2026 MDPSSBT Championship: A Division Standouts

Last night at Eleanor Roosevelt, the 2026 Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament came to a close as Springdale Prep out-dueled Clinton Grace by a final score of 62-55. It was the type of game and atmosphere that people will be talking about for the coming years and there were several prospects who lived up to the expectations.    Green put a bow on his first season in Maryland after making the move from Alabama by capturing a state title behind an MVP performance as the lead guard scored 20 points on an efficient 6-of-11 from the field. In an extremely physical game, Green was the key to the Springdale equation and as I've mentioned all season long, has been the game-changer for this program. Over the years, Springdale has flaunted talent in their frontcourt and on the wing, but the point guard position always seemed to be the shortcoming in making postseason runs. Green's ability to impact the game as a scorer or playmaker, lead/control from a vocal standpoint and the overall toughness he brings is infectious throughout his team. That sense of toughness and confidence allowed the Lions to battle through adversity in several occasions this season and would be the needed ingredient for claiming the state title.     Coming into this one, the anticipated matchup was between Green and Lyons, two of the best point guards in the DMV area for their respective class. Lyons showed off his high upside throughout the tournament and did what he could to keep his team in position in last night's contest. The 6-foot-3 dynamic junior matched Green's 20, but also added nine rebounds, five steals and four assists to round out an active stat line. There's no question that Lyons' ceiling allows him to be a legitimate HM prospect and continues to warrant P5 programs' attention as Maryland was in attendance for him once again. He dazzled the crowd with explosive, crafty finishes around the rim. He created separation with his twitchy, long crossover that makes him a tough check for any smaller guard defending him. His ability to adjust on the fly and dissect rotating defense off the live bounce will be a foundational skill that allows him to fulfill his potential in the long term.     Safe to say that Duncan has demanded a comfortable boost in the next 2027 rankings update with his play throughout the state tournament. In both the semifinal round and in last night's game, Duncan canned three pointers in the final minute that ultimately helped Springdale win both contests. Other than the triple that lifted Springdale to the state title, Duncan was valuable around the bucket on drives where he played through contact while maintaining balance and soft touch. He had great awareness of weakside defenders or others recovering to attempt to pin his layup against the glass and utilized pump fakes or used reversals to get clean looks. He was a man on the glass and as he established paint touches on drives, did an nice job of spraying out to open shooters as his stat line would indicate. The 6-foot-5 junior scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded five assists.     The value that Carpenter brings to this Clinton Grace team is his overall versatility. His blend of positional size, athleticism and mobility make for one of the more toolsy prospects in the DMV and that was on display last night despite the loss. Carpenter can guard four positions at the high school level effectively and on offense, he's an instinctual cutter that usually results in layups as guards like Lyons deliver lasers. His athleticism around the rim was evident as he had two smooth reverse finishes to avoid the outstretched arms of Springdale defenders such as Duncan and 2026 Bol Thet. Carpenter is also a massive threat in the open floor as a lob-catcher and he brought the gym to a frenzy last night in a pivotal moment when he found himself on the finishing end of an alley-oop as he flushed it with two hands. Carpenter scored 12 points, hauled in six rebounds and blocked two shots on the night.     The reason why Thet will be a productive piece of Siena's future rotation stems with his ability to impact the game beyond the box score. It wasn't a memorable game in the scoring column for the 6-foot-10 senior, but his energy and presence around the rim impact the opposition's attack even if he isn't directly involved in actions. He controlled the glass alongside Duncan in the frontcourt as he snagged 13 rebounds and swatted away four shots in the win.     One of the better seniors still on the market in MD/DC, Owinje's combination of size and shooting are at a premium in today's game. Clinton Grace runs plenty of quick-hitting actions for the sharpshooter to get clean catch-and-shoot opportunities from deep. Owinje capitalized on two three's in last night's game en route to 12 points, but the gravity he demands on the catch results aggressive closeouts and he showed anticipation as a ball mover in making the extra pass to open teammates spotting up in the corner. He was also in the mix defensively as he made timely weakside collapse rotations on the rim and blocked two shots that would help spark transition opportunities.

Last night at Eleanor Roosevelt, the 2026 Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament came to a close as Springdale Prep out-dueled Clinton Grace by a final score of 62-55. It was the type of game and atmosphere that people will be talking about for the coming years and there were several prospects who lived up to the expectations.