-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Thomas MDVarsity.com Magazine Staff April 15, 2004 MDVarsity traveled to Spalding last week and went one on one with superstar Rudy Gay. Parts of the interview will be seen on Sunday's Washington Post High School Sports Show as we make Rudy our Featured Student Athlete. We covered a wide variety of topics with Rudy. Here's Part 1: MDV: How’s life? Rudy: Life’s been good. There’s a lot of people who couldn’t do some of the things that I’ve accomplished. I’m just happy to be one of those people. If I had a chance to retrace my steps, I would do it again. MDV: What’s the best thing about playing basketball? Rudy: I think its meeting new people. Getting to go against new people and then after that, meeting them. MDV: You’re a people person? Rudy: Yes. MDV: Your mom says you’re somewhat shy. Rudy: I’m not the type of person that would start a conversation. MDV: Whether you want it or not, though, what you do on the court demands attention. Rudy: I just try to be active on both ends of the court and that’s gotten me attention. I’m comfortable with it. With that also comes if you don’t produce, people talk about it. You have to keep going out there. Keep working on your game. MDV: Do you think you’re a good player? Rudy: I’m my worst critic. I always think I can get better. Some people think I do things well, but I don’t think I do them too good. MDV: Well then, what drives you? Rudy: Love of the game. I like to feel as though I get better at something. MDV: Even when people are heckling you? Saying things like “The Rudy Show is over! (laugh)” Rudy: (smile) Stuff like that makes me play harder. I want to prove people wrong. I’ve been proving people wrong all my life. MDV: Two years ago you made the decision to come here (Spalding). I’m not breaking any news to you when I tell you that transferring is controversial. Rudy: It was tough at first, people here at Spalding took me in. MDV: People think the worst though. You know that, right? Rudy: Yes. It turned out pretty well. People here helped me out a lot. I came here in seek of help with academics and I think that’s what I got. MDV: How would you compare your old school- Eastern Tech- to Spalding? Rudy: It’s a big difference. Coming from public school going to a private school. There’s so much you have to get adjusted to, but I think I needed it. That’s why I came here. It’s so different. I really can’t compare it. Eastern Tech is a good school, but more a school for a person that can do a lot of things on their own. I think I needed more structure. Its kind of tough seeing your friends and sometimes they’ll get out of school and we don’t. Stuff like that. I think I made a good decsion. MDV: Were your friends supportive? Rudy: They were pretty much supportive. They were just for whatever helped me. Some felt as though I should’ve stayed, some felt as though I should have gone. But I guess they all know now that it was a good decision. MDV: If you were to look into your Crystal Ball and Rudy had never transferred, would everything be the same or would things be different? Rudy: That’s a good question. I think about that every now and then. I don’t think things would be exactly the same, but knowing me, I’d try to work hard to make it like it is now. MDV: I first saw you as a sophomore at Eastern Tech, playing at Cole Field House. One thing I know is different about you is your body. You’ve really developed. Rudy: When I got here, what was different from being from a public school to a private school, they stress weight lifting a lot more. I came here and they locked me in the weight room. When I got here, I gained 20 pounds. MDV: How much could you bench when you got here? Rudy: (laugh) I don’t even want to say this on TV. It was 125- no, 135. MDV: Struggling? Rudy: Yes MDV: Now? Rudy: 220 MDV: How has your new found strength helped you as a player? Rudy: Its easier to go through fouls. It’s easier to keep my shot up. Its easier to keep on shooting my shot consistently and jumping higher. MDV: How much more disciplined have you become as a student? Rudy: As a student? I’ve become a lot more disciplined. Being here, you have to do your work or else you don’t play or you don’t do other school activities. MDV: I’m sure it’s a totally different culture or vibe in this building… Rudy: Everybody that’s here is here for a reason. They didn’t just come because it is another level in their life. They came here because they want to do good in academics. They don’t just pay their money because just to come to school. If you’re around people that want to do their work, you can do your work. MDV: How far is the commute every day for you? Rudy: It is 30 minutes. MDV: So what time do you have to wake up every day to get here? Rudy: Probably about 6. I’m a late sleeper. I should get up earlier. MDV: Next year when you wake up, you don’t have to shower before going to class. Just throw a hat on. Rudy: I didn’t say that, you did (laugh). MDV: Did you start high school with certain goals and have you achieved them? Rudy: I set my goals high. That’s the only way you can reach them. You set your goals high, you can be successful. From the time I started playing basketball, I wanted to be a McDonald’s All-American. I wanted to be the Player of the Year in the Sun and the Post. I just wanted to do everything to succeed. Everybody in my family played athletics and stuff like that, so I just wanted to be one of them. MDV: What’s next? Rudy: National championship in college. MDV: Well, they (U.Conn) got one this year. Rudy: It’s going to be tough. People will expect a lot out of us. Me and A.J.(Price)- another person that’s going to Connecticut. MDV: Is there a goal beyond college? In Part II of One on One with Rudy Gay, we'll pick up right where we leave you off here- playing professionally and when that might happen.

High School Basketball By RON SNYDER, Staff Writer If St. Mary's wants its boys basketball program to be spoken of in the same breath as its boys lacrosse program the Annapolis school took a step in the right direction with the hiring of Josh Pratt as its new head coach on Wednesday. Pratt, 32, is a teacher at St. Mary's who has spent the last five years as an assistant to Mike Glick at Archbishop Spalding. A former college basketball player at Montgomery College and Division II Newberry College (S.C.), Pratt was also an assistant with Glick while he was at Pallotti in Laurel. At St. Mary's, Pratt, who replaces Roger Reed, inherits a program which is currently a polar opposite from Spalding. While Spalding won the MIAA A Conference tournament and advanced to the Baltimore Catholic League finals, St. Mary's finished with a 7-18 record last season in the less-competitive MIAA B Conference. The year before, the Saints won the B Conference title with a 24-7 record. "I'm excited about finally getting the chance to run my own program," said Pratt, who lives in Crofton. "The challenge right now is to get to know the players who are on the team right now. "I don't want to compete with other sports at the school, but I want the basketball team to be as good as the lacrosse program is. My goal is to eventually get the program into the A Conference. Pratt said he plans on bringing a lot of what he learned under Glick to St. Mary's. "I want to play up-tempo with a lot of zone pressing and aggressive man-to-man defense," Pratt said. "I think the kids here are great and have the potential of being good on a consistent basis." Published April 09, 2004, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright © 2004 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

Washington Post Boys' Player of the Year Rudy Gay, Spalding, F, Senior, 6-9 A McDonald's All-American and Baltimore Catholic League player of the year, the highly recruited Gay has signed with Connecticut. Averaged 21.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.1 assists per game to lead the 12th-ranked Cavaliers (29-8) to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title. 2003-04 Winter All-Met Section © Copyright 2004 The Washington Post Company

Marvel From Maryland “I never saw anyone improve as much between their junior and senior seasons as Rudy Gay,” says Coach Mike Glick of Archbishop Spalding in Severn, Md. In a game against St. Frances Academy, the 6-foot-9 forward scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for a 75-71 road win. He improved on his junior year average of 13.9 points to score 21 points and block 6 shots a game as a senior, adds Glick, “despite constant double-team defenses.” Rudy plans to attend Connecticut. Meet PARADE's All-America High School Boys Basketball Team Published: April 4, 2004 First Team (Name, School, City, Height) Sebastian Telfair - Abraham Lincoln - Brooklyn, N.Y - 6'0" Shaun Livingston - Peoria Central - Peoria, Ill. - 6'6" Al Jefferson - Prentiss - Prentiss, Miss - 6'10" Dwight Howard - S.W. Atlanta Christian - Atlanta, Ga. - 6'11" Joshua Smith - Oak Hill Academy - Mouth of Wilson, Va. - 6'8" Glen Davis - University Lab - Baton Rouge, La. - 6'8" Rudy Gay - Archbishop Spalding - Severn, Md. - 6'9" Darius Washington - Edgewater - Orlando, Fla. - 6'1" Marvin Williams - Bremerton - Bremerton, Wash. - 6'9" Malik Hairston - Renaissance - Detroit, Mich. - 6'6" Second Team LA Marcus Aldridge - Seagoville - Dallas, Tex. - 7'0" Jordan Farmar - Taft - Woodland Hills, Calif. - 6'2" Daniel Gibson - Jesse Jones - Houston, Tex. - 6'3" Joseph Crawford - Renaissance - Detroit, Mich. - 6'4" DeMarcus Nelson - Sheldon - Sacramento, Calif. - 6'3" Robert Swift - Bakersfield - Bakersfield, Calif. - 7'1" J.R. Smith - St. Benedict's - Newark, N.J. - 6'6" Jawann McClellan - Charles H. Milby - Houston, Tex. - 6'5" Ronald Steele - John Carroll Catholic - Birmingham, Ala. - 6'3" Rajon Rondo - Oak Hill Academy - Mouth of Wilson, Va. - 6'2" Third Team Arron Afflalo - Cantennial - Compton, Calif. - 6'5" Monta Ellis - Lanier - Jackson, Miss. - 6'4" Jason Horton - Cedar Hill - Cedar Hill, Tex. - 6'2" Greg Oden - Lawrence North - Indianapolis, Ind. - 7'0" Louis Williams - South Gwinnett - Snellvill, Ga. - 6'2" Randolph Morris - Landmark Christian - Fairburn, Ga. - 7'0" Richard Hendrix - Athens - Athens, Ala. - 6'9" Michael Williams - Wilcox Central - Camden, Ala. - 6'9" Jason Rich - Dr. Phillips - Orlando, Fla. - 6'3" Josh Shipp - Fairfax - Los Angeles, Calif. - 6'5" Fourth Team D.J. White - Hillcrest - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - 6'8" Cedric Simmons - West Brunswick - Shallotte, N.C. - 6'9" Gabriel Pruitt - Westchester - Los Angeles, Calif. - 6'4" Toney Douglas - Jonesboro - Jonesboro, Ga. - 6'4" Corey Brewer - Portland - Portland, Tenn. - 6'8" Russell Robinson - Rice - New York, N.Y. - 6'2" Drew Neitzel - Wyoming Park - Wyoming, Mich. - 6'1" A.J. Ratliff - North Central - Indianapolis, Ind. - 6'2" Tasmin Mitchell - Denham Springs - Denham Springs, La. - 6'7" Robert Vaden - Bridgton Academy - No. Bridgton, Maine - 6'5"

BALTIMORE SUN FINAL BOYS BASKETBALL POLL Originally published March 16, 2004 Boys basketball 1. Mount St. Joseph 29-6 2. Archbishop Spalding 29-8 3. Dunbar 23-2 4. Douglass 20-5 5. Woodlawn 22-4 6. St. Frances 26-7 7. Cardinal Gibbons 27-7 8. Glen Burnie 23-3 9. Southern-B 21-4 10. Lake Clifton 19-5 11. Walbrook 19-5 12. Towson Catholic 21-12 13. Randallstown 20-6 14. Aberdeen 18-7 15. Lansdowne 21-4 16. McDonogh 16-13 17. Bel Air 21-3 18. Severna Park 18-8 19. Wilde Lake 19-6 20. Long Reach 19-5 FINAL STATE OF MARYLAND TOP 25 POLL WEEK 18: FINAL RANKING RANK TEAM RECORD LAST WEEK 1. Montrose Christian High School/Rockville, MD 25-4 1 Season Outlooks: National Association of Christian School Champions. Season Completed!!! (Tie)1. Friendly High School/Ft. Washington, MD 25-2 2 Season Outlooks: Prince George's County Champion & Maryland Class 2A State Championships!!! TSeason Completed. 3. Mount. St. Joseph/Baltimore, MD 29-6 3 Season Outlooks: Baltimore Catholic League Regular Season & Tournament Champions Season Completed 4. Riverdale Baptist High School/Upper Marlboro, MD 23-6 6 Season Outlooks: National Independents School Tournament Champions Season Completed!!! 5. National Christian Academy/Ft. Washington, MD 27-3 5 Season Outlooks: Beltway League Champion Season Completed!!! 6. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING HIGH SCHOOL/SEVERN, MD 29-8 7 Season Outlooks: MIAA Tournament Champions & Baltimore Catholic League Tournament Runner-Up. Season Completed 7. Paul L. Dunbar High School/Baltimore, MD 23-2 8 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 1A State Champions Season Completed!!! 8. Frederick Douglass High School/Baltimore, MD 20-5 9 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 3A State Champions Season Completed!!! 9. Northwestern High School/Hyattsville, MD 17-9 10 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A Champions Season Completed!! 10. Springbrook High School/Silver Spring, MD 24-4 4 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A Runner-Up. This Week: Season Completed!!! 11. Woodlawn High School/Woodlawn, MD 22-4 11 Season Outlooks: Baltimore County Champions & Maryland Class 4A Semi-Finalist. Season Completed!!! 12. Cardinal Gibbons High School/Baltimore, MD 27-7 12 Season Outlooks: MIAA Runner-Up. Season Completed!!! 13. Col Zadok Magruder High School/Ft. Washington, MD 22-3 13 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A West Regional Finalist!!! Season Completed!!! 14. Saint Frances Academy High School/Baltimore, MD 26-7 16 Season Outlooks: One of the Top team in Baltimore Catholic League Season Completed!! 15. Gwynn Park High School/Brandywine, MD 21-6 20 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 3A State Runner-Up Season Completed!!! 16. Lansdowne High School/Lansdowne, MD 21-4 18 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 2A State Runner-Up Season Completed!!! 17. Georgetown Preparatory High School/North Bethesda, MD 19-5 17 Season Outlooks: IAC Runner Up Season Completed!!! 18. James H. Blake High School/Silver Spring, MD 20-4 14 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A State West Semi finalist Season Completed!!! 19. Glen Burnie High School/Glen Burnie, MD 23-4 19 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A Semi-Finalist Season Completed!! 20. Oxon Hill High School/Oxon Hill, MD 19-4 15 Season Outlooks: Prince George's County Runner-Up & 4A Runner Up Season Completed 21. Southern High School/Baltimore, MD 21-4 21 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 1A North Regional Finalist Season Completed!!! 22. Walbrook High School/Baltimore, MD 19-5 22 Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 4A North Regional Finalist Season Completed!! 23. DeMatha Catholic High School/Hyattsville, MD 19-11 23 Season Outlooks: One of the WCAC top teams Season Completed 24. James M. Bennett/Salisbury, MD 25-2 NR Season Outlooks: Maryland Class 2A Semi-Finalist Season Completed!!! 25. Eleanor Roosevelt/Greenbelt, MD 19-6 24 Season Outlooks: Maryland 4A South finalist Season Completed!!! T25. Lake Clifton/Baltimore, MD 19-5 22 Season Outlooks: Season Completed!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------- THE WASHINGTON POST FINAL TOP 20 BOY'S BASKETBALL POLL Tuesday, March 23, 2004 1 Friendly(25-2) The Patriots were champions of Prince George's County -- over teams such as Maryland 4A champion Northwestern and 3A runner-up Gwynn Park -- and the state's 2A classification. Didn't lose after Dec. 29, a 19-game winning streak. Last: 1 2 Northwestern(17-9) Maryland 4A champion 2 3 Montrose Christian(25-4) National Assoc. of Christian Schools champion 3 4 Potomac (Va.)(29-1) Virginia AAA finalist 4 5 Springbrook(24-4) Maryland 4A finalist 5 6 Magruder(22-3) Maryland 4A West finalist 6 7 Cardozo(16-8) City Title champion 10 8 O'Connell(30-4) WCAC champion, City Title finalist 11 9 Oxon Hill(19-4) Prince George's 4A champion 7 10 National Christian(27-3) Beltway League champion 8 11 St. Albans(22-5) IAC co-champion 9 12 ARCHBISHOP SPALDING (29-8) MIAA A CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS/BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE RUNNER-UPS 12 13 Gwynn Park(21-6) Maryland 3A finalist 13 14 Glen Burnie(23-4) Maryland 4A East champion 14 15 Hylton(17-7) Virginia AAA semifinalist 15 16 Hayfield(25-2) Virginia AAA quarterfinalist 16 17 Blake(20-4) Maryland 4A West semifinalist 17 18 Gonzaga(19-8) WCAC finalist 18 19 Herndon(24-2) Virginia AAA Concorde District champion 19 20 Eleanor Roosevelt(19-6) Maryland 4A South finalist 20 © 2004 The Washington Post Company