Baltimore County Championship Takeaways

Last night at Parkville High School, the undefeated Knights hosted Randallstown in a matchup for the Baltimore County crown. It was a tightly contested game throughout where both teams put together runs to gain momentum and the lead, but ultimately it was Parkville who came out with the 80-72 win to improve their perfect record to 21-0. Let’s break down some takeaways from this contest. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7417.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1389397" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7417-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Barfield leads despite foul trouble 2024 Parkville guard [player_tooltip player_id="1127304" first="Sincere" last="Barfield"] battled foul trouble throughout the game after getting two early calls in the first quarter. It limited his action in the second quarter and somewhat changed his approach in the second half, but the 5-foot-10 combo guard still managed to finish with a team-high 22 points in the win. When he wasn’t finishing through contact at the rim, he was hitting tough fadeaway pull-ups from 12-to-15 feet or pushing the tempo for fastbreak layups. Defensively Barfield is a menace. In some sense, it’s why he got his two early fouls being late in passing lanes and making contact with his man, but on several occasions he anticipated accurately and collected steals that resulted in quick buckets for he or his teammates. There are times where he lets the crowd and outside factors get the best of his emotions, but that should continue to improve as he matures and gains valuable postseason experience. All in all, he was Parkville’s most valuable player considering how he had to play somewhat cautious, but remain aggressive. Quentin Wells shows out I was familiar with Wells prior to this game as he plays AAU with Team Choo, but this was my first time catching Randallstown in action and it gave me the chance to see how much he has improved. The 6-foot-2 lead guard was unstoppable and did everything he possibly could to keep his team within reach as indicated by his game-high 28 points. Almost every time down the floor, the big would set a high-ball screen and Wells would use it effectively by getting downhill, gaining an edge on the hedging defender and finish at the basket with either hand comfortably. Wells was also impactful seeking out contact on his drives, putting a few Parkville starters in foul trouble. He battled for offensive rebounds, dug in defensively and was the clear leader for this Rams squad. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7491.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1392852" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7491-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>   Kam Wylie has arrived Another Parkville starter who found himself in early foul trouble was 2022 forward [player_tooltip player_id="1277446" first="Emezie" last="Egeonu"]. As a result, 2024 forward Kam Wylie had to play majority of the minutes in his place and used the opportunity to put himself on radars moving forward. The 6-foot-6 sophomore absolutely controlled the glass for Parkville, gathering more than 15 rebounds on the night. It seemed like with every defensive board, Randallstown would have one or two players swiping or grabbing Wylie’s arm trying to jar the ball loose, but he stayed strong chinning and creating space as he located the guard for an outlet. His presence was also felt on the offensive boards, where he’d pursue the ball and quickly go back up for second chance points or trips to the free-throw line. He finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Wylie proved himself on the biggest stage that he’s played on throughout his young high school career and caught the attention of college coaches and scouts with this performance. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7415.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1389398" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7415-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>   Smith and Jones step up when needed most 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1277437" first="Dorian" last="Jones"] and 2023 Caron Smith have been staples for this Parkville team all season. Jones’ electrifying style of play has bolstered him into being one of the highly-sought after prospects by top Division I JuCo programs in the country and last night he delivered more timely high-flying plays at the rim on his way to 15 points. One play in particular that stood out was when he caught the ball on the left wing and as the Randallstown zone rotated, he found a seam to take two dribbles before taking off from the middle of the paint for a one-handed dunk that ignited the crowd. Jones also had a few blocks above the rim on the defensive end that shifted momentum as Randallstown gained steam. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7411.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1389402" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/IMG-7411-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Smith is a volume shooter who can put up 20-to-30 points any given night. He’s the type of shooter that as a coach, you don’t mind if he takes a couple of questionable shots because you know he’s capable of making them as well. Last night, the 6-foot-3 junior contributed with 17 points, 10 of which came in the second half and were key buckets to create slight separation in the fourth. Smith was also a valuable defender on the ball and recorded a couple of steals thanks to his active hands. What’s next for both teams? Now that county and city championships are behind us, now starts the journey to the Xfinity Center. Parkville is the No. 1 seed in their 4A regional bracket and await the winner of Dundalk and Mervo. Randallstown earned the No. 2 seed in their 2A regional bracket and will wait to face the winner of Hereford and Carver A&T. Both games for Parkville and Randallstown will take place on Monday Feb. 28.