Updated 2021 Rankings: Baltimore Point Guards

Earlier this week, we released our updated 2021 MD/DC Player Rankings. As usual, the flow of content follows with different breakdowns of the updated list. I’ll be focusing on the Baltimore prospects and break down each position starting with the point guards. [player_tooltip player_id="902001" first="Ryan" last="Conway"] | 6’1 | Dulaney Overall ranking: No. 8 Positional ranking: No. 2 Conway has proven to be one of the most gifted scorers to play in the Baltimore area. The 6-foot-1 guard is a threat from anywhere on the floor and can score in just about any scenario whether it be in isolation, ball-screen or attacking off the catch. He has range well beyond the high school three-point line that forces his matchup to account for him as soon as he crosses half court. The Seton Hall commit also has excellent leadership qualities that any coach would love to have in their point guard. While he isn’t an elite defender at this point, he competes, communicates and is always locked into where he’s supposed to be. <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> [player_tooltip player_id="712769" first="Jalen" last="Bryant"] | 5’11 | John Carroll Overall ranking: No. 37 Positional ranking: No. 8 Bryant was primed for a huge senior season with a John Carroll team that had one of the most impressive turnarounds in 2019-20. The 5-foot-11 guard was held significant responsibility with that turnaround because of his contributions on both ends of the floor. He’s equipped with a deadly three-point shot that allows him to feast on driving lanes as defenders closeout. He can finish soft-touch floaters in the paint or crafty lay ups around the rim to avoid the arms of opposing shot blockers. Defensively there aren’t too many better than Bryant. He’s extremely quick laterally and has a knack for drawing offensive fouls despite harassing the ball-handler. [player_tooltip player_id="902023" first="Ausar" last="Crawley"] | 5’8 | Mount Saint Joseph Overall ranking: No. 40 Positional ranking: No. 10 Crawley is a fine example of being a coach on the floor and has showcased this skill since his freshman season under head coach Pat Clatchey. The 5-foot-8 southpaw has the rare ability to control the pace of the game and understand what his team needs throughout the course of the contest. He’s a capable shooter from three when left open, knocks down mid-range jumpers off the bounce (especially when going right) and uses his football instincts to embrace contact on his way to the rim. Crawley won’t make too many flashy passes, but more importantly, he makes the right pass that results in open shots. He uses his low center of gravity on defense and quick hands to force deflections or turnovers that lead to transition opportunities. [player_tooltip player_id="902040" first="Trae" last="English"] | 5’11 | Poly Overall ranking: No. 41 Positional ranking: No. 11 English, Crawley and Bryant are three available point guards who would be able to help a program right away. English has a strong case for being the best on-ball defender not only in Baltimore, but the MD/DC area. His instincts are second to none and no matter what is going on in the game, he’s picking up his man the full length of the floor. English is a blur in transition and has become a lethal operator in pick-and-rolls. A flaw in English’s game was his jumper, but he has since improved steadily on his three-ball to the point where he can hurt teams quickly when left open. [player_tooltip player_id="904668" first="Elijah" last="Davis"] | 6’1 | St. Frances Overall ranking: No. 71 Positional ranking: No. 15 Davis is the epitome of a table-setting floor general who can run a team in the half court or in the open floor. He has great understanding of his teammate’s strengths and knows how to get them into position to capitalize. Davis can keep his defender honest with his ability to drive and get into the paint, but his jumper is still a glaring weakness in his game. You won’t see him shoot too many because it isn’t what his team needs, but he’ll certainly have to become some type of threat at the next level to earn significant time. Where Davis hangs his hat is on defense. Similar to English, Davis is a pest as soon as the ball is inbounded. If he isn’t poking the ball loose from the opposing guard, he’s stunting in the passing lanes and getting his hand on the ball to create deflections. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/darrius-tilghman.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1069108" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/darrius-tilghman-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="775363" first="Darrius" last="Tilghman"] | 6’4 | Parkville Overall ranking: No. 81 Positional ranking: No. 18 Tilghman has battled his share of injuries throughout his high school career but put together a consistent showing as a junior where he helped lead Parkville to a 22-3 overall record. He possesses great size for his position at 6-foot-4 and is left-handed. Tilghman can play on or off the ball on offense and be a versatile option on the defensive end because of his size. The Chestnut Hill commit can be a streaky shooter from three while also finishing creatively around the rim, but his intentions on drives are to create for others. He’ll have to get quicker laterally for the next level, but all in all, Tilghman should enjoy a productive college career if he can stay healthy. [player_tooltip player_id="902076" first="Anthony" last="Smaldore"] | 5’10 | St. Paul’s Overall ranking: No. 108 Positional ranking: No. 22 Smaldore caught my eye at last year’s Prep Hoops Top 250 event where he showcased his ability to lead a team and make winning plays. He’s a scrappy point guard who plays with a chip on his shoulder on both ends. The defense has to account for him on the perimeter, but Smaldore often times catches them off guard with his crafty ball handling or no-look passes. His fundamentals are sound especially when it comes to post-entry passes (a lost art in today’s game). He’s the definition of a competitor on the defensive side and doesn’t allow his lack of size to make him a liability. [player_tooltip player_id="902060" first="Jeremiah" last="Stanton"] | 5’11 | Gerstell Overall ranking: No. 115 Positional ranking: No. 25 Stanton has flown under the radar over the past year but has emerged as a real steal for a Division III program. The 5-foot-11 guard can knock down shots from outside in a hurry, has good command on the ball in a half court setting and contorts his body to avoid defenders when finishing around the basket. Stanton holds his own defensively and once he gets into a college lifting and conditioning program, I believe he can develop into a plus defender. [player_tooltip player_id="1049643" first="Jalen" last="Bouknight"] | 6’0 | Archbishop Spalding Overall ranking: No. 116 Positional ranking: No. 26 Bouknight battled injuries that kept him sidelined for much of his junior season, but has shown in fall leagues that he is back on track and should be on the radar of many Division III programs. He’s more of a scoring guard who utilizes change-of-pace dribbles to get to the rack. In ball-screen scenarios, he’s looking to get downhill and attack the opposing big to either get a bucket or draw a foul. He’s a capable outside shooter off the catch and is improving in that area off the bounce. [caption id="attachment_1031482" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Curtis-Tevin-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1031482" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Curtis-Tevin-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Curtis is a nice target for any small colleges looking for a point guard[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="1049644" first="Tevin" last="Curtis"] | 5’10 | St. Frances Overall ranking: No. 117 Positional ranking: No. 28 Curtis plays a key role off the bench for the nationally ranked St. Frances squad. The 5-foot-10 southpaw can play on or off the ball, but makes his presence known from outside with his shooting. He’s capable to rattle off three or four triples quickly playing alongside the number of playmakers on the Panthers. He’s a tough-nosed guard who doesn’t hesitate to dive on the floor for 50/50’s or give up his body by taking charges. [player_tooltip player_id="1106969" first="Evan" last="Flaks"] | 5’9 | Pikesville Overall ranking: No. 118 Positional ranking: No. 28 There are a number of high-academic DIII programs in the hunt for Flaks and for good reason. There aren’t many who play harder than the 5-foot-9 point guard. He’s a leader and extremely coachable as he showcased this summer with Team Choo. Flaks can make defenses pay for leaving him open from three and will finish around the rim when he has to, but his instinct on drives is to find his teammates. He gets after it on the defensive end and makes life hard for the opposing ball handler. I have confidence in saying Flaks will find himself playing rotational minutes for a very good program as a freshman.