Upper Marlboro Product is Named All-American

This was a very good season for Prince George's County products in major college basketball. Nolan Smith, an Upper Marlboro native, was named last week to the All-American first-team by the Associated Press. He also received votes for player of the year as a senior guard for Duke.

Smith, the ACC player of the year, played junior high basketball at The Key School in Annapolis. He played part of his high school career at Riverdale Baptist before finishing his prep days at powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in southwest Virginia.

This year Smith averaged 20.6 points per game for Duke, which was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Arizona. He led the ACC with 21 games of 20 points or more and he also scored 30 points in four games, which also led the ACC.

"It's been a long process for me, just getting better each year and improving," Smith said on the Duke athletic website. "That's something I hope to share with younger kids coming up. If you put the time in and get better and better and then by the time your senior year hits, you'll start to accomplish some of those individual goals, and that's something that I've done."

The AP coach of the year this season was Mike Brey, a graduate of DeMatha Catholic High in Hyattsville and also a former assistant coach for the Stags. Brey, the head coach at Notre Dame, grew up in Montgomery County and played at George Washington University and coached at the University of Delaware before he landed the head job at Notre Dame.

Local players shine

Jessica Lyons of Largo High had 12 points and Parris Preston, another product of Largo, had eight as a group of Prince George's County All-Stars beat a team from Montgomery County, 66-64, on Sunday at Wise in prep hoops. DeAnna Waters of Wise added seven points and Wise senior Kia Dawkins added three.

The Prince George's boys beat Montgomery, 84-73, as Brandon Bailey (Largo) and Timmone Whatley (Douglass) had nine points each and John Savoy of Wise had five.

Largo grad Morgan gains honor

This was a good season for Kwame Morgan II of Hampton and Justin Drummond of Loyola in college hoops. Morgan is a product of Largo High while Drummond is from Upper Marlboro and played at Riverdale Baptist.

Morgan, on Friday, was named to the Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American team after he averaged 16.1 points per game this season as a junior for Hampton. He was also all-MEAC pick. Drummond was named to the all-freshman team in the MAAC.