News and Announcements

Post Author Picture

Terps Offer Spalding's Bowers

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 22, 2002 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
by Bill Wagner staff writer Capital Gazette - 07/20/02 Maryland has formally offered a scholarship to Archbishop Spalding center Will Bowers and the developing 7-footer may commit to the reigning national champions next month."Will is leaning heavily toward Maryland, but will not make a final decision until he unofficially visits Maryland next month' according to his high school coach Mike Glick........
Post Author Picture

Cavs Out of Season, Not Out of Shape

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 17, 2002 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Cavs Out of Season, Not Out of Shape Spalding Shines in Summer Leagues By Heather A. Dinich Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, July 18, 2002; Page AA16 It didn't matter that Spalding's Will Bowers was absent for the Cavaliers' recent summer league basketball game against Southern Maryland Athletic Conference powerhouse Lackey at Gwynn Park High School. Even with its top player missing and a team consisting of bench players and junior varsity athletes, Spalding easily handled the Chargers, 83-57. With and without their veterans, the Cavaliers have been consistent winners in two of the area's toughest summer leagues. Entering the week, Spalding was 7-3 in the Nike Swoosh League, which features tough competition mainly from Prince George's County, and 5-3 in the highly competitive Ban the Brick League, with includes local powers DeMatha and O'Connell. The Cavaliers gave DeMatha its first regular season summer loss in three years -- again without Bowers -- and are in playoff contention in both leagues. Although months removed from the regular season, Spalding is showing signs that it can compete with some of the best teams in the area. Still, Coach Mike Glick said winning is secondary in the summer. "We're worried about player development," said Glick, who led the Cavaliers to the combined Baltimore Catholic League/Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference regular season and tournament championships last season. "It gives the players an opportunity to play together, and in basketball, the more you play together the more you can learn each other's games and define roles on the team. Secondly, it gives our players an opportunity to see where their weaknesses lie and what they need to work on from August until November." Spalding's junior varsity team also won the MIAA title last season but doesn't have much experience playing against older athletes. Sophomore Lawrence Dixon, a 6-foot-4 small forward, is using the summer to ease his transition to the varsity level. "For me, personally, since I'm young, it helps me develop my leadership skills and my overall game," Dixon said. "It makes our bench a lot stronger during the regular season." According to assistant coach Ralph Burley, who coaches Spalding in the Nike Swoosh League, playing in two leagues gives the players a chance to face different styles of basketball. "At St. Albans [site of the Ban the Brick League], the kids are bigger, they run more, and the teams have more set plays," Burley said. "Gwynn Park is more up and down the court, more physical than some of the stuff at St. Albans. "One of the advantages [to playing in both leagues] is size. St. Albans, you can get a couple of 6-9, or seven-footers, and at Gwynn Park, the tallest guy might be 6-5, 6-6. Each league brings something different." Some Spalding players look for even more variety. Bowers, a senior center, and junior guard Jesse Brooks also compete for the Baltimore Select team. "If I didn't play, I'd lose everything," said Brooks, who is working to take over the leadership role vacated by recent graduate Landy Thompson. "It also gives me a chance to play with the new guys. The chemistry is better. We get a feel for each other during the summer. When the season comes around, we're just rolling." Sophomore Marquis Sullivan, last year's leading scorer on the junior varsity team with an average of 19.5 points per game, also plays for the 15-and-under AAU Baltimore Stars. "Summertime is essential because he's had so much success against players his own age," Glick said. "Playing against older players gives him a chance to recognize some of his limitations and what he needs to work on for next season." In most cases, the absence of one player benefits another. Bowers' commitment to other teams has given Spalding junior Jason Loughry more playing time. "My game has improved a lot," said Loughry, a 6-11 center. "Skills-wise, I'm a lot better. [When I get] the ball a lot, that gives me confidence because I know the team believes in me." © 2002 The Washington Post Company
Post Author Picture

2002 Varsity Summer Schedule/Results

Posted by Michael Glick at Jul 15, 2002 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Here are the 2002 Archbishop Spalding Varsity Summer Basketball Schedule/Results: Locations: Nike Swoosh Summer League held at Gwynn Park High School (Brandywine,MD). Ban the Brick League held at St. Albans High School (Northwest, DC). DC board games held at American University (Northwest, DC). Schedule/Results: WON May 28 vs Calvert + 24 @ Nike Swoosh WON June 9 vs Laurel + 19 @ Ban The Brick Won June 10 vs Central + 11 @ Nike Swoosh Won June 12 vs Largo + 21 @ Nike Swoosh Loss June 15 vs Hayfield (VA) - 12 @ Ban The Brick Loss June 18 vs Friendley -14 @ Nike Swoosh Loss June 20 vs Fairmont Heights - 1 @ Nike Swoosh WON June 22 vs G-town Prep + 12 @ Ban The Brick WON June 23 vs DeMatha + 3 @ Ban The Brick WON June 24 vs Southern + 1 ot @ Nike Swoosh Loss June 30 vs Coolidge - 13 @ Ban The Brick WON July 1 vs Suitland + 7 @ Nike Swoosh WON July 2 vs Lackey + 29 @ Nike Swoosh WON July 3 vs Bowie + 4 @ Nike Swoosh ----------------------------------------------------------- July 7-11 Spalding's Rising Juniors & Seniors Will Attend Eastern Invitational Camp in Treton, NJ..... Will Bowers will Attend ABCD Addidas Camp in Teneck,NJ...... ----------------------------------------------------------- Loss July 13 vs Paul VI -19 @ Ban The Brick WON July 16 vs Northern + 17 @ Nike Swoosh WON July 19 vs Lake Braddock (VA) + 8 @ Ban The Brick Loss July 20 vs O'Connell (VA) - 7 @ Ban The Brick Loss July 21 vs Gonzaga (DC) - 21 @ Ban The Brick -------------------------------------------------------- Playoffs Begin Sat July 27 in the Nike Swoosh League Playoffs Begin Sun July 28 in the Ban the Brick League ---------------------------------------------------------
Boys basketball: Spalding, Annapolis join forces By CRAIG ANDERSON, Staff Writer It's official -- Archbishop Spalding will travel to Annapolis on Feb. 3 next season for a showdown between two Baltimore metropolitan area boys basketball powerhouses. The long-awaited matchup is set for a Monday at 7:30, typically a quiet night in the winter high school schedule. Fans from across Anne Arundel County should be in for a treat. Annapolis assistant coach Dale Chambers worked with Spalding head coach Mike Glick to work out a date and time for the event. "I'm not from the area, but from my first day at Spalding the feedback I've gotten is that people want to see Annapolis and Spalding play basketball," Glick said. "This is a chance for two of the best teams in the Baltimore area to play each other." Both sides agreed to play the game later in the season as a tuneup for their respective private and public school playoffs. "If you're going to play tough games, you might as well do it when all your (strategic) stuff is in and you know where you're going with your season," Annapolis coach John Brady said. "The only real time to play this game was late in the schedule." The programs vied for top spots in media polls during the past few years, but never met on the court for a firm conclusion. County champion and Class 3A East runner-up Annapolis (25-1) concluded last season ranked second in the Baltimore metro poll, and Spalding (29-7) was fourth after winning the Baltimore Catholic Leage/MIAA regular season and tournament titles. In 1999, a charity game for the Dick Hart Scholarship Fund matched Spalding against a team of public school all-stars. "We had a decent crowd for that, considering it came together late and was played on a Saturday afternoon," Brady said. "Obviously playing on a slow night in the schedule should help attendance this time." Annapolis returns county player of the year guard Laronja Owens and all-county forward Josh Johnson. Spalding features 7-foot all-county center Will Bowers and 6-11 junior Jason Loughry, plus starting point guard Jesse Brooks. "The players want the game, and it should generate some interest in the area," Brady said. "We wanted to play it on a night when as many people as possible could see it if they wanted." Right now, the teams are scheduled to play only next season. "From our perspective we'd like to play (Annapolis) every year if it can be worked out," Glick said. Brady said his team is still looking for a game to fill out the upcoming 2002-03 schedule. Published May 31, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright © 2002 The Capital, Annapolis, MD
Post Author Picture

Spalding senior commits to Mount St. Mary's

Posted by Michael Glick at Apr 4, 2002 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )
Prep notebook: Spalding senior commits to Mount St. Mary's By KEVIN BRADFORD, Staff Writer Archbishop Spalding senior Landy Thompson, a first-team All-County boys basketball pick, verbally committed to Mount St. Mary's yesterday. Thompson, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged a team-high 14.4 points per game and added 3.3 assists in leading the Cavaliers to a sweep of the Baltimore Catholic League regular-season and tournament championships. The Germantown resident and Newport Prep transfer was also a defensive force, as he locked down first-team All-Catholic League guard J.J. Outlaw (Mount St. Joseph) and Catholic League Player of the Year Matt Tanner (St. Maria Goretti) to key Spalding's third Catholic League Tournament title in four seasons. His defense was a big reason he was named Most Valuable Player of the Catholic League Tournament championship game, while he was also chosen to the All-Tournament team at the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational. Spalding coach Mike Glick thinks Mount St. Mary's has landed a recruiting steal in Thompson, who is the ninth Cavalier to earn a Division I college basketball scholarship in the past five seasons. "It's very, very unique to find someone who shoots as well as he does, is athletic as he is, and is an exceptional defensive player all in one. Those combinations are a hard commodity to find," Glick said. "I think in my 10 years as a high school head coach and having over 45 players play in college and 17 at the Division I level, he's the biggest steal for any college team. I really mean it. He has tremendous upside." Thompson is a full academic NCAA qualifier with a 990 Scholastic Assessment Test score and a 3.3 grade point average, Glick said. Thompson will ink his national letter of intent during the signing period, which runs April 10-17. "It's a great fit for him academically, athletically and socially. It's a Catholic school like Spalding, and he also likes the size and location. It's exactly 45 minutes away from Germantown. He has a close-knit family, so it's convenient for them," Glick said. "He has a chance to compete for a starting spot immediately. He felt comfortable with the school and Coach (Jim) Phelan. That's where he wanted to go. It's a great situation. I think he'll have a very good career." Thompson took an official on-campus visit to the Emmittsburg school March 23-24 and made his decision before taking visits to Robert Morris and Stony Brook this week. He was also offered scholarships by Morgan State and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Glick said Thompson would have had more offers had he not missed the key open recruiting period last July due to a broken thumb. In other recruiting news, Glick said Florida State offered a scholarship Tuesday to Spalding 6-foot-11 junior center Will Bowers. Glick said newly hired Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton will come to Spalding tomorrow to watch Bowers work out. Glick said national champion Maryland, Florida, Texas, Stanford and Purdue are all expected to visit Spalding to watch Bowers work out in the coming weeks.