Baltimore’s League Pass Rankings Part 2 (5-1)
In honor of my favorite basketball journalist, Zach Lowe of ESPN, I’ve decided to bring my own version of League Pass rankings to the Baltimore area. Every year prior to the NBA season, Lowe ranks the teams in order of…
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Continue ReadingIn honor of my favorite basketball journalist, Zach Lowe of ESPN, I’ve decided to bring my own version of League Pass rankings to the Baltimore area. Every year prior to the NBA season, Lowe ranks the teams in order of how exciting they are to watch. In this, I’m not ranking the best teams in the area. Although many are included, this list is simply the teams I believe will be the best or most fun to watch as we close in on the last month until games kick off.
For teams ranked from 6-10, click here.
5. McDonogh
The Eagles are loaded with young talent, arguably the most in the area. With that being said, they’ll lean heavily on senior guard Drew Green to build off what was a solid junior outing after transferring in from Lake Clifton. With a year under his belt in the MIAA, Green should be a little more comfortable and with an improved jump shot, will be a tough task for opposing teams to match up with. Curtis Jacobs, a junior wing who is a highly-regarded wide receiver prospect, will provide the physicality and athleticism every team needs on the perimeter and in the paint. St. Mary’s Ryken transfer Dave Brown will have a big impact right away. The sophomore guard can score in bunches and has good length at 6-foot-4. Sophomore guard Jared Billups provides defensive intensity as well as a finisher around the rim. He’s similar to Brown in that he is 6-foot-4 and a sophomore, but each bring different things to the table for the Eagles. The group of freshman include an enforcer at 6-foot-6, 245-pound big man in Dani Sutton-Dennis, a versatile 6-foot-5 forward in Preston Howard and a quick, floor general with a knack for scoring in Everett Cooper.
4. Dulaney
Dulaney could have an argument to be at any of these top positions when you look at their roster on paper. Sophomore guard Ryan Conway gave a preview as a freshman as to his potential to become one of the best scorers the state of Maryland has. He plays with plenty of flash and looks to embarrass defenders with his array of moves with the ball. Cam Byers, a transfer forward from John Carroll, will provide the toughness and size at 6-foot-6 that the Lions desperately needed last season. Che Evans will show off his ability to score in isolation situations. Ike Cornish is a rising prospect and has developed steadily from the spring and summer. The 6-foot-5 sophomore combo guard has a chance to assert himself as one of the better prospects in his class. Dulaney will play a fast-paced game that include constant full court pressure. If you love fast break finishes at the rim and transition three’s, the Lions Den is where you’ll need to be.
3. Mt. St. Joseph
Mt. St. Joe has one of the more prolific scorers in the country in senior guard James Bishop to headline things. With Jalen Smith at Maryland, the ball will be in Bishop’s hands more than ever, which will mean a ton of shots will be taken. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Gaels considering Bishop has the ability to throw up 40 points any time he steps on the floor. The way he does so is James Harden-esque. Sophomore point guard Ausar Crawley will look to build off a very strong ending to his freshman campaign. The 5-foot-8 lefty can score from three or slash his way into the paint, while understanding when to look for his shot and when to find open teammates around the perimeter or under the basket. Javonte Brown is a 6-foot-10 transfer that we don’t know a ton about, but from watching film he is extremely long, runs the floor well and can finish around the rim efficiently. There’s no replacing a player like Smith, but Brown provides the size and activity needed in their frontcourt rotation.
2. Poly
Poly will showcase the deepest roster by far in Baltimore. Led by junior forward Justin Lewis, the back-to-back 3A state champions will be the undoubted favorites once again. Lewis is growing into a nationally prized prospect at 6-foot-7 and ability to do just about anything on the court. He’s always eligible to throw down a poster dunk on an opposing big man. While Lewis is their most talented player, point guard Rahim Ali is their most important. The 5-foot-11 junior guard brings the intensity and spark that this team needs. He’s one of the best pick-and-roll operators with the ball on top of being a tenacious on-ball defender that will guard his man 94 feet for 32 minutes. Brandon Murray returns to Baltimore after spending last year in New York. The 6-foot-5 junior forward brings a much more developed skill set than we saw as a freshman. Murray can drive and punch it down on a defender as well as controlling a game with his ability to rebound. Amani Walker returns from last year’s championship team and provides length and experience. The 6-foot-9 senior shows flashes of being a low major prospect at times and when he does, it makes the Engineers lethal. Trae English, a transfer from Mt. St. Joe, could be the Lou Williams of Baltimore. The 5-foot-11 sophomore guard will likely come off the bench and provide minutes as a natural scorer from anywhere on the floor. Freshman guard Bryce Lindsey will be another player on Poly’s roster that can put up numbers quick from deep. There’s a chance he’ll be featured in the backcourt with Ali to start games if head coach Sam Brand wants to start small. At 5-foot-9, Lindsey can be a pest on the ball when focused defensively and is always a threat for transition three’s.
1. St. Frances
The top spot goes to the Panthers. It isn’t by a wide margin though, considering what the Engineers have. What St. Frances has is one of the best point guards in the state in Ace Baldwin. Baldwin, a junior, has been a marquee player in the city since he was a freshman. With advanced vision and an improved outside shot, Baldwin will have to assert himself and live up to being one of the best players not only in Baltimore, but the entire DMV. Jordan Toles is the name that will bring you out to games simply because of his leaping ability. Toles, a junior guard and the top-ranked safety in his class for football, has collected plenty of bodies on his way to the rim over the past two seasons. With continued growth and explosion, I expect nothing less this season. Jamal West, a junior transfer from Dunbar, it a flat-out workhorse on both ends. He was a double-double machine for the Poets as he helped lead them to a 1A state title. As he continues to develop his game, look for West to play a little more on the wing. At 6-foot-5 with a strong build, West will provide some much needed help on the glass for the Panthers. Senior forward Jason Murphy will see his role increase compared to last season. Murphy, like West, has a good motor and works hard on the glass. His 6-foot-8 frame will be important for being a shot-blocking presence defensively. Sophomore forward Detwan Montague may have had one of the more productive freshman seasons in the area that wasn’t talked about. He’s a very efficient player in that he knows his role and sticks to it. He rebounds, looks for guards and acts as a rim runner in transition. We may say Montague take a jumper here and there from 12-15 feet, but I expect much of the same playing style from him as last season, just with more confidence.