Random Surprises of the 2018-19 Season Thus Far
As we approach the end of the regular season schedule for the majority of the teams in Baltimore, it’s easy to get lost in all of the games with playoff indications. I wanted to take some time to focus on…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs we approach the end of the regular season schedule for the majority of the teams in Baltimore, it’s easy to get lost in all of the games with playoff indications. I wanted to take some time to focus on a handful of things that have occurred thus far that not a lot of people could have predicted.
Cam Spencer’s emergence for Baltimore Player of the Year
Coming into this season, the vibe that was surrounding Boys’ Latin is that they’d be a tough, senior-heavy squad that gained crucial experience from last year’s MIAA A Conference championship appearance. With that being said, they lost a few key pieces to graduation that wouldn’t only impact their production in their starting lineup, but also cause some issues with their bench production. Well, as the Lakers stand 23-3 overall, it’s safe to say that those worries were meaningless. Multiple players have stepped up and are to be credited for their success, but the one who makes everything go is Cam Spencer. Last season, Spencer made a name for himself with some big performances as a shooter, but no one realized the play maker he could be off the dribble until this year. He isn’t only putting up 20+ points on a regular basis, but he’s also dishing out assists, making an impact on the glass and tallying steals. He is undoubtedly the area’s biggest stock riser and Loyola (MD) will reap those benefits when he throws on a Hounds jersey next season. For now, we sit back and see whether or not he can keep his team atop the standings and get revenge on last year’s championship loss.
Andrew Mills’ breakout
I can pretty much guarantee that Andrew Mills was on nobody’s radar coming into this season. At 6-foot-5, he has nice size, but hadn’t put together consistent performances during his sophomore season or just spring and summer to earn significant attention. Fast forward to today and it has all changed. Mills has been a firecracker for the 14-1 New Town Titans and has logged multiple games with five or more three’s. His latest outburst came in their most important game of the season at Dulaney where Mills finished with 33 points that included seven triples. With his size, frame, athleticism and shooting ability, low-major Division I programs are now starting to take notice. If he can sustain this level of play, it should only be a matter of time before he receives a scholarship offer.
Parkville’s success
When you look at the Baltimore County landscape, New Town is on its own tier. On the tier following that, sits Dulaney. The last tier is pretty much all of the other teams, but of those teams, Parkville has risen as one of the top at 13-3 overall. The Knights got destroyed by Dulaney earlier this season, but also were missing a few players in the game for a multitude of reasons. Since then, they’ve went on a winning streak by defeating a number of respectable teams that are also in Baltimore County. John Godinez has been the spark plug to all of this. The 5-foot-10 transfer from Pikesville has brought a winning attitude and excitement to the floor for head coach Josh Czerski. Godinez has his multiple game-winning shots including against his old school in Pikesville and most recently against Aberdeen. Often times, people tend to focus on the highly-talented teams throughout the season and rightfully so. But for this section, I wanted to shed light on Parkville as a team and John Godinez as a budding prospect in the area.
Unbalance of the public school divisions
In Baltimore County and Baltimore City, it was easy to pick out the one or two teams that stood above the rest of the pack, but the total unbalance of the division selections has been alarming. It isn’t good for either league. More so in Baltimore County for the fact that the championship game will be New Town against Landsdowne, Chesapeake or Perry Hall. It’s safe to say that in any case, New Town will be hoisting the trophy with relative ease. In the city, it’s not as unbalanced considering the talent that Edmonson has, but Poly and Patterson being in the same division cheats the fans out of enjoying another thrilling game like they had earlier this season that took overtime to declare a winner. Although New Town handled Dulaney with what seemed like relative ease, I think I speak for the fans when I say we all want to see Dulaney redeem themselves in a county title rematch. Unfortunately, that won’t happen because of the way the divisions are split. And that’s a shame.