Darren Harris, Nyk Lewis shine in WCAC Playoffs

Washington DC – It is a cold Saturday in the nation’s capital, but the people – and facilities – at Gallaudet University provided excellent hospitality. The WCAC conference playoffs are one of the best tickets in the country. A group of teams who are littered with nationally ranked players in a conference where everyone knows everyone. The atmosphere was great, and the stands were filled.

Saturday was the WCAC quarterfinals, four games, eight teams, all at Gallaudet University. On3s Jamie Shaw was sitting courtside for the day; here are the standouts.

Great bloodlines

DeMatha Catholic is a known hotbed for talent throughout the years. This season, the featured player is a 6-foot-8 junior forward who is wildly explosive. Malcolm Thomas is also the son of former Syracuse center and NBAer Etan Thomas.

Thomas is a lengthy forward. His ability to make plays across multiple positions was intriguing. He has quick feet able to guard the perimeter, and the length and pop enabled him as a weak side rim protector. Thomas is quiet about his recruitment, keeping things in-house, however, this one will be a high major battle.

Thomas finished this game with 20 points, six rebounds, and a blocked shot.

The clutch gene

When the game was on the line, Washington (DC) St. John’s College point guard Daquan Davis had the ball in his hands. Not only did he have the ball, but he also wanted the ball. The 6-foot-0 junior has a dynamic aspect to his game, there is an innate toughness that is apparent.

Davis finished with 21 points in the game, 13 of them came in the second half of a one-possession game. Davis touched the paint, made his free throws, and defended the opposing team’s primary ball handler. He did each well.

Davis has not taken any official visits yet, he has taken unofficials to the likes of Penn State, George Washington, and Butler. The point guard’s most recently claimed offer was from Illinois.

Long-range sniper

Darren Harris is a premier shooter. If he gets a clean-ish look with his feet set, history suggests you can count the points. In this one, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard finished with 23 points with five makes from beyond the arc. He has developed off the ball, especially in cutting with purpose. Harris does a good job of letting the play come to him, not forcing anything, and picking his spots.

Harris finished first-team All-WCAC this season. The four-star committed to Duke in October.

Winning plays

Early on, Washington (DC) Gonzaga Collegiate point guard Nyk Lewis saw his shot was not falling. However, that did not stop him from putting his handprints all over the game. Lewis is a 6-foot-0 class of 2025 point guard. He has a stocky, compact frame with a lot of burst.

It is the competitive nature that Lewis brings to every play that really stands out. Lewis is a high-level rebounder for his position, and his point-of-attack defense is aggressive. Things got going for Lewis in the second half when it comes to scoring, but he was so involved in the other aspects Gonzaga Collegiate ended up running away with it.

Lewis’s recruitment is just beginning LSU, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Kansas State are among the schools already involved. He finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the win.