An Early Look at Baltimore Player of the Year Candidates
For the majority of teams, we are now at the halfway point of the season. As we begin the home stretch of games, each win or loss holds immense value in terms of setting the playoff landscape. It’s only right…
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Continue ReadingFor the majority of teams, we are now at the halfway point of the season. As we begin the home stretch of games, each win or loss holds immense value in terms of setting the playoff landscape. It’s only right that we evaluate a list of players who have made their arguments to this point for being Baltimore Player of the Year candidates.
*This order is in no particular order
Cam Spencer | Boys Latin ’19
Team Record: 18-3
Stat line: 19.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG
Without a doubt, Spencer has been one of the most dominant players in the area this season. To be honest, there were a few people who could’ve told you this was coming. After being a second option on last year’s team, Spencer took control of pretty much every aspect of the game. As indicated from his stat line, he makes an impact in a multitude of ways. He’s no longer categorized as just a shooter, even though he’ll light you up from outside in a hurry. He’s displayed massive improvement as an overall play maker. The Loyola (MD) commit has turned Boys’ Latin into one of the top teams in the state. Week after week, they fight off much bigger and talented teams simply because they’re disciplined, play basketball the right way and battle every single possession. I truly believe their success wouldn’t be possible without Spencer’s leadership both in the statistical categories and vocally. His competitiveness and drive bleeds throughout the lineup and forces each player to hold each other accountable.
James Bishop | Mt. St. Joe ’19
Team record: 14-3
Stat line: 22 PPG, 5 RPG, 3 APG
Bishop has been nothing short of spectacular this season. With the loss of Jalen Smith to Maryland, it was no secret that Bishop would have to be a consistent 20-point scorer if the Gaels wanted to be successful. So far, so good for the LSU commit. Every time he touches the ball he is a threat to score. He’s a deadly three-point shooter both off the bounce and off the catch, but what has impressed me most is his vision and passing ability with the ball. He operates very well in pick-and-rolls and is able to read weakside rotations. I’ve seen many times where he comes off the ball-screen aggressively, force the weakside defender to leave his man in the corner to cover the rim, and skip the ball to his man for an open three. It may sound simple, but not many players his age can consistently make that read.
Ace Baldwin | St. Frances ’20
Team record: 17-3
Stat line: 15 PPG, 6 APG, 4 SPG
Baldwin took the city by storm last season with a bunch of big time plays in big time games, but this season he has a moment that trumps them all when he buried the game-winning three-pointer against Memphis East in the opening round of the Chick-Fil-A Classic. That event helped put him on the map to ACC schools such as Clemson, who offered him immediately after defeating the top-ranked recruit James Wiseman in that game. The southpaw point guard has learned how to completely control a game and make an impact in every statistical category. Baldwin will have his games where he erupts in scoring, but he knows in order for his team to be the best they can be, he needs to be a facilitator and an enforcer on the ball defensively. He has succeeded in both of those areas this season, hence why St. Frances is once again being acknowledged at a national level.
Justin Lewis | Poly ’20
Team record: 8-4
Stat line: 17 PPG, 10 RPG
Poly has faced a challenging schedule thus far, facing Wilson (DC) twice in their first 12 games. One of their losses was due to an off-season penalty that forced them to forfeit their opening game (bogus if you ask me). Anyway, Lewis has been a man among boys in almost every game he has played in. No matter his match up, his physicality and versatility have made him a headache for every opposing coach. Lewis has become more dependable as an outside shooter even after he puts the ball on the floor for a couple of dribbles. His rim presence and rebounding prowess has always been a strength, but with added muscle and overall size, even that part of his game has improved. The Engineers have faced many obstacles early on, but it’ll be on Lewis if they want to three-peat as 3A state champions when it’s all said and done.
Marvin Price | Patterson ’19
Team record: 11-2
Stat line: 21 PPG 9 RPG
Price had questions marks surrounding him coming into this season. For one, he was transferring back to Patterson from Huntington Prep and while he had some big games there, not many people knew how much he improved. During the spring, he tore his meniscus and had set backs with the rehabilitation process. Once the regular season began, Price put all questions to rest. He’s put together multiple 25+ point performances and remains the biggest piece to the 2A state title puzzle for the Clippers. With a statement win over Poly in OT last night, Patterson puts themselves in the driver’s seat to claim the Baltimore City title, eliminating Poly from being eligible to play in the championship game.