me a lot, actually,” he said of the transfer. “I think I’m going to be a big factor next year for my high school.”

Shingler was strong on the boards and attacking the basket, and displayed a nice mid-range shooting touch.

KE’SEAN HOBBS, BOWIE MAGIC 17U

The DuVal (Md.) 2018 is a big-bodied 6-foot, 210-pound lead guard who uses his size to his advantage.

Hobbs got to the rim and finished, and also showed a nifty pull-up jumper. He used the latter perfectly while hitting his biggest shot of the weekend, draining a jumper at the buzzer to beat Maryland D-Fenders 55-53 on Saturday. He finished the game with 19 points.

“My summer, it’s been good,” he said. “Our AAU games have been kind of lopsided, but I’ve been working on my game every day: conditioning, ball handling, shooting – just trying to stay in shape for the season.”

Hobbs said he’s heard from Division II and Division III schools.

DECHAUN REED, HIGHER LEVEL PREMIER 16U

Reed was one of the most dangerous perimeter shooting threats of the weekend, closing out his summer with an impressive 3-point barrage.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder’s weekend was highlighted by a 24-point performance against Team Synergy in which he hit six 3-pointers. He said shooting has always been a major part of his game.

“Yes, it just got more consistent as I got older,” he said. “It was more of a mid-range when I was younger, and then as I got older it was 3-pointers and I started working on it a lot more.”

Reed is transferring from Battlefield (Va.) to Stonewall Jackson (Va.) and said he hopes the move will allow him to show his full arsenal.

“3-point shooting, smart decisions, and decent help-side defense,” he said. “And I think I bring my team together to work together.”

ANTONIO COCKERELL, MARYLAND D-FENDERS

Cockerell (Landon 2017) was content to distribute and set up teammates until crunch time, when he consistently emerged as the D-Fenders’ top offensive weapon.

“Coach J, she was just telling me to keep the ball in my hands and she wanted me to take the last couple of shots of the game,” he said. “So I trusted in her and did what I had to do.”  

Cockerell saved his best for a 69-67 double overtime playoff win over NoVa Cavaliers, going for 25 points to go with  6 rebounds, 3 assists, no turnovers and two steals.

He added 18 in a 47-41 win over  Maryland Elite on 6-of-10 shooting, and also posted double-digit scoring performances against Team Renegade (17) and Metro All-Stars (15).

“I just wanted to basically pick up more looks and get an offer if I could,” he said of his summer, “but I really just want to go to a school that will benefit me academically and on the floor. As long as I kept my play up, hopefully something will come out.”

CHRIS MAIDOH, METRO ALL-STARS 17U

A 6-foot-7, 160-pound rising senior from Parkdale (Md.), Maidoh was one of the events most intriguing prospects. His height and wingspan stood out immediately, and he also showed the ability to handle the ball on the wing and in the open floor.

Maidoh has only been playing organized basketball since the 8th grade, and while he’s still raw, he showed enough to attract some Division I interest. He played primarily in a reserve/energy player role at Parkdale (Md.) last season, but should have a chance to take his game to another level this upcoming season.

“Playing with Metro All-Stars really helped me,” he said, “because I started to become more aggressive, I started to attack more. Every time I could dunk I would just go up and dunk it.”

Maidoh needs to add strength, and said his other goals for the offseason include improving his dribbling and shooting.

LATRELL CAMPBELL, NC XPRESS UNITED 16U

Campbell was instrumental in Xpress United’s 16U championship run, making play after play on both ends of the floor.
“I think it’s pretty much getting other players involved,” he said of his strengths. “I like getting my team involved and I’m a pretty good driver. I drive and I kick it, so I’m unselfish. … I’ve got to work on dribbling more. I mean, it’s a little bit good but I’ve got to work on it more to where I can just go and not think about it at all.”

Campbell (West Craven 2019) wasn’t the only member of his family involved the championship run. His father, Calvin, coaches the team, and his twin brother LaQueze enjoyed a strong outing of his own in the Xpress United backcourt.

“It’s great because we have so much chemistry – we’ve been playing since we were real little,” LaTrell Campbell said. “I know what he’s going to do and he knows what I’m going to do since we’re twins. We feel everything, and it’s great.”

GORDON GIBSON, MARYLAND ELITE 17U

A 6-foot-8, 220-pound 2018 big man from Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Gibson had a strong close to the summer for Maryland Elite.

“I feel like I definitely got better from the beginning go the summer, and that’s always the goal,” he said.

Gibson’s best outing game when he posted 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting and grabbed 8 rebounds against the Unit, and he also went for 16 points against SP Hornets. He showed the ability to step out and shoot when he needed to, and used his size to hs advantage in the post while exhibiting some nifty footwork on the block.

AMINU MOHAMMED, FBCG DYNAMIC DISCIPLES 15U

The younger brother of former National Christian (Md.) Kabir Mohammed, Aminu has made a name for himself since arriving in the US last October.

“The pace over here is fast,” he said, “so it’s kind of hard to adjust to the pace of the game, but I’m getting there.”

He’s getting there quickly. The 6-foot-5 Mohammed plays more of an interior role than his older brother, but boast the same relentless energy, especially on the offensive and defensive boards. He excelled at attacking and was a walking double-double machine all weekend.

ADDITIONAL STANDOUTS

17U

Karlos Roberts, Bowie Magic (Flowers 2018)
William Howard, Bowie Magic (Riverdale Baptist 2019)
Andrew Woodson,  Bowie Magic  (DuVal 2018)
Kenyon Stone, Maryland D-Fenders (DuVal 2017)
Delaino Jessup, Maryland Elite (Springbrook 2018)
Xavier Reaves, Maryland Elite (Paint Branch 2018)
Juwan Burnett, Metro All-Stars (Flowers 2018)
Ike Dickerson, Metro All-Stars (Capital Christian Prep 2017)
Isaiah Jennings, Maryland D-Fenders (Wilson 2017)
Lonnie Lesane, Metro All-Stars (Parkdale 2018)
Nathaniel Cole, Nova 94 Feet (Herndon 2018)
Damon Johnson, NoVa 94 Feet (South Lakes 2018)
Edreece Qasimyar, NoVa 94 Feet (Potomac Falls 2018)
Noah Shanton, NoVa 94 Feet (Centreville 2018)
Andrew Powers, Nova Cavaliers (South Lakes 2018)
Matthew Reynolds, SP Hornets (Fairmont Heights 2019)
Mandell Quigley, SP Hornets (Fairmont Heights 2018)
Justin Washington, SP Hornets (Eleanor Roosevelt 2018)
Trey Gross, Team Renegade (Annapolis 2017)
Mike Joyner, Team Renegade (Arundel 2018)
Delahney Williams, Metro All-Stars (Laurel 2018)
Tarezze Wiseman, The Unit (Meade 2019)
Tre Dunn, The Unit (Meade 2019)
Tyrek Almaralis, The Unit (Old Mill 2019)
Jordan Brown, The Unit (Meade 2019)

16U

Antwi Asante, Higher Level Premier (Gar-Field 2019)
Jayden Hibbitt, Higher Level Premier (St. John Paul The Great 2019)
Jalen Hayes, Maryland Movement (Gwynn Park 2019)
Jamal Muhammad, Maryland Movement  (Archbishop Carroll 2019)
Jibril Muhammad, Maryland Movement  (Archbishop Carroll 2019)
Hasani Mustafa, Maryland Movement (DuVal 2019)
Ronald Ayers, Maryland Elite (Sherwood 2019)
Anthony Fuentes, Maryland Elite (Northwest 2019)
Rodrigo Ruiz, Maryland Elite (Whitman 2019)
Marcus Stubbs, Maryland Elite (Northwest 2020)
Ajuan Chappell, Metro All-Stars (St. Vincent Pallotti 2019)
Kanari Smith, Metro All-Stars (Parkdale 2019)
JonQuez Green, Xpress United (West Craven, NC 2019)
LaQueze Campbell, Xpress United (West Craven, NC 2019)
Emery Simmons, Xpress United (South View, NC 2019)

15U

Kevin Holtz, All City Elite-DMV (Phelps 2020)
Umayr Obaid, All City Elite-DMV (Riverside 2020)
Aaron Russell, All City Elite-DMV (Bowie 2020)
Quentin Southall, All City Elite-DMV (Georgetown Prep 2020)
Nurideen Taylor, DMV Stags (Riverdale Baptist 2021)
Garfield Turner, DMV Stags (Covenant Life 2020)
Lance Douglas, Erick Green Premiere (Centreville 2020)
Jordan Jackson, Erick Green Premiere (Millbrook 2020)
Yusef Salih, Erick Green Premiere (Patriot 2020)
Jordan Radford, Erick Green Premiere (Battlefield 2020)
Dominic Allen, FBCG (Freedom-Woodbridge 2021)
Jordan Moore, FBCG  (Loyola-Blakefield 2021)
Malik Holland, Metro Celtics (Oxon Hill 2020)
Leonardo Wilson, Metro Celtics (McDonough 2020)
Tyree Evans, Metro All-Stars (Archbishop Carroll 2021)
Jahari Simon, Metro All-Stars (Eleanor Roosevelt 2020)
Connor Shanton, Nova 94 Feet (Centreville 2020)
Lysander Rehnstrom, Nova 94 Feet (Herndon 2020)
Montez McNeil, Team Melo EYBL(Calvert Hall 2020)
Teon Rushing, Team Melo EYBL (Mount Carmel 2020)
Ian Wallace, Team Melo EYBL (Poly 2020)