Season Preview: MIAA Red Division

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 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, [player_tooltip player_id="773603" first="Jamal" last="West"] (South Alabama) and [player_tooltip player_id="773605" first="Jordan" last="Toles"] (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 [player_tooltip player_id="836491" first="Khyrie" last="Staten"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="712747" first="Julian" last="Reese"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"], a 6-foot-8 forward who presents guard-like abilities on the perimeter and in the open floor. Others such as 2021 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="904668" first="Elijah" last="Davis"], 2021 guard Byron Ireland, 2021 forward Andre Roye, 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1049644" first="Tevin" last="Curtis"], 2021 guard Lenard Taylor, 2022 wing Cortez Johnson and 2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1089572" first="Daquan" last="Davis"] round out the rotation for what would make another juggernaut that would garner national spotlight. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/DAngelo-Stines.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1027602" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/DAngelo-Stines-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 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 [player_tooltip player_id="773639" first="Jason" last="Edokpayi"] (Fairfield), [player_tooltip player_id="711193" first="Tyler" last="Brelsford"] (George Washington) and [player_tooltip player_id="832936" first="Cam" last="Sapienza"] (Stevenson) to graduation, but still boast an impressive roster with not only high-IQ players, but also tough and rugged competitors. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="954213" first="D’Angelo" last="Stines"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="902023" first="Ausar" last="Crawley"], a proven winner and point guard that Clatchey has coached on the varsity level since he was a freshman. 2021 guard [player_tooltip player_id="766935" first="Jalen" last="White"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="902051" first="Sean" last="Carr"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="1049822" first="Noah" last="Jones"], 2023 wing/forward [player_tooltip player_id="957110" first="Julien" last="Moutome"], 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="957054" first="Ace" last="Valentin"]e, 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="957059" first="Austin" last="Abrams"] 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. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Cam-Whitmore-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1034794" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Cam-Whitmore-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 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 [player_tooltip player_id="837924" first="CJ" last="Scott"] is a swiss army knife who can impact the game in multiple ways when he’s dialed in. 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="904646" first="Tyheil" last="Peterson"] provided the scoring presence in the backcourt along with 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="954640" first="Jordan" last="Pennick"] and 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="904660" first="Josh" last="Rivers"]. 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. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jalen-Bryant.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014621" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jalen-Bryant-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 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 [player_tooltip player_id="837919" first="Tyson" last="Commander"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="712769" first="Jalen" last="Bryant"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="777067" first="Cesar" last="Tchilombo"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="957030" first="Jeannot" last="Basima"] 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 [player_tooltip player_id="902088" first="Jaiden" last="Jakubowski"], 2021 wing Terry Long, 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="904680" first="TJ" last="Vaughn"] and 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904631" first="Joel" last="Turay"] 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. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/khyrie-staten.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1059341" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/khyrie-staten-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> POY Candidates 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="712747" first="Julian" last="Reese"] (St. Frances) 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="836491" first="Khyrie" last="Staten"] (St. Frances) 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="954213" first="D’Angelo" last="Stines"] (Mount St. Joe) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="837927" first="Cameron" last="Whitmore"] (Archbishop Spalding) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="837919" first="Tyson" last="Commander"] (John Carroll) <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Deon-Perry-Kevin-Kalu.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1080455" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Deon-Perry-Kevin-Kalu-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Potential Breakout Prospects 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="766935" first="Jalen" last="White"] (Mount St. Joe) 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="837931" first="Kevin" last="Kalu"] (Mt. Carmel) 2021 Antonio Foxwell (Calvert Hall) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"] (Mt. Carmel) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904622" first="Tobi" last="Nnadozie"] (Mt. Carmel) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="837924" first="CJ" last="Scott"] (Archbishop Spalding) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="954640" first="Jordan" last="Pennick"] (Archbishop Spalding) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904646" first="Tyheil" last="Peterson"] (Archbishop Spalding) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="904648" first="Gavin" last="Walsh"] (Loyola Blakefield) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] (St. Frances) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957020" first="Mike" last="Williams"] (Calvert Hall) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957054" first="Ace" last="Valentin"]e (Mount St. Joe) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957030" first="Jeannot" last="Basima"] (John Carroll) 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"] (St. Frances) 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1089572" first="Daquan" last="Davis"] (St. Frances) 2024 RJ Newton (Archbishop Spalding) 2024 Bryson Tucker (Mount St. Joe)