Upper Marlboro Product a Projected NBA Draft Pick

Nolan Smith continues to have a fine senior season and the pro stock for the Duke University guard continues to rise. A product of Upper Marlboro who played at Riverdale Baptist, Smith was projected last week as a second-round NBA draft pick by at least one website.

This week, Smith is listed as a first-round pick by NBAdraft.net and draftexpress.com. Those sites have him going in the first round with the 27th overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks.

Of course much can change between now and late April. But for now, Smith continues to average about 20 points per game and a team-high five assists for the Blue Devils, who were ranked No. 1 in the country earlier this season. Duke lost on Saturday at Virginia Tech in ACC play.

Wise High girls host Laurel

The Wise High girls basketball team will host Laurel at 6 p.m., tonight. Laurel, which has strugggled to play at the .500 level the past few years, beat Parkdale of Riverdale on Friday in the first round of the Class 4A South Region tournament. Laurel is 7-15.

The Largo High girls, who are 23-1, play Thomas Stone tonight in the playoffs. The Douglass girls, who are 6-16, beat Long Reach on Feb. 25 in the 3A/2A/1A playoffs. Going into this week, the Wise boys were 20-2, Douglass was 15-7 and Largo was 13-9.

Tate and Mason are on a roll

The George Mason men's basketball team has won a school-record 15 games in a row, the longest in the nation, and local products Isiah Tate and Byron Allen have played supporting roles for the Patriots.

Tate, who grew up in the Largo High school district, is the top reserve for Mason and has played in 30 games (three starts) and is averaging 6.1 points per contest. Allen, from Upper Marlboro, has played in 24 games off the bench and is averaging 5.8 minutes and 1.2 points per outing.

Mason is 25-5 overall and won the regular-season title in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots will have a bye on Friday when the CAA tourney begins in Richmond. Mason will play on Saturday against the winner of Friday's contest between UNC-Wilmington and Georgia State.

Drummond honored as a top rookie

Loyola freshman forward Justin Drummond, who is from Upper Marlboro and played at Riverdale Baptist, was named Monday to the all-MAAC rookie team at the Division I level in men's basketball. 

Drummond’s selection is the fourth year in a row that a Greyhounds freshman has been honored as an All-Rookie choice.  He is now eligible for MAAC rookie of the year. He missed the first eight games with an injury but is averaging 9.4 points per game in 20 outings, including 21 points at Georgetown.

Bowie State basketball

The women's basketball team at Bowie State is slated to play Tuesday, March 1 in the CIAA tournament in Charlotte. Brianna Taylor, a senior from Upper Marlboro and Riverdale Baptist, is averaging 6.1 points per game.

The Bowie State men's team is 22-4 overall and plays March 3 in the CIAA tournament in Charlotte. Bryan Wilson (Riverdale Baptist) of Upper Marlboro is averaging 8.5 points per game and Largo High grad Darren Clark is averaging 14.5 points per outing for the Bulldogs.