If you’ve been following our coverage here this season, little surprise that Word received a bump after a productive sophomore campaign. He was pushed into the starting point guard role and adjusted nicely as a primary ball handler expected to initiate half court sets, but also present as a cold-blooded shot maker in crunch time of games. The All-BCL Second Team member brings a competitive motor and the knack for making big plays in big moments. On a few occasions this season, his streaky shooting, wiggle off the bounce and willingness to get his nose in scuffles would ultimately help lift the Gaels to pivotal wins. He moves from No. 29 to No. 22 heading into the spring/summer with Team Melo 16s.

13p 4r 2a 2s 1b (3/4 FG 1/2 3P 6/8 FT)

-Love the poise and feel from Word as a PG that can play on or off the ball with a scoring guard in the BCL POY (Ranson) beside him in the backcourt. Word understands when his team needs a bucket, scoring just before the buzzer of two different quarters by waiting for the ball screen before knifing downhill to the rim for the layup. He can shoot, uses his size to get under his matchup defensively, and does a great job of drawing two defenders in the halfcourt before executing on the correct passing read. His first step and handle allow him to be dynamic in both middle and side PnR situations, love watching him play.

St. Frances’ defensive focus was doing all they could to make BCL Player of the Year BJ Ranson BJ Ranson 6'1" | PG Mount St. Joseph | 2026 State MD ‘s life difficult. They executed that game plan effectively holding him to just eight points and just seven shots on the night. That means the ball was in Word’s hands with expectations of initiating actions and creating plays for both himself and others with frequency. He finished with 13 points and was shot-ready off swing passes as the Panther defense dug on any penetration from MSJ. His quick trigger and excellent lift on his shot makes it difficult for any defender to get a clean contest when being a second late on a closeout. Word also did a nice job with his ball security and making his defender pay when they’d gamble with quick bursts to the bucket.

The All-BCL second teamer responded well after a shaky first half with a strong fourth quarter to help the Gaels create separation that would be represented by the 66-56 final score. He scored 10 of his 15 points in the final frame, seven of which came from the free-throw line as he went 7/7 down the stretch to help ice the game and the Gaels advance to the semifinal round.

Chauncey was a momentum-shifter in this MSJ win that scored efficiently and in bunches without forcing the action. He set the tone with a breakaway dunk and followed it by stretching the defense with deep threes from the wing. A tough stepback three off a sharp change of speed showed his growing comfort creating space. Chauncey quietly produced a high-scoring night without needing the ball for an extended period of time per possession, and without running actions for himself. He was very effective in transition and consistently beat defenders to the rim for big finishes, including a couple of slam dunks (listed at 5’11”). Chauncey made timely baskets all game while remaining within the flow of the offense. Enjoyed himself a huge game last week against a tough Glenelg Country opponent.

Word was coming off a Friday evening performance where he went bonkers in the third quarter as he drilled four-straight triples en route to 20+ points. A mere 13 or so hours later he was manning the offense once again for the Gaels against a hot Gonzaga team. The 5-foot-11 guard picked his spots throughout this one as he plays with good change-of-pace and the burst he gets off his back foot combined with his low center of gravity make for one tough check. His balance and lift on his mid-range pull-up allow him to capitalize on any space he creates and as stated earlier, he’s a volume bucket-getter that the defense must account for at all times or else the game can quickly become out of reach. Word effectively ran the offense in a half court setting, attacked off swings with quick dribbles and decisions and pressured opposing guards in to turnovers. He accounted for 14 ponts.

Coming out of halftime, Mount St. Joe built a 6-point advantage, but that would balloon into double-digits with breathing room as Word decided to tee off from deep in the first four minutes of the third frame. The 5-foot-11 lead guard knocked down 4-straight (!!) three’s and it came to no surprise for me. Word is a fiery competitor and a dangerous, streaky shooter who can quickly change the momentum of a game. He showed those chops agains last night, but his impressive shooting performance in the first four minutes of the third quarter wasn’t all he did. Word followed Ranson with 22 points and used the gravity demanded after his run to tap into his bursty first step to establish advantages on drives and finishing through contact. He brought his usual infectious energy guarding the ball and speeding up the Glenelg Country offense into mistakes.

Another MIAA sophomore guard with a well-deserved boost is Word. He’s a fearless lead guard that has won over the trust of head coach Pat Clatchey to man the controls of the offense while being expected to contribute as both a scorer and distributor. It’s rare that an underclassmen get the nod from one of the best coaches in Baltimore history, but Word’s play and consistency has left him no choice. What he lacks in size he makes up for in intensity and heart. He also gets fantastic lift on his jumper that allows him to shoot over taller defenders if needed. His cat-like quickness with his first step allows for advantages in attacking driving lanes and as we’ve seen in recent games, Word’s vertical bounce is beginning to translate to dunks even as defenders chase him down

Also scoring in double figures from the MSJ backcourt, Word was a consistent factor at the point of attack with his dynamic play off the bounce and feisty defensive pressure. The sophomore, who returns with extensive varsity experience already, was lightning-quick getting north/south with his handle, particularly showing a strong left hand on a series of downhill drives on his way to 12 points. He’s a confident shooter with polished mechanics across situations and good elevation to help get his shot off over lengthier defenders. Word did a good job keeping the ball in front of him on D, with quick reactions and sneaky length to bother opposing jump shooters. He’s still pretty immature physically and has room to develop as a decisionmaker, but Word shows a lot of promising signs for a young guard to make him worthy of monitoring at the D1 level.

Other than Ranson, there were some scoring struggles throughout the MSJ rotation, but Word was key off the bench as a spark. What he lacks in size he makes up for with a lighting quick first step and ability to create space on an island with his defender or quickly attack closeouts for scoop layups before the defense can rotate. He followed Ranson for the Gaels with nine points in this showing and provided some energy when his team needed it most in the second quarter as Concordia’s confidence was at an all-time high.