Lake Clifton Lakers
There is something special about high school basketball in Baltimore. Historically Baltimore City has produced some of the Nation’s toughest and most athletic hoopsters and this current generation of players is no exception. Some of this talent is currently on display in Charlottesville, VA for the NBPA Top 100 Camp which is showcasing basketball players from the recruiting class of 2010 (and some players from 2011). There are seven players from the metro area who are participating in the camp, the strongest contingent from any region. Even though we are months away from the start of the 2009-2010 high school basketball season, I want to lay the foundation for an ongoing story that will involve watching these players lead their respective teams as well as chronicle their recruiting process. Not only will I be following the stories of these great players from the metro area, but I will be keeping tabs on the 2010 recruiting class for the University of Maryland. I have been excited in the past as MD would be mentioned with a number of key recruits, just to be disappointed in the end. It is possible that this may happen again, but I am going to provide a sample of Top 25 players that are considering coming to College Park in 2010. Hopefully, all the Gary naysayers will be eating crow soon enough. Here is a brief overview of the top players from Baltimore participating in the NBPA Top 100 Camp:
Will Barton – SG – 6’5″ – 170 lbs. Barton was the 2008 All-Metro Player of the Year,
and along with his twin brother Antonio, led the Lake Clifton Lakers to a 28-0 record in 2008. The Lakers won the State 3A title and finished ranked #1 in the state and #25 in the nation. Barton hit the game winning free throws with seven seconds left to beat Milford Mill in the state semifinals, and helped get the Lakers out to a quick start with 10 first quarter points in the state final vs. Friendly high school. Barton is an explosive wing guard who is ranked as high as #2 overall in some scouting services. Barton is transferring to the Brewster Academy prep school in New Hampshire where he will play his senior year. Barton has already made a verbal commitment to Memphis.
Roscoe Smith – SF – 6’8″ – 190 lbs. Smith was 1st team All-Met as a Junior and led the Walbrook Warriors to a 22-4 record and a trip to the Class 2A State semifinals. 
Smith averaged 21 pts., 11 rebounds, and shot 41% from 3 pt. range. Smith is a consensus Top 25 player ranked as high as #12 by Fox Scouts. Smith has already received over 20 scholarship offers and early indications had him linked with North Carolina. Recent reports say Smith has cooled on the Tarheels. The new word out is that Smith has legitimate interest in the Terps and his mother would love for him to play close to home. Smith attended the Terps Elite camp and rumor has it he enjoyed the players and coaches at MD.
Josh Selby – PG – 6’2″ – 180 lbs.
Selby started his high school career playing for John Carroll in Harford County. He played the last two seasons for Maryland power DeMatha, averaging 18 pts. in limited appearances for the 32-4 Zags last year. Selby has had problems at JC & DeMatha and you have to wonder if his attitude and discipline off the court will derail his development on the court. Ranked #25 by ESPN and #15 by Fox Scouts, Selby has been touted as the best NBA prospect of all the Baltimore based players. Selby will play his senior season for Lake Clifton as the Lakers attempt to cope with the loss of the Barton brothers. Selby recently backed out of a verbal commitment to play for Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee Volunteers.
Jonathan Graham – PF – 6’8″ – 205 lbs. Graham was 1st team All-Met his sophomore and junior season, and looks to lead a formidable Calvert Hall squad this winter. Graham averaged 15 pts. and 10 rebounds last year as the Cardinals finished 29-6 in the difficult MIAA league. Graham is the son of former Terp Ernie Graham 
and and the Terp roots run deep. However, Graham is still developing and is currently considered a “fringe” ACC player. There are no high Div. I scholarship offers on the table for Graham who has targeted Maryland as his college destination. However, Graham will need to keep growing and developing his skills in order to ensure a scholarship offer from Maryland. ESPN has Graham ranked #62 overall which would normally make him the best prospect in your average Terp recruiting class. But this is not your average Terp recruiting class as they have drawn interest from a number of high profile, blue chip recruits. Graham participated in the Maryland Elite camp and the NBPA Top 100 camp even though he has been suffering from bad knee tendonitis. Graham reportedly played with a lot of heart and passion despite not being 100%. Experts project that he will receive Maryland’s 4th or 5th scholarship in the class of 2010.
C.J. Fair – PF – 6’8″ – 200 lbs. – A consensus top 40 player, Fair is recovering from a knee injury which forced him to miss his junior season at City H.S. Fair averaged 20 pts. as a sophomore and returns for his senior season to a City team coming off the State 2A championship. Fair has resumed basketball activities appearing for his AAU team Nike Baltimore Elite in April. Fair is an explosive wing man who has already verbally committed to Syracuse. The Orangemen continue to have success mining gold from the Baltimore area. See Carmelo Anthony & Donte Green.
Jordan Latham – PF – 6’8″ – 210 lbs. Latham is a high energy frontcourt player that helped lead City to the Class 2A title in 2009. He averaged 12 pts., 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks a game as a junior and looks to fine tune his skill set during his senior campaign. Latham has a seven foot wingspan and a body that will enable him to put on more muscle mass while maintaining his elite athleticism. Latham suffered a sprained MCL in the spring, but has resumed his basketball activities playing for the Nike Baltimore Elite. Latham made a verbal commitment to Xavier, pulled back on his commitment when Sean Miller took the job at Arizona, but recently reconfirmed that he will be attending Xavier in 2010.
Eric Atkins – PG – 6’1″ – 170 lbs. – Atkins was the Baltimore Catholic League’s Player of the Year in 2009 and the driving force behind a Mt. St. Joe Gael squad decimated by graduation and injury. Instead of it being a lost season for Coach Clatchey and the Gaels, Atkins willed the perennial powerhouse to 21 wins and the Catholic League semifinals while averaging 22 points a game. Atkins has graded out as a fringe Top 100 recruit and will look to improve his stock in a relatively weak PG class. Atkins has already verbally commited to play for Mike Brey and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Before all of you Maryland Terrapin fans have a heart attack that Gary screwed up again and failed to land any of these top recruits, let me give you something to chew on: Graham wants to come to MD. Roscoe Smith has begun to show interest. The Terps have already signed top 30 stud Terrence Ross (SF 6’6″-180lbs.) and elite Arizona high school point guard Terrell Stoglin (rated Top 75 by ESPN). Also, Terrence Ross has helped the Terps recruit Top 20 prospects Terrence Jones (former teammate of Ross’s in Portland, OR) and Mychal Parker from Charlottesville, VA. Ross has played with both of these players in this summer’s top hoop camps and is pounding the drum to get these blue chippers to College Park. Also, Top 20 prospect Tobias Harris from New York has shown interest in the Terps as well (committed to Tennessee).
Now you see why Jonathan Graham has yet to receive his scholarship offer, because the Terps are in a good position to land at least four elite prospects in 2010. And don’t forget that in the recruiting class of 2009, Maryland has some frontcourt help on the way in the form of 6’10″ Jordan Williams and 6’8″ David Padgett. With Greivis returning to College Park for his senior season and the possibility of the Terps landing top recruit Lance Stephenson for 2009, a Final 8 run may be a real possibility for the Terps.
Where are the Gary naysayers now? Stay tuned as I follow the recruiting of Roscoe Smith and the other top players considering Maryland in the class of 2010. Also, this year is shaping up to be one for the ages in Baltimore high school basketball. We hope to have Coach Clatchey on the show throughout the HS hoops season to chronicle the chase for the 2009-2010 Maryland state championship. Also, for those looking for real time Terp recruiting information, please check out insideMDsports.com. That is the best website in the history on Maryland sports. What do you Jack of All Sports fans/critics think will happen to the Terps in 2009-2010?
~Woodman – Jack of All Sports Terp Correspondent & Fanatic
Filed under: Basketball Tagged: | C.J. Fair, Eric Atkins, Jonathan Graham, Jordan Latham, Josh Selby, Roscoe Smith, Will Barton
When it comes to high school basketball most people give all the pub to the NYC, Chicago, Philly and SoCal scenes, but Baltimore is an absolute hot bed of talent and has been for years. It will be fun to see these kids make their mark on the national stage in a couple years.
I just hope that some of these studs come to MD.