Ten Best Perry Hall @ Poly
12-13-17 Poly HS, 1400 West Coldspring Lane Baltimore, MD. 21209
Poly HS Engineers 72 Perry Hall Gators 63
Poly (19-16), Poly (37-36), Perry Hall (52-48) Poly wins (72-63)
This game featured last seasons MD 4A State Champions the Perry Hall Gators(right) vs reigning MD 3A State Champion the Poly Engineers (left). Perry Hall is from nearby Baltimore County while Poly is Baltimore City. During & after the game I concluded both teams are heavy favorites to repeat as MD 4A & 3A champions. Last season Perry Hall won their clash with Poly at home in West Nottinghmam, MD 83-60. The game last night was a superb contest showcasing double digit players with great height, skills, toughness, heart, versatility & IQ. There were 10 plus plays of the game in this display. Perry Hall starts LaQuill Hardett (6’8″ plus), Anthony Higgs (6’8″), Anthony Walker (6’8″) & Tyler Holly (6’4″). Poly is very long & with great height, DeMetrius Mims 6’6″, Justin Lewis 6’8″, and Armami Walker (6’9″)
We would like to thank Poly HS for their fantastic hospitality & great environment. I am very grateful to Poly Head Coach Sam Brand & Perry Hall Head Coach George Panageotoo for their help & support. Both teams, players & coaches were fantastic. Also, special nention to the Baltimore City Police who were great in security inside & outside.
This game was much closer than the score indicated as Perry Hall lead 52-49 at the end of 3. We were treated to amazing talent 2 & teams in this great game.There were many D1 Coaches on hand & we were happy see our great friend, University of Maryland Top Assistant Coach Bino Ranson in attendance. As always we consulted with Coach Ranson who played & Coached at St. Frances HS of the Baltimore BCL. Prep Hoops will be covering Poly, Perry Hall & many more great Baltimore area HS & teams & games this season. We are very excited by the always talent rich players & teams in the Baltimore DMV.
Player of the Game / MVP : Demetrius Mims #1
I have seen Demetrius for 2 seasons & he has always proved to be highly skilled, versatile team player with high major D1 talent. Demetrius (6’6″) was flawless in this game & very time he touched the ball it turned to gold. In the 1st quarter Demetrius knocked down three 3s from the corner with his picture perfect jumper. While we liked his perimeter shooting last season, his jump shot has gone up to another level this season & Demetrius looks like a knockdown shooter. He can play & defend 1 thru 3 while his IQ is off the charts. Identical to 2017 Poly grad 6′.6.5″ Dre Perry (Temple), Dre & Demetrius were & are vastly underrated with Demetrius @ #417 nationally. He can do everything on the court & is one of the most versatile players I have seen this season which includes 10 plus top 25 nationally ranked teams. Last night Demetrius scored from everywhere, got in the paint & facilitated. He has a great IQ, motor & a huge stock riser. Long Beach State is getting a steal. In the photo left Demetrius signs his LOI with Long Beach State with Poly Head Coach Sam Brand & family.
Offensive Player of the Game : Demetrius Mims #1 (Poly HS, Team Melo)
Demetrius scored a game high 29 points & displayed a beautiful 3 point jumper connecting on 3 plus 3s. He can get to any area of the court off the dribble & Demetrius is always a threat to attack the rim off the dribble from the key, wing or baseline & throw down a dunk. In any game he has potential to go on a scoring binge. However, Demetrius is very unselfish & a great team player who may chose to facilitate vs score. He can play PG & possesses an excellent handle.
Defensive Player of the Game : Justin Lewis #10 (Perry Hall HS, Team Melo)
Currently Justin is ranked in the top 60 nationally for 2020 & I rate him higher. Since this May when Justin attended Prep Hoops & Vantage Hoops Showcase event @ Potomac HS in the DC DMV ( Dumfries, VA). Justin stood out. He has attended may other events & plays for Team Melo where he has excelled. Last night Justin was superb on all levels. He defended Perry Hall Bigs superbly while scoring a super efficient 16 points, in addition to superb facilitation plays. Justin has one the longest wingspans in the nation at over 7 feet & he knows how to use it. Justin is a fantastic versatile player who can play 4 positions. In the photo left (compliments of Kyle McFadden (MSA) Justin utilizes his 7 foot plus wingspan. He alreay holds D1 offers from Georgetown, Ole Miss & others with Maryland showing very heavy interest.
Most Underrated : LaQuill Hardnett #1 (Perry Hall HS, Team Melo)
Standing at 6’9″ ,LaQuill is an amazing talent & player. In HS he can play & defend all 5 positions. last night he scored 15 points. He will stuff the stat sheets on both ends & plays with great court vision & IQ. I rate LaQuill one the most underrated players in the nation. There were several D1 high major coaches in attendance who are looking at LaQuill very hard. I saw him last season several times & was fascinated by his skill level & versatility. LaQuill is superb in transition & can hit the 3 ball. He can facilitate anywhere on the court & adjust to any style of play using his tremendous wingspan. He makes plays on both ends. When he fouled out in the 4th quarter his loss was huge. The Gators never recovered. Going forward Perry Hall is a great team with great players. 14 points
Best Player off the Bench: Seth Jones #5 Poly HS(Cecil Kirk)
Seth Jones 5’10”, PG/CG, 2018. (Cecil Kirk) Seth was a key player off the bench for the Engineers on last seasons State Championship Team. He will fill a similar 6th man style role this season. Seth can shoot, handle, & is a tough defender,. Last night he a 3 & hit another big basketn addition to playing a superb floor game.
Breakout Player of the Game : Anthony Walker #3 (Perry Hall HS, Team BBC)
Last season Anthony played most of the season on JV, but there was already a buzz about him Anthony began his breakout this summer & fall. He has began his breakthrough on the the national level. Standing at 6’8″ Anthony can run the court and he led Perry Hall in scoring with 17 points, mostly coming on the interior. He proves to be an superb pic k& roll player with great hands. However, Anthony can shoot it & defend. Clearly, Anthony has the ability to become a national recruit which I predict. Last night may have bee his breakout party. I look for Anthony to showcase more of his skills I have seen as the season progresses.
Best Underclassman : Justin Lewis
Justin is a superb high major D1 prospect. He has the focus & work ethic to not take his foot off the pedal & continually improve throughout his HS career. Already a national recruit (#55) , Justin has 5 star ability & I predict he gets there. He is super long & possesses a great handle with excellent court vision, IQ & passing skills. Justin has developed a beautiful jumper & can go the rim hard & fast with the end result a slam dunk over a tall big. Justin is so talented he possesses PG skills. Currently at 6″8″ plus Justin is still growing, but he will be a fantastic prospect in 2020 at his current height.
Best Floor General : Rahim Ali #11 (Poly HS Team Melo)
Rahim played a superb game finishing with 9 points & 7 assists. His value to Poly was tremendous & Rahim was a true floor general last night. He facilitated at a very high & efficient level & his 7 assist total seems low. Rahim hit 2 big 3s to get Poly rolling & he is a big threat from the perimeter. He can get in the lane & facilitate from everywhere. Rahim possesses a great handle & he is ranked @ #10 in our MD/DC rankings for 2020. He started last season for Poly as freshmen on the Engineers State Championship team & Rahim is a warrior. Please note the photo on the left in from last season. Rahim now wears #11.
Best Intangibles : Rahim Ali
Rahim impacted the game without scoring on every category. He showed great courage & determination going to the floor many times for loose balls. During the game he cramped up multiple times, but always came back with a vengeance. Like many other players on the court Rahim exemplified the Baltimore MO : tough as nails & grit. Rahim never lost focus & wreaked havoc, getting deflections & steals.
Play of the Game : Pick Em
The number of great highlight plays last night was off the charts. Demetrius Mims alley ooped to Justin Lewis. Justin Lewis follow up dunk Anthony Higgs converted a dunk off the dribble in the 2nd quarter. Demetrius Mims had several big dunks over defenders .There were so many more great plays, Justin Lewis, LaQuill Harnett, Tyler Holly,
Special Special Mention : (Alphabetical Oder)
D. Cloude #0 5’10”, PG Perry Hall
We believe that D. Cloude just transferred in to Perry Hall in he last 2 weeks. He is very quick, tough & will get in the paint. D. excels in transition & we like his game We will update him this weekend.
Anthony Higgs #0 6’8″ F, 2018. Perry Hall HS (Team Melo) Committed to Ole Miss
Last night Anthony totaled 10 points & was close to double figures in rebounds. We expect Anthony & Perry Hall to bounce back, & repeat as MD 4A champions
Tyler Holly #15 6’4″ CG, 2018. Perry Hall HS (Team Melo Red)
Tyler was very impressive last night. He plays with a high motor & great heart. He is a very disruptive defender with great length. While he scored 5 points he impacted the game in many ways. Tyler started on last seasons MD 4A State Championship Team & he is rated @ #42 in our MD/DC rankings. I am very high on him as a college scholarship player & we will update him soon.
Cleveland Horton #2, 6’2″,CG, 2018. Poly HS (Cecil Kirk)
Cleveland totaled 12 points & played very well. He deserves an award ofr his performance. Cleveland is very underrated & a excellent college scholarship player. He is clutch, tough, can shoot the 3 & is a winner. Cleveland can get in the lane with floaters, facilitate & is a tough defender, We will update him soon.
Armani Walker #3 6’9″ F, 2019 .Poly HS (Team Thrill)
Armami got in foul trouble, & his stats were way off in the books. He scored & did rebound last night. Armani is very long, smooth & skilled. He is a key starter for Poly & ranked @ #26 for 2019. We will be updating him soon