Gonzaga DC Classic: Myles Dread's ascent & the future of the DMV

WASHINGTON, DC – The first of our three-day stay within the nation’s capital, the Gonzaga DC Classic played host to eight teams from the northeast corridor. The future of the DMV looks to be in good hands as a bevy of underclass talent displayed great upside. Myles Dread stole the show as he looks primed for immediate production at Penn State as we assess our top nuggets learned from Friday’s session.

The class of 2018 has been labeled as one of the more undaunting groups within recent years but Myles Dread is doing his best to rebrand the class thanks to his competitive mentality and hard playing nature. A one-time thought of undersized forward that has blossomed into a well-sized wing that can make shots, defend and pass the ball, Penn State has a great piece headed their way, someone that should step in and bolster the culture that Pat Chambers has attempted to restore in Happy Valley.

While Myles Dread was doing damage on various portions of the stat sheet, it was Terrance Williams ending their Gonzaga ballclub’s victory with high scoring honors. Undersized in the frontcourt, Williams has one thing that many others do not have, a shooting stroke that is elite. Knocking down five 3s and finishing with 23 points in all, there is a lot of former Villanova standout Kris Jenkins in Williams, a 2020 recruit that had Maryland, Georgetown and Xavier closely watching him on Friday.

One thing that Lynn Greer III is not lacking for and that is the bloodlines. The son of Lynn Greer Jr., arguably one of the top five players in Temple basketball history, the third is already slotted within the top-50 of his class’ rankings and looks primed to make another jump in the coming months. He does have to better his decision-making skills as he can fill the turnover column up in a hurry, but the raw abilities and talent are in store with the Philly native, a 2020 guard that will have the pick of the the litter when he decides on which college to attend.

More than just an unpolished run and jump athlete, it was nice to see improvements within the skill department with RJ Blakney. The Rivals150 wing hit two perimeter jumpers and also a pull-up from 15-feet on Friday but still, the St. Maria Goretti product is at his best whenever the game speeds up. Holding offers from Old Dominion, VCU, Tulsa and a handful of others, Blakney boasts elite length and elite athleticism, of which will make him a hot commodity for the more up-tempo systems along the east coast.

For the second weekend within a matter of a month, Liberty signee Blake Preston impressed us with his high motor, impact on the glass and low post skillset. Slated to suit up for Ritchie McKay’s bunch next fall, Preston didn’t receive a ton of praise or ink compared to others up until this point, something that might make the chip on his shoulder that much bigger once he plays the high-major programs in the future. He is more than good enough to earn all-conference honors within the Big South and could become the linchpin for Liberty’s ascent within the league.

There wasn’t much to not like about Myles Stute during his time on the floor Friday, providing the glue for his talented Gonzaga College High bunch. A 6-foot-7 sophomore with plenty of versatility, Stute, who grew up in Minneapolis before moving to the DMV a few years back, is primed to carry a high-major recruitment in the nearby future. Already, Penn, James Madison, George Mason, George Washington and UMass have offered as the versatile forward will be soon valued for his multi-positional defense, passing and rebounding abilities.

There was no shortage of impressive performances from mid-major commits on Friday, highlighted by the play of Quinnipiac bound Tyrese Williams. The good sized off guard can score the ball with the best of them and should become an immediate cog within Baker Dunleavy’s system in New Haven.

Headed to Chattanooga, Donovan Toatley only knows to play at one speed and that is fast. A blur in the open floor that loves to push the pace, Toatley does not lack for toughness as he will, at the very least, provide for a spark off the bench at the SoCon program next winter.

Pat Skerry has built his Towson program on tough and gritty prospects that will do whatever it takes to come win. Signed for the CAA program, Allen Betrand is a good and strong off-guard that can score it out to 20-feet but also finish through contact at the basket; another tough one headed the Tigers’ way in the coming months, someone that will provide quality defense, too.