The 2016 Governor’s Challenge in Salisbury, Md. tipped off Session 2 on Thursday, bringing with it a new collection of teams to the Eastern Shore. The largest high school tournament on the East Coast, the 36th edition of the annual event brought 101 teams from nine different states to Salisbury.
While there was no shortage of solid showings -- both at the team and individual level -- the standouts listed below made a particularly strong impression on our DMVelite staff on Day 3.
At the conclusion of the tournament, we will release our All-Session teams and tournament awards.
MYLES DOUGLAS, ABERDEEN (Md.) 2017 WING [Committed to UCF]
Douglas’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted Aberdeen over Linganore, 52-51. He also accounted for half of the Eagles’ points, finishing with 26 on 10-for-21 shooting. Douglas also pulled in eight rebounds, snagged four steals and notched two blocks in 31 minutes of work
IMMANUEL QUICKLEY, JOHN CARROLL (Md.) 2018 GUARD
Quickley, widely considered the top 2018 point guard recruit in the country, guided the Patriots to a 48-42 win over Sidwell Friends (D.C.). Despite giving himself a “C” for his performance (16 points on 5-for-13 shooting with assists and four steals) when asked during a postgame interview, Quickley’s command of the game caught the attention of everyone who gathered to watch him at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. He’s narrowed his college list to Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Providence Virginia and Washington.
GEORGE ANDERSON, SEED SCHOOL (D.C.) 2017 WING
Anderson tied this year’s event high with 36 points. He also added 10 rebounds and five steals in a hard-fought win for SEED, who only dressed out five players in their opener against Colonel Richardson.
JASON GIBSON, SIDWELL FRIENDS (D.C.) 2019 GUARD
The sophomore guard put together a solid performance today against a very talented John Carroll backcourt. A gifted three-point shooter, Gibson finished with 16 points and provided a measure of toughness in the backcourt as Sidwell was playing without star senior lead guard Jelani Williams (Penn), who sustained a knee injury in practice earlier this week.
DERRICK BROWN, THEODORE ROOSEVELT (D.C.) 2017 GUARD
Brown played a large role in the 82-55 rout over New Town, harassing the Titans backcourt (four steals) and coming through on the offensive end with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds and helped force a whopping 27 turnovers.
NANA OPOKU, POTOMAC (Va.), 2017 FORWARD [Committed to Mount St. Mary’s]
The Mount St. Mary commit did a number of things well in Potomac’s OT win over hometown favorite Stephen Decatur. Whether it was defending the rim from attacking guards or mixing it up on the low post with opposing bigs, Opoku made his presence known every second he was on the floor. He tabbed 10 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks in the Panthers’ win, which instantly went down as one of the most entertaining games in recent years at this event.
NICHOLAS LANG, LINGANORE (Md.) 2018 GUARD
Lang hit timely shots for the Lancers down the stretch, who lost at the buzzer to Aberdeen, 52-51. The junior guard scored 14 points, tallied seven rebounds, swiped four steals and also added two assists.
DASHAWN PHILLIP, DUNBAR (Md.) 2018 GUARD
Phillip turned in a double-double (12 points and 13 rebounds) during the Poets’ 39-34 win over Dover (Del.). He also tallied five steals, two assists and two blocks.
KEVON VOYLES, STEPHEN DECATUR (Md.) 2018 GUARD
Voyles’ game-tying jumper with 8 seconds left in regulation was one of three consecutive shots he made in the final minute for Stephen Decatur to force overtime against Potomac (Va.). In addition to his clutch shots down the stretch, he also led his team with 15 points and controlled the tempo for the Seahawks.
SADDIQ BEY, SIDWELL FRIENDS (D.C.) 2018 WING
Bey was huge for a short-handed Sidwell Friends team, and his inside-out offensive game proved crucial for the Quakers to keep it close against John Carroll. Finishing with a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds, Bey posed a major matchup issue for the Patriots, and hit two big shots late in the 4th quarter to keep Sidwell Friends within striking distance. Bey has the physical tools and skillset to make a major impact, at the high school level and the next.