By Temwa Chisanga
As we draw closer to the start of the 2023 Summer League playoffs, teams are starting to have a better idea of where they will be seeded come June 26. One of those teams is none other than WCAC’s own McNamara.
Concluding their regular season with an 8-2 record, the WCAC powerhouse has been one of the toughest teams throughout summer league. Led on offense by ‘24 guard Martin Somerville, McNamara as a unit has excelled at scoring the ball efficiently at all three levels.
Somerville, McNamara’s leading scorer, has been a walking bucket. Showcasing his high-level shooting ability, Sommerville has shot a very impressive 49.5% from the field and 40.7% from three on high volume. Considering the majority of Sommerville’s shots come from behind the arc, his field goal percentages become even more impressive. Averaging 16.7 points a game, the ‘24 guard holds a C-RAM score of 10.3 (16th in the league) which qualifies him for ‘superstar’ status, according to Cerebro Sports. He is also tied for ninth in the league in Pure Scoring Prowess, with a score of 81 (minimum 10 min/game).
Head coach of McNamara’s summer league team, Martin Keithline, credited Somerville’s shooting ability to his time spent in the gym, explaining “Martin [Somerville] gets in the gym – it’s all about time, how much time you spend in the gym is how much you get better at it, so he’s putting the shots up, he’s putting in the time, he’s grinding – so I’m really excited about him.”
Somerville spoke on his shooting ability in an interview, stating “I’ve always been able to shoot really well, but I worked on my consistency over the past few years – off the catch and shoot, I was shooting a really high percentage, now I get a lot of my looks off the dribble because catch and shoot is not really there for me anymore.”
The ‘24 guard later backed his coach’s claim about his work ethic, adding “Putting up a lot of shots – like the repetition part of it – mechanics, is probably my best attribute you know, I catch the ball in the same spot, same release, same shooting form every single time, so it just helped my touch and that’s kind of really where all my shots really come from.”
In addition to a high-powered offense, McNamara has shown unteachable aspects of the game that have served as a big advantage. The team has showcased a mental toughness that most other teams have been unable to compete with, never backing down and letting their opponent know they are a force to be reckoned with.
Additionally, the team features an unmatched level of physicality and athleticism that translates well on both ends of the court. Acting as a paint presence despite being a guard, ‘26 Jalyn Collingwood has been a driving factor as to why McNamara has seen major paint success on both ends. In addition to Collingwood, ‘26 guard Prince-Alexander Moody has also been a two-way force, showcasing his athleticism with his emphatic blocks and posterizing dunks.
While McNamara’s run during this year’s summer league is certainly impressive, one thing that stands out is the amount of young talent featured on this team. As mentioned earlier, Collingwood and Moody are both rising sophomores, but the team also has another budding star in ‘26 guard Qayden Samuels.
Despite the young age, Samuels has thrived in his offensive role, starring as the team’s third-leading scorer. Averaging 13.8 points a game, Samuels has produced consistent scoring performances, including a game against R.W.E. Lions where he dropped 27 points on a very impressive 10-15 shooting performance from the field.
When asked about how he felt about his young core, Coach Keithline had high praise for his guys, expressing “I’m excited – the young Jalyn Collingwood, Prince-Alexander Moody, and Qayden Samuels, [they’ve] done a really good job.”
Keithline also mentioned another ‘26 guard while voicing his pleasure with his team this summer, claiming “We also got Donovan Murphy in that class as well, who’s really coming on strong – so I’m excited about this group being led by Martin Somerville, our only senior that’s playing this summer.”
Despite being one of the youngest teams this summer with only one senior playing, expect McNamara to make some serious noise in this year’s Summer League playoffs and potentially make a deep run.