Freshman to Watch: Darrius Tilghman (2021)
The 2017-18 high school basketball scene in the city of Baltimore will be an exciting time of year. Not only is there top-tier talent that are rising seniors, but the underclassmen including the incoming freshman will guarantee high-level basketball for years to come.
One of those incoming freshman that will have a chance to make an impact right away is Calvert Hall’s Darrius Tilghman. Tilghman is a 6’3 left-handed point guard that has a great feel for the game at his age.
Even though he just graduated from middle school, Tilghman is playing on Team Thrill’s 15U team this summer after dominating in his middle school league in Baltimore City. Tilghman told PrepHoops that playing for Team Thrill was a challenge. He was used to playing at lower competition with his middle school and rec teams, but credits head coach “Mookie” Dobbins in doing an outstanding job with helping him develop his skills to be an effective player even at a higher age group.
“The strongest aspect of my game is getting past my defender and creating open shots for my teammates,” Tilghman said. In seeing Tilghman this summer as he playing with Calvert Hall in the St. Paul’s Summer League, it’s evident that his quick first step is difficult for defenders to stay in front of. He utilizes a long jab step to get his defenders on their heels then attacks their back foot to create a driving lane for himself.
For an incoming freshman, Tilghman has a calming smoothness to his game. With a good mixture of athleticism, it makes him a solid finisher around the basket. While he has the ability to knock down jumpshots off the dribble, becoming more consistent in that area will be something he focuses on this summer.
The first priority that Tilghman continues to focus most on this summer is his pace. Jumping from junior varsity to varsity is a big change in itself, so coming from middle school can be quite a shock. Tilghman catches himself trying to make the “home run” play too often. Once he gets with the Calvert Hall coaching staff on a consistent basis, he’ll realize that if he were to make the simple pass to a different teammate, they’ll be able to get the ball to the initial man for the bucket. Again, Tilghman has the right thought when he makes the play, but isn’t yet used to the passing windows closing so quickly like they do at the varsity level.
After speaking with Tilghman, he is well aware that this is one of the blemishes in his game. For a player to know what he needs to work on his half the battle.
Another priority on his list of improvements for the summer is defense. Things such as rotations and the simplicity of facing dynamic scorers that Tilghman will see in the MIAA A Conference will be quite the challenge, but he’s looking forward to learning from mistakes he makes in order to grow quickly as a player.
Tilghman will join a very talented backcourt at Calvert Hall with the likes of Brendan Adams, Josh Cornish, and Logan Curtis. Each one have already made an impact on the incoming freshman. “For me when I make mistakes since I’m new to this team I get very frustrated, but every time they just remind me to think about the next play,” Tilghman told PrepHoops. “They’ve also given me a lot of tips in practice with my shooting and defensive things that have been very helpful.”
Even with a deep backcourt, Tilghman should find his way into the lineup this season for the Cardinals. He’ll have to prove himself and to the coaching staff, but that shouldn’t be an issue considering he is regarded as one of the top eighth graders entering high school in the region.
Congrats to #2 – Darrius Tilghman and #13 – Adam Walden for making the list! #HALLin #NUCards pic.twitter.com/jRLb0oJLCM
— CHCBasketball (@CHC_Basketball) June 24, 2017
In terms of his recruitment, Tilghman said that Kansas State showed interest in him recently, and while more have done the same, his coaches have kept them under wraps so that Tilghman can just go play freely.
He’ll definitely be one to watch in the Baltimore area for the next four years as he blossoms into potentially a top-ranked player in the country.