2025-26 Baltimore Catholic League Preview

The high school season is officially underway and with that, the preseason content will begin to flood the site here at Prep Hoops Maryland. I'll start things off with looking at the Baltimore Catholic League.   1. Mt. Carmel   Head coach Tony Martin returns the bulk of his roster coming off an impressive 2024-25 season claiming a clean sweep of the MIAA and BCL titles. [player_tooltip player_id='1782668' first='Tristen' last='Wilson'] (Holy Cross commit), [player_tooltip player_id='2242055' first='Ralfs' last='Rudusans'] (Lehigh), and [player_tooltip player_id='1782603' first='Gage' last='Howard'] will be leaned on as the senior leaders as 2027 Samartine Hill and 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2454529' first='Junior' last='Mancho'] look to round out a loaded starting lineup fueled with versatility, experience, and commitment at both ends of the floor. The Cougars enter the season with high expectations and while Hill is still a few weeks away from his return (injury), others such as 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2364682' first='Kiyen' last='Alexander'] and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2547340' first='Antwan' last='Williams'] will look to step up and hold the rope.   2. Archbishop Spalding   The talent that head coach Josh Pratt has this season makes the Cavaliers true contenders for either title. There's a balance of senior leadership and young, promising talent that should provide a balance for success not only in the season ahead, but the future seasons as well. The senior class made up of [player_tooltip player_id='2453521' first='Colt' last='Busse'] (ETSU commit), [player_tooltip player_id='1782656' first='TJ' last='Moultrie'], [player_tooltip player_id='1782592' first='Kam' last='Carter'], and Moe Longergan form one of the better backcourt rotations the BCL has to offer. Shifting gears toward their youthful frontcourt rotation of Braxton Bogard, [player_tooltip player_id='2715192' first='Nash' last='Avery'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2731358' first='Eli' last='Farmer'] and what you have are three names belonging to the 2028 class with extremely high ceilings as prospects.   3. St. Frances   The transfer portal hit the Panthers hard but in typical Nick Myles fashion, he made sure to find other players to help fill the massive holes left behind by the likes of Kam Lawson and [player_tooltip player_id='1782591' first='Jasiah' last='Cannady']. The returners such as 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2975252' first='TJ' last='Jones'] and 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2878470' first='Carter' last='Fisk'] have a chance to have breakout seasons, particularly for Jones who will play with the ball in his hands much more often than in years past. A new face in 2026 Anthony Smith will help provide the stability in the half court as a lead guard while bringing a balanced skillset and high IQ. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='3026451' first='Arvin' last='Batsinda'] provides much needed size and length to the front court alongside 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1963385' first='Brian' last='McMahon'] and 2026 Mason Glover. While this St. Frances roster doesn't boast as much talent as they typically have, Myles seems to get the most out of groups like this and exceed expectations with their up-tempo, gritty style.   4. Mount St. Joseph   Interesting group for head coach Pat Clatchey this season who, similar to St. Frances, has a chance to exceed preseason expectations as cohesion is established. Expect [player_tooltip player_id='2252277' first='BJ' last='Ranson'] (St. Joe's commit) to post crooked numbers in the scoring column as he emerges as the primary option in his senior year beaming with confidence from his summer and fall performances. A key addition via the transfer portal for the Gaels is 2026 Saxton Simley. The long, shotmaking wing has a chance to emerge as a key contributor in the BCL/MIAA this year. Other than Ranson, consistent production will be demanded from non-seniors such as 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353590' first='Zikom' last='Etolue'], 2027 Kenneth Anthony, 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2546067' first='Aaron' last='Early Jr.'], 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2194760' first='Chauncey' last='Word'], 2028 Bryce Hudgins, and highly-regarded freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2894300' first='Ciar' last='Word'].   5. John Carroll   There's a great chance that the individual scoring title for the league comes down between Ranson and John Carroll's [player_tooltip player_id='1782586' first='Aidan' last='Able'] (UMBC commit). The 6-foot-3 guard is one of the few in the MD/DC/VA area that can go for 40 on any given night. His ability to bury triples at a rapid rate has been proven in many different settings over the course of his high school career. Now, he holds the keys to the Patriots' offense and over the summer, flashed some expanded dynamism in his scoring approach. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2547300' first='Andrew' last='Clark'] mans the paint and cleans the glass while 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2453731' first='Parris' last='Lee'] and 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2345828' first='James' last='Westervelt'] step in and accept increased roles as guys who need to hover around the 8-to-14 point range per game. The up-tempo, three-point heavy system that John Carroll can tap into makes them extremely dangerous as fits the mold as one of these three teams (3rd-5th) who can make a serious run as they typically begin to gain their momentum in January.   6. Calvert Hall   The Cardinals have the roster makeup to be very sneaky this season. It could be a breakout season for 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2926352' first='Cameron' last='Wood'], who is coming off plenty of strong showings in the fall and seems more than capable of stepping in as one of the primary options for head coach David Gately. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2265685' first='Billy' last='Stanfield III'] has established himself as one of the prospects to watch in a loaded 2028 class. Coming off a summer with steady production on the Nike E15 circuit, I'd expect Stanfield to take a big step in the right direction as becoming one of the more productive players in his class from a numbers standpoint. The Cardinals will need it in order to dethrone some of the teams already mentioned. Other players such as 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2968642' first='Damir' last='Tucker'] and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2731617' first='Ellis' last='Johnson'] are ones to watch.   7. St. Mary's Annapolis   Head coach Trey Quinn has some talented guards in his stable such as 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2453693' first='Jovanni' last='Hall'], 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2194755' first='Ezra' last='Rich'], and 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='2954533' first='Ari' last='Hopson']. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2453752' first='Gavin' last='Johnson'] and 2026 Zachely Arrey supply the senior experience while 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353592' first='Noah' last='Cerny'] could be one to monitor on the wing playing off the ball.   8. Loyola Blakefield   The Dons enter into a new era under head coach Roger Garfield, who will bring valuable experience after long tenure as an assistant at Gonzaga College High School under Steve Turner. It'll be a process to turn the program around, but Garfield has the philosophy and systems to make the turnaround a successful one in in his first year, he'll depend on the sum of the parts rather than just one specific player. One player to keep tabs on though, would be [player_tooltip player_id='2546118' first='Ayo' last='Olofintila'], a 6-foot-6 forward who logged meaningful minutes on last year's team. He steps in as a senior leader and will provide toughness, rim presence, and versatility on the defensive end. Long-term I am keeping eyes on [player_tooltip player_id='2983862' first='Kaleb' last='Haysbert'].

The high school season is officially underway and with that, the preseason content will begin to flood the site here at Prep Hoops Maryland. I'll start things off with looking at the Baltimore Catholic League.