No Donte Greene.No Malcolm Delaney.
But Towson Catholic enters the season with the same expectations. The Owls went undefeated in both the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Baltimore Catholic League en route to finishing 32-6 after winning both tournaments this past spring.
It?s a new-look Towson Catholic team after the graduation of the Owls? two top scorers ? Greene, an All-Examiner forward starring at Syracuse, and Delaney, the Examiner Player of the Year now a guard at Virginia Tech.
“It?s a big challenge with Donte and Malcolm gone, because that?s basically 50 points gone off the team,” senior forward Brandon Greene said. “I have to step up as a leader, like Donte and Malcolm did. I talk to Donte and Malcolm basically every night, and they tell me to get the team involved and don?t let anybody get down on themselves.”
Forward Brandon Greene ? Donte?s cousin ? will be counted on to lead the Owls this season. The Owls opened the season with a 70-53 loss to New York City power Rice, ranked No. 11 in the country by USA Today, in the Charm City Classic on Saturday at Loyola?s Reitz Arena.
“I think they?re good,” Rice coach Maurice Hicks said. “They have decent guard play. I thought their big guys played really well. I think they can be a good team down the stretch.”
Without his cousin and 6-foot-8 forward Andrew Fitzgerald ? who transferred to Owings Mills ? the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Greene, who has scholarship offers from Towson, Loyola and Virginia Commonwealth, will be the focal point inside. Toledo-bound point guard Larry Bastfield and junior wing LeShon Edwards, who is the team?s top returning scorer at 8.9 points per game, will patrol the perimeter.
Greene said he feels the Owls are wearing a target this season, as Mount St. Joseph and St. Frances each feature talented players focused on unseating Towson Catholic.
“I know St. Joe and St. Frances are really aiming for us,” Greene said. “That?s who we?re really watching out for. I think we can get past them.”
And so does Owls coach Josh Pratt.
“We?re an inexperienced team, but I think, with the schedule this year, our goal is to get back to the championship game,” he said. “That would be three times in three years here. Try to build for the playoffs and play our best basketball down the stretch.”
