MIAA A Conference Preview: New Faces

Today is the day that the MIAA A Conference officially tips off. We’ll squeeze in one more preview post taking a look at some of the new faces around the league. There’s always a chance of missing players who transferred under the radar not being included on this list, but we’ll be sure to update the standouts as the league progresses. [player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"] | 6’8 | St. Frances ’24 Queen has proven himself as the most polished freshman in this class. At 6-foot-8, his skill set and size truly separate him from the field. He can score, distribute, rebound and facilitate all from the forward position. It isn’t often you see a freshman come in and have the impact that Queen has had for St. Frances this winter and I expect it to remain that way as MIAA play begins. [player_tooltip player_id="1089572" first="Daquan" last="Davis"] | 5’11 | St. Frances ’24 Davis will be one of the first off the bench for the Panthers’ backcourt and will bring energy and toughness. Davis embraces physicality and competition on both ends of the floor. He’s a gritty guard who isn’t afraid to get on the floor for 50/50s or battle with bigs for rebounds. He finishes well around the rim and with time and space, can knock down jumpers off the catch. [player_tooltip player_id="1110545" first="Cortez" last="Johnson"] | 6’7 | St. Frances ’22 Johnson has a tremendous opportunity to build his name even in the shortened season. He poses nice size at 6-foot-7 to go with athleticism that allows him to finish above the rim routinely. He’s an active forward who crashes the glass, runs the floor hard and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact. Look for Johnson to be swapped in and out of the starting lineup depending on the matchup. [player_tooltip player_id="1110551" first="Aidan" last="Mess"] | 6’5 | Mount St. Joseph ’22 Mess is a transfer from Reservoir who will play important minutes off the bench for the Gaels this season. The 6-foot-5 forward is extremely active on the offensive glass and is a capable scorer from all three levels. Making the adjustment from Howard County Public School to the MIAA will take some time, but I expect Mess to eventually settle into his role and be a big piece to their success. [player_tooltip player_id="1127305" first="Bryson" last="Tucker"] | 6’5 | Mount St. Joseph ’24 Tucker is a freshman not a lot of people are talking about, but has the chance to be the top of his class locally when it’s all said and done. He’s a well-rounded prospect who still should grow another 2-to-3 inches. It isn’t often that you see freshmen play a big role for head coach Pat Clatchey, but Tucker will be an exception. [player_tooltip player_id="766935" first="Jalen" last="White"] | 6’2 | Mount St. Joseph ’21 White is a senior transfer from Old Mill who will begin this season coming off the bench as a likely sixth man. The 6-foot-2 lefty has good basketball IQ and is a capable scorer from inside and out to the mid-range. He can make his imprint known in multiple statistical categories as he’ll be expected to bring energy as a part of the Gael’s deep rotation. [player_tooltip player_id="1127303" first="RJ" last="Newton"] | 6’4 | Archbishop Spalding ’24 Newton is another freshman expected to have an impact despite being on a loaded roster. He has solid size at 6-foot-4 to go with an above average mid-range jumper. He’s a streaky shooter that can fill it up quickly from three as well once he sees one fall. Newton will be a versatile defender who can do his due diligence on the glass. [player_tooltip player_id="837931" first="Kevin" last="Kalu"] | 6’8 | Mount Carmel ’21 The addition of Kalu was huge considering the Cougars lost 2021 forward [player_tooltip player_id="836490" first="Koralp" last="Turk"]. Kalu provides the size and rim-protecting presence that is needed in a league with skilled senior bigs. When locked in, Kalu is extremely valuable as a rebounder and rim-runner. He finishes strong above the rim and can outwork his matchup in most scenarios. Tadas Gudonis | 6’9 | Mount Carmel ’22 Another big addition (literally and figuratively) for the Cougars in Gudonis. The Lithuanian native brings size and offensive versatility that they’ll need in the frontcourt. While his footspeed must improve, Gudonis is skilled to the point where he can finish with both hands, knock down mid-range jumpers and extend out beyond the arc in pick-and-pop scenarios. He’s a good rebounder, but will take time adjusting to the American physicality of the game. [player_tooltip player_id="1127307" first="Andrew" last="Dixon"] | 5’10 | Mount Carmel ’24 Dixon is a quick, shifty guard who will spend the majority of his minutes playing next to 2022 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"]. There will be stints through games when Perry is out when Dixon takes over as the primary ball-handler. Dixon can makes shots with time and space, but he’s good at getting into the paint and creating for others as well. [player_tooltip player_id="1127302" first="Gabe" last="Grant"] | 6’9 | McDonogh ’24 Grant is extremely raw, but has the size and tools to be a potentially special prospect. At 6-foot-9 and left-handed I don’t expect much more offensively out of him but capitalizing off of other’s penetration dump-off passes around the rim. Defensively he’ll be a weapon because of his size and length disrupting shots in the paint and closing down the glass. Both he and 2022 forward [player_tooltip player_id="904635" first="Dani" last="Dennis-Sutton"] are two solid anchors for the Eagles. [player_tooltip player_id="1127308" first="Ashton" last="Kendall"] | 5’10 | McDonogh ’24 Hagans will be featured in the Eagles’ rotation because of the competitiveness and tough-minded energy that he brings. Even though he’s a freshman, Hagans doesn’t back down from his matchup and will hound the ball-handler the full length of the court. He’s still growing offensively, but should find some opportunities come his way considering opposing defenses will be locked into everyone around him. [player_tooltip player_id="1127301" first="Isaiah" last="Williams"] | 6’2 | Calvert Hall ’24 Williams has intriguing athleticism for his age and should post solid numbers as a freshman for a young Calvert Hall team. When I saw him in fall league, he looked like he belonged right away and next to his brother, Mike, in the backcourt, the two should gel immediately and make things tough for coaches to game plan for. Williams is at his best in the open floor, but can do damage from beyond the arc as well.