Baltimore Transfers to Watch (Part 3)
Transferring has become the norm for the high school basketball scene around America. Kids are constantly looking at other schools that will offer them a better situation either for education purposes or playing purposes to boost their stock as a player for collegiate programs. For this series, we’ll take a look at the number of key transfers who should have an impact for their respective teams this upcoming season.
Maurice Smith | 6’2 | ’19 New Town
Smith will suit up for the Titans of New Town for his senior season after transferring from Mt. St. Joe. Smith’s journey has been unique and inspiring, considering he is a two-time cancer survivor and will be playing high school ball for the first time in two years. We saw the 6-foot-2 guard play this summer for Team BBC and showed an aggressive mindset to score. Smith is always looking to push in transition and finish around the rim. He is a capable three-point shooter and has improved as a playmaker off the dribble. New Town will have one of the deepest rosters in the area and the addition of Smith certainly makes them an even stronger contender for the Baltimore County crown.
Javonte Brown | 6’10 | ’20 Mt. St. Joe
We don’t know a ton about Brown since he is a transfer from Canada, but at 6-foot-10 and extremely long limbs, he’ll be a paint presence that Mt. St. Joe needed badly after losing Jalen Smith (Maryland). Brown is still growing into his body, but shows ability to catch consistently and finish well around the rim. Because of his height and timing, he has potential to dominate on the glass and control a game. The same reasons would apply for being a shot blocker. The Gaels have a swarm of guards including LSU commit James Bishop, but desperately needed a piece in the frontcourt. They seem to have it in Brown.
Elijah Rantin | 6’8 | ’20 Mervo
Rantin is extremely raw. This will be his first year playing high school basketball, but at 6-foot-8 and size to him, he’ll make an impact for Mervo. He has decent hands and while his footwork still needs improvement, Rantin has the ability to catching and finishing strong over the rim in instances when guards find him off penetration. He is gradually becoming a better shot blocker and rebounder. With all of the size Poly has in the city, Mervo will gladly use Rantin to help counteract that attack.
Terrence Butler | 6’7 | ’20 Overlea
Butler is another prospect we haven’t seen a ton of, but he’ll undoubtably be the shining spot for Overlea. Coach Al Holley takes over a team that doesn’t have a surplus of talent, but Butler at 6-foot-7, has the size and athleticism to keep them in games. Butler will likely be asked to be a stat sheet stuffer this season for Overlea to be relevant in the county.