Baltimore County Championship Preview & Players to Watch

<p>This afternoon at 5:30, the Baltimore County Championship game will take place at Parkville High School as the hosting Knights will face off against Randallstown. Parkville stands with a perfect 20-0 record while Randallstown sports and impressive 15-3 overall record. Let’s take a look at some names to watch in this contest.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Parkville</span></strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1277437" first="Dorian" last="Jones"] | 2022</strong></p> <p>Dorian ’Nick’ Jones has been nothing short of sensational for Parkville this season. The senior transfer is the favorite for the Baltimore County Player of the Year and will be key for the Knights securing the county crown. His blend of explosive scoring, raw athleticism and basketball IQ will all need to be present in order to get the job done.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1127304" first="Sincere" last="Barfield"] | 2024</strong></p> <p>Barfield has spent time both on and off the ball for Parkville and has grown his overall game in a number of ways as a sophomore. He’s a tremendous finisher around the rim, a menace on the defensive side of the ball and makes plays that shift the momentum of games. This game is expected to be a sellout, which plays into the type of environment that Barfield often thrives in.</p> <p><strong>Caron Smith | 2023</strong></p> <p>Smith has been the floor-spacing presence in his first year with the Knights. The 6-foot-3 guard can fill it up in a hurry from deep and is also capable of playing off the dribble, getting to his spots in the mid-range and converting on tough looks. If he can find his stroke early on, it would be monumental for Parkville’s half court execution.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1277446" first="Emezie" last="Egeonu"] | 2022</strong></p> <p>Egeonu will be leaned on heavily to protect the paint. The 6-foot-6 forward has had success throughout the season with controlling the glass on the defensive end, altering shots around the rim and finishing his looks inside 10 feet with efficiency. There will be crucial guard matchups in this game, so Egeonu’s production could be a game-changer if he’s locked in for a full 32 minutes.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Randallstown</span></strong></span></p> <p><strong>Quentin Wells | 2022</strong></p> <p>Wells is the straw that stirs the drink for the Rams. He’s a 6-foot-2 combo guard who can handle much of the primary on-ball duties, but brings an aggressive scoring mentality at the point guard position. He has a strong frame that helps him finish through contact, is very much the vocal leader and can dig his heels in defensively to make things hard for his individual matchup.</p> <p><strong>Marshall Mason | 2023</strong></p> <p>Mason is another combo guard who can put the ball in the basket. He has good instincts as a scorer and his ability to do so from all three levels make for a tough assignment for the opposing defender. He can base his attack off what the defense gives him. I’d expect Parkville to play pressure man-to-man defense, so Mason could be looking to take advantage of quick bursts off the catch in order to get in the paint for close looks.</p> <p><strong>Cameron Scott | 2022</strong></p> <p>Scott is a 5-foot-7 guard who helps Wells with the ball-handling duties, but is the biggest threat off the ball when spotting up from around the perimeter. He has a quick trigger and a lot of confidence on the catch, so any lagged closeout will face consequences. He’s also a scrappy defender who uses his low center of gravity to poke the ball away from his matchup.</p> <p><strong>Jayden Jeffers | 2022</strong></p> <p>Jeffers is more of the energetic defensive player that the Rams desperately need. He’s 6-foot-1 with plus length that helps him cause deflections in passing lanes. He’ll be used likely to guard Jones or Barfield, as Randallstown depends on him as their defensive stopper. Needless to say, he’ll be instrumental in giving his team a chance to win this game. </p>