Baltimore Area News

March-April 2002

Interest Has Grown For Will Bowers

By: Denny Conroy - www.Rivalshoops.com
Date: April 25, 2002

Will Bowers, the oustanding 6-11, 225 center from Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, MD, is being pursued by schools from the PAC-10 to the ACC, head coach Mike Glick told us yesterday.

"We plan on sitting down and deciding on the top seven - 10 schools next month," Glick added. "There are six coaches coming in today and that's really not atypical this spring." Some of these schools recruiting Bowers include Stanford, Maryland, Texas, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Providence and Villanova. Earlier this past season, Bowers had told us that the top of his list started with Maryland, Notre Dame, Texas and other schools in the ACC.

Bowers is a hard worker who values team performance well above individual marks. As long as he stayed out of foul trouble, Glick generally kept him on the court this past season. Spalding ended the year with a 29-7 record record and fourth place in the final Baltimore Sun poll. Bowers averaged 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game.

Bowers, who was named to the Sun's All-Metro second team, will play with the Baltimore Select AAU team this summer and is scheduled to attend the NBA Players Association camp in Washington, DC, adidas ABCD camp in New Jersey and the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.

Original article found here:
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=97302

The 17 under's trip to the "Texas Classic" in Houston and the 16 under's trip to "Charlie Weber" tournament at Villianova was successful. Both teams fared well for there first tournaments of the summer. The 17 under's went 3-1, losing in the final 16 of the "Texas Classic" and the 16's went 2-1 in pool play, stopping them from advancing to the playoffs.

Anthony's 19 help East to victory in McDonald's
Duke, N. Carolina recruits also deliver in 138-107 rout

From Staff And Wire Reports
Originally published April 5, 2002

NEW YORK - Former Towson Catholic standout Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points and was among five players in double figures last night for the East, which recorded the most-lopsided victory ever in the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Boys Game, 138-107.

Anthony, a 6-foot-7 forward who played at Virginia's Oak Hill Academy this past season and is bound for Syracuse in the fall, shot 8-for-16 overall and 1-for-2 from three-point range. Anthony was The Sun's All-Metro Player of the Year in the 2000-2001 season.

Guard J.J. Redick, a member of Duke's heralded recruiting class, scored 26 points, and guard Rashad McCants, part of North Carolina's strong freshman class, added 22 for the East.

Forward Jason Fraser of Amityville, N.Y., who will play at Villanova, had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Travis Garrison, a Maryland signee, made only one of six shots and scored two points.

The silver anniversary game was televised nationally by ESPN and was played at Madison Square Garden, drawing a crowd of 16,505.

Redick, who was voted the game's MVP, shot 10-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-6 on three-pointers, and had four assists. McCants was 9-for-12 from the field and grabbed six rebounds.

Duke and North Carolina were the only schools represented by more than one recruit. The Blue Devils, who have to replace starters Jason Williams and Carlos Boozer, had four players - Redick of Roanoke, Va.; Shavlik Randolph of Raleigh, N.C.; Sean Dockery of Chicago, and Michael Thompson of New Lenox, Ill.

The Tar Heels, coming off the worst season in school history, had three players: McCants, of New Hampton, N.H.; Raymond Felton of Latta, S.C.; and Sean May, of Bloomington, Ind., the son of former Indiana star Scott May.

Bracey Wright of The Colony, Texas, who will play at Indiana, had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the West.

Earlier, in the inaugural McDonald's girls game, Ann Strother stood out among five recruits headed to play for NCAA women's champion Connecticut, scoring 21 points to lead the West to a 94-85 victory.

Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun

Original article found here:
http://www.sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.mcdonalds05apr05.story?coll=bal%2Dhs%2Dbbasketball

Box Score from McDonld's All American Game can be found: http://theinsidershoops.theinsiders.com/2/42693.html

We are announcing that our 17 & under Select Team will be attending the Houston SuperStars "Texas Classic" April 12th -14th. This is an Adidas sponsored and NCAA SANCTIONED event. Hundreds of Division I, II ,III and Junior College coaches will be attending.

This is the first major sanctioned event of the summer circuit and Baltimore Select will be taking the kids to show their talents against the best competition from throughout the country and to begin a successful summer for the kids to be seen by coaches at all levels.

Texas Classic Roster

Laronja Owens - PG/Annapolis HS, Gerald Brown - SG/Frederick Douglas HS, Tyler Smith - SG/Frederick Douglas HS, Jesse Brooks - PG/Archbishop Spaulding HS, Joshua Johnson - SF/Annapolis HS, Matt Stevenson - SF/Towson Catholic, Mike Popoko - SF/McDonogh HS, Richard Dorsey - PF/Frederick Douglas HS, Denard Abraham - C/Notre Dame Academy, Will Bowers - C/Archbishop Spaulding HS

Go to : http://www.houstonsuperstar.com/readme.eml and look under scheduled events

We are also proud to announce that our 16 & under team will begin their summer circuit at the Charlie Weber tournament @Villanova April 12th - 14th.

Charlie Weber Roster

Jordon Brown - PG/Woodlawn HS, Corey Davis - PG/McDonogh HS, Justin Drummond - SG/McDonogh HS, Keith Mallory - SG/Towson Catholic HS, Barry Jennifer - SF/Calvert Hall HS, Moe Martin - SF/Overlea HS, Alex White - PF/McDonogh HS, Erin Henderson - PF/Aberdeen HS, Cameron Goldberg - PF/McDonogh HS, Keith Goodie Jr - PF/Overlea HS, Jason Loughry - C/Archbishop Spaulding HS

Go to: http://www.charlieweberbasketball.com/ to get more information on tournament

3 Players of Year highlight Second Annual Charm City Challenge

Originally published March 24, 2002

Maryland men's basketball recruits John Gilchrist, Chris McCray and Nik Caner-Medley lead a U.S. All-Star team into Baltimore to play in the Second Annual Charm City Challenge tomorrow night.

Three All-County Players of the Year - Josh Boone of Carroll County, Tyler Smith of Baltimore City/County and Kevin Steenberge of Howard County - headline a Baltimore All-Star squad that will meet the U.S. All-Stars in the second game of the doubleheader at the Towson Center at Towson University.

The first contest, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will pit a Suburban All-Star team against a City All-Star squad.

Tickets, which are $10 for students and $15 for adults, can be purchased at the gate or by calling 410-605-9381.

Original article found here:
http://www.sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.charm24mar24.story?coll=bal%2Dhs%2Dbbasketball

(Kevin Steenberge)

Gerald Brown Getting Interest

By: Denny Conroy from Rival Hooop.com
Date: March 21, 2002

Gerald Brown, a 6-4 junior swingman for Baltimore City Champions Frederick Douglass High School has an early list of schools, according to Paul Bowden, his Baltimore Select AAU coach.

"He's getting recruiting by some Division I schools," said Bowden. "Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, Providence, Rhode Island, South Alabama, South Carolina, Syracuse, Towson and UMass have all come to see him play this year."

Brown impressed Rivals Hoops at the Maryland State Championships earlier this month. He had 21 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out five assists and had two steals in the Ducks 105-74 semifinal victory over Chopticon. In the finals, as Douglass completed a perfect 28-0 season, Brown had 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block in the 76-72 win over Gwynn Park H.S. from the Washington, DC, area.

Brown amazed the crowd at Cole Field House as he put Douglass up 50-40 near the end of the third period in what was a 'I don't know how he got that shot off' reverse layup while guarded by two Gwynn Park players. He is a very athletic player who can handle the muck in the paint and needs to do so for his H.S. squad since he's one of their tallest players on the floor.

"He's a legit 6-4 combo guard who can both shoot from behind the arc and take it to the hole," said Bowden. "His recruiting will pick up this summer because of his ability, but most of all because of his maturity on the court."

Brown is scheduled to attend the adidas ABCD camp this July in Teaneck, NJ.

Original article found here:
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=90189

Kevin Steenberge a 'ringer' among many as he earns Howard County Player of the Year.

03/21/02
by Matt Palmer

The Howard County Times boys All-County team, from left, Anthony Gaither, Mike Smelkinson, Andre Brooks, Kevin Steenberge, Jon Bacon and Eric Breland. by Francis Gardler
Before each game in his career at River Hill, Kevin Steenberge went through a quiet, simple ritual. The Howard County Times Player of the Year untied his shoelace and removed a Gannon College 1960 class ring. He handed the band to his coach, Brian Van Deusen, who then placed it in his shirt pocket where it would stay for the next four quarters.

It was a highly personal moment for Steenberge, who came into ownership of the ring after his grandfather, James Kingston, passed away three years ago.

"In every family, there's a person with whom you have a connection," Steenberge says. "My grandfather was that person for me."

Kingston earned his degree from the Erie, Pa., school while raising his family. He had always intended to go on to college, but served in the Pacific during World War II. He returned many years later to earn the degree.

"He was so proud of the ring," Steenberge said. "He took such good care of it. It really symbolized all his hard work."

If the ring serves to symbolize Kingston's dedication, it also might serve to symbolize the walking contradiction that is Kevin Steenberge.

At 6-11, Steenberge dominated Howard County basketball in leading his team to its first county championship. He averaged 24.8 points, 17.2 rebounds and 7.5 blocks a game this season. His mere presence in a game often caused opposing coaches to throw two, if not three players, at him, in hopes of stopping him. More often than not, the best laid plans went astray.

Yet, there's more to this giant.

"He's a very sensitive kid," his mother, Colleen Steenberge, says.

It's hard to argue the point. Off the court, the Richmond-bound Steenberge is extremely accessible and modest. He is president of the Student Government Association, a member of the National Honor Society (he carries a 3.8 grade point average), a participant in the Hawks for Books program that teaches elementary school children to read, and a volunteer on Sunday at St. Louis Church.

"If people see me as the All-American kid, I don't mind being that," Steenberge said.

But, he added, "I'm an 18-year-old kid. I am bound to make mistakes."

Mistakes have been few and far between for Steenberge, however.

Steenberge has never started a level of school in the same state as the last. He started nursery school in North Carolina, attended elementary school in New York, and middle school in New Jersey. When his family moved to Clarksville four years ago, he was ready to start his freshman year at River Hill.

"I had to start from scratch," Steenberge said. "I hoped it would work out. I didn't have anything to live up to when I moved here."

As a freshman, he was a 6-foot-2 kid who found more time playing goalie on the JV soccer team than basketball.

"I was riding the pine hard," Steenberge said of his year on the JV basketball team.

Over the next year, Steenberge said he rarely spoke.

"I did a whole lot of listening," he says.

He made the move to varsity the next season and scored 7.4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds a game. While extremely coordinated for his size now, coming into his own was not easy. But, his experience as a soccer goalie certainly helped.

"I think my hand-eye coordination is better because of my experience with soccer."

Ironically, he gave up soccer to concentrate solely on basketball. It paid off. He was named to the All-County First Team last season after he averaged 15 points, 15 boards, and 6.9 blocks.

After a stint on the star-studded Baltimore Select team and playing time against top competition in a tournament in Las Vegas, colleges like Dayton, LaSalle, St. Joseph's and Richmond came calling. He decided on Richmond, where he will start yet another level of school in a new state.

"I'll be starting over again in Virginia," Steenberge said. "But I will come back. I love this community. This is really where I became who I am."

Original article found here:
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=573&NewsID
=273429&CategoryID=744&show=localnews&om=5

Offense rules as boys City All-Stars outlast County All-Stars, 134-130. Douglas outstanding Seniors, Richard Dorsey and Tyler Smith steal the show, Smith leads all scorers and Dorsey wins MVP.

By Derek Toney
Special To The Sun
Originally published March 16, 2002

There were three speeds to last night's boys City/County All-Star Game: fast, faster and off the scales.

Defense was definitely left at the doors of the gym at the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex Campus, as the City All-Stars outlasted the County All-Stars, 134-130.

All-City/County Player of the Year Tyler Smith of Douglass led the City squad with 24 points and teammate Richard Dorsey added 21, earning Most Valuable Player Honors for his team. The 6-foot-8 center put on show with several blocks and slam dunks, including a windmill slam.

"I had to show off a little bit," said Dorsey. "I've been holding it in but I wanted to give the crowd something to cheer about."

The crowd was hardly disappointed. There were a combined 134 points scored in the first half alone.

The County All-Stars got within 121-119 with 4:05 left after a layup by Bernard Commodore of Franklin, but back-to-back dunks by Dorsey highlighted a 6-0 run to push the City squad ahead to stay.

Milford Mill's Tywann McCoy earned MVP honors for the County squad, scoring 26 points. Jerrell McNeil of county champion Randallstown added 19 and Owings Mills' Cameron Brown had 16.

Six members of Baltimore Select named to the All-Baltimore City/County basketball teams.

BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tyler Smith (Baltimore Select 2001-2002)

Douglass, senior

Smith's play exemplified the No. 1 Ducks this season: quick and powerful.

The 6-foot-2 guard led the area in scoring at 28.1 points per game for Douglass, which enjoyed its first perfect season at 28-0. He also led the team with 4.9 assists and 4.8 steals, taking over a game in crucial moments.

Against Philadelphia's Overbrook at the Basketball Academy Mixer at Coppin State, Smith scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the final quarter to rally Douglass to a 70-62 victory. His game-high 29 points helped Douglass defeat then-defending state champ and No. 3 Randallstown in the North region title game, ending the Baltimore County school's 35-game winning streak.

He scored in double figures in all but one game (nine vs. then-No. 1 Walbrook), including a season-high 50 against Franklin. A second-team All-City/County pick last season, Smith scored 54 points (19-for-29 shooting) to power Douglass past Chopticon of St. Mary's County and Prince George's County power Gwynn Park for the state title last weekend at Cole Field House.

Smith has been selected to a team of area standouts that will play against some of the nation's top senior prospects at the Charm City Challenge on March 25 at Towson Center. Georgetown, James Madison, Manhattan, Rhode Island and South Carolina are recruiting Smith.

FIRST TEAM

Gerald Brown (Baltimore Select 2000-2002)

Douglass, junior

Brown simply did whatever needed to be done this season for the city and state 3A champions. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 19.9 points, 4.9 assists and 4.8 steals. Against Walbrook, top-ranked at the time, Brown scored a game-high 31 points, but his assist on the game-winning basket sparked the Ducks' run to a perfect season.

Jaz Cowan (Baltimore Select 1998-2001)

McDonogh, senior

A second-team All-City/County selection last year, the 6-foot-7 center was the go-to guy this year for the Eagles (17-10). He averaged 17.6 points and 11.9 rebounds. A three-year varsity starter, he had 1,304 points and 735 rebounds. An All-MIAA A Conference pick by the coaches, Cowan is being recruited by Central, Dayton, George Washington and James Madison.

Richard Dorsey (Baltimore Select 2001-2002)

Douglass, senior

In his first year of organized play, Dorsey was an immovable force for the city champs. The 6-foot-8 post performer averaged 11.7 points, 12 rebounds and was an intimidator with 6.9 blocks per game and powerful dunks. He scored the winning basket in Douglass' 69-68 win over Walbrook that propelled the Ducks to the area's No. 1 spot. He has been selected to play for the Baltimore Metro All-Star team at the Charm City Challenge.

Gary Neal (Baltimore Select 2000-2001)

Calvert Hall, senior

Neal provided the spark Calvert Hall needed to make a run at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Catholic League titles. The LaSalle University-bound guard averaged 17.5 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Cardinals, who were second to Spalding in the MIAA A and Catholic League regular season. A second-team All-Metro pick last year, Neal was also an All-Catholic and MIAA A first-team selection.

James Taylor (Baltimore Select 2000-2001)

Dunbar, senior

Taylor was at the heart of another championship run by the Poets. A second-team All-City/County selection last season, Taylor averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 rebounds for Dunbar, whose bid to repeat as city champs was derailed by No. 1 Douglass. Taylor, who is being recruited by Hampton, North Carolina State and Tennessee, has been selected to play on a city all-star squad that will play in the Charm City Challenge.

Second team

Name School Class Position

Dwayne Birden Calvert Hall Senior Forward (Baltimore Select 2000-2001)

JuJuan Robinson Dunbar Senior Guard (Baltimore Select 2001)

Original article found here:
http://sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.mahoops14mar14.story?coll=bal%2Dsports%2Dhighschool

Three Baltimore Select players named to the 2002 All-Anne Arundel County basketball team.

Originally published March 14, 2002

BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laronja "eek" Owens (Baltimore Select 2002)

Annapolis, junior

Owens, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard, is the first in the illustrious history of Annapolis boys basketball to crack the 1,000 career points plateau as an underclassman.

The only All-County first-team repeater has scored 1,065 points in two seasons, leading the Panthers to two county titles and an overall record of 49-3, none of the losses to a county team.

"Laronja is one of the top three point guards we have ever had," said 25-year Annapolis coach John Brady. "He is very clever and very strong."

Owens uses his strength to drive the lane, creates and finishes, launches threes with 44 percent accuracy and plays relentless defense. A 51 percent shooter from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line, Owens led the Panthers in scoring with 608 points in 26 games for an average of 23.4 points.

In a 78-49 romp over Cardinal Gibbons, Owens had a career-high 47 points before being pulled early in the final period, and he set a county championship game record with 43 points in a 73-57 rout of Meade. He set season school records for free throws made (169) and attempted (209) in addition to leading the team in three-pointers (42), assists (6.1) and steals (47).

BOYS FIRST TEAM

Will Bowers (Baltimore Select 2001-2002)

Archbishop Spalding, junior

Second-team All-County last year, the 6-foot-11, 225-pounder emerged as a blue-chip center this season, drawing the attention of Maryland and several other Division I schools. Bowers averaged 12.2 points (47 percent from the field, 68 percent at the line), 6.0 rebounds and led the Cavaliers in blocked shots (61). He was named to both the BCL All-League and All-Tournament teams.

Josh "Zo" Johnson (Baltimore Select 2002)

Annapolis, junior

Considered to be one of the top rebounders to ever play for the perennial county power, the 6-foot-6 Johnson had 331 rebounds in 26 games (12.7 average). Johnson averaged 19.6 points a game for the No. 2 Panthers (25-1). The left-hander often dominated inside at center or forward, while teammate Laronja Owens took care of the outside to give the 3A East runner-up Panthers a potent 1-2 punch that will return next season.

Original article found here:
http://sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.arhoops14mar14.story?coll=bal%2Dsports%2Dhighschool

The awards continue to roll in for Baltimore Area's number one team for 2002 as they hit the big time and is recognized as one of the top teams in the country. The Douglas Ducks are ranked #40 in the country in the Sporting News final poll.

Original article found here:
http://www.sportingnews.com/hsbasketball/20020313/389814.html

Douglass finds perfection: 28-0, state title
No. 1 Ducks outlast Gwynn Park, 76-72

By Pat O'Malley
Sun Staff
Originally published March 10, 2002

COLLEGE PARK - Over the years, Baltimore's Frederick Douglass High School has looked back with pride on the achievements of such graduates as former Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, jazz master Cab Calloway and Kweisi Mfume, former congressman and current president of the NAACP.

Now, the 2001-02 Mighty Ducks basketball team has earned its place in the proud Douglass tradition, not to mention in Baltimore City's rich basketball history.

Yesterday in the boys Class 3A state final at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House, top-ranked Douglass outlasted Gwynn Park of Prince George's County, 76-72, to win its first state championship and lay claim to being the greatest team in school history.

Tyler Smith, Richard Dorsey and Gerald Brown combined for 59 points and 22 of the team's 36 rebounds as Douglass ran the table to finish with a 28-0 record.

Since Baltimore City public schools began participating in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association state tournament in 1992-93, Southwestern had held the top season record at 27-0 (1996-97) until yesterday.

"It's been an unbelievable season and our kids showed up to play in all the big games," said seventh-year Douglass coach Rodney Coffield.

Before playing under MPSSAA rules, which include a game limit, Bob Wade-coached Dunbar teams went 31-0 in 1982-83, and 29-0 in 1981-82 and 1984-85. Dunbar's 1991-92 team went 28-0 under Pete Pompey.

Completing a perfect season by beating highly talented Gwynn Park (24-3) was not easy, especially when go-to man Smith missed his first seven shots from the field.

The Mighty Ducks had just a 10-9 lead after the first period last night after ringing up 33 in the opening eight minutes Thursday on their way to a 105-74 semifinal romp over Chopticon.

"I was too anxious at the start; just had to chill and let the game come to me," said Smith, who lit up the arena in the second period with five three-pointers.

Smith, who had a game high 25 points, was 5-for-6 from three-point range in the second period to carry Douglass to a 35-18 lead. Gwynn Park closed the half with a dunk by Tariq Bond and a basket by Louis Hinnant, who led the Yellow Jackets with 20 points, to cut their deficit to 35-22.

"As Tyler clicks, we click," said Coffield, whose team led the rest of the way.

"We had to regroup. Tyler got going and Richard [Dorsey] made a couple monster dunks, blocked shots and started rebounding."

Dorsey, a 6-foot-7 center who is listed as a senior but has played only one year of organized basketball and could return, had 20 points and game-high totals of 12 rebounds and eight blocked shots in dominating the post.

"It seemed like every time I got a dunk, it gave us momentum," said Dorsey, a 17-year old transfer from New Foundation, which has no basketball program.

Dorsey had four dunks in the game. His alley-oop on a pass from Smith gave the Ducks their last two points of the first period. Another Dorsey alley-oop on a feed from junior point guard Dereck Brooks (nine points, three assists and two steals) gave Douglass a 48-34 lead with 2:20 left in the third period.

But the Yellow Jackets would not go away and cut it to 48-40 with 55 seconds left on three straight baskets by Hinnant.

Douglass answered with a 6-0 run to take a 54-40 lead into the final period. Dorsey opened the fourth with a big dunk and, halfway through, Douglass had a 65-50 lead.

But Gwynn Park then went on a 14-4 run to get within 69-64, those last points coming on a three-pointer by Edwin Davis.

"We were tired and were sagging on defense," said Dunbar senior Darryl Edwards (six rebounds, five steals).

"You work hard all year and the kids do all the things the right way; it's just a shame they had to lose," said Gwynn Park's 10th-year coach Steve Matthews, who has taken his team to the final three times and come up short by a total of eight points.

GWYNN PARK-Banks 16, Hinnant 20, Bond 7, Davis 9, Sesker 14, Hawkins 2, Quarles 4. Totals: 29 13-14 72.

DOUGLASS-Smith 25, G. Brown 14, Edwards 8, Dorsey 20, Brooks 9. Totals: 30 10-18 76. Half: D, 35-22.

Original article found here:
http://sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.3aboys10mar10.story?coll=bal%2Dhs%2Dbbasketball

Pocomoke unseats 7-time champ Dunbar
Defense fails No. 5 Poets; Byrd coaches 400th win, first state crown, 88-70

By Lem Satterfield
Sun Staff
Originally published March 10, 2002

COLLEGE PARK -- As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Dunbar's 88-70 Class 1A state championship defeat yesterday, Eric Lee, coach of the Baltimore City power, sat on the team bench and buried his face in his hands.

By contrast, there was little in the Pocomoke players' reaction to indicate that this was not meant to be. It was the first title for 25-year coach David Byrd, who celebrated his team's 14th straight victory on his 50th birthday. Yet he sat calmly, stoically looking straight ahead until allowing an emotional outburst during the post-game awards ceremony.

"It's my 400th career win, and it's a great victory, not only for Pocomoke, but for the entire Eastern Shore," said Byrd, whose Warriors (25-2) were playing in their 13th final four in school history and sixth in his tenure.

"This is going to sell a lot of newspapers in Ocean City tomorrow," Byrd said. "There are going to be a lot of people at home who are going to want to read about how we beat mighty Dunbar."

The Warriors' win denied fifth-ranked Dunbar (21-5) its eighth state championship, as the Poets entered the game with a 16-1 record in final four appearances -- last losing to Terrence Morris-led Thomas Johnson in the 1997 3A state title game.

Maurice Barksdale (23 points) came off the bench to lead the Poets, who were simply out-hustled and were out-rebounded 40-36. James Taylor scored 13 points -- five below his average -- and the Warriors limited JuJuan Robinson (18 ppg average) to six points. Dunbar's 6-foot-9 Michael Thompson had eight points and six rebounds.

Even Lee had to admire the poise of a team that started four juniors and one senior.

"They had a great strategy, they played good defense, and they executed it well," said Lee, whose Poets crushed Chesapeake of Baltimore County, 116-41, in Friday's semifinal. "They shot well from the field, and we didn't box out well under the boards, where their second effort hurt us."

JoVon Schoolfield, only 6 feet tall, led the Warriors with 29 points (including 6-for-6 free-throw shooting) and grabbed 10 rebounds. Eddie Miller, Pocomoke's second-tallest starter at 6-2, scored 26 points on 10-for-16 field-goal shooting and had 13 rebounds. Gerry Laws had 13 points, going 5-for-5 at the line, and TyRon Northam scored 10 points and had eight rebounds.

Miller scored 14 points in the first half, eight in the first period. His buzzer-beating jumper cleared the outstretched hands of Dunbar's 6-6 Chris Frederick for a 36-34 Pocomoke halftime lead. And Miller also beat the buzzer with a three-pointer for a 57-49 lead heading into the fourth period.

"They sank their shots, and they did a good job on us with the triangle-and-two," said Taylor. "We always thought there was a possibility of a comeback, but our defense hurt us. Of course, it's disappointing, but someone's got to win and someone's got to lose."

Pocomoke showed it meant business from the start, jumping out to an 11-2 lead. A 10-0 run by Dunbar, including two putbacks and a dunk by Thompson, gave the Poets a 12-11 lead. But the Warriors outscored the Poets 13-9 for a 24-21 lead entering the second period and never trailed again.

The crushing blow to Dunbar came in the third period, when the Warriors' penetration resulted in successive reverse layups by Miller, Schoolfield, Laws and Allen Justis -- all against Thompson, who was then replaced.

"Without their big man in there, we could take it inside more freely and we knew they couldn't hang with us," Miller said. "We were always able to feel like there was somebody open, and they just couldn't run with us after that."

DUNBAR --Hayes 6, Thompson 8, Taylor 13, Robinson 6, Barksdale 23, Roundtree 1, Waddy 6, Frederick 5, Garland 2. Totals 28 11-16 70.
POCOMOKE --Miller 26, Laws 13, Northam 10, Tull 8, Schoolfield 29, Justis 2. Totals 28 28-40 88. Half: P, 36-34.

Original article found here:
http://sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.1aboys10mar10.story?coll=bal%2Dhs%2Dbbasketball

Former Baltimore Select player, Doug Underwood, has a solid freshman year at Youngstown State.

Stats found when you open page below and scroll down to players name. http://www.ysu.edu/sports/teams/basketball/men/updates.pdf

Douglass settles issue against Randallstown
Ducks more than game in North showdown, 81-71

By Derek Toney
Special To The Sun
Originally published March 3, 2002

The anticipation for yesterday's Class 3A North Regional final between top-ranked Douglass and No. 3 Randallstown had been building since mid-January. With dozens of fans waiting outside the Douglass gym two hours before tip-off, the game was almost anticlimactic.

The Fab-Four do it again...the hunt for a State Championship continues Thursday at Cole Field House.

At the end, it was the Ducks who were left standing in the matchup of unbeatens, advancing to the 3A state semifinals with an 81-71 victory.

In breaking Randallstown's 35-game winning streak, Douglass (26-0) earned itself a meeting with Chopticon of St. Mary's County at 5 p.m. Thursday at Cole Field House in College Park.

The trip to the University of Maryland will mark the first for the West Baltimore school since 1994, when the Ducks made an unlikely run to the 3A title game.

Since assuming the area's No. 1 ranking in late December, Douglass has been a juggernaut. Yesterday, the Ducks put Randallstown on its heels in the opening half by building a 15-point lead, then repelled a third-quarter charge by the defending 3A state champion.

"It wasn't an excellent performance, but it was enough," said Douglass senior guard Tyler Smith. "We struggled a little bit with our shooting, but we played well on defense, and our offense came to us."

Smith led all scorers with 29 points, while junior guard Gerald Brown contributed 17. Junior guard Levi Stukes had 22 points, three rebounds and three assists to lead Randallstown (25-1).

After Randallstown scored seven straight points to take a 7-5 lead, Douglass took control, assuming a 43-26 lead after a layup by Derek Brooks late in the second quarter.

The Rams connected on four of their first five attempts to open the second half and pull within 45-36. Baskets by Stukes and Jerrell McNeil and a three-pointer by Brian McCray brought Randallstown to within 52-47 with 1:58 remaining in the third quarter.

But Douglass closed the quarter with an 8-1 run, capped by Dustin Miles' basket at the buzzer for a 12-point advantage.

Randallstown closed the margin to 71-64 with 2:12 left, but couldn't slow the surging Ducks. A dunk by Richard Dorsey (12 points, five blocks) and a three-pointer by Brown sparked a celebration by Douglass' fans as the Ducks took a 76-64 lead with 72 seconds left.

"I thought we gave it our best shot," said Randallstown coach Kim Rivers, "and they were still able to come out on top."

Original article found here:
http://www.sunspot.net/sports/highschool/bal-sp.3anorth0
3mar03.story?coll=bal%2Dhs%2Dbbasketball

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Four Area Kids Make ESPN's Best of 2002

http://espn.go.com/recruiting/s/010824toppoints.html

Carmello Anthony http://espn.go.com/recruiting/s/010824smforward.html

Kevin Steenberge http://espn.go.com/recruiting/s/010824centers.html

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