Five Intriguing Prospects: Poly vs City (Class 3A North Regional Championship)
There’s nothing better than postseason basketball in Baltimore, but to amp things up even more, when rivals meet in a championship game it brings out the best in everyone. The players, the coaches and the fans. In a packed gymnasium…
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Continue ReadingThere’s nothing better than postseason basketball in Baltimore, but to amp things up even more, when rivals meet in a championship game it brings out the best in everyone. The players, the coaches and the fans. In a packed gymnasium at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, the Engineers hosted their rival City Knights for the Class 3A North Regional Championship and a spot in the Elite 8.
It was a tale of two halves. Both teams were tied at 37 going into halftime, but shortly after the third quarter began Poly went on a type run that you rarely see occur. From the third quarter until the end of the game, Poly outscored City 55-23 to win by a final score of 92-60.
Poly waits to see who they draw in the Elite 8, but no matter what they will host the game given that they are the no. 2 seed.
Here are five intriguing prospects from the game:
Justin Lewis Justin Lewis 6'8" | PF Baltimore Poly | 2020 State #49 Nation MD | Poly ’20
Lewis had one of his more dominant performances of his senior campaign. The Marquette commit was the consistent scoring presence that helped carry Poly through a tough first half. Lewis was scoring it pretty much any way imaginable whether it was isolation situations on the perimeter, catch-and-shoot three’s, mid-range jumpers, operating on the block with his back to the basket, feasting on the offensive glass and scoring in transition. He finished with a game-high 34 points and reminded everyone in attendance why he is considered as one of the top players in the DMV. Lewis was also a dominant presence on the glass as well as being a shot-blocker.
Bryce Lindsay Bryce Lindsay 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2022 State MD | Poly ’22
Every year you see a player who has a big time performance in a big time game and uses it to catapult the remainder of his high school career. I think that’s what we saw with 2022 guard Bryce Lindsay Bryce Lindsay 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2022 State MD last night. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is known for his elite shooting ability and showcased it at a high level. 15 of his 18 points came from beyond the arc and two of those three’s came in back-to-back fashion in the third quarter as Poly made their run. Lindsay showed growth in other parts of his game as well. He was more confident putting the ball on the floor and creating for others as well as being a menace guarding the ball defensively. Keep a close eye on how this performance impacts Lindsay’s play moving forward.
Dominick Carrington Dominick Carrington 5'10" | PG City | 2020 State MD | City ’20
Another sniper was doing what he does best last night in 2020 guard Dominick Carrington Dominick Carrington 5'10" | PG City | 2020 State MD . The 5-foot-9 guard has put up crooked scoring numbers this year because of his ability to knock down shots with range. He was a major factor in the first half as three of his four three’s came during that time period. The available senior led City with 16 points and was accurate shooting both off the bounce and off the catch.
Brandon Murray Brandon Murray 6'5" | SG IMG Academy | 2021 #220 Nation FL | Poly ’20
Murray packed the gym with high-level college coaches. Arguably one of the biggest stock boosters in the country throughout the past two months, Murray had Georgetown, DePaul, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Rhode Island, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and LaSalle all to watch his performance. It took a bit for Murray to get going, but the major positive that all coaches see with him is the fact he doesn’t allow his offense to impact any other part of his game. Just because he wasn’t scoring early, Murray was still a force on the glass and blocking shots at the rim in transition. Once the second half started, Murray started cashing in on his looks and continued pounding the offensive rebounds. He finished with an efficient 20-point outing and following the game, Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing extended an offer to the 6-foot-5 guard.
Clarence Obiajulu Clarence Obiajulu 6'7" | C National Christian | 2021 State MD | City ’21
Obiajulu is a prospect that I’m high on because of his brute strength and size at 6-foot-6. He may not look like it initially, but he also has explosive athleticism that allows him to play well above the rim. Obiajulu had the daunting task of taking on Lewis and the other size that comes with playing Poly and for the most part, did well. He had a few strong dunks, a strong and-one finish following a nice drop step operating on the block and converted at the free-throw line. He was a physical presence for City in the paint and was effective in grabbing rebounds at their peak, quickly finding a guard and sprinting down the floor.