Must-See Baltimore Juniors in 2017-18: Part 1
In our “must-see” series, we continue on to the rising junior for the upcoming season. We have already covered the talented rising senior class in two separate parts. You can see part one here and part two here.
James Bishop | Mt. St. Joseph | 2019
Bishop is one of the special scorers in the state of Maryland disregarding class-by-class breakdowns. The lefty has an extremely quick first step and and smooth shooting stroke whether it’s off the catch or off the dribble. The 6’2 guard uses the threat of being an elite scorer to his advantage in order to set up teammates as well. Bishop does a good job of reading weakside rotations and utilizing skip passes to open teammates for shots. With Darryl Morsell preparing to suit up for the Maryland Terrapins as a freshman, much of the guard production will be put on Bishop’s shoulders. Luckily for him, he has Jalen Smith, another Terp commit, to help demand a ton of attention. Bishop holds offers from Temple, Kansas State, VCU and Tulsa.
https://twitter.com/RealJB10/status/861048687316881409
Will Thomas | Mt. Carmel | 2019
Thomas is one of the most interesting prospects in this class because of his size and versatility. At 6’6, he has the measurements and tools to impact the game in many ways on both ends. Thomas’ athleticism allows him to guard multiple positions defensively as well as play on or off the ball on offense. He shines brightest when he crashes the glass and pushes the ball himself in transition. Thomas has good vision and instincts to make every fastbreak opportunity count. He plays with good energy and communicates well on both ends. Thomas holds offers from Quinnipiac and Towson.
https://twitter.com/Wthomas___/status/850433908407771139
Logan Curtis | Calvert Hall | 2019
Curtis is one of the must-see players in this class simply because of how hard he plays. It’s evident that he takes a tremendous amount of pride on the defensive side of the floor. He’s a pest when his man has the ball and is aware of all the weakside rotations to make when he’s multiple passes away. On offense Curtis is an efficient shooter from outside. He is especially strong at filling the lanes in transition for a spot-up three. The 6’3 guard is a three or rim type of player and has nice size to help absorb contact.
Rajeir Jones | St. Frances Academy | 2019
Jones is a solid all-around player on both ends. He can give you a little bit of everything offensively whether it’s being the ball-handler on the fastbreak and finding the open man, knocking down catch-and-shoot three’s, crashing the glass or being on the receiving end of a lob. The 6’3 combo guard has great athleticism and explosion helps jump passes in defensively to spark transition opportunities. Jones will be one of the many great backcourt options for the Panthers this season. His ability and experience will give him the starting nod next to young phenom point guard Ace Baldwin (2020). Jones currently holds an offer from Norfolk State.
https://twitter.com/AyalewAdam/status/848595926348333059
Jason Murphy | St. Frances Academy |2019
The class of 2019 is a very talented group of frontcourt players. Jason Murphy is included in that category. The 6’8 forward has what would be considered an old-school game for a forward in that he operates well with his back to the basket on the block. Murphy is also a dependable option in pick-and-pop situations especially in the high post area. He has a high basketball IQ that helps him feel the double team in the post and find the open shooter on the perimeter. Defensively, Murphy utilizes his length to be a shot-blocking presence. Even if he doesn’t block the shot, his presence in the paint forces opposing players to always be aware of where he is. Murphy holds one offer from Old Dominion, but is courting plenty of interest from other schools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4Qu_-9HSw