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Power forward averaged 12.5 rebounds per game signs with Washington Adventist

Posted by Michael Glick at Apr 11, 2013 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Thursday, April 11, 2013             
       

On April 4, Gwynn Park High School senior and 6-foot-6 power forward Ackhel Bazil signed his letter of intent to play for Washington Adventist University.

“I consider [Bazil] the top defensive post player in the [3A/2A/1A League],” Yellow Jackets coach Mike Glick wrote in an email. When listing off his stats, Glick mentioned Bazil’s 12.5 rebounds per game, 5.0 blocks per game and 8.5 points per game. He then added, somewhat jokingly, Bazil also had “one million altered shots.”

Despite the Yellow Jackets suffering somewhat of a down year during his senior season, Bazil, who was selected to the Prince George’s County Senior All-Star Game a few weeks back, still recorded five double-doubles and reached double-digit rebounds in 11 games. His season-high was 25 rebounds in a win over Fairmont Heights, which followed a 21-rebound performance in a three point loss to Potomac.

“I embrace it,” Bazil said of his role being primarily to dominate the glass and alter shots. “I like it. I love it.”

Washington Adventist finished the 2012-2013 season 9-19 and its leading rebounder amassed 121 total rebounds. Bazil said he was told that he is currently the “No. 1 power forward they were looking at” and that he should “play major, major minutes.” He guesses that he will likely start as a college freshman.

Bazil’s role, he said, would be “to rebound the basketball, block shots, play defense, and if I can get a shot off, then get a shot off.”

The Shock also looked into other local recruits such as John F. Kennedy’s Marcus Murray, a second-team All-Gazette selection in Montgomery County.

tmewhirter@gazette.net

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Oakland Mills overwhelms Gwynn Park in Maryland 2A South quarterfinal

Posted by Michael Glick at Feb 28, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

Oakland Mills overwhelms Gwynn Park in Maryland 2A South quarterfinal

By , Published: February 28

Oakland Mills junior Marvin Williams has worked on his dunking all season during practices, but until Thursday night, he’d never dared to attempt to throw one down in a game. When Williams broke into the open court in the third quarter of the Maryland 2A South quarterfinal against Gwynn Park, the timing suddenly seemed too perfect not to go for it.

With a Yellow Jacket in close pursuit the layup might have been the high-percentage play, but the guard rose for a right-handed slam that whipped the capacity crowd in his home gym into more of a frenzy.

Everything seemed to work for No. 9 Oakland Mills in a convincing 73-45 victory over Gwynn Park in Columbia. The Scorpions kept their unblemished record intact thanks to balanced scoring and a smothering defensive effort in a game they led by as many as 34 points. They will host Largo, which beat Marriotts Ridge, 70-63, in a region semifinal on Tuesday.

“I wanted to go up strong, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do,” said Williams, who finished with 12 points. “Then I was like, ‘We’re up and it’s the playoffs, so I’m going to try and dunk it.’”

The emphatic victory helped avenge some painful history for Oakland Mills, which remains the only undefeated public school team in the state.

Two years ago, the Scorpions won their first 25 games of the season before Gwynn Park beat them, 52-48, on the same floor in the region final. The Yellow Jackets eliminated the Howard County school three straight years starting in 2009, twice with a state tournament berth on the line.

None of the current Oakland Mills players were around for any of those games, but 2010-11 All-Met Player of the Year Greg Whittington, now a Georgetown sophomore, was in attendance and briefly addresses the team at halftime.

“I didn’t talk much about [the history] because they don’t know,” Oakland Mills Coach Jon Browne said. “They don’t have a care in the world. They don’t think anyone can beat them, and I don’t want to burst their bubble.”

Indeed, Oakland Mills (22-0) left little doubt this time, building its advantage during the middle quarters. Gwynn Park (13-11) converted just one field goal in the second quarter as the Scorpions broke the game open with an 18-4 run.

Seniors Lavon Long (11 points) and Dajuan Dent (12 points) were both strong inside offensively and helped protect the basket on the other end.

Though the outcome had long since been decided, the Oakland Mills students, some of whom began lining up outside the school nearly two hours before tip-off, still exploded onto the court to celebrate at the final whistle.

“We’ve been working for two weeks as hard as we can every day, looking forward to this game and it really paid off,” said Long, a Loyola (Md.) recruit. “There’s not much I can say because I assumed we would do this.”

Gwynn Park senior Jalen Harris scored 19 of his game-high 22 points in the final quarter.

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Notes: Oakland Mills vs. Gwynn Park (2A South)

Posted by Michael Glick at Feb 28, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

Notes: Oakland Mills vs. Gwynn Park (2A South)

Mike WenigMar. 01Game Recaps, Postseasonno comments

As the lone undefeated team remaining in Maryland, the expectations are high for Oakland Mills in Class 2A. Considered a favorite for a trip to Comcast Center for the state semifinals and finals, the Howard County champs will have to come out of their 2A South region unscatched.

The Scorpions their journey towards Comcast Center with a dominant 73-45 win over eighth-seeded Gwynn Park on Thursday night, moving to 23-0 behind 15 points from Deshawn Willis.

Marvin Williams hit the first two shots of the game (both three pointers) for the Scorpions, who did not trail at any point in this regional quarterfinal victory.

Oakland Mills extended the top of their zone defense nearly to half court, forcing turnovers while challenging the Gwynn Park guards to drive. On the few occasions that the Yellow Jackets were able to get by Oakland Mills’ first line of defense, forwards Lavon Long and Dajuan Dent were ready and able to alter and swat away layup attempts.

Loyola signee Lavon Long is leading Oakland Mills as they attempt to make a run at the 2A state title.

Loyola signee Lavon Long is leading Oakland Mills as they attempt to make a run at the 2A state title.

The Scorpions only allowed 20 points through three quarters and were able to force their up-tempo style of play upon the Yellow Jackets, who repeatedly tried to slow the pace to no avail.

Junior guard Marvin Williams provided the highlight of the night with a breakaway dunk, sending the capacity crowd into a frenzy and ending any hope Gwynn Park had for a comeback. The Yellow Jackets did not go down without a fight as they managed to score 25 points in the fourth quarter, 19 of which came from senior lead guard Jalen Harris (who did not start).

Oakland Mills will look to extend their season next Tuesday as they take on Largo in the 2A South regional semifinals. Randomly selected as the No. 13 seed, the Lions have won both of their opening games on the road–at No. 12 Marriotts Ridge in the regional quarterfinals and at No. 4 Central in the 1st round.

TOP SCORERS
OM- Willis 15, Dent 12, Williams 12, Long 11, Bradley 6, Reyna 6
GP- Harris 22, Bazil 9, Martin 6, Hines 4, Pegram 3

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • Lavon Long can do it all for Oakland Mills. The lefty forward can bring the ball up against the press, make crisp skip and outlet passes, as well as shooting the three or scoring from in the paint. Pair Long with Dent in the high-low game and the Scorpions have a deadly combination thanks to Dent’s midrange game. A Loyola (Md.) signee, Long is excellent against a zone defense, where he can drive or find open teammates from the high post.
  • Dajuan Dent originally struggled to see his 15 foot jumper fall but got back on track and finished with 12 points. Dent was a monster blocking shots, including a series where he smacked a lay-in attempt off the glass and trailed the fast break to tip in a missed layup for the Scorpions. One thing to watch with Dent is foul trouble, as he fouled out with 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter in this one. Gwynn Park’s Ackhel Bazil (more on Bazil below) and Isaiah Martin could match up with Dent size-wise, which was a likely reason for his foul problems despite the fact that he got the best of the duo overall.
  • Jalen Harris had a courageous finish in a game that had been decided for over a quarter, coming up with 19 points in the fourth quarter. He was fouled with 5 seconds remaining and began cramping up but the senior limped to the line after a significant delay to take his final free throws. Harris did not start and appeared to be favoring one leg all night, leaving many shots short but still finishing with a game-high 22 points.
  • Ackhel Bazil was the only offense Gwynn Park had early, coming away with six first quarter points off of just putbacks, hitting the boards hard against Long and Dent. Bazil matched up well with Dent’s athleticism and provided a tough matchup down low due to his size and leaping ability. The senior has loads of raw talent but could not come up with regular baskets on the block that could have kept the Yellow Jackets close when they were struggling for offense.
  • Oakland Mills didn’t play a spotless game, going 8-for-14 from the foul line and turning the ball over regularly as they pushed the pace. Guards Nekhi Bradley and Marvin Williams can be great in transition but at times aren’t careful enough with the ball despite being a bit underrated at their positions. Bradley and Williams will be key components to the Scorpions winning a state title if they can continue to lighten the load on Dent and Long while taking advantage of and controlling fast break opportunities.

————-
Mike Wenig is a featured contributor for MDHoops.net

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Georgetown’s Greg Whittington watches Oakland Mills eliminate Gwynn Park

Posted by Michael Glick at Feb 28, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

Georgetown’s Greg Whittington watches Oakland Mills eliminate Gwynn Park

Posted by Eric Detweiler on March 1, 2013 at 12:25 pm

Former Oakland Mills standout Greg Whittington, seen here in a 2011 loss to Gwynn Park, provided his former squad some inspiration for Thursday's playoff victory over the Yellow Jackets. (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)

Former Oakland Mills standout Greg Whittington, seen here in a 2011 loss to Gwynn Park, provided his former team with some inspiration for Thursday’s playoff victory over the Yellow Jackets. (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)

Oakland Mills Coach Jon Browne didn’t bother with a history lesson before Thursday’s Maryland 2A quarterfinal against Gwynn Park. None of the current Scorpions had ever played against the Yellow Jackets, so as the veteran coach prepared the area’s last unbeaten team for its playoff opener, he thought it best to stay in the present.

Ninth-ranked Oakland Mills squashed any thoughts of an upset early in its emphatic 73-45 victory, and when it was over, the students still spilled onto the court to celebrate.

At 6-foot-8, Greg Whittington rose above the swarm, but really, he fit right in. The 2010-2011 All-Met Player of the Year wore a wide smile as he made the rounds, dispensing high-fives, hugs and pats on the head. The Georgetown sophomore never played with any of these Scorpions, but he clearly took pride from their performance against Gwynn Park, the team that ended each of his final three seasons at the Columbia school.

“He’s still a little kid, man, to me,” Browne said. “He’s a gym rat. He comes around a lot and makes his presence known because this place is special to him. He’s a program guy.”

Whittington, who is currently academically ineligible to compete for the Hoyas, had Oakland Mills in a similar position two years ago when he averaged 23.5 points per game and shot 60 percent from the field. The Scorpions won their first 25 games that season, only to fall to Gwynn Park, 52-48, in the region final.

Recent series history between Oakland Mills and Gwynn Park

YEARROUNDWINNERSCORE
2009 Maryland 2A QF Gwynn Park 66-50
2010 Maryland 2A Final Gwynn Park 79-75
2011 Maryland 2A South Final Gwynn Park 52-48
2013 Maryland 2A South QF Oakland Mills 73-45

A Georgetown starter relegated to scout team duties for now, Whittington arrived around tip-off for the teams’ fourth meeting in five years. He watched from the wall underneath one basket with former teammates Isaiah Allen and Evan Hopkins on Thursday.

Perhaps the most celebrated basketball recruit to come out of a Howard County public school in more than two decades, Whittington accompanied Oakland Mills into the locker room at halftime and briefly addressed the team.

“He was here in the same program as us with the same coach,” said senior Lavon Long, a Loyola (Md.) recruit. “In a way, we kind of did it for him because they didn’t get that win [against Gwynn Park] two years ago.”

Now 23-0, Oakland Mills advances to play Largo in a region semifinal on Tuesday. The Scorpions have not made the state tournament since 2001.

Brackets: Follow the Maryland playoffs from regions to the state finals

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Oakland Mills boys basketball breaks through against Gwynn Park

Posted by Michael Glick at Feb 28, 2013 4:00PM PST ( 0 Comments )

Oakland Mills boys basketball breaks through against Gwynn Park

Scorpions make statement in 2A South playoffs; Long Reach, Marriotts Ridge fall in region quarterfinals

Oakland Mills vs. Gwynn Park

Oakland Mills' Nekhi Bradley, left, and Deshawn Willis, top, battle Gwynn Park's Evan Joiner for the ball. (Staff photo by Jen Rynda / February 28, 2013)

By Brent Kennedy, bkennedy@patuxent.com

9:30 a.m. EST, March 1, 2013

It was a fitting end to a perfect night. Oakland Mills senior Devin Hunter’s 3-pointer from the wing as time expired hit nothing but net, the Scorpions’ overflow crowd began spilling onto the floor and a celebration five years in the making broke out.

For an Oakland Mills program that had been patiently waiting for another shot to get over the Gwynn Park hump in the playoffs, Thursday night’s emphatic 73-45 2A South quarterfinal win in front of a sold-out gym was everything it could have hoped for.

“That’s a statement win for this team and for me, personally, it’s especially huge,” said Oakland Mills coach Jon Browne, who had lost to the Yellowjackets three straight years between 2009 and 2011. “We needed a game like this against a team like that … I couldn’t be more proud of these guys for their effort tonight.”

Oakland Mills (23-0), which remains the only undefeated public school team left in the state of Maryland, ended up being led by four guys scoring in double figures. Deshawn Willis led the way with 15, followed by Dajuan Dent (12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks), Marvin Williams (12 points) and Lavon Long (11 points, 12 rebounds).

The win advances the Scorpions into a semifinal match-up with Largo on Tuesday.

For Gwynn Park (13-11), Jalen Harris led the way with a game-high 22 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter. By the time he got going, though, the game was well in hand.

In front of a capacity crowd that had filled the gym nearly an hour before tip-off, Oakland Mills came out firing. Williams hit two deep threes in the opening minute to quickly stake the Scorpions to a 6-0 advantage.

“It was really important to get the crowd involved (early) and it made the momentum go up more and more … I was just really feeling it in the pre-game warm up,” Williams said.

Browne said those early points, which ended up giving Oakland Mills a lead it never surrendered the rest of the night, was key to settling the team’s nerves.

“That set the tone, got the fans into it … two absolutely huge shots by him,” Browne said. “From there, we just methodically kept widening the lead after that.”

Oakland Mills was up 13-8 after the first quarter and then really separated itself in the second. Behind a smothering defense that held Gwynn Park to just one field goal in the second quarter, the Scorpions opened up a 28-12 lead at the half.

“We couldn’t score … we struggled against their zone, got down and had to play from behind. That wasn’t where our game plan was,” Gwynn Park coach Michael Glick said.

Things didn’t get much better in the scoring department for the Yellowjackets after intermission, as they mustered just eight points in the third quarter.

“They weren’t shooting the ball well, so we kind of packed it in a little bit more and forced them to take those jumpers,” Browne said. “Their penetration against the zone, I’ve seen it, is incredible at times. We just really wanted to limit that.”

And while Gwynn Park was sputtering, Oakland Mills took advantage.

During a four-minute stretch in the middle of the period, Oakland Mills rattled off a 15-2 run that opened up the team’s first 30-point lead of the night. Included in that game-sealing push was a fast-break dunk by Williams that brought the crowd to its feet.

Oakland Mills went up by as many as 36 points, 61-25, at one point in the fourth quarter before emptying the bench. The 73 points ended up as the second most points Gwynn Park has allowed all season

“We’d beaten them three years in a row in the playoffs, so of course they’re going to be inspired,” Glick said. “We knew we were going to get their best shot … they’re undefeated for a reason.

“All credit goes to them, I thought they played an exceptional game.”

While the victory over the Yellowjackets was certainly big, Browne was careful afterward to point out that this is just the first step in what he hopes is a lengthy postseason run.

We’ll enjoy this one tonight, but we’ve got to come back and do it all again against Largo — another very formidable opponent,” Browne said. “There can’t be a let down, we have to keep going up. This time of year, if you’re not getting better every night, you’re going home.”

Oakland Mills 73, Gwynn Park 45

OM (23-0): Willis 15, Dent 12, Williams 12, Long 11, Bradley 6, Reyna 6, Hunter 3, Kiely 3. Madden-Stricker 3, Zayatz 2.

Oakland Mills vs. Gwynn Park boys basketball [Pictures] Oakland Mills vs. Gwynn Park boys basketball [Pictures]

GP (13-11): Harris 22, Bazil 9, I. Martin 6, Hines 4, Pegram 3, Joiner 1.

Half: 28-12 OM.