Marcel Boyd has lost count of how many times people ask him, "Who do you play for?"

Until recently, the sophomore at Gwynn Park High School never had an answer.

Standing 6-foot-8, it's easy to assume Boyd is a star on a high school Amateur Athletic Union basketball club.

"When I was younger, coaches used to come up to me and ask me to play for them [on a basketball team]," said Boyd, who is the tallest person in the building at the Brandywine school. "I would tell them that I'm not that interested in basketball; I want to play football. I didn't really like basketball that much."

Now that Boyd is a center on Gwynn Park's boys' basketball team, he can offer an instant answer to the questions he has heard for years.

This is not only Boyd's first year with the Yellow Jackets — it's his first year playing basketball. Despite being just a beginner, Boyd has an important role on his team. He's playing anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes per game and is averaging 1.1 blocked shots and 3.5 rebounds per game. Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said Boyd's inexperience is actually a virtue.

"Marcel has grown tremendously in learning the game," Glick said. "The No. 1 reason he's grown is because he has an excellent attitude and he's open to learning, and he's receptive to criticism and he's his harshest critic. The fact that he hasn't played a lot of basketball has translated into the fact he doesn't have a lot of bad habits. It makes him more hungry instead of if he was playing AAU since he was 8. Obviously he's improved by leaps and bounds."

Boyd and his family are still relatively new to the county. The Boyds have moved around the country as Marcel's father, Frank Boyd, is in the army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan. The family has previously lived in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.

Boyd's mother Consuelo said Marcel has matured as his father has been deployed for extended tours of duty.

"Marcel is a really good kid," Consuelo Boyd said. "In ways he does take over the father spot because he has two younger brothers. He actually tells them right from wrong. He wants them to play sports and is trying to groom them."

The Yellow Jackets find themselves in the thick of the race in a competitive County 3A/2A/1A League, and that means they need Boyd to catch on quickly. He has received increased playing time lately, as Gwynn Park senior forward Mike Hemsley has missed two games because of a broken left pinky.

"I know I have to step up and be the starting center, and I see myself as probably the best big man defender on this team," Boyd said. "Every time I put my hands up, I alter shots so that's basically what I'm used for."

Chances are that Boyd will greatly help the Yellow Jackets once the postseason starts, as county teams have discovered in recent years that their lack of height has been a downfall in the state playoffs.

Last season, Friendly High lost 75-50 in the state Class 3A title game to a Lake Clifton squad that featured four players 6-foot-6 or taller. Friendly had no players taller than 6-foot-5. In the state Class 2A title game, Frederick Douglass lost 55-42 to a City College team that had three players who were 6-foot-7 or taller, while the Eagles' tallest player was 6-foot-5.

The buzz in Prince George's County prep basketball circles is that many taller players opt to play at private schools or focus on their AAU clubs in order to gain the most exposure. Many private school teams travel to play in high-profile tournaments and showcase events, and the summer AAU circuit is built to serve as a showcase for top-level players.

Boyd said he has been approached by private schools, including Gilman and Cardinal Gibbons, both in Baltimore. But he said he feels comfortable at Gwynn Park.

Glick said playing for a public school could be beneficial for Boyd's development.

"I think that his size is unique," Glick said. "There are not a lot of kids in the county with his size and skills. Marcel has made a great decision with coming to Gwynn Park. He's gotten a lot of individual attention as compared to being a role player off of the bench at a private school. The only way he's going to get better is by playing."

Boyd is still keeping his options, adding that he will try to play basketball and football in his junior year.

"Everybody is telling me I'm good in basketball because of my height and everything, but I love football," Boys said. "If it comes down to it, if college football recruiters are giving me a lot of attention, then we'll see. As of right now, basketball is more of [a certainty] for me because they're always repeating ‘size, size, size,' and I've got plenty of it."

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.