Oakland Mills vs Catonsville: Standout Prospects

I made my way to Columbia, MD on Monday night for a Howard County/Baltimore County matchup against Oakland Mills and Catonsville. The hosting Scorpions are off to a scorching start and kept the momentum rolling against the traveling Comets as they improved their record to 8-0 behind a commanding 66-39 win. Catonsville falls to 5-5 in the loss and was without the services of one of their top prospects in 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782587' first='Elijah' last='Barrett'] as he continues to battle a hip injury.   Below are the prospects that caught my eye from the contest:    This was my first viewing of multiple prospects on this Oakland Mills team and I walked away impressed with Ndiritu. It wasn't difficult given his command on the ball for the Scorpions and leading them in scoring with 23 points. The 6-foot point guard doesn't rely on bouncy athleticism or elite quickness, but what he does have is a skillset and know-how that's based off sound fundamentals that allow him to shine in today's game. He gets to his spots in an efficient manner and has an edge to him as a scorer that's always looking to put the dagger into the other team's hopes. He converted on three triples and a handful of pull-ups as he attacked closeouts. It doesn't take long to see his instincts and IQ surface with the way he moves without the ball, finds his opportunities within the flow and always will pass up his own good shot for someone else's great one.     Without his backcourt mate in Barrett, Edwards had to do quite literally everything for this Catonsville team. He's put up impressive numbers this season and it has been out of necessity in order for his group to stay in punching distance. The dynamic 6-foot-1 combo guard was the best prospect on the floor thanks to his blend of burst, athleticism at the rim and his overall skillset. He finished with a game-high 24 points and probably could've finished with 30+ if he was hunting for himself. Instead, he got into the paint whenever he pleased and zipped skip passes to shooters spotting up or delivered dump off passes on a silver platter to guys under the rim, but the percentage from others was low to say the least. Still, it was good to see Edwards' willingness and capability of making the right reads. He had multiple blocks above the rim as he sized up opposing players in transition. His best stretch came in the second quarter where he scored 11 of his 24 points as Catonsville trailed by 12 going into halftime.     A strongly built downhill guard, Redd will be another pillar for head coach Kyle Harmon not only for this season, but also in 2026-27 as Oakland Mills project to be a force in Howard County if they keep their roster in tact. Redd brings the athleticism, strength and energy as a combo guard who poses as an above the rim threat in the open floor. He uses nice burst off his back foot on catches or hesitations to gain an advantage in driving lanes and can fend off defenders en route to the rim. On the first couple of drives this game, he let contact impact his attempt, but as time progressed he became more aggressive and willing to take on the contact while maintaining concentration on the finish. Redd accounted for 12 points in the win while providing versatile defensive tools as a guy who can slide between three positions at the high school level. The best basketball remains ahead of Redd, as he's been focusing solely on basketball for a little over a year.     McCoy may have the highest ceiling of any prospect I saw last night given his size, early signs of high IQ tendencies at both ends and his ability to score without the ball. He spent most of his night guarding Edwards and did so effectively in isolations where things can be difficult. He keeps space between he and his man with the understanding of how to use his length in order to contest jumpers. He stays disciplined, but knows when to use active hands against drives or in the passing lanes and battles on the glass at both ends. This Oakland Mills team shares the ball very well and made Catonsville's backline pay for falling asleep as McCoy cut baseline for layups or flashed to the middle of the paint where he'd convert push floaters. All in all, McCoy came off the bench and exceeded my expectations for not only how valuable he is now, but also for what he can become down the road. He'd tie Redd for 12 points as well in the effort.     Bishop boasts a massive frame at 6-foot-7 that not many bigs in the public school sector will handle with ease. He brings the leverage and strength that he utilizes on the line of the gridiron over to the hardwood in the fashion of sealing guys off on the low block, demanding position for rebounds and most importantly, being able to remain vertical as guys attempt to drive into his chest on layups. Bishop missed a few bunnies around the bucket that he's been converting this season, but still did his due diligence collected rebounds and anchoring the paint defensively. The unsigned senior would finish with 6 points and 11 rebounds.

I made my way to Columbia, MD on Monday night for a Howard County/Baltimore County matchup against Oakland Mills and Catonsville. The hosting Scorpions are off to a scorching start and kept the momentum rolling against the traveling Comets as they improved their record to 8-0 behind a commanding 66-39 win. Catonsville falls to 5-5 in the loss and was without the services of one of their top prospects in 2026 Elijah Barrett Elijah Barrett 6'2" | CG Catonsville | 2026 State MD as he continues to battle a hip injury.