This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Local Hoopsters Excel as March Madness Nears

Upper Marlboro has a slew of its own playing Division I college basketball.

The conversation became rather animated, and one-sided, on Friday night at Loyola College in north Baltimore. But the verbal sparring did not take place between the host Greyhounds and Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball game.

Upper Marlboro's Justin Drummond, who has had a fine freshman season for Loyola, had the attention of head coach Jimmy Patsos during a timeout with 14:01 left in the game.

Patsos, the former University of Maryland assistant, had not been pleased with an on-court decision by Drummond a few seconds earlier and the head coach had some choice words for the former Riverdale Baptist standout. Drummond listened intently while Loyola assistant Luke D'Alessio, the former Bowie State head coach, spoke to other members of the team as Patsos addressed his freshman standout.

Find out what's happening in Upper Marlborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Drummond has been a good listener for the most part - and successful on the court. He had a career-high 21 points, with 20 in the second half, at Georgetown in December. In the next game, the third of his college career, he had 17 points at Howard.

"It was a little weird that I had my best games at home" in the Washington, D.C. area, Drummond said after the Loyola loss on Friday. "It felt good to go home and put up performances like that." Then on Sunday, he had a career-high 22 points at home as Loyola beat Canisius, 76-69. On Monday, he was named rookie of the week for the fourth time this season in the MAAC, the most of any player.

Find out what's happening in Upper Marlborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Drummond almost didn't play this season. He missed the first eight games with a strained abdomen. Patsos and his staff considered a redshirt season for Drummond, who is averaging 16.5 minutes and 9.8 points (fourth on the team) in his first 17 games off the bench for the Greyhounds.

"I got a chance to play and it felt good," he said.

Drummond also considered Niagara, George Mason, Oregon State, Florida Atlantic and other schools. So why did he pick Loyola?

"Honestly, just the way they came after me. I wanted to go where I was wanted. Not that the other schools didn't want me. Jimmy sold himself to me," Drummond said of Patsos, a graduate of Catholic University and assistant coach on Maryland's national title team.

Drummond played AAU basketball in Prince George's County and knows about the talent supply in the area. He grew up playing with or against Nolan Smith (Upper Marlboro, Duke), Byron Allen (Upper Marlboro, George Mason) and several other Division I players. "It is so competitive. Guys just want to play basketball. It is just a competitive area. Everyone is going to elevate their game to get to this level," he said.

Tate aids Mason run

It took Isaiah Tate, a senior for George Mason, all of 28 seconds to make his presence felt on Saturday afternoon in Fairfax, Va. The guard entered the game for the first time with 15:42 left in the first half. With 15:14 to go he made a three-pointer and to cut the James Madison lead to five points.

Tate had 10 points in the game as Mason came back to win in a Colonial Athletic Association contest between state rivals.

Tate played in the first 26 games (with two starts) and was averaging about 20 minutes and seven points per contest. Mason won its school-record 11th game in a row on Saturday and plays today at VCU in Richmond.

"What he has gone through shows what kind of character he has," Mason head coach Jim Larranaga told Patch on Monday. "As a freshman and sophomore, he did not play very much. He started last year and now as a senior he has been moved to a sub. He is really like a sixth starter for us. He has had a tremendous season for us. The thing I am most proud of is he has improved his defense tremendously."

Tate will be called on at times to guard the best player on the other team, such as Hofstra standout Charles Jenkins. "Coming off the bench as the sixth man, I am playing better than I have been the previous three years," Tate told Patch after practice on Monday. "I am counted on by the guys on offense and defense. I am a senior leader. I am just happy to be part of this team. Everyone on the team is on the same page and is focused."

Some pundits feel Mason, at No. 23 in the nation in the RPI this week, will gain an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and will not have to win the CAA tourney next month in order to get a spot. "We are trying to focus on each game," said Tate, who hopes to play pro hoops, perhaps overseas, after this season. "We know we may have an at-large bid but we want to win the regular-season title."

Mason can take a big step towards that title with a win on Tuesday at VCU. "The key is stay calm. We want to run agains them," said Tate, who grew up in the Largo High school district on the border of Upper Marlboro and Largo. "We are going to be fine."

Bowie State has local flavor

Largo High grad Darren Clark was averaging 14.7 points per game through Sunday for the Bowie State men, who were 19-4 overall and ranked regionally. Bryan Wilson (Riverdale Baptist) of Upper Marlboro was averaging 8.4 points per game for the Bulldogs. Senior guard Brianna Taylor (Riverdale Baptist) of Upper Marlboro was averaging 5.8 points per game for the Bowie State women.

Villanova hosted Pittsburgh on Saturday in a battle of nationally-ranked Big East teams. Maurice Sutton, a graduate of Largo High, had one rebound in eight minutes off the bench for the Wildcats in the 57-54 loss to Pitt.

Javorn Farrell (Riverdale Baptist) started for UMass on Sunday and had five points, seven rebounds and four assists in a loss at home to George Washington.

Kwame Morgan, a graduate of Largo High, was averaging 15.5 points per game through Sunday for Hampton. He was second on the team in scoring for the Pirates, who were 19-5 overall and 9-2 in the MEAC.

Riverdale Baptist gains win

Quinton Dodson had 15 points on Friday at Riverdale Baptist beat IDEAL, 92-60.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Upper Marlboro