Finalized 2018 Player Rankings Takeaways: Baltimore Prospects
Throughout this winter, we were fortunate enough to see a very talented class of seniors showcase their skills on a nightly basis. The dust is almost finally settled for these prospects, with a number of them trying to earn last minute college interest/offers by playing AAU for the month of April. For the majority however, they’re using this time to prepare their skills and body for the rigors that the collegiate game brings.
We released our finalized class of 2018 player rankings last week, so now we’ll take a look at some changes and headlines that can be sought out for the Baltimore prospects.
A change at No. 1
Maryland-bound forward Jalen Smith jumped the future Kentucky floor general in Immanuel Quickley for the top spot in our rankings. This was one of the most difficult decisions we’ve come across, but in the end, there’s really no wrong answer. Smith had an outstanding senior season, averaging 23 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocks per game. He led the Gaels to a 31-8 overall record and was an unstoppable force from anywhere on the floor. Quickley missed the first chunk of games with an injury to start the season for the Patriots. Once he returned, he showed why he is regarded as one of the top point guards in the country as he led John Carroll to a 33-8 record. In one of the match ups against Smith and the Gaels, Quickley lifted his team to a victory with a lay up as the buzzer sounded. We forecast that both of these prospects will do big things at the next level and represent the area well.
A couple of big leapers (literally)
A couple of Baltimore prospects made a leap in our rankings. Demetrius Mims has a strong argument for having the most productive season in the city. He led Poly to their second-straight Class 3A state championship and did so in dominant fashion. The 6-foot-6 wing moved up only two spots in the rankings (from no. 11 to no. 9), but the fact that he was bolstered into the top-10 of a very special group speaks for itself. LaQuill Hardnett of Perry Hall was also a hero in the state tournament, especially in the state title game against Bladensburg where he brought his team back from a double-digit deficit on his own. He finished with 31 points and helped the Gators hoist their second-straight Class 4A state title. Mims will take his talents to Long Beach State while Hardnett will join the Bearcats of the University of Cincinnati.
Biggest Riser
Dunbar guard DaShawn Phillip saw his ranking jump the highest of the class, going from no. 47 all the way up to no. 20. The 6-foot-4 guard was the go-to option for the 21-3 Poets as he led them to the Class 1A state title. Phillip started to make noise after an impressive junior campaign in 2016-17, but cemented his spot as one of the best players in the entire state after this past season. Phillip is undecided on what he will do next season and is currently playing with Team BBC. Don’t be shocked if he takes a post-grad prep year to work on his body and then become a highly sought after prospect.
Baltimore represents
The DMV area has a strong argument for being the most talented area when it comes to high school hoops. Especially in D.C. and Prince George’s County, there have been a number of players who’ve made it to the biggest stage in the NBA. Baltimore has the reputation for having its own share of ball players who’ve become very successful NBA stars. There’s a chance we see a couple of prospects from this year’s rankings make it to that level. Nevertheless, when looking at the top-25, nine of those spots belong to players from Baltimore. Four of which appear in the top-10. It’s easy to say that if you want to see the best of the best, you know where to find them.
Who are some sleepers to watch out for in college?
For this section, we’ll take a look at some names that you’ll want to follow at the Division II and Division III levels. Elijah Epps of St. Frances recently committed to Bowie State. Epps had interest from multiple Division I programs and an offer from NJIT, but decided Bowie State was the best fit. The 6-foot-1 guard is simply a winner that has the opportunity to make a big impact over the next four years. Brandon Craig is a Tennessee native who transferred to John Carroll for his senior season. He recently committed to play for Millersville University. Craig is a very solid two-way player that plays extremely hard. It’s safe to say that had he been in the Baltimore area for at least two years, he would’ve courted some low-major Division I interest. Mark Brinkley of Woodlawn High School is still trying to earn an offer by playing for Team BBC. It is likely he’ll end up at the Division III level, though. If that happens to be the case, you could be seeing his name pretty often in game write-ups with his ability to score it from all three levels. We’ll keep tabs on Brinkley as decision time will be coming up fairly soon.