The Evans Awards: DC National Hoopfest

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

MORE: Eric Bossi hands out awards from Hoophall West

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Some of the very best hit the floor for the DC National Hoopfest over the weekend and they sure did impress. We hand out our awards from out four days spent in the nation’s capital as Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jalen Johnson and Anthony Edwards took top honors.

There might not have been a better prospect suited for the college game than Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. For a top-10 prospect, he remains one of the least talked about five-stars for some reason. He can slide between all three frontcourt positions, contribute in half-court offense but can also shoot, pass and defend when things speed up. Robinson-Earl averaged over 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists over the weekend and is more than capable of helping Jay Wright bring another national title to the Main Line over the next few years.

FOR MORE VILLANOVA COVERAGE, VISIT NOVAILLUSTRATED.COM

Anthony Edwards began his time in D.C. with a 41-point outing and is now the best available prospect in the 2019 class. He is someone that could turn in a Kemba Walker-like performance in March and win a national championship. Edwards is that good. He is even better whenever he is in attack mode, which he was for the most part this weekend. Edwards shot over 50 percent from the floor all while averaging slightly less than 36 points. Head coaches from Georgia and North Carolina, along with assistants from Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA were all on hand for one of his contests.

A near triple-double was plenty loud for Jalen Johnson as he made his case for the top spot in the 2020 class. The top-five junior has grown, become a better shooter and has remained one of the most difficult matchups in the country. Standing over 6-foot-8 and with point guard abilities, Johnson told Rivals.com over the weekend that he believes that he is the best prospect in the 2020 class. Johnson is arguably one of the best passers in high school ball and when you combine that with his vision, pace for the game, unselfish approach and understanding of how to use his body, and Johnson looks to be a heavy contender for the top spot in the 2020 class.

For all the talk about North Carolina and its recent recruiting misses, Armando Bacot's fit in Chapel Hill should probably be discussed more. Here is a five-star prospect that is tailor-made for how Roy Williams likes to use his bigs. Bacot can play either big man position within high-low sets and he could make an immediate impact with the Tar Heels thanks to the expected losses of Luke Maye, Cam Johnson and Nassir Little after this season. He is going to be a good one at North Carolina and should be good for a few double-digit rebound games early on during his college career.

Paul VI Catholic has become the springboard for some of the top college prospects in recent years and Dug McDaniel looks to be next in line. Standing at 5-foot-8, McDaniel might not pass the look test, but a glance at the final box score - 13 points, 11 assists with just three turnovers - only begins to tell the story to just how good the freshman is. McDaniel is not just a fun watch but also a productive one. George Washington and Mount St. Mary’s are the first two programs that have offered, but more are sure to come between now and 2022.

Tony Bennett has had some good very good defenders over the years at Virginia, but might his best defensive prospect be on the way? Possibly so. While Casey Morsell is more than just a one-sided contributor - he poured in 24 points during his lone outing over the weekend - it was his toughness, competitive DNA and willingness to guard that really impressed. Morsell has the chance to slide into the face of the program role that Kyle Guy currently maintains and become a key cog to the Cavaliers' future success.

Here I was worrying that we may have over-ranked Harlond Beverly seeing that his recruitment has received little attention and all of the talk coming out of Montverde this fall surrounded some of his more heralded teammates. Boy, was I wrong. Beverly is more than worthy of his top-75 ranking and could actually receive a small bump. He completed his time in D.C. with a perfect shooting game, making all nine of his attempts for an even 20 points on the day. Beverly is an above-average athlete than can shoot, finish at the basket and also defend. Baylor, Creighton, Georgia, Providence and Xavier are just a few that have come to push for his pledge.

In an affair that many believed would be a complete blowout in favor of Montverde Academy, Paul VI remained afloat thanks to the play of Josiah Freeman. A thicker bodied but tough-minded wing out of the 2020 class, Freeman did his part to keep his team in the game. He made it known that he is a shot-maker as he hit five first-half three-pointers and had as many points at halftime as the opposition. Thus far, Bryant, Loyola (MD), Mount St. Mary’s and Old Dominion have offered, but more are sure to be on the way.