Junior's 11-point 2nd half lifts Cavaliers; senior gets 21 points, 13 rebounds By Derek Toney Special To The Sun Originally published December 10, 2003 Most of the crowd at last night's Woodlawn-at-Spalding boys basketball game might have come to get a glimpse of Cavaliers All-America senior forward Rudy Gay. But it was Marquis Sullivan who stole the show. The junior guard scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half as the No. 5 Cavaliers rallied to defeat the No. 12 Warriors, 58-51, in the season's first meeting of top-20 teams. "I thought Marquis gave us a huge spark offensively and defensively," said Spalding coach Mike Glick. " ... He's a testament to hard work and fortitude." Gay, a returning first-team All-Metro player, was a force with a game-high 21 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots for the Cavaliers (1-0). Senior forward Jason Goode led Woodlawn with 16 points, and Lance Fuller scored 11. The Warriors, looking to unseat Randallstown in Baltimore County and make a run at the 4A North region title, led by as many as eight points late in the third quarter, but Spalding rallied to pull even at 43 after a three-pointer by Sullivan and two free throws by Gay. A rebound and ferocious dunk by the Connecticut-bound Gay pushed Spalding ahead 48-43 with 6:49 remaining. Woodlawn cut it to 52-49 after a three-point play by Jordan Brown. But the Cavaliers spread the court, and Sullivan blew past the Warriors' defense for a layup with 1:19 left in regulation. With Gay likely facing double and triple teams this winter, Spalding will need performances like Sullivan's if it hopes to hold up during a tough December schedule that includes a trip to the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina. "He's going to get doubled, and we have to hit our shots," said Sullivan, a reserve last season. "This was my first big game, and I felt comfortable out there with my teammates." The Warriors took a 14-9 lead with a patient half-court offense and 6-for-11 shooting. The Baltimore County school led 18-11, with Fuller and Brandon Carr combining for 14 points. Woodlawn gained its largest advantage of the first half at 22-14, converting an offensive foul against Cavaliers guard Justin Castleberry into a basket by Goode. In less than 12 minutes, Spalding had 11 turnovers. Gay seemingly brought the Cavaliers out of their malaise, following a miss by Castleberry with another hard dunk for a three-point play. The Cavaliers went on an 8-0 run to pull even at 22 with 3:06 left in the half. A three-pointer by Sullivan helped Spalding gain its first lead, 27-26, with 35 seconds remaining, but a rebound and follow shot by Goode gave Woodlawn the advantage heading into halftime. The Warriors opened the second half with a 6-0 run to lead 34-27, and later extended it to eight on a three-pointer by Fuller. But Woodlawn went scoreless for nearly five minutes toward the end of the third quarter, then continued to falter in the fourth quarter. "We made a few mental mistakes in the fourth quarter, and against a good team like Spalding, you can't do that," said Warriors coach Eddie Green. Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery

By BILL WAGNER Staff Writer Maryland Capital Gazette For Rudy Gay and his Spalding teammates, it was nice to focus on just playing a basketball game. So much attention had been given to Gay's summer-long recruitment and subsequent fall signing with Connecticut, it threatened to obscure the fact he's a 17-year-old trying to enjoy his senior season of high school. Gay's dramatic rise to likely McDonald's All-American and NBA prospect has overshadowed the other Spalding players, many of whom are quite talented in their own right. Gay proved he's every bit as good as the hype, while Spalding showed it's a team and not just a superstar with supporting cast in edging Woodlawn, 58-51, last night in the season opener for both teams. Despite double- and triple-teaming throughout, Gay scored 21 points on a mixture of jumpers, dunks and free throws. The long-armed 6-foot-8 leaper was a real stat sheet stuffer with 13 rebounds, six blocked shots, four steals and three assists. The bouncy, high-flying athlete threw down three dunks - a pair of emphatic two-handers off offensive rebounds and a spectacular one-handed tomahawk following a steal in the backcourt. Yet Gay wasn't the sole reason Spalding rallied from an eight-point third quarter deficit. Junior guard Marquis Sullivan, a seldom-used reserve last season, showed he is ready to assume a more significant role by scoring 16 points. Senior point guard Jesse Brooks battled a severely sprained ankle to score nine points and provide floor leadership. DeMatha transfer Justin Castleberry had a decent debut with nine points and played some hard-nosed defense. "We know Rudy is going to get a lot of defensive attention. When teams double Rudy, it leaves the rest of us open. We need to knock down our shots," said Sullivan, who used his speed and quickness to break down defenders and get to the basket. Power forward Jason Goode - a Division I football prospect as a 230-pound defensive end - scored 16 points to lead Woodlawn, which grabbed control from the outset and led for most of three quarters. A four-point play by guard Keith Mallory helped the visiting Warriors build an eight-point lead early in the third quarter. Gay ignited his team with the steal and dunk and wound up scoring seven points down the stretch to help the Cavaliers forge a 43-43 tie entering the final quarter. Sullivan stepped up in the final period, finishing a pair of fastbreaks and beating his man off the dribble during a semi-stall for another layup. Gay jammed home an offensive rebound, blocked a shot and dished off two assists during a 9-2 run that gave Spalding a 52-45 lead with 3:21 left in the game. "I thought the key player was Marquis Sullivan. He came off the bench and gave us a huge lift, both offensively and defensively," Glick said. "I also thought our sophomore, Johann Jones, stepped up strong. I was proud of how resilient our guys were." Glick knew his squad, ranked No. 3 in the Baltimore metro area, had dodged a bullet. He had high praise for Woodlawn, which is loaded with athletes and has the look of a Class 4A state championship contender. "We wanted to come out and match their intensity and emotion ... I thought we did that and were able to stay in the game until the fourth quarter," Woodlawn coach Eddie Green said. "We had the lead, had Spalding right where we wanted. I'm disappointed we weren't able to finish it off." Spalding showed some rust, the result of not being able to play in a season-opening tournament due to the weekend snowstorm. "In 11 years of coaching, I've never had such a long preseason," Glick said. "Our guys were very anxious to play. I could tell they all had a lot of butterflies." Gay's selection of Connecticut over Maryland produced a firestorm of controversy and media scrutiny unwanted by either the player or the program. Glick had grown so tired of answering questions about Gay's recruitment that his usual refrain had become: "I just want to coach my team." The fifth-year Spalding coach was reluctant to address the topic again last night, even when asked the rather benign question about whether it was nice to put the recruiting issues behind and get down to the business of playing games. "You work hard in the off-season in order to be able to play well in the games. It was great to get out there and show that all the hard work has paid off," Glick said. It was obvious last night from the way he soared high over others on the court for rebounds, dunks and blocks that Gay is a rare talent. Green believes the blue-chipper's presence is felt more on the defensive end through the threat of blocked shots. "Every time you go to the rack, you think about Rudy. That's how he changes the game," Green said. Woodlawn (0-1) 18 10 15 8 _51 Spalding (1-0) 11 16 16 15 _48Woodlawn (51) Brown 3 3-4 9, Mallory 1(1) 4-5 7, Carr 4 0-0 8, Goode 6 4-4 16, Fuller 5(1) 0-0 11. TOTALS: 19(2) 11-13 51. Spalding (58) Gay 6(2) 7-10 21, Brooks 4(1) 0-0 9, Castleberry 2 5-6 9, Galinat 0 1-2 1, Cornell 1 0-0 2, Sullivan 7(2) 0-0 16. TOTALS: 20(5) 13-18 58. Published December 10, 2003, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright © 2003 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

Washington Post Preseason Top 20 BOYS' BASKETBALL December 3, 2003 1. Friendly (25-1) • Defending Maryland 3A champion has 6-6 All-Met F Sam Young (18.0 ppg) and G Chris Howard (11.9 ppg). 2. Montrose Christian (20-1) • Big man Linas Kleiza (now at Missouri) led Mustangs last year, this year it should be 6-6 PG Churchill Odia (Xavier) 3. Gonzaga (27-5) • Last year's City Title winner will look to G Stanley Hodge and F Antwan Harrison this season. 4. SPALDING (26-7, 7) • Cavaliers might have the area's top player in Rudy Gay; PG Jesse Brooks is a three-year starter. 5. Oxon Hill (22-3) • Clippers have been in the Maryland 4A final four times since 1998, winning in 2000 and 2003. 6. O'Connell (25-5) • Even with late-summer loss of F Brian Johnson (Oak Hill/Louisville), Knights will be tough to beat. 7. Magruder (22-4) • Colonels have been in state tournament three straight years and have four of their top five scorers back. 8. Northwestern (14-6) • Wildcats have impressive size, led by 6-9 F Jeff Green (13.2 ppg), who's signed with Georgetown. 9. Hayfield (23-4) • Two transfers join G Jason Evans on a team considered to be the AAA Northern Region favorite. 10. St. John's (14-11) • F Dwayne Anderson (Villanova) should spark Cadets. 11. Springbrook (18-6) • G Folarin Campbell (26.3 ppg) is one of two returning All-Mets. 12. Herndon (26-4) • Scott Reynolds and Brad Farrell give Hawks an elite backcourt. 13. Dunbar (23-6) • Randy Hampton steps in for graduated All-Met Tre Kelley. 14. Glen Burnie (19-6) • Maryland 4A East champion has G Mitch Guest (22.4 ppg) and 6-7, 320-pound C Branden Albert (11.2 ppg) back. 15. Potomac, Va. (21-6) • Panthers have made states six times in last nine years. 16. H.D. Woodson (20-6) • Coach Keino Wilson has talented group for his final season. 17. Georgetown Prep (20-6) • Little Hoyas are big when it comes to frontcourt players. 18. Eleanor Roosevelt (10-15) • Raiders should reverse recent regular season struggles. 19. Potomac School (22-4) • MAC champion has 6-10 senior C Peter Prowitt (Stanford) back. 20. South Lakes (26-6) • Virginia AAA runner-up has one of area's top coaches, Wendell Byrd. Copyright 2003 The Washington Post Company

Baltimore Sun Boys Basketball Preseason Top 20 Originally published December 5, 2003 1. Walbrook Last season: 16-8, ranked No. 12 With a wealth of experienced players led by junior Velmar Coleman, the Warriors are the team to beat in the city and 4A North. 2. St. Frances Last season: 20-7, No. 11 Few teams, if any, combine the quickness and experience of the Panthers. 3. Lake Clifton Last season: 20-5, No. 4 The Lakers' strength is the sterling backcourt of Paris Carter and Chester Frazier. 4. Mount St. Joseph Last season: 29-5, No. 3 The defending BCL regular season and tournament champs have enough returning firepower led by Will Thomas, Brian Johnson and Leroy Mack to make another run. 5. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING Last season: 26-7, No. 6 It's a matter of how fast the somewhat unproven cast around Rudy Gay and Jesse Brooks develops for the Cavaliers to regain their BCL title of two years ago. 6. Dunbar Last season: 25-2, No. 1 Hit hard by graduation, the defending Class 1A state champion Poets, who have eight state titles since 1993, expect to rebuild around 6-7 Barry Jenifer. 7. McDonogh Last season: 25-5, No. 9 The sharpshooting trio of Justin Drummond, Jon Brick and Corey Davis makes the Eagles a strong contender in the MIAA A Conference. 8. Douglass Last season: 21-3, No. 7 With Jermaine Bolden, Anthony Baglin and Troy Smith, the Ducks are ready to return to glory. 9. Cardinal Gibbons Last season: 17-11, No. 19 The Crusaders are off to a 3-0 start that includes a 76-73 win over DeMatha this week. 10. Annapolis Last season: 23-2, No. 5 The Panthers are the winningest team in the area over the last five years at 120-8. 11. Glen Burnie Last season: 19-6, No. 10 The team is led by high scoring Mitch Guest and 6-7 center Brandon Albert, plus Southwestern transfer Delayne Nelson. 12. Woodlawn Last season: 14-7, unranked The flashy backcourt of Lance Fuller and Keith Mallory make the Warriors the Baltimore County team to beat. 13. Calvert Hall Last season: 14-16, unranked The Cardinals get help from transfers in 6-7 Ryan Hournihan from Dulaney and Mike Newton from Glen Burnie. 14. Randallstown Last season: 22-2, No. 2 The Rams are in a rebuilding mode, but who better than coach Kim Rivers to keep it going. 15. Towson Catholic Last season: 11-16, unranked The Owls have sufferred through two losing seasons but that should change this season with an experienced group. 16. Southern-Balto. Last season: 14-9, No. 20 Building around Jerrell Green, the Bulldogs have quickness they hope will translate into a run at Dunbar in the 1A South. 17. Long Reach Last season: 19-5, No. 16 With a returning backcourt of Mike Smelkinson and Jared Bradford, the Lightning is expected to be Howard County's top team. 18. Aberdeen Last season: 15-7, unranked The trio of Erin Henderson, Shawn Lewis and Phillip Brown should get it going. 19. Westminster Last season: 11-11, unranked Five returning starters, including Ryan Carr (13.0 pts.) and Brandon Costley (10.0), make the Owls the team to beat in Carroll County. 20. Lansdowne Last season: 14-8, unranked This could be the year the Vikings make a run at the Baltimore County 2A/1A title and possibly the 2A North. Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery

11/18/2003 - Updated 10:17 PM ET USA TODAY Boys basketball regional rankings Preseason rankings, Nov. 19, 2003 National East Region Rankings 1. St. Anthony, Jersey City (21-5) 2. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (26-4) 3. Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md. (20-1) 4. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (26-1) 5. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (31-4) 6. Rice, New York (19-8) 7. Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech (23-5) 8. Our Savior New American, Centerreach, N.Y. (31-7) 9. Cardinal Dougherty, Philadelphia (24-4) 10. ARCHBISHOP SPALDING, Severn, Md. (26-7) South 1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (31-4) 2. Edgewater, Orlando (34-2) 3. Mason County, Maysville, Ky. (35-2) 4. Dudley, Greensboro, N.C. (22-6) 5. Provine, Jackson, Miss. (26-5) 6. Milby, Houston (29-7) 7. Hightower, Missouri City, Texas (34-3) 8. White Station, Memphis (36-2) 9. John Carroll, Birmingham, Ala. (36-0) 10. Florida Air Academy, Melbourne, Fla. (29-0) Midwest 1. Rufus King, Milwaukee (25-0) 2. Peoria (Ill.) Central (31-1) 3. Renaissance, Detroit (21-4) 4. Aurora (Ill.) West (25-3) 5. Moeller, Cincinnati (23-4) 6. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (21-3) 7. St. John's, Toledo, Ohio (21-5) 8. Pike, Indianapolis (29-0) 9. Denby, Detroit (20-2) 10. Poplar Bluff, Mo. (26-4) West 1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (35-2) 2. Westchester, Los Angeles (32-3) 3. Rainier Beach, Seattle (26-3) 4. Dominguez, Compton, Calif. (15-5) 5. Fairfax, Los Angeles (28-4) 6. Timpview, Provo, Utah (23-2) 7. Cleveland, Reseda, Calif. (19-7) 8. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (21-6) 9. Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood, Calif. (29-7) 10. Durango, Las Vegas (22-9) Rankings by USA TODAY's Christopher Lawlor.