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by Gary Adornato (MIAA Website- October 17th) Archbishop Spalding graduate Will Bowers officially begins his college basketball career tonight when he takes the floor with his University of Maryland teammates for Midnight Madness before what will be a full house at Maryland’s Comcast Center. Viewed as a “project,” when he signed with the Terps last winter, Bowers has been impressive in preseason scrimmages and some Maryland insiders believe the 7’-0” center will see significant time, in a reserve role, as a true freshman. Late last season, Bowers became a more aggressive scorer around the basket and displayed outstanding touch as a perimeter shooter. Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams loves big men that can shoot from the outside, because it forces his opponent to come out front to defend, creating more interior space for Maryland’s famed motion offense. Also attending Midnight Madness this evening will be Spalding senior sensation Rudy Gay. Gay, ranked among the nation’s top ten basketball recruits, is taking his official visit to College Park this weekend and has reportedly narrowed his choices down to Maryland and Connecticut. Gay, a 6’-8” forward with incredible leaping ability, may make an announcement regarding his college choice as early as next week.
October 9, 2003 MDVarsity Drops in On Pre-Season All-Star Game by James Quinn MDVarsity.com Magazine Staff Spalding's Rudy Gay is One of the Most Terrific Kids You'll Meet On or Off the Court He is the state's top player and Terp fans are salivating at the thought of seeing him do his thing on a regular basis at Comcast Center. MDVarsity.Com scouted the Third Annual preseason BCL All-Star Basketball game in Severn, MD, on Sunday afternoon (at Spalding). Jim Quinn is our eyes and ears on the scene. Jim is the highest rated high school basketball reporter on the board. He has a keen eye for talent, a wicked sense of humor and a lethal pen. His cross-over move of crossing his "t" has yet to be stopped. The all star game format provides for an underclassmen preliminary game with the main event featuring the best BCL seniors. Each BCL school gets to place three or four players in each of the games. A large crowd was on hand, in part, to see 6'8" 215 pound senior superstar forward Rudy Gay of the host Spalding Cavaliers. The brilliant quickside forward, who is the object of an intense recruiting battle between Maryland and Connecticut, did not disappoint the fans. Rudy had 13 points (on 6 of 12 field goal shooting, 1 of 3 behind the three point arc), 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals. He threw down three on the blocks, the most spectacular a two-handed reverse dunk off of an “alley-oop” pass from Cardinal Gibbons guard Ken Hasbrook. Gay led the “Black Team” to a 68-60 win over the “White Team”. Several of Rudy’s baskets came on assists from point guard Jesse Brooks, his teammate both at Spalding and with the AAU Cecil Kirk team. Here are brief updates on some other seniors who played in the main game: • Jason Loughry, a 6'11" 225 pound center from Spalding who has played AAU ball in the past with both Baltimore Select and Cecil Kirk, was the starting center for the “White Team”. Loughry did not score, but had a game high 5 blocked shots. Loughry recently verbally committed to St. Mary’s and Coach Milan Brown. Loughry will join former Spalding Cavaliers Landy Thompson and Gus Durr at The Mount. Loughry hopes to get major minutes at Spalding this year after backing current Terp freshman Will Bowers for two seasons. • Will Thomas, a 6'7" 220 pound forward from defending BCL champion Mt. St. Joe’s. Will recently committed to George Mason where he will be part of a tremendous recruiting class that will include Springbrook guard Folarin Campbell and Laurel guard John Vaughn. We almost didn’t recognize Thomas with his new haircut (having cut his rather significant ‘fro since last season). Thomas had (unofficially) only 4 points, but he did a pretty good defensive job for the “White Team” as he had to check Rudy Gay most of the game. • Ken Hasbrook, a 6'2" guard from Cardinal Gibbons who handles and passes the ball well enough to probably project as a “combo guard” - depending on the level of Division One college that he selects. Hasbrook is strong, athletic, and excels in the up-tempo game. We spoke to him briefly after the game and he indicated that he is hearing from Wagner University and some other D-I colleges. • Gordon Brown, a 6'3" small forward from St. Frances who will likely project as a wing guard in college. Though he sports a headband and long ‘dreds, Brown’s game is strictly old school and hard nosed. He did convert one three point attempt and flushed one breakaway dunk, but he mostly garnered attention for his intense, aggressive defense, his willingness to battle bigger foes on the boards, and for taking the ball to the rim with authority. One of the Spalding assistant coaches told us that he thinks that Brown is one of the most unheralded, and toughest, players in the BCL. We had Brown for (unofficially) 11 points and 5 rebounds. Brown told us after the game that he expects to switch to wing guard in college. Brown said he is hearing from James Madison, Hampton Institute, and some D-II colleges and junior colleges. Regardless of the level of college that he attends, he is a very good and very effective high school player. THE UNDERCLASS GAME: In the preliminary game, the BCL Underclass “Team One/Blue” beat the BCL Underclass “Team Two/White”, 77-61. The leading scorers were as follows: “Team One/Blue”: Pat O’Connell (Loyola), 17 points; Darron Edwards (St. Frances), 14 points; Joey Speirenburg (St. Maria Goretti). 11 points; Marlin Johnson (MSJ), 10 points; Courtney Johnson (MSJ), 9 points; and Justin Castleberry (Spalding), 7 points. “Team Two/White”: Ken Perry (Towson Catholic), 12 points; George Neville (Loyola), 8 points; RaShawn Alexander (St. Frances), 8 points.
Published by The HOOP SCOOP, Inc., P.O. Box 37122, Louisville, KY Copyright 2003 HOOP SCOOP'S RANKING OF THE NATION'S TOP 445 SENIORS (CLASS OF 2004) Published on August 27, 2003 Rank Player Height Class Position Hometown (High School) State College 1. Dwight Howard 6'11 2004 PF Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA 2. Al Jefferson 6'9 2004 C Prentiss (H.S.) MS Arkansas 3. Shaun Livingston 6'6 2004 PG Peoria (Central) IL 4. D.J. White 6'9 2004 C Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL Indiana 5. Josh Smith 6'9 2004 WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA Indiana 6. Marvin Williams 6'9 2004 PF Bremerton (H.S.) WA North Carolina 7. Malik Hairston 6'6 2004 WF Detroit (Renaissance) MI 8. RUDY GAY 6'8 2004 PF SEVERN (ARCHBISHOP SPALDING)MD 9. Sebastian Telfair 6'0 2004 PG Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY Louisville 10. Daniel Gibson 6'3 2004 PG Houston (Jones) TX Texas ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 Pre-Season Top 100 from TheInsiders.com By Dave Telep, Tracy Pierson August 26, 2003 Here's our pre-season list of the Top 100 high school prospects in the United States: 1 C Dwight Howard (SW Atlanta Christian) Atlanta , GA 6-10/225 2 PG Shaun Livingston (Peoria Central) Peoria , IL 6-7/175 3 PF Al Jefferson (Prentiss) Prentiss, MS 6-9/265 Arkansas 4 PF/SF Marvin Williams (Bremerton) Bremerton, WA 6-8/205 North Carolina 5 SF Josh Smith (Oak Hill Academy) Mouth of Wilson, VA 6-8/210 Indiana 6 PF Lamarcus Aldridge (Seagoville) Dallas , TX 6-11/225 Texas 7 C Robert Swift (Highland) Bakersfield , CA 7-0/230 Southern Cal 8 PG Sebastian Telfair (Lincoln) Brooklyn, NY 5-11/165 9 SF Malik Hairston (Renaissance) Detroit, MI 6-6/185 10 SF/PF RUDY GAY (ARCHBISHOP SPALDING) SEVERN, MD 6-8/210 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Boys basketball: Loughry heads to Mount

Posted by Michael Glick at Sep 6, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
By CRAIG ANDERSON, Staff Writer Published September 06, 2003, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright © 2003 The Capital, Annapolis, Md. While one Spalding boys' basketball player has decided on a Division I college, another is still sifting through offers. Long on potential and short on statistics, 6-foot-11, 225-pound center Jason Loughry has committed to play at Mount St. Mary's in 2004-05. Loughry averaged one point and less than a rebound a game last season backing up Maryland-bound Will Bowers. "The Mount said I would play immediately and I didn't want to go to a school where I would sit the bench for two or three years," said Loughry, who also considered Bucknell, Rice and Furman. After a standout summer camp season, 6-8 all-county swingman Rudy Gay has scheduled visits to Maryland and Connecticut, and will meet with coaches from eight schools overall from Sept. 13-18. Others being considered include defending national champion Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova, Clemson, St. John's and Georgetown. After meeting with all the coaches, Gay may schedule one or two more visits. He's also on the radar screen of National Basketball Association scouts. Prep coach Mike Glick said Odenton resident Loughry had a chance to succeed at the Northeast Conference school, though the progression might take time. Loughry averaged 1.5 blocks per game in limited playing time, and is considered a solid defender and rebounder who needs to develop offensive skills. "Jason still needs to get stronger, but he'll get there," Glick said. "He'll have the opportunity to play but they won't come in and expect him to be the savior." Loughry, who scored a 1,200 on his SAT and will study business in college, joins Spalding products Landy Thompson (point guard) and Gus Durr (small forward) at the Emmitsburg school. "It was the perfect choice for Jason," Glick said. "Academically, it's a small setting and the proximity to home suits his family. The Northeast Conference is traditionally a guards league, so he has a chance to make a mark with his size as a big man." ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Mike Glick interviewed by Terrapin Times

Posted by Michael Glick at Sep 3, 2003 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Today as TT caught up with Archbishop Spalding Coach Mike Glick to discuss the recruitment of his 6-8 star forward Rudy Gay and his visits with Maryland. We also touched base about his other D-1 college bound seniors, Spalding’s tough 2003-2004 schedule, how 7-foot Spalding grad Will Bowers is adjusting as a freshman at Maryland and Glick’s prediction for the Cavaliers hopes of recapturing the Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) title this year. TT has covered over 25 Spalding games (summer league, regular season, and tournament games) since we began tracking Bowers as a rising junior in the summer of 2001. We have come to respect the way the Cavaliers play, how their players are developed, and Glick’s willingness to schedule tough non-conference opponents. We scouted national Top 5-10 recruit Rudy Gay at a number of top national summer camps and AAU events this summer. We also scouted Spalding against such top WCAC opponents as DeMatha, O’Connell, Gonzaga, and Paul VI at the 'Ban The Brick' summer league at St. Alban’s. Here is our interview with Glick. TT: We really haven’t spoken much since Gary Williams' Basketball Camp early this summer and there is a lot to catch-up on. First of all, congratulations to you, Rudy, and the Spalding program for the article on Rudy in the September issue of 'Slam' magazine. That was pretty good national exposure. MG: Yeah, that was really cool. Actually, they took the picture of Rudy back in May before he blew up at Nike Camp in July. That was great exposure for Rudy and for our whole school to get in a national basketball magazine like 'Slam'. TT: We spoke in June after Rudy had a monster game against O’Connell at St. Alban’s. You said that by the end of the summer Rudy would be a Top 10 recruit and a preseason McDonald’s All-American. It looks like you were right with that prediction. MG: You could see in that O’Connell game how much he had improved since the end of his junior season. The things he was doing inside, outside, his athleticism, and his versatility...you just knew that there weren’t many players in the country who could play with him. He has gotten so much bigger and stronger, and now he was also hitting three-pointers, beating people off the dribble...he was already a great rebounder and shot blocker. I knew he was going to really show people a lot this summer. TT: It has been widely reported that Rudy has narrowed his list to eight colleges (Maryland, Connecticut, St. John’s, Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova, Clemson, and Kentucky). Has he scheduled all of his 'in-home' visits with college coaches for September yet? MG: Actually, the college coaches' visits with Rudy will be done at Spalding in the school, not in-home. Yes, those have been scheduled with the eight schools for September 13, 14, 16 and 18. TT: When will the Maryland coaches be meeting with Rudy? MG: On September 18. TT: There have been published reports that Rudy has already scheduled official visits to UConn for September and to College Park for Midnight Madness. Are these reports accurate? MG: We really haven’t definitely set either of those trips for official visits. I would say that it is very likely that these will be two of his official visits, but I wouldn’t say that these are definitely set as official visits yet. TT: Do you think Rudy will take all five of his allowable official visits? MG: I can’t say that yet. The plan is to have the (college) coaches come in and then decide on which schools to officially visit. He could take all five visits, it might be only be two - I would think he’ll take at least three, but we’ll see. TT: Do you think Rudy will sign early, in November, or wait until spring? MG: I’m not sure. I think he might sign early. TT: You are very familiar with the Maryland staff and the Terrapin basketball program, no doubt you've heard that Maryland is involved with a couple of other possible frontcourt recruits for 2004, beyond James Gist of Good Counsel who has already committed. I assume that Rudy is aware of and/or monitoring that situation? MG: Yes. TT: Beyond Rudy, you have two other seniors this year who will likely be D-1 college recruits, Jason Loughery (a 6'11" forward/center who was a reserve last season) and Jesse Brooks (a 5'10" point guard who is already a two year starter). How is their recruiting going? MG: Jason committed to Mt. St, Mary’s last week. He is my third guy to commit to The Mount in three years. Landy Thompson started as a freshman at The Mount last year, and Gus Durr, Jr. will be a freshman forward there this year. Milan Brown (who replaced The Mount’s Hall of Fame Coach Jim Phelan this year) did a nice job recruiting Jason. He is a great kid and very good student, they’ll bring him along slowly. It is a nice match for Jason and the school. Jason improved a lot this summer and he has gotten a little stronger and bigger. TT: How about Jesse Brooks? MG: Jesse will be a late signee. He has done well academically the last year or so and will be a full qualifier. He’ll be a low D-1 to mid D-1 recruit. I think he’ll have a much better senior year than junior year. TT: For the third year in a row you’ve landed a high profile transfer. Two years ago you got Landy Thompson when Newport Prep closed, and last year you added Rudy from Eastern Tech. This year you picked up Justin Castleberry (a 6'1' junior combo guard who was a part-time starter fpr WCAC power DeMatha as a sophomore in 2002-2003). Justin looked very good this summer for you in the Ban The Brick League, you must be excited to have him in the program. MG: Justin is a tremendous addition to our school as both a student and as a player. I’ve always liked Justin. We really wanted him as an eighth grader (out of Mater Dei in Bethesda), but we are happy to have him now. Actually, he was the 'missing piece' that we needed last year, but we are just excited to have him now as a junior. He is a combo guard. We can play him at the point to spell Jesse Brooks but he is also a good enough shooter and scorer to play the 'two' (wing guard). I won’t say before practice if he’ll start or not, but he’ll be in mix for sure. We graduated the three seniors who shared the ‘two’ spot last year, so we’ll be using new people there this year. I actually plan on playing Rudy at the wing guard spot sometimes. TT: You had two very promising sophomores who got playing time last year in Lawrence Dixon (a 6'5' forward) and Marquis Sullivan (a 6-foot wing guard). DCHoops.com. rates both of them as being among the top players in the Class of 2005 in Maryland. I guess we can expect to see a lot of them this year? MG: Lawrence played a lot last year, he was our top frontcourt sub at the end of the season. He is an excellent athlete who just needs to get a little stronger and more consistent. I would guess he’ll start this year. Marquis didn’t play much last year because we had the three senior wing guards (all of whom are now D-III college student-athletes) ahead of him, but he is a very talented player. Two years ago, Marquis was considered the number one eighth grader in Baltimore, he was a huge recruit for us. He is a real good shooter and a great athlete. He is very strong. I’d like to see his defense get a little better, but he is a good prospect. Marquis averaged 22.5 points a game on our undefeated junior varsity as a freshman, so we know he can score. His grandfather is the old Baltimore Colt defensive end Roy Hilton. TT: We were impressed by Johann Jones this summer. He looks like a good forward prospect. MG: Johann was our ‘sleeper’ this summer. He was a JV kid as a freshman, but he really came on this summer. He is going to be a serious player, he is a 6'4," 195 athlete who can jump and always plays hard. He can really rebound. I originally thought he might be on the JV again, but now I think he’ll be a starter or at least in the rotation, for the varsity. I love this kid’s potential and toughness. We have another new big kid who will be in the rotation this year, his name is Anthony Angion. He is about 6'6' and 265 pounds. He is a junior with two years of JV experience. He missed the summer with a dislocated knee cap, but he’ll be back for this season. He is a big kid, very physical. He can play center or power forward. TT: I heard a rumor that Spalding might add a promising 6'8' transfer from Baltimore County, from Timonium I believe. Did that happen? Did you get any noteworthy transfers besides Justin Castleberry ? MG: No, Justin is our only transfer this year. The player you are referring to wound up at Calvert Hall, which is in Towson and a lot closer to where this kid lived. But he is 6'8' and a good prospect, probably a D-1 prospect. Calvert Hall picked up four transfers this year, they could be really tough. TT: You like to be able to go 9-10 players deep, and the last couple of years you haven’t been afraid to play with a three or even four-guard lineup on occasion, so I would guess that seniors Kevin Galinat and Matt Cornell will still be in the rotation as well? MG: They’re both back and they both will have roles. Cornell is 6'3" and very tough and athletic, he’ll be a D-1 college lacrosse recruit. He can defend guards and forwards and rebound the ball. Brian is a solid player who can play all three perimeter positions, he is a ‘shooter’, so, if he can shoot the ball well enough, he’ll have a role. TT: You played a brutal non-conference schedule last year. How does this year’s schedule look? MG: Well, we open against Gonzaga in the St. Alban’s Tournament. In the first round of the Bullis Tournament we drew Good Counsel, which means you’ll see a Rudy Gay-James Gist matchup. We’ll be playing in the top bracket at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament, which will mean three tough games. We’ll also be playing in one-day 'shootouts' in Rochester, New York and at the Eastern Invitational at Seton Hall. We might get matched against Cardinal Dougherty of Philly in the Eastern Invitational. So, it is another tough schedule. TT: We appreciate you spending this much time with us, but we can’t let you go without asking you how Will Bowers is doing at Maryland. I know you saw him running pick-up at Comcast this summer while you were working the Maryland camp. How do you think he is doing? MG: I think he is doing well, a lot better than some people thought he would as a freshman. He still needs to keep working hard and working on his conditioning, but Will has nice skills and he is tougher than people think. I know Gary (Williams), Dave (Dickerson), and Jimmy (Patsos) pretty well, and I can tell you that they are pretty pleased with Will’s development and his potential. Will is very versatile and skilled for a kid who is 6'11', 7-foot, 250 pounds, and who just turned 18 years old. I saw him at Comcast this summer and I agree he needs to get in better condition and get stronger, but I could see him starting to adjust to the speed and athleticism of the college game. I still think he is going to be a good player for Maryland. If he works hard he might be playing more as a freshman than people expect.