Since the 2005-06 season, 10 players from Washington-area high schools have captured the Associated Press first-, second-, or third-team honors. This year’s selections have yet to be revealed, but another local player will surely be added to the list. Kansas forward Thomas Robinson (Riverdale Baptist) will likely make first team and could win national player of the year honors.
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In this year’s NCAA tournament, 26 of the 68 teams have players from the Washington or Baltimore areas. Which teams in the big dance have benefited most this year from recruiting locally? Here are 10.:
10. Indiana » Sophomore Victor Oladipo (DeMatha), known for his high-flying dunks, averages 10.9 points a game and tops the Hoosiers in steals (1.4 pg). Junior Maurice Creek (Oxon Hill) has undergone season-ending surgeries each of the last three seasons and is redshirting.
9. Duke » Sophomores Tyler Thornton (Gonzaga) and Josh Hairston (Montrose Christian) and freshman Quinn Cook (DeMatha/Oak Hill) are valuable reserves for the Blue Devils.
8. South Florida » Senior Gus Gilchrist (Friendly/Progressive Christian) is the top scorer (9.6 ppg) and shot-blocker (1.3 pg) for the Bulls. Senior Ron Anderson Jr. of Upper Marlboro also starts in the frontcourt. The 6-8 Anderson played for the D.C. Assault AAU program while attending high school in Tennessee.
7. Kansas State » Senior Jamar Samuels (Wheaton/Carroll) and junior Rodney McGruder (Carroll) rank 1-2 in points and rebounds for the Wildcats. While the 6-7 Samuels averages 10.3 points and 6.6 boards, the 6-4 McGruder averages 15.4 points and 5.3 rebounds and was a Big 12 second-team selection.
6. Memphis » Sophomore brothers Will Barton (Riverdale Baptist) and Antonio Barton (Riverdale Baptist) patrol the backcourt for the Conference USA champions. Will was conference player of the year, averaging 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. Antonio, who comes off the bench, averages 6.8 points a game.
5. Long Island » Juniors Jamal Olasewere (Springbrook) and C.J. Garner (Springbrook) have helped propel the Blackbirds to the tournament for the second straight year. The 6-7 Olasewere averages 16.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and was named to the Northeast Conference first team. The 5-10 Garner averages 12.5 points and 3.4 assists.
4. Notre Dame » The rapid development of first-year starting sophomores Jerian Grant (DeMatha) and Eric Adkins (Mount St. Joseph) has coincided with the vast improvement of the Irish from November to March. The 6-5 Grant averages 12.3 points and 4.9 assists. The 6-1 Atkins averages 12.2 points and 4.1 assists.
3. Syracuse » Senior Kris Joseph (Carroll) and sophomore C.J. Fair (City College) epitomize what the Orange have come to be known for — length, quickness and perimeter skills. The 6-7 Joseph leads Syracuse in scoring (13.8 ppg) and made Big East first team. The 6-8 Fair averages 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds.
2. Georgetown » Four of the top six Hoyas are from the area and come from an eclectic mix of schools — Big East second-team choice Jason Clark (O’Connell), Henry Sims (Mount St. Joseph), Markel Starks (Georgetown Prep) and Greg Whittington (Oakland Mills).
1. Loyola » No Division I program in the country has more Washington/Baltimore players than the Greyhounds as coach Jimmy Patsos, a former player at Catholic and assistant at Maryland, has milked his local ties. All eight rotation players are local, including MAAC first-team choice Erik Etherly (Annandale), second-team selection Dylan Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), and third-teamers Justin Drummond (Riverdale Baptist) and Bobby Olson (Georgetown Prep).
Other impact players in the tournament from the Washington area include North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall (O’Connell), Missouri’s Kim English (Randallstown), Harvard’s Christian Webster (Landon) and Southern Miss sixth-man Darnell Dodson (Eleanor Roosevelt).
