The Baltimore Catholic League is atop the elite prep basketball organizations in the country. Those were the words of Towson University coach Pat Kennedy, who was the guest speaker at the BCL’s 36th annual tournament luncheon Monday. Kennedy praised the league, and said that, from a recruiting standpoint, no city ? not even New York ? could compare to Baltimore’s talent pool.
“I’ve had a chance to recruit kids from across the nation in all cities,” Kennedy said in his opening address. “I don’t think there is one city in America that’s known greater for high school basketball than the City of Baltimore. It’s unbelievable.”
Kennedy said that some of the players in the audience Monday would get an opportunity to not only play at the collegiate level, but perhaps in the NBA. But he warned not to overlook the opportunities provided by the eight academic institutions that make up the BCL.
“The opportunities you have are unbelievable,” Kennedy told the student-athletes. “This is the greatest league in the entire country for high school basketball.”
A quick glance at the BCL?s All-League team provides defense for that statement. Of the five players and the player of the year, three are headed to Atlantic Coast Conference programs and another is headed to a Big East power.
Headlining the three teams and an honorable-mention listing was player of the year Malcolm Delaney of Towson Catholic. The Virginia Tech-bound guard averaged 19 points and five assists per game in leading the Owls (26-5 overall, 14-0 BCL) to the regular-season title. Delaney was joined on the first team by classmate Donte Greene, a Syracuse-bound forward, and two Maryland recruits. Mount St. Joseph forward Dino Gregory and Calvert Hall forward Braxton Dupree will both play for the Terps next year. Rounding out the first team were two juniors ? Mount St. Joseph forward Henry Sims and St. Frances guard Sean Mosley.
A reward for leading Cardinal Gibbons (16-12) to the No. 4 seed in the BCL, coach Jeff Cheevers was the recipient of the O. Ray Mullis Coach of the Year Award.
BCL TOURNAMENT
(All games at Loyola College)
FIRST ROUND
Sunday
» No. 1 Towson Catholic vs. No. 8 St. Maria Gorretti, 2:30
» No. 2 St. Frances vs. No. 7 Archbishop Spalding, 4:15
» No. 3 Mount St. Joseph vs. No. 6 Loyola, 6
» No. 4 Cardinal Gibbons vs. No. 5 Calvert Hall, 7:45
SEMIFINALS
Feb. 26
» Towson Catholic/Gorretti vs. St. Frances/Spalding, 6
» Mount St. Joseph/Loyola vs. Gibbons/Calvert Hall, 7:45
FINALS
Feb. 28
» BCL championship, 7:30
