Baltimore Power Rankings 1/15
Not a ton has happened since last week in terms of movement with the top teams, but this upcoming week will certainly shake up the order with many of the marquee match ups of the season taking place. 1.St.…
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Continue ReadingNot a ton has happened since last week in terms of movement with the top teams, but this upcoming week will certainly shake up the order with many of the marquee match ups of the season taking place.
1.St. Frances (17-3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Last week’s games: win vs John Carroll (90-42)
Next three games: vs McDonogh (1/16), vs Archbishop Spalding (1/18), @ Pallotti (1/21)
The Panthers secured the top spot in last week’s rankings after many impressive wins over the Christmas and New Year break. This past week, they took advantage against a young John Carroll team on their way to a 48-point win. The highly anticipated match up against Boys’ Latin that was scheduled for last night was postponed because of school closings due to snow. That game will be rescheduled for Feb. 3. This week, they’ll face a McDonogh team without Jamal West or Jordan Toles. The two are serving suspensions for being ejected against Annapolis Area Christian in their game a couple of weeks ago. Toles and West are two major cogs for this St. Frances team. Will Ace Baldwin and the surrounding cast be able to avoid a hiccup? We shall see.
2. Mt. St. Joe (14-3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Last week’s games: loss vs Goretti (64-53), win vs Annapolis Area (79-54)
Next three games: vs Boys’ Latin (1/16), vs McDonogh (1/18), vs Mt. Carmel (1/23)
The Gaels suffered a tough loss against a very good Goretti team this past week. Still, they remain at the number two slot. That game was filled with uncharacteristic decisions by the players if you ask me. Give credit to Goretti’s active hands defensively, but many of the Mt. St. Joe players were trying to fit the ball in windows that simply weren’t there. You don’t see that happen much with a Pat Clatchey coached team, and they showed that with a big win over Annapolis Area. This week holds two challenging opponents that the Gaels hope they can snag.
3. Poly (7-3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Last week’s games: n/a
Next three games: @ Patterson (1/15), @ Edmonson (1/22), vs NAF (1/24)
Poly didn’t have any games this past week, but the moment we’ve been waiting for is upon us as they travel to take on Patterson this evening. Poly enters the game as the favorites, but Patterson looks at this game as a chance to gain the bragging rights of the city. There’s no doubt in my mind that this will be one of the best games we see this year. Whatever the outcome is, it has the chance to shake up the top five of these rankings.
4. Boys’ Latin (18-3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Last week’s games: n/a
Next three games: @ Mt. St. Joe (1/16), @ Glenelg Country (1/18), @ St. Paul’s (1/19)
The Lakers’ game against St. Frances was postponed, which makes arguably the hardest week of any team’s schedule a tad bit easier. Still, they have a tall task of going into the Smith Center at Mt. St. Joe and facing a Gaels team that is upset with their last performance at home against Goretti. They then head to Glenelg Country Friday, a team with plenty of skill and size in the frontcourt. Can the Lakers’ style continue to overwhelm bigger teams? It’s worked so far, but with this week’s slate of conference games, they hold much more importance now.
5. Patterson (10-2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Last week’s games: win vs Dunbar (90-58), win vs Lewis (69-34)
Next three games: vs Poly (1/15), vs Morgan Park (1/19), @ Lake Clifton (1/22)
This will be a defining week in Patterson’s season. They’ve dismantled almost every team that they’ve played and with one of the best starting five’s in the area, they’ll put everything to the test against Poly tonight. No matter the result, they must bounce back quickly mentally as they face Morgan Park in the Charm City vs Windy City event this weekend at St. Frances. Following that game, they’ll travel to Lake Clifton, who boasts a nice record up to this point, in a conference game. It’ll without a doubt be a very fun and telling week for this talented Clippers team.
6. Dulaney (8-1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Last week’s games: win @ Milford Mill (91-36), win vs Parkville (103-45)
Next three games: @ Hereford (1/16), vs Dunbar (1/18), vs Lake Clifton (1/19)
The Lions picked up two solid wins this past week. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a team shoot as well as they did against Parkville, finishing 77 percent from the field and 56 percent from three. Che Evans finished that game with 34 points in a dominant fashion. As we look forward to this week, Dulaney should have no problems with Hereford before they head to Morgan State for the weekend and play two Baltimore City teams. My eyes are still set on Jan. 23 when they take on New Town. The Titans are the only other team in the county that have a chance of matching up with Dulaney, so that game will expose a ton about both teams.
7. New Town (10-1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s games: win @ Pikesville (78-55), win vs Loch Raven (75-45)
Next three games: @ Milford Mill (1/16), @ Patapsco (1/18), @ Dulaney (1/23)
Similar to Dulaney, New Town is simply head and shoulders above every other team in the county, as you can tell with they’re lopsided wins so far this season. They’ll face a Milford Mill team who has struggled mightily this season, followed by a Patapsco team in which they’ll be massive favorite in before heading to Dulaney. My stance on New Town is that they are a very good team with a ton of talent and the ability to go 3-4 deep into their bench. The same goes for the Dulaney/New Town game as it does with Patterson/Poly in that we’ll be able to get a real feel for each team when the game is over.
8. McDonogh (12-4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last week’s games: win @ Gilman (66-61), win vs Calvert Hall (53-50)
Next three games: @ St. Frances (1/16), @ Mt. St. Joe (1/18), vs Loyola (1/23)
The Eagles squeaked out two close wins this past week. You could argue that they should’ve won both by a bigger margin, but considering their youth, you’ll take any win you can. Sophomore guard Dave Brown has officially made a name for himself, scoring 22 points against Gilman and 30 against Calvert Hall. Brown received his first offer from Loyola (MD) recently and if he continues to play at this level, there will be many more schools coming into his recruitment. This week, Brown and McDonogh will face a mountain of a task as they travel to St. Frances Wednesday and Mt. St. Joe Friday. These games will be an opportunity for growth and a chance to measure themselves against the best in the area.
9. Edmonson (8-2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Last week’s games: win @ Carver Vo-Tech (82-41), win vs Forest Park (60-35)
Next three games: vs Coppin Academy (1/15), TBA @ Mayor’s Academy (1/18), TBA @ Mayor’s Academy (1/19)
The Red Storm climb up the rankings by one spot after collecting a couple of wins this past week. They were games against weaker teams, but the fact that is currently sitting atop of the A Division in the city earn them the right to be included on this list. With their solid size, length and athleticism throughout their lineup, they cause problems for anyone they play. This weekend will be telling at the Mayor’s Academy at Morgan State, but Edmonson will face their biggest challenge next Tuesday when they play host to Poly.
10. Glenelg Country (11-5)
Last week’s ranking: Unranked
Last week’s games: win @ Mt. Carmel (64-56)
Next three games: vs Boys’ Latin (1/18), TBA @ Big Apple Hoops Tournament, @ John Carroll (1/23)
The Dragons have been playing well as of late. Their only losses are against quality ranked teams in the DMV. In games where they should win, they do. Friday, they’ll have another big test against Boys’ Latin. The ten-slot in these rankings have changed quite a bit. Glenelg will have an opportunity to stay in the conversation and possibly even move up with a win against Boys’ Latin.