2. Gwynn Park Yellow Jackets

COACH: Michael Glick

LAST YEAR: 17-9

OUTLOOK: After reaching the 2A state semifinals last season, Gwynn Park heads into 2011-12 needing to replace all five of its starters. Six-foot-9 Howard University recruit Marcel Boyd (3.8 points per game) and 6-4 senior Jarvis Hawkins (4.4 ppg) are the only two returning players who logged significant minutes last season, and both must make up for the loss of leading scorer Brandon Ford (17.3 ppg), a Gazette-Star All-County first team selection who is now a freshman at Howard. Junior shooting guard Jalen Harris averaged 21 points per game at the junior varsity level, and coach Michael Glick said he expects Harris to emerge as a go-to player. With so much inexperience, the Yellow Jackets will be tested with a difficult out-of-conference schedule. Glick called this year's squad his “closest-knit” team since 2008. “We'll have a great deal of size, but no superstars,” Glick said. “We're very strong on offensive and defensive rebounding and we'll be a balanced team.”

— Nick Cammarota