Top 10 C’s in Baltimore for 2019-20
No position has been impacted more over the past decade than the center position. The days of watching bigs limit themselves to operating solely on the block or short corner are long gone. Now, even players 7-foot and over are…
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Continue ReadingNo position has been impacted more over the past decade than the center position. The days of watching bigs limit themselves to operating solely on the block or short corner are long gone. Now, even players 7-foot and over are expected to step out to 15+ feet and be a competent jump shooter. It’s a position that is becoming more perimeter oriented by the day. Still, the obvious advantage these players have over others is their height, so enforcing their will close to the basket is never going to completely die. For this article. I’ll dive into the top centers you can find in Baltimore.
For the top 10 point guards, click here.
For the top 10 shooting guards, click here.
For the top 10 small forwards, click here.
For the top 10 power forwards, click here.
1. Javonte Brown | 6’11 | ’20 Mount St. Joe/Canada Elite
Brown blew up this spring and summer by attracting a slew of offers from power 5 conference teams. He ended what was an up and down junior season with the Gaels on a high note as he seemed to get comfortable with the U.S. style of play. Brown’s elite length helps him finish over the rim pretty much whenever he’s in the restricted area. The rest of his offensive game is still a work in progress, but he has shown ability to make over the shoulder hook shots from the block and even the occasional jump shot from the high post. Defensively is where he asserts his dominance with his shot-blocking prowess and controlling the glass. I expect to see a much more confident and improved Brown as the Gaels gear up for the 2019-20 season.
2. Julian Reese | 6’9 | ’21 St. Frances/Team Thrill
Reese broke the news that he would transfer to St. Frances this summer which gives them needed size and versatility at the five. The 6-foot-9 southpaw has shown flashes of being a decent three-point threat and can put the ball on the floor a few times in traffic to make plays for himself or others. Reese stands with how persistent he is crashing the offensive glass. He often times will get clean up buckets and put backs from doing so. Defensively Reese is a great rim protector and does a nice job of grabbing rebounds at their peak.
3. Elijah Rantin | 6’9 | ’20 Mervo/Team Thrill
Rantin continues to show steady progression in his overall game since transferring to Mervo last summer. The 6-foot-9 center has improved foot work, timing and overall feel for the game. This season, he’ll be equipped with guards and wings who are effective play makers. Due to injuries to players last season, Rantin got thrown into the fire and was depended on heavily to produce offensively. He adjusted nicely and became a strong rim finisher as well as a shot blocker on the defensive end. There’s a strong possibility that Rantin will do a post-grad prep year after 2019-20, which will boost his stock with recruitment.
4. Cesar Tchilombo | 6’9 | ’22 John Carroll/Global Squad
Tchilombo is a prospect that I expect to take a big step in overall development after a strong freshman campaign. Where he asserted himself the most was his ability to block or alter shots in the paint. He was the only player on the Patriots’ roster with legitimate size for the five, so much of that workload was placed on his shoulders. Tchilombo improved his rebounding as the season progressed and he adjusted to the physical style of the American game. He finishes aggressively around the rim playing off guard penetration. He’ll continue to expand his offensive game. I expect his offensive to be steady throughout 2019-20. Tchilombo is a threat to climb up a list like this quite quickly.
5. Detwan Montague | 6’8 | ’21 Milford Mill/Team Thrill
Montague should see a major uptick in production after deciding to transfer to Milford Mill. He’ll now be one of the premier players at his position in the county and will get plenty of touches on the block. One given with Montague is his tremendous motor with which he uses to run the floor on both ends, collect rebounds and do little things that necessarily won’t shot up on the stat sheet. Montague’s playing style fits the mold of the old school big man that plays best on the block. Although we’ve seen those players get phased out some in the past few years, he should see success in Baltimore County play.
6. Dani Dennis-Sutton | 6’6 | ’22 McDonogh/Team Melo
Dennis-Sutton may not have the height listed that you want in a five, but he has overwhelming strength to go with a consistent motor and athleticism that helps make up for his shortcomings. There’s a good chance we see him playing football on Sunday’s in the future, which helps his case as a defender in the paint. If he gets his hands on a rebound, chances are you aren’t going to rip it out. While his offensive game is still a work in progress, he has ability to finish around the rim with nice touch and shoots a decent rate from the free-throw line.
7. Adam Walden | 6’10 | ’22 Poly/Team Melo
It’ll be interesting to see Walden fit in with a loaded Poly team after transferring from St. Frances. Walden split time on junior varsity and varsity as a freshman. His time on the floor against good competition gave reason to be plenty optimistic. He has transformed his body since summer started and seems much more energetic and athletic overall. Walden is consistently finishing over the rim, being a presence on the glass and altering shots in the paint. An underrated part of his game is his ability to pass out of the post, which comes with high IQ for the game.
8. Kevin Kalu | 6’9 | ’21 City/Team Melo
Kalu is a transfer from Parkville where he experienced a solid sophomore season. He has great length and athleticism for his size. Where he has improved over the past two seasons is his overall feel for the game, which really has to do with growing into his body and becoming more coordinated. Kalu finished strong above the rim when there’s space and will hit the occasional 12-to-15 foot jump shot. When he’s involved offensively Kalu can be special when it comes to running the floor, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. If he could sustain that energy throughout, he’d see a boost in production and his recruitment.
9. Roman Hinds | 6’9 | ’20 Gilman/Maryland 3D
Hinds possesses great size and length at the five. For Gilman, he’s leaned on heavily to be a shot blocking presence defensively as well as a dominant rebounder. He’s made progressions in both of those areas while also developing a better feel for the game offensively. Hinds works extremely hard and shows willingness to be coached. With continued development in his offensive game, he could be a solid prospect at the next level.
10. Alex Miller | 6’8 | ’21 Calvert Hall
I haven’t seen a ton of Miller in action since he transferred to Calvert Hall, but he’s shown some potential to be a solid prospect. He has size at 6-foot-8, shows willingness to run the floor and ability to shoot from 10-to-15 feet effectively. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to the high level of play that comes with the MIAA A Conference.