The Sweet 16: Ranking Baltimore’s best college basketball players

Name: Ryley Beaumont

College: Elon

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

Local high school: Mount St. Joseph

Hometown: Millersville

2012-13 stats: 11.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 47.5%

Beaumont’s emergence as a double-digit scorer and his team’s top rebounder last season coincided with a big year for the Phoenix, who finished 21-12 and earned a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Beaumont, who started all 33 games as a junior, is a preseason All-Southern Conference first-team selection heading into this senior year.

Jeff Blake/USA TODAY Sports

Name: Antonio Barton

College: Tennessee

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Local high school: Lake Clifton

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 5.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 40% shooting from 3

Barton graduated from Memphis in just three years, which allowed him to take advantage of the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule and join Tennessee without sitting out a year. Though his playing time dwindled over the course of his career with the Tigers, and he dealt with some injury issues, the Volunteers are expecting major contributions from the former Lakers star. Barton is the heavy favorite to start at point guard and, according to a source close the program, “play a big, big role.”

Tennessee Athletics/UTsports.com

Name: Isaiah Philmore

College: Xavier

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

Local high school: John Carroll

Hometown: Bel Air

2012-13 stats: 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 49.7% shooting in 24.9 minutes per game

It took some time for Philmore to get acclimated to Xavier after he transferred from Towson, but the former John Carroll star appeared to hit his stride late last season. Over the last 11 games, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward averaged 10.6 points and shot 56.3 percent from the field. Philmore will likely play a bigger role this season for a Musketeers squad picked to finish seventh in the new Big East.

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Name: Davon Usher

College: Delaware

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Local high school: Digital Harbor

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 41.7% shooting

After two years at Polk State College in Florida, Usher transferred to Mississippi Valley State for his junior season and promptly led the SWAC in scoring. When the Delta Devils were placed on NCAA probation, Usher was able to transfer without penalty to any school of his choosing. At Delaware, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing will step into a starting role and provide another scoring option for the Blue Hens in addition to former Aberdeen star Devon Saddler.

University of Delaware athletic department

Name: Roscoe Smith

College: UNLV

Position: Forward

Year: Junior

Local high school: Walbrook

Hometown: Baltimore

2011-12 stats: 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game at UConn

Smith sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from Connecticut, where he helped the Huskies to the national championship as a freshman. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward is expected to play a major role for the Rebels. “Roscoe has the ability to play inside and out,” UNLV coach Dave Rice told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He’s a perimeter guy with size who can guard in the post but also can guard on the perimeter.”

Josh H. Holmberg/USA TODAY Sports

Name: Allan Chaney

College: High Point

Position: Forward

Year: Graduate student

High school: New London (Conn.)

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 51.3% shooting, 80.3% free throw

Chaney played sparingly as a freshman at Florida during the 2008-09 season and then transferred to Virginia Tech, where he sat out the next three years after doctors discovered that he had a heart condition. Chaney was medically cleared to play in 2012 and landed at High Point, where he immediately became the Panthers’ top player and earned second-team All-Big South honors. Chaney, CBSSports.com’s Comeback Player of the Year, was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

High Point athletic department

Name: Isaiah Armwood

College: George Washington

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

High school: Montrose Christian

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 50.6% shooting

After sitting out the 2011-12 season following his transfer from Villanova, Armwood quickly lived up to his four-star billing by becoming George Washington’s best player. The 6-foot-9, 208-pound forward led the Colonials in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, finishing second in the Atlantic 10 in the latter two categories. Armwood’s 68 blocks were second in program history behind former New Jersey Nets first-round pick Yinka Dare.

George Washington athletic communications

Name: Dylon Cormier

College: Loyola

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Local high school: Cardinal Gibbons

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 41.2% shooting

As a junior, Cormier was the Greyhounds’ leading scorer, helping the team to its second consecutive postseason appearance (CIT in 2012-13, NCAA tournament in 2011-12). The 6-foot-3, 184-pound combo guard was a first-team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection as a junior. As a senior, Cormier will lead Loyola in its first season of play in the Patriot League, where he was named to the preseason all-conference first team.

Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun

Name: Nick Faust

College: Maryland

Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Local high school: City

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 40.2% shooting

The Terps’ third-leading scorer last season, Faust finished his sophomore year strong by averaging 12.4 points (46.7 percent shooting, 44 percent from 3-point range) over the last 12 games. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing connected on five 3-pointers and scored 17 points in Maryland’s loss to North Carolina in the ACC tournament. Faust led the Terps with 37 steals.

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun

Name: Anthony Lee

College: Temple

Position: Forward

Year: Junior

Local high school: West Oak Academy (Fla.)

Hometown: Columbia

2012-13 stats: 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game. 53.7% shooting

Considered the top returning player on a Temple team that made its sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance last season, Lee was one of the top rebounders in the Atlantic 10 as a sophomore. The 6-foot-9 forward is one of two returning starters on an Owls squad picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Conference. Lee averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds during Temple’s four-game European exhibition tour in August.

Debby Wong/USA TODAY Sports

Name: Damion Lee

College: Drexel

Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Local high school: Calvert Hall

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 42.5% shooting, 82.9% free throw

Lee, the 2011-12 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year, followed up his standout freshman season with a significantly better sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing increased his scoring average by five points, earning second-team All-CAA honors as a sophomore. Lee, who reached double figures in scoring in 23 out of 27 games last year, is a preseason first-team All-CAA selection this season.

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Name: Cleveland Melvin

College: DePaul

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

Local high school: Lake Clifton

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 47.9% shooting

Three years ago Melvin was named Big East Rookie of the Year. Since then, the former Lakers star has established himself as one of the conference’s steadiest performers and a double-double threat every night. Though DePaul has struggled mightily over the past three years, Melvin will leave the university next spring as one of the program’s all-time leaders in scoring (currently 12th with 1,458 points) and blocked shots (tied for eighth with 100).

Rob Grabowski/USA TODAY Sports

Name: Brandon Young

College: DePaul

Position: Point guard

Year: Senior

High school: Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.)

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 16.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 43.8% shooting

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound point guard will graduate from DePaul next year as one of the most productive Blue Demons ever. Young is the only player in DePaul history with 1,200 points, 400 assists and 100 3-pointers. He’s also the first Blue Demons player to have 100 assists in three consecutive seasons since longtime NBA guard Rod Strickland (1985-88), and is sixth all-time in the category with 408.

Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

Name: Devon Saddler

College: Delaware

Position: Shooting guard

Year: Senior

Local high school: Aberdeen

Hometown: Aberdeen

2012-13 stats: 19.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 42.8% shooting, 82% free throw

Just 361 points shy of Delaware’s career scoring record, Saddler will leave Newark this spring as one of the most decorated Blue Hens basketball players of all time. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound shooting guard is the second-leading active Division I scorer (behind just Creighton’s Doug McDermott) with 1,670 points. A first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association player as a junior, Saddler is expected to challenge for conference Player of the Year honors this season.

Photo courtesy of University of Delaware athletics

Name: Eric Atkins

College: Notre Dame

Position: Point guard

Year: Senior

Local high school: Mount St. Joseph

Hometown: Columbia

2012-13 stats: 11.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 43.9% shooting (41.5% from 3)

One of the top returning point guards in the country, Atkins has guided the Irish to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and 20-win seasons. The former Gaels star has started 73 out of 101 career games, and has been named to the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award watch list. “He is steady and rock solid,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told reporters at ACC Media Day. “I really value his opinion and feedback because he has the pulse of our team.”

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Name: C.J. Fair

College: Syracuse

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

Local high school: City

Hometown: Baltimore

2012-13 stats: 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 47% shooting (46.9% from 3)

The leading scorer and rebounder on Syracuse’s 2013 Final Four team, Fair put off the NBA draft one more year to take another shot at a national title. Fair, a second-team All-Big East selection, averaged 15.4 points in five NCAA tournament games, including a team-high 22 in the Orange’s semifinal loss to Michigan. Fair enters his senior season as the Preseason ACC Player of the Year, and an easy pick as the No. 1 player for The Baltimore Sun’s 2013-14 Sweet 16.

Jonathan Ernst / Reuters photo