Howard County Public School 2026 Prospects to Know

As we approach the midway point of the season, I'll begin going through the different counties in Maryland and shining some light on the public school seniors who have made a name for themselves at this juncture. I'll revisit at the end of the season as there could be others who emerge in conference play, but for now, here are some 2026 names belonging to Howard County that have gained my attention.    Best has been the bell cow for Long Reach dating back to last season as a volume scoring guard with good playmaking chops off the dribble. The addition of [player_tooltip player_id='2521774' first='Lamar' last='Atkinson'] (see below) was a pivotal mid-season transfer that will improve the Lightning's chances of making a run for the county title and possibly making noise in state playoff competition, but it'll always come down to Best's production when it comes to projecting the team's ceiling. Best, who leads the county in scoring at 24 points per game, has the neon green light and looks to attack anytime the ball is in his hands. He has a quick first step, a strong frame to absorb contact and the creativity to finish the job on heavily contested shots at the rim. You can't leave him open from three as he can knock down the long ball with time and space. Best has the confidence and swagger to go for 25+ whenever he steps on the floor and the Long Reach offense is designed to get him the ball in the spots where he shines brightest. Long Reach sits with a 6-6 overall record to date.     A scrappy, high-IQ guard that would struggle to pass the eye-test, Tatarov quickly won me over in my latest viewing of him thanks to his competitive toughness and the chip that he plays with. He splits the ballhandling duties with [player_tooltip player_id='3275488' first='Aaron' last='Hammann'] (see below), but I'd categorize him as a better passer given his overall feel and floor vision. He has instincts to read multiple levels of the defense and in Marriott Ridge's system, Tatarov's anticipation takes centerstage as he delivers backdoor passes on a string, is always willing to make the extra to pass up a good shot for a great one and is unselfish in getting the ball up the floor on the break by advancing it. As a scorer, Tatarov can get it going from outside and while shooting a decent volume, is maintaining just under a 40 percent clip for the year.     Terry, along with [player_tooltip player_id='2402092' first='Jackson' last='Givens'] below, are focal points for Hammond as Terry brings the size and versatility to the lineup standing 6'4"-6'5" with good length. Averaging 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest, Terry is an impact two-way player in the Howard County area with translatable size to the college level. He still needs to tighten up on his overall efficiency from the field and from the charity stripe, but his ability to hover through multiple positions depending on the matchup could pay dividends once postseason play begins.     Givens continues to fly under the radar despite posting a healthy stat line thus far throughout his senior campaign. His 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game gives a good indication of his activity and importance for the 6-6 Bears. A shifty lead guard who can get to the rim with regularity, Givens does a nice job of putting pressure on the rim in straight-line drives or in an open floor setting. Another weapon to his arsenal is his efficiency from the free-throw line, where he currently has an 80 percent success rate. He has a quick trigger from three off the catch with the skill to knock down 2-to-3 three's in a row and can follow the future possessions attacking closeouts for scores in the mid-range or finding cutting teammates using sound vision.     Atkinson joined Long Reach at the start of the new semester after moving to the area and wasted no time in proving his worth as an impact guard in county play. We got eyes on him last week in a one-point loss to Marriotts Ridge, Atkinson exploded for 23 points in the second half alone to erase a double-digit deficit while Best was sidelined with an ankle injury that took place early in the third quarter. He plays the lead guard role for the Lightning and uses his length and burst to beat his man off the dribble and play off two in the paint. His personal run started by converting a couple of three's well beyond the arc and he never looked back. Whether it was attacking the rim for layups at a tough angle or getting his shot off with very little space, Atkinson showed what he looked like in his flow state, which is an intense volume scorer that can quickly change the momentum of a ball game. Through his three games played thus far at Long Reach, Atkinson is averaging 13 points per outing.     Hammann has Marriotts Ridge (9-1) tied with Oakland Mills atop of the Howard County standings and could make a serious run for county player of the year if he sustains his level of production. A 6-foot-6 guard who can handle the primary ballhandling role, Hammann uses his blend of size and skill to his advantage in an area that doesn't have many other athletes like him. Through nine games he's averaging 22.4 points per game and converting on 40 percent of his attempts from three and hauling in over seven rebounds to go with it. Hammann uses his lengthy first step and frame to establish driving lanes to the rim and does a nice job using soft touch on floaters or off-balanced layups. As a shooter, when Hammann can step into his jumper, specifically off the catch, there's a high likelihood of his dropping.

As we approach the midway point of the season, I'll begin going through the different counties in Maryland and shining some light on the public school seniors who have made a name for themselves at this juncture. I'll revisit at the end of the season as there could be others who emerge in conference play, but for now, here are some 2026 names belonging to Howard County that have gained my attention.