Season Preview: MIAA Red Division
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We’re almost to 2021 and there’s still no concrete answer on whether or not there will be a high school season in Baltimore. A handful of meetings have taken place with plenty of target dates discussed, but the fact of…
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Continue ReadingWe’re almost to 2021 and there’s still no concrete answer on whether or not there will be a high school season in Baltimore. A handful of meetings have taken place with plenty of target dates discussed, but the fact of the matter is no one knows how quickly students will be able to return to school for in-person learning and that will be a determining factor for officially getting started.
Still, we want to preview the different leagues as if there will be a season within the next few months. We’ll move to the MIAA A Conference Red Division after previewing the Black Division yesterday.
Headlines
Can St. Frances repeat?
St. Frances had one of the most dominant seasons we’ve seen in the last 25 years. Led by Ace Baldwin (VCU), arguably the best point guard to hail from Baltimore, the Panthers boasted a 34-3 overall record and were considered a top 15 team nationally among most publications. The loss of Baldwin, Jamal West Jamal West 6'5" | PF St. Frances Academy | 2020 State #334 Nation MD (South Alabama) and Jordan Toles Jordan Toles 6'3" | SG St. Frances Academy | 2020 State #402 Nation MD (LSU) is impossible to replace and while they aren’t as talented of a team on paper, head coach Nick Myles and staff did an excellent job piecing together a roster that fits each other’s playing styles seamlessly.
2021 guard Khyrie Staten Khyrie Staten 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD used his junior campaign to become a household name in the Baltimore high school hoops scene. The 6-foot-2 guard, now committed to Delaware State, is the ultimate competitor who can put up impressive numbers in several categories of the box score. 2021 forward and future Maryland Terp Julian Reese Julian Reese 6'8" | C St. Frances | 2021 State #109 Nation MD looks to be the best shot-blocker not only in Baltimore, but the entire MD/DC area after adding muscle and athleticism over the summer. 2023 Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD exploded this summer with Team Durant and became a high major prospect thanks to his playmaking and elite outside shooting presence. It’d be hard to find 15 better freshmen in the country who are better than Derik Queen Derik Queen 6'9" | PF Montverde Academy | 2024 State #18 Nation FL , a 6-foot-8 forward who presents guard-like abilities on the perimeter and in the open floor. Others such as 2021 point guard Elijah Davis Elijah Davis 6'0" | PG St. Frances | 2022 MD , 2021 guard Byron Ireland, 2021 forward Andre Roye, 2021 guard Tevin Curtis Tevin Curtis 5'9" | PG St. Frances | 2021 State MD , 2021 guard Lenard Taylor, 2022 wing Cortez Johnson and 2024 guard Daquan Davis Daquan Davis 6'1" | PG Overtime Elite (GA) | 2024 #119 Nation GA round out the rotation for what would make another juggernaut that would garner national spotlight.
Mount St. Joe remains the biggest threat
I’m a proponent of giving head coach Pat Clatchey any make up of a roster and he’ll find a way to compete with the best teams in the league. He was equipped with talented, high-IQ players in 2019-20 and used a chess-like strategy to defeat St. Frances in the MIAA A Conference title game. The Gaels lose Jason Edokpayi Jason Edokpayi 6'7" | PF Mount Saint Joseph | 2020 State MD (Fairfield), Tyler Brelsford Tyler Brelsford 6'4" | CG Mount Saint Joseph | 2020 State MD (George Washington) and Cam Sapienza Cam Sapienza 5'10" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2020 State MD (Stevenson) to graduation, but still boast an impressive roster with not only high-IQ players, but also tough and rugged competitors.
2021 guard D’Angelo Stines D’Angelo Stines 6'2" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD blossomed into one of the best two-way guards last season. The Old Dominion commit is primed for a huge senior season as the go-to option for the Gaels when games are close in the final minutes. The offense will be under the control of 2021 Ausar Crawley Ausar Crawley 5'8" | PG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 MD , a proven winner and point guard that Clatchey has coached on the varsity level since he was a freshman. 2021 guard Jalen White Jalen White 6'2" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD transferred in for his senior season after being a standout in Anne Arundel County at Old Mill High School. White is a 6-foot-3 guard with a good feel for the game as a scorer and passer while also being a versatile defender. 2021 forward Sean Carr Sean Carr 6'6" | PF Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD would man the paint and add the toughness needed inside when facing bigger teams. Others such as 2022 forward Aiden Mess (Reservoir transfer), 2022 forward Noah Jones Noah Jones 6'6" | PF Mount St. Joseph | 2022 MD , 2023 wing/forward Julien Moutome Julien Moutome 6'3" | SG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 MD , 2023 guard Ace Valentine, 2023 guard Austin Abrams Austin Abrams 6'3" | SG Mount St. Joseph | 2023 State MD and 2023 guard Sean Clark should all have a role in the rotation that would make Mount St. Joe another nightmare opponent on a nightly basis.
Archishop Spalding is the shiny new toy
The Cavaliers’ youth started piecing together at the right time last season and helped them upset the No. 1 Gilman (Black Division) in the opening round of the playoffs. 2022 wing/forward Cam Whitmore emerged as a top player in the DMV with his elite athleticism and versatility at 6-foot-7. 2022 wing CJ Scott CJ Scott 6'4" | SF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 MD is a swiss army knife who can impact the game in multiple ways when he’s dialed in. 2022 guard Tyheil Peterson Tyheil Peterson 5'10" | PG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD provided the scoring presence in the backcourt along with 2022 guard Jordan Pennick Jordan Pennick 6'1" | CG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD and 2022 guard Josh Rivers Josh Rivers 6'4" | SF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD . Pennick looks to use his productive summer with Team Choo as a springboard for noteworthy junior campaign. I have yet to see freshman RJ Newton in live action, but have heard good things and would expect for him to have a share of opportunities.
Spalding has the depth and talent to be the dark horse coming into the 2020-21 season, but they remain unproven and the fact that they’ll need to battle with the likes of St. Frances and Mount St. Joe to win the division is quite a task.
John Carroll shouldn’t be taken lightly
The Patriots had one of the best turnarounds in success from 2018-19 to 2019-2020. They return a bulk of their rotation that makes up the majority of their production. 2022 Tyson Commander Tyson Commander 6'4" | SG The John Carroll School | 2022 State #203 Nation MD is one of the most natural scorers you’ll find in MD/DC. The southpaw is equipped with extended range on his shot and improved athleticism that makes him a threat around finishing around the rim. 2021 point guard Jalen Bryant Jalen Bryant 5'11" | PG John Carroll | 2021 State MD is one of those players who makes winning plays on both ends. Not only can he knock down three’s with regularity, but he can also create open shots, is the first player on the floor for 50/50’s and is elite at baiting his matchup into offensive fouls. 2022 forward Cesar Tchilombo Cesar Tchilombo 6'8" | C John Carroll | 2022 MD got off to a dominant start last season blocking shots, but tailed off as the season progressed. If he can be a constant disruptor in the paint defensively while finishing his looks inside at an efficient rate, he’ll force defenses to cover every area of the floor. 2023 Jeannot Basima Jeannot Basima 6'3" | CG John Carroll | 2023 State #200 Nation MD looks to capitalize off his productive summer with Global Squad and catching eyes at various elite camps. The 6-foot-4 guard can take advantage of driving lanes and continues to get more comfortable with the American game.
2021 guard Jaiden Jakubowski Jaiden Jakubowski 6'0" | CG John Carroll | 2021 MD , 2021 wing Terry Long, 2022 guard TJ Vaughn TJ Vaughn 5'10" | PG John Carroll | 2022 State MD and 2022 Joel Turay Joel Turay 6'7" | C John Carroll | 2022 State MD round out the rotation for John Carroll. If this team is hitting their shots from deep, they can hang with anyone that’s in front of them.
POY Candidates
2021 Julian Reese Julian Reese 6'8" | C St. Frances | 2021 State #109 Nation MD (St. Frances)
2021 Khyrie Staten Khyrie Staten 6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2021 State MD (St. Frances)
2021 D’Angelo Stines D’Angelo Stines 6'2" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD (Mount St. Joe)
2022 Cameron Whitmore Cameron Whitmore 6'7" | PF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State #30 Nation MD (Archbishop Spalding)
2022 Tyson Commander Tyson Commander 6'4" | SG The John Carroll School | 2022 State #203 Nation MD (John Carroll)
Potential Breakout Prospects
2021 Jalen White Jalen White 6'2" | CG Mount St. Joseph | 2021 State MD (Mount St. Joe)
2021 Kevin Kalu Kevin Kalu 6'10" | C Mt. Carmel | 2021 State MD (Mt. Carmel)
2021 Antonio Foxwell (Calvert Hall)
2022 Deon Perry Deon Perry 5'8" | PG Mt. Carmel | 2022 State MD (Mt. Carmel)
2022 Tobi Nnadozie Tobi Nnadozie 6'4" | SF Mt. Carmel | 2021 MD (Mt. Carmel)
2022 CJ Scott CJ Scott 6'4" | SF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 MD (Archbishop Spalding)
2022 Jordan Pennick Jordan Pennick 6'1" | CG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD (Archbishop Spalding)
2022 Tyheil Peterson Tyheil Peterson 5'10" | PG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD (Archbishop Spalding)
2022 Gavin Walsh Gavin Walsh 6'7" | PF Loyola Blakefield | 2022 State MD (Loyola Blakefield)
2023 Jahnathan Lamothe Jahnathan Lamothe 6'3" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #204 Nation MD (St. Frances)
2023 Mike Williams Mike Williams 6'3" | CG Bishop Walsh | 2023 State #141 Nation MD (Calvert Hall)
2023 Ace Valentine (Mount St. Joe)
2023 Jeannot Basima Jeannot Basima 6'3" | CG John Carroll | 2023 State #200 Nation MD (John Carroll)
2024 Derik Queen Derik Queen 6'9" | PF Montverde Academy | 2024 State #18 Nation FL (St. Frances)
2024 Daquan Davis Daquan Davis 6'1" | PG Overtime Elite (GA) | 2024 #119 Nation GA (St. Frances)
2024 RJ Newton (Archbishop Spalding)
2024 Bryson Tucker (Mount St. Joe)