DeMatha vs. Towson Catholic. St. John?s vs. Mount St. Joseph.
The class of the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas will meet next week in a showdown of high school boys basketball powers. The doubleheader will be held Jan. 27 at American University and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
“To have a chance to have that kind of exposure, and have our kids in a venue on a big college court like that and broadcast on ESPNU, that?s huge,” said Baltimore Catholic League commissioner Jack Degele. “It?s really put some excitement to it.”
Mount St. Joseph (14-3 overall, 6-1 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association) will play St. John?s (13-4, 5-3 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) in the opener at 7 p.m. and Towson Catholic (15-3, 7-0 MIAA) will face DeMatha (10-3, 7-0 WCAC) in the feature game at 9 p.m.
With this showdown being televised, the Baltimore Catholic League will take full advantage of an opportunity that doesn?t often arise.
“Baltimore is kind of like an in-between stop,” Degele said, noting that televised games have gone to New York, Philadelphia and Washington. “A lot of the recruiters know about Baltimore ? but for the most part, it?s like an afterthought.”
Not now. With the likes of BCL grads Carmelo Anthony (Towson Catholic), Juan Dixon (Calvert Hall) and Rudy Gay (Archbishop Spalding) currently in the NBA, notoriety is at an all-time high.
“To be on national TV against DeMatha, it doesn?t get any better than that,” Towson Catholic coach Josh Pratt said.
DeMatha, a 35-time league champion, is one of the more storied programs in the nation, with former coach Morgan Wootten, a National Basketball Hall of Famer, bringing the program into prominence starting in the 1950s.
“This will help showcase some of the talent we?ll have in our area, too,” Degele said. “And I think they?ll be competitive games. We?ll hold our own.”
The Owls will play second-place St. Frances (15-3, 6-1 MIAA) just 24 hours before the showdown with DeMatha.
“The kids don?t care,” Pratt said. “They?re playing three games in a row. They?d much rather play than practice.”
The hopes, according to Degele, are to make this D.C.-Baltimore classic a yearly event.
“That?s in the talking stages right now,” Degele said. “Maybe we can take some of the excitement and momentum off of this and put it together and do it on a regular basis. That?s what I hope happens.”
Pratt would like that, too. But for now, he?s focused on taking his team ? led by Syracuse-bound forward Donte Greene and Virginia Tech-bound guard Malcolm Delaney ? up against legendary DeMatha.
“They?re such a powerhouse,” Pratt said. “I?m looking forward to the challenge. It?ll be a challenge for us.”
