Early 2026-27 MD Gatorade POY Candidates

We're inching closer to the month of September and before you know it, the season will be upon us. With that being the case, we'll start to roll out some preseason content while mixing in reports from events that take place in the meantime.   Don't forget to sign up for a couple upcoming events in the DMV area! The first is the <a href="https://events.prephoops.com/e/2331/register/dmv-freshman-showcase">Freshman Showcase</a> taking place next weekend! The next is <a href="https://events.prephoops.com/e/2365/register/the-expo-maryland">The Expo</a>, which is open to prospects of all high school classes.   Back to the topic at hand, which is previewing the candidates for this year's Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. Remember, this award is for prospects who play at a high school based in the state of Maryland. NOT D.C. those will be separate candidates that I'll highlight tomorrow.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The favorite:</h2>    No surprise that Lyons will be the frontrunner for the 2026-27 MD Gatorade POY award not only because he's the top ranked prospect in the 2027 state rankings, but also the obvious factor being he took home the hardware as a junior. His decision to stay put at Clinton Grace for his senior season has become a rare one considering the powerhouse prep programs that were pursuing his services, but it'll be another great storyline for Lyons to take home this year's award and go back-to-back. Cam Ward (Michigan State) was the last prospect to win this award in consecutive years for 2024 and 2025. Lyons showed plenty of promise this summer as he bolstered his recruitment to the P5 level, posted stat-stuffing performances throughout June and will be the most dynamic playmaker that you'll find in the state of MD.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The contenders:</h2>    Another talented prospect who had his share of options to leave the state for his senior campaign, Woodard returns to Bishop McNamara and supplies the Mustangs as being one the most athletic players in the country regardless of class. He was a double-double machine in June during the Scholastic Live Period, had a steady summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] on the EYBL Circuit and looks to be a true focal point for this McNamara team this winter as they look to make a push for the WCAC title. While head coach Jay Gavin's roster has balance and defined roles throughout, the deciding factor on their ceiling will rest on the shoulder of Woodard and if he produces the numbers to put them into contention in the league, his name will be one to watch when it's time to decide for this award.     Jones has put forth a body of work that makes him one of the most dangerous combo guards in the DMV. His potent scoring ability from all three levels allows him to change the course of a game in 2-to-3 possessions. He's one of those guys that I'd categorize as a cold-blooded hooper rather than a definitive "basketball player." A lot of times, the "hoopers" can give you the highlight reels, but stacking wins at a high level can be difficult. This isn't the case for Jones. Not only has he led St. Frances to BCL championships, but he also has began making the transition as more of a playmaking lead guard rather than a score-first guy. He showed this summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2076999' first='Team' last='Melo'] that he can orchestrate in the half court and make others around him better with his ability to read the entire floor off the live bounce. He impacts winning at a high rate and is the bell cow for a St. Frances team who enters the 2026-27 season as favorites to win the BCL and MIAA.     As stated earlier in the Lyons write-up, Cam Ward was the last player to win back-to-back years and him being able to do so from the public school landscape made it even more impressive. In fact, you'd have to go all the way back to 2016 to find the last public school player (Isaiah Miles- Milford Mill) who was awarded prior to Ward. Brooks enters this season as my favorite as far as public school prospects go coming off a junior season where he led Flowers to a 24-1 record behind 25.9PPG, 11.2 RPG and 5.4APG. The 6-6 forward is a mismatch nightmare who can mix up his approach from the block, mid-range or out beyond the arc where he's capable of knocking down three's. It's clear that Brooks is able to put up the necessary numbers to truly stand out among the others. If Flowers can earn a few marquee wins against other top teams in the area, that argument for him being crowned only strengthens.     Scott is another public school prospect who put together a stellar junior season that was unfortunately cut short in the regional championship game where he tore his labrum early in the first half. Meade would go on to lose to Blake in the buzzer in that game, but Scott was the biggest reason the Mustangs even got to that point. A smooth operator on the ball, Scott has the ability to tap into another gear and mindset when his team needs it most, making big plays in pivotal points of games that allowed Meade to be considered one of the top public schools in the state. He's a dangerous shooter from range, can be slippery in traffic getting the rim and has surprising explosiveness within his athletic finishes. He rebounds for his position and makes himself known as a presence in passing lanes with active hands to accumulate steals.     Lyons won last year's award as a non-senior and while I think it's a long shot that something like that takes place this season, Avery would be my 2028 candidate if I had to choose one. He's going to be the end-all, be-all for Spalding this season and based off his play in June, the results could be promising. There's no question that he has the ability and talent to completely dominate a game a both ends. Maintaining a high motor in the process will be key in sustaining the level of production that he showed a couple of months back. Teams will obviously scheme everything towards stopping Avery, but he has the talent to destroy scouting reports with his versatility, athleticism and two-way ability.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Others to keep an eye on:</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='2639997' first='Gabe' last='Colston'] | JFK '27   [player_tooltip player_id='2802627' first='Jared' last='Jeffers'] | DeMatha '27   Josh Jones | New Town '27   Danny Abass | DeMatha '27   [player_tooltip player_id='2353535' first='Izzy' last='Tchoubfong'] | Bullis '27   [player_tooltip player_id='2889373' first='Jay' last='Green'] | Springdale Prep '27

We're inching closer to the month of September and before you know it, the season will be upon us. With that being the case, we'll start to roll out some preseason content while mixing in reports from events that take place in the meantime.