2022 Player Ranking: Baltimore Prospects Outside of the Top 50
As we continue on this journey into uncharted territory without basketball, we continue the coverage here at Prep Hoops Maryland with the recent release of our player rankings. The 2022 class is loaded with talent and has potential to include…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs we continue on this journey into uncharted territory without basketball, we continue the coverage here at Prep Hoops Maryland with the recent release of our player rankings. The 2022 class is loaded with talent and has potential to include future nationally familiar names. For this series, I’ll focus on the Baltimore prospects included in our rankings. This article will feature the prospects who are outside of the top 50. We currently rank 100 total prospects in the 2022 class. The majority, if not all of these players will see and increase in role and production as juniors next season.
Jordan Pennick Jordan Pennick 6'1" | CG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD | 6’0 | Archbishop Spalding
Current ranking: 51
Pennick was another underclassmen on a young Spalding team that made a good impression with his determination as a scorer and versatility on both ends from the guard position. The 6-foot combo guard, who is also a standout wide receiver, is no stranger to contact when attacking the basket and also has a quick first step to free himself up for mid-range jumpers. Pennick has good feel as a passer on his drives and locates open teammates around the perimeter or those sneaking behind the back line of the defense. As a defender Pennick moves well laterally and given his strength to pair with his speed, can be a competent defender from the point guard or wing positions against smaller lineups.
Noah Jones | 6’7 | Mount St. Joseph
Current ranking: 54
Jones fits the bill as a prospect who will grow into his potential throughout the next calendar year. At 6-foot-7 with a smooth left-handed release, Jones is capable of making shots from mid-range and beyond the arc. He saw limited opportunities on a good Mount St. Joe team this past season, but his shaky confidence had much to do with that. Jones is an underrated athlete who can impact games as a rebounder and has good size and length to disrupt actions as a defender. Jones’ older brother Charlie was considered a late-bloomer before earning an offer and playing is collegiate career at American. Noah presents more size and skills of today’s prototypical wing.
John Thomas John Thomas 6'3" | SF Patterson | 2022 State MD | 6’3 | Patterson
Current ranking: 55
Thomas is a prospect that I predict will see a nice boost in our future rankings. The 6-foot-3 guard took on a ton of responsiblity offensively for a young Patterson team as a sophomore. Although they experienced their fair share of losses, Thomas gained key confidence and further expounded upon his ability to score from all three levels. He was also counted on as a rebounding presence, which he lived up to and produced at a solid clip.
Samuel Ejindu Samuel Ejindu 6'1" | CG Glenelg Country | 2022 State MD | 6’1 | Glenelg Country
Current ranking: 56
Ejindu earned respectable playing time on a senior-laden team because of his scoring ability. At 6-foot-1, he’s has a quick trigger at this point in his journey prefers to operate in isolation situations. A very shifty guard with an array of moves, Ejindu can get enough space from his defender in said scenarios to get shots off from mid-range. He’ll succeed, but also needs to grow as a decision maker. Glenelg Country will sport a different roster from last season. It’ll be interesting to see how Ejindu fits into the fold.
Andrew Rheubottom Andrew Rheubottom 6'2" | SF Milford Mill | 2022 MD | 6’2 | Milford Mill
Current ranking: 63
Rheubottom is a swiss army knife type of player for Milford Mill. As a middle school prospect he was often featured in the frontcourt given his size at a young age. In his second year of high school, Rheubottom continues to get more comfortable with the ball in his hands as a play maker. An improved shot maker from mid-range, Rhuebottom still can unlock his mindset an be an efficient finisher around the basket and a tremendous rebounder. As he adds to skill set, his versatility will shine and college programs will take note.
Elijah Davis Elijah Davis 6'0" | PG St. Frances | 2022 MD | 6’0 | St. Frances
Current ranking: 66
Davis emerged as a dependable option off the bench for a nationally ranked St. Frances team. The 6-foot- guard won the coaching staff’s trust over with his tenacity on defense. Davis was willing to pressure the ball every second he was on the floor and could do so effectively. On offense, his responsibility was to get the team into their offense. He’d occasionally attack the basket, but approached such situations with a pass-first mentality. Davis played within his skill set and it’s a big reason why his playing time increased as the season went on. As years progress, I look for him to become a more dependable jump shooter to force the defense to account for his presence off the ball.
Gavin Walsh Gavin Walsh 6'7" | PF Loyola Blakefield | 2022 State MD | 6’7 | Loyola Blakefield
Current ranking: 78
Walsh started for Loyola this season at the center position where he supplied them with a dependable finisher in the painted area to play alongside Mitchell Fischer Mitchell Fischer 6'7" | PF Loyola Blakefield | 2020 State MD in the frontcourt. Walsh has solid size and underrated athleticism to help make an impact on the glass. He can step out to 17 feet and hit shots, but those situations didn’t present themselves much within the offense considering that’s Fischer’s bread and butter. Going forward, Walsh will need to be more aggressive. A boost in his role should supply him with the confidence to be more aggressive. He has the skill set and potential to be an intriguing prospect by the time he’s a senior.
Jalen Marshall Jalen Marshall 6'0" | PG Gilman | 2022 State MD | 6’0 | Gilman
Current ranking: 89
I predict Marshall will be one of the biggest stock boosters in the next release of these rankings. The 6-foot guard is a fearless competitor on both ends who was a staple for a Gilman team that won the Black Division of the MIAA A Conference. Marshall is quick with the ball in both half court and transition scenarios, finishing lay ups around the rim while embracing contact. His jumper steadily improved as the season progressed and his feel for the game is growing with opportunity. He and backcourt mate Christian Winborne Christian Winborne 6'2" | CG Gilman | 2022 State #199 Nation MD complement each other extremely well considering they’re both tough-nosed guards. Marshall spent the majority of games guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. His quick feet and active hands made him productive on that end.
TJ Vaughn TJ Vaughn 5'10" | PG John Carroll | 2022 State MD | 5’10 | John Carroll
Current ranking: 95
Vaughn played a crucial role in John Carroll’s turnaround season as the one who set the table from the point guard slot. John Carroll has a number of options who could be considered combo guards, but Vaughn is the one who truly has a pass-first mentality. When the opportunity presents, Vaughn is a viable finisher around the rim. The 5-foot-10 lefty can also hit shots from the perimeter off the catch on occasion. Defensively he can guard the ball the full length of the floor and is effective at baiting the ball handler into offensive fouls.
Sammy Scott Sammy Scott 5'7" | PG Milford Mill | 2022 State MD | 5’8 | Milford Mill
Current ranking: 96
At 5-foot-8 it’s easy to assume that Scott would be a liability, but he uses his size to his advantage and keeps a low center of gravity. He’s also packed with toughness and never backs away from physical play. Scott often times gets in to the heart of the defense with his drives where he showcased soft touch on floaters and good anticipation of finding open teammates. While he can still improve his lateral quickness, Scott can make life for a ball handler difficult with active hands.