[Baltimore Sun] Baltimore Sun high school girls basketball preview: Storylines, players to watch and top 15 teams heading into 2023-24 season
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Here’s what you need to know for the 2023-24 high school girls basketball season in the Baltimore area.
Storylines to watch
Can No. 1 McDonogh bring home the program’s third straight IAAM A Conference championship?
The Eagles should be able to soar again this season with a talented lineup that includes Ava McKennie (Maryland), Kennedy Umeh (Stanford) and Autumn Fleary, who is the reigning Baltimore Sun Player of the Year. McDonogh will face a stern test from St. Frances, which it beat in last year’s title game, and St. Mary’s, which is moving up to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference after going unbeaten in the B Conference last season. Mercy is young but will be tough with Milan Brown back in the lineup.
Who will emerge as the best team in a tightly contested race in Baltimore County?
Baltimore County has several teams that can compete for the title, as well as the regional playoffs. Pikesville has the experience with seniors Aliyah Taylor, Tykeisha Hill and Darielle Weems, who will keep the Panthers in the hunt for a fourth consecutive Class 1A state title. Loch Raven, Dulaney, New Town and Hereford will also challenge for the county title and could make a deep run in the state playoffs.
Could perennial power River Hill reclaim the throne in Howard County?
Howard had a remarkable 2022-23 season, going 26-1 en route to the Class 3A state title. The Lions, however, lost their top four leading scorers and are in a rebuilding mode. This opens the door for River Hill, which has been dominant under coach Teresa Waters. The Hawks have the depth and talent to make a run at a state title and will be led by Dylan Watson, who averaged 11.8 points and 2.5 assists per game last season. Oakland Mills and Hammond should also battle for the county crown.
With St. Mary’s and St. Timothy’s moving to the IAAM A Conference, who might emerge as the favorite in the B Conference?
St. Mary’s ran roughshod over its B Conference foes last season, going 27-0 en route to the league title. Mount de Sales will be formidable with 6-foot-1 junior forward Shelby Lewis, who is a two-time all-conference selection, leading scorer and the team’s most important player. However, Gerstell Academy could be the early front-runner with a talented group of returning players. Notre Dame Prep, Concordia Prep and John Carroll, which is being led by longtime coach Jim Stromberg, will also challenge for the conference title.
Which school will rise to the top in Anne Arundel County?
Expect a tight race in Anne Arundel for the league title. Severna Park went 21-5 and advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals last season and will be competitive again with center Maddy Sullivan, guards Ryn Feemster and Gabby Rosati and forward Sally Trent. If South River can get healthy, the Seahawks will certainly challenge for the top spot. Old Mill, Southern, and a speedy Broadneck team could also be in the hunt for county, regional and even state titles.
Players to watch
Milan Brown, Mercy, guard, junior
The speedy Brown averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block per game for the Magic, who made the jump to the A Conference last season. Mercy will have to rely heavily on Brown again with a young roster featuring only three returning players.
McDonogh’s Autumn Fleary is one of the area’s top returning players. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun
Autumn Fleary, McDonogh, guard, sophomore
Fleary was named The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year after leading the Eagles in scoring (15 points per game), assists (3) and steals (3) last season. She maintained a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and was the engine that drove McDonogh to the IAAM A Conference championship.
Ayla Galloway, Fallston, forward-center, senior
The versatile athlete was the leading rebounder and finished in the top six in scoring for the state, averaging 17 points and 14 rebounds per game. She has won three state championships (two in soccer and one in basketball) at Fallston with the opportunity to add another title. She has committed to Mercer University to play lacrosse.
Bailey Harris, St Mary’s, guard, sophomore
Harris established herself as one of the area’s best players after leading the Saints to a 27-0 season and the B Conference title, averaging 20.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists. She can play any position on the floor — shooting guard, point guard, power forward and post — for St. Mary’s, which moved up to the A Conference.
Lauren Kraft, Hereford, forward, senior
Kraft led the Bulls to the Class 2A state semifinals and averaged 22.1 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game while converting 60 shots from beyond the arc. She has scored 825 points in two seasons since she did not have a freshman season because of the coronavirus pandemic and is a returning All-County player.
Ava McKennie, McDonogh, guard, senior
McKennie was a key cog for the Eagles in their run to the A Conference title, averaging 8 points, a team-leading 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game. She has committed to play basketball at Maryland.
Pikesville’s Aliyah Taylor is one of the area’s top returning players. (Colin Murphy/For Baltimore Sun Media)
Aliyah Taylor, Pikesville, forward, senior
Taylor was the Panthers’ most versatile defender, assigned to guard the opposing team’s best player all season. She was able to defend every position on the floor in addition to averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Class 1A state champions.
Chaniya Taylor, Forest Park, senior, forward
Taylor was a dominant force in the paint and one of the area’s best defenders while averaging 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks last season. She expanded her game to handling the ball and hitting the midrange shot.
Kennedy Umeh, McDonogh, forward, senior
Umeh, a member of the Team USA U-17 gold medal team, averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 55% from the field, helping the Eagles to the A Conference championship. She has committed to Stanford.
Dylan Watson, River Hill, guard, junior
The Hawks will be formidable with the return of Watson, who averaged 11.8 points and 2.5 assists per game. Watson is also a force defensively with 5.8 rebounds and 6.4 steals per game, along with 27 blocks.
Preseason Top 15 poll
1. McDonogh
Coach: Brad Rees
Last season: 23-2, ranked No. 1
Postseason: IAAM A Conference champion
Outlook: The Eagles, led by Ava McKennie (Maryland), Kennedy Umeh (Stanford) and Autumn Fleary (Baltimore Sun Player of the Year), have the talent to compete for a third consecutive IAAM A Conference championship. A challenging nonconference schedule including nationally ranked Sidwell Friends, Westtown (Pennsylvania), Archbishop Wood (Pennsylvania), Jaspar (Alabama) and South Shore (New York) should prepare the team for a very competitive A Conference field.
2. Western
Coach: Tasha Townsend
Last season: 18-5, No. 14
Postseason: Class 4A state semifinalist
Outlook: With seniors Breasia Coit and Maya Gray leading the way, the Doves are expecting to make a trip back to the 4A state final. That’s the goal each year under Townsend. “We are trying to stay healthy, use our bench more, and look for senior leadership while building team chemistry,” the coach said.
River Hill coach Teresa Waters is excited about this year’s team. (Doug Kapustin/For Baltimore Sun Media)
3. River Hill
Coach: Teresa Waters
Last season: 19-6, No. 13
Postseason: Class 3A state quarterfinalist
Outlook: The Hawks will build off the return of Dylan Watson, Camille Nesmith and Taylor Shane, and the goal is to continue to grow as a team and create its own identity. The key for River Hill will be how well they defend in a competitive Howard County league.
4. St. Mary’s
Coach: Leo Latonick
Last season: 27-0, No. 5
Postseason: IAAM B Conference champion
Outlook: After a historic run, the Saints have moved up to the A Conference, which will pose a significant competitive challenge. However, St. Mary’s has a balanced lineup with Baily Walden (senior), Bailey Harris (sophomore) and Alexandre Vandiver (sophomore) and could challenge for another league title.
5. Glen Burnie
Coach: Sam Porter
Last season: 24-2, No. 6
Postseason: Class 4A state champion
Outlook: The Gophers have reloaded for another title run with Trinity Munford, Starr Munford and McKenzie Gilbert. “We want to compete at a high level and take care of the things we know we are capable of doing,” Porter said. “One game at a time.”
6. Pikesville
Coach: Michael Dukes
Last season: 21-5, No. 8
Postseason: Class 1A state champion
Outlook: Seniors Aliyah Taylor, Tykeisha Hill and Darielle Weems will keep the Panthers in the hunt for a fourth consecutive Class 1A state title in six years. In addition to four seniors, sophomore Mariah Jones-Bey will also look to make some key contributions for Pikesville, which is historically adept at making shots from beyond the arc.
7. Severna Park
Coach: Kristofer Dean
Last season: 21-5, not ranked
Postseason: Class 4A state semifinalist
Outlook: The Falcons have the talent to make a run to the state title with center Maddy Sullivan, guards Ryn Feemster and Gabby Rosati and forward Sally Trent. “This school has been in pursuit of a girls basketball state title for quite some time, occasionally knocking on the door,” Dean said. “Though the door remains unanswered, these dedicated girls are committed to putting in the necessary effort to knock again.”
8. Forest Park
Coach: Jermaine Dunn
Last season: 20-3, No. 12
Postseason: Class 1A state semifinalist
Outlook: The Forresters have a solid group of returning players with Nyjae Malik-El, Aliyah Carroll, Chaniya Taylor and McKenzie Fitzgerald each expected to be key contributors. Forest Park should compete for city, regional and state championships.
9. Mercy
Coach: George Panageotou
Last season: 17-9, No. 9
Postseason: IAAM A Conference quarterfinalist
Outlook: Led by Player of the Year candidate Milan Brown, the Magic have five freshmen and only three returning players, so they might struggle early. However, Mercy should get better as the season wears on and will rely heavily on Brown to keep the team competitive.
10. Francis Scott Key
Coach: Mitchell Walther
Last season: 18-4, not ranked
Postseason: Class 1A state semifinalist
Outlook: The Eagles are led by Drew Watkins (senior forward), Summer Brooks (junior guard), Caroline Kohr (junior forward) and Abby Rieger (junior guard). After advancing to the state semifinals last year, Francis Scott Key moved up to Class 2A with a region that includes Winters Mill, Walkersville, Williamsport and Middletown.
Manchester Valley coach Heather DeWees has high hopes for 2023-24. (Doug Kapustin/For Baltimore Sun Media)
11. Manchester Valley
Coach: Heather DeWees
Last season: 19-6, not ranked
Postseason: Class 3A East Region I finalist
Outlook: The Mavericks have a solid base of seniors with returning starters Reese Kresslein and Autumn Stottlemire and key reserves Molly Smith and Brenna Murphy. They hope to again fight for the county championship but will struggle to make up the stats produced by injured junior Emma Penczek. A bright spot for Manchester Valley is freshman Lilah Kresslein, who will play point guard.
12. Hereford
Coach: David Schreiner
Last season: 18-5, No. 15
Postseason: Class 2A state semifinalist
Outlook: Led by last season’s leading scorer, senior Lauren Kraft, the Bulls should be able to compete for multiple titles. Senior Gabby Nieberlein has been the starting point guard for the past two seasons and Annabelle Grenze is a solid post player who provides leadership and productive play on the inside.
13. Fallston
Coach: Johnny Woods
Last season: 18-6, not ranked
Postseason: Class 2A East Region I finalist
Outlook: The Cougars are loaded with talent that includes senior forward Ayla Galloway, senior point guard Leah Rhinehart, senior guard Maddy Burns, junior forward Natalie Wirth and sophomore forward Brooke Bolesta. Fallston has several newcomers also ready to make an impact with junior guard Lilly Burns, freshman guard Maura Lawall and junior center Sarah Gnagey.
14. Dulaney
Coach: Kourtney Lewis-Orr
Last season: 15-5, not ranked
Postseason: Class 4A North Region I finalist
Outlook: The Lions have a solid duo with junior Heidi Schmidt (12 points, 7 rebounds per game) and sophomore Gabby Watson (15 points). The goal is to win the regional championship and advance to the state final.
15. Harford Tech
Coach: Brad Hunt
Last season: 19-8, not ranked
Postseason: Class 2A state quarterfinalist
Outlook: The Cobras have built a solid program and will be competitive behind senior forward Jordan Strang, senior guards Jessica Castro, Sarah Hunt and Sophia Mace and junior forwards Faith Orsini and Delaney Klaus. That experience should bode well for Harford Tech throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Others considered: St. Frances (23-4), Howard (28-1), Poly (25-3), St. Timothy’s (17-4), Old Mill (16-7), Loch Raven (19-2)
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