The Sweet 16: Baltimore’s best college basketball players for 2015-16

HONORABLE MENTION

Name: Brent Arrington

College: Morehead State

Position: Guard

Year: Grad student

High school: Lansdowne

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 11.1 points, 40.5% FG, 28.1 minutes

A preseason All-Ohio Valley pick, Arrington was the Eagles’ second-leading scorer as a junior and finished third in the conference in steals (1.91 per game).

Photo courtesy of Morehead State athletics

HONORABLE MENTION

Name: Malcolm McMillan

College: Canisius

Position: Guard

Year: Grad student

High school: John Carroll

Hometown: Baltimore

2013-14 stats: 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 2013-14 at Central Connecticut State

McMillan was injured during his senior year at Central Connecticut State, redshirted, graduated and transferred to Canisius, where he’s expected to start and lead a Griffins squad that went 18-15 last season.

Photo courtesy of Canisius athletics

HONORABLE MENTION

Name: Keron DeShields

College: Tennessee State

Position: Guard

Year: Grad student

High school: Vermont Academy

Hometown: Baltimore

2013-14 stats: 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 49.8% FG, 31.2 minutes at Montana

In his first year eligible at Tennessee State after transferring from Montana, DeShields has established himself as a team leader who will be counted on to mentor younger guards and score in bunches.

Photo courtesy of Tennessee State athletics

HONORABLE MENTION

Name: Cody Joyce

College: UMBC

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

High school: Southern

Hometown: Churchton

2014-15 stats: 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 50.5% FG, 33.7 minutes

Joyce logged big minutes and put up big numbers in his first year at UMBC after transferring from Houston Baptist. A second-team All-America East player, Joyce was the conference’s fifth-leading scorer and sixth-leading rebounder. He scored a career-high 28 points in a January win over Maine.

Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox

Name: Dwayne Morgan

College: UNLV

Position: Forward

Year: Sophomore

High school: St. Frances

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 17 minutes, 38.4% FG

A former five-star recruit, Morgan is surrounded by other highly touted players in Las Vegas. He should challenge for more minutes as a sophomore, and at the very least will be an energy guy off the bench.

Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports photo

Name: Kam Williams

College: Ohio State

Position: Guard

Year: Redshirt Sophomore

High school: Mount Saint Joseph

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 5.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 45.2 FG %, 34.6% 3, 14.3 minutes

His overall numbers might have been modest, but in a December win over High Point, Williams offered a preview of what could come more regularly this season. The former Gaels star poured in 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Williams is competing with a couple of talented freshmen for minutes at the 2, but he’s locked into the rotation and Buckeyes coaches will once again look to him for outside shooting.

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Name: Lavon Long

College: Siena

Position: Forward

Year: Junior

High school: Oakland Mills

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 45.9% FG, 27.1 minutes

Long missed seven games with an injury but still had a workmanlike season for the Saints. He was Siena’s third-leading scorer and top rebounder as a sophomore. Coaches expect Long, who will start at the 3, to once again be one of Siena’s top-three scorers.

Photo courtesy of Siena athletics

Name: Cedric Blossom

College: Morgan State

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

High school: Montrose Christian

Hometown: Columbia

2014-15 stats: 14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 42.6% FG, 34.7 minutes

The quintessential glue guy on a loaded Montrose Christian team, Blossom finally got a chance to play a starring role with the Bears last season. Starting all 31 games, the Columbia native led Morgan in points and rebounds per game, posting double-digit point totals 19 times. Blossom is a preseason second-team All-MEAC selection.

Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna

Name: Nick Faust

College: Long Beach State

Position: Guard

Year: Fifth-year senior

High school: City

Hometown: Baltimore

2013-14 stats: 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 38.4% FG, 27.4 minutes at Maryland

After three up-and-down seasons at Maryland, Faust – who redshirted in 2014-15 – is back for his final year of college eligibility. He’s one of three touted transfers that will be counted on to lead the 49ers, who were picked to finish fourth in the Big West.

Photo courtesy of the Long Beach State athletic department

Name: Jaylen Adams

College: St. Bonaventure

Position: Guard

Year: Sophomore

High school: Mount Saint Joseph

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 10.0 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 38.6% FG, 32.5 minutes

A broken ring finger ended his freshman season with nine games remaining, but Adams did plenty in the first 22 to cement his spot on the list. A three-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, Adams was the Bonnies’ starting point guard from Day One and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.3-to-1. He tied a school record with 14 assists in a January overtime win against Duquesne.

Photo courtesy of the St. Bonaventure athletic department

Name: Rodney Elliott

College: UMBC

Position: Guard

Year: Redshirt sophomore

High school: John Carroll

Hometown: Baltimore

2013-14 stats: 15.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 45.2% FG, 31.4 minutes

UMBC’s 2014-15 season got off to a worst-case-scenario start when Elliott tore the labrum in his left shoulder in the Retrievers’ season opener against Akron. He underwent shoulder surgery and redshirted as UMBC stumbled to an injury-plagued 4-26 season. Elliott is back to 100 percent now and will look to build on a freshman campaign in which he was named America East Conference Rookie of the Year.

Baltimore Sun photo by Amy Davis

Name: Evan Singletary

College: Albany

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

High school: Dunbar

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 13 points, 3.6 rebounds, 41.2% FG, 34.9 minutes

In his first season with the Great Danes, Singletary started all 33 games at point guard and played his way into a spot on the America East’s all-conference first team. The former Poets star, who transferred from Moberly (Mo.) Community College, finished his junior year as the conference’s sixth-leading scorer and fourth-best free-throw shooter (80.9 percent). Unsurprisingly, Singletary is a preseason All-America East selection.

Associated Press photo by Tim Roske

Name: Kayel Locke

College: UNC Greensboro

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

High school: McDonogh

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 12.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 46.2% FG, 29.5 minutes

One of the most consistent players on the list, Locke enters his senior season 15th on UNC Greensboro’s all-time scoring list. He was the Spartans’ second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. A preseason All-Southern Conference selection, Locke is the first of two Baltimore natives at UNCG on this list.

Photo by Tim Cowie, UNCG Athletics

Name: Daxter Miles Jr.

College: West Virginia

Position: Guard

Year: Sophomore

High school: Dunbar

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 20.5 minutes, 40.8% FG

Miles was immediately a fixture in the Mountaineers’ lineup, starting all 35 games for a West Virginia team that made the Sweet 16. An Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team honoree, Miles scored 12 points in WVU’s NCAA second-round win over Maryland. Coach Bob Huggins told CBS Sports that Miles is one of two Mountaineers that he expects to make “the biggest jump” this season.

Associated Press photo by Tony Dejak

Name: Phil Booth Jr.

College: Villanova

Position: Guard

Year: Sophomore

High school: Mount Saint Joseph

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 56.3% FG, 48.5% 3, 14.5 minutes

Booth made his somewhat limited freshman minutes count, providing efficiency and offensive spark for the Big East-champion and No. 1-seeded Wildcats. As a sophomore, Booth – the Philadelphia Big Five’s Rookie of the Year in 2014-15 – is expected to either start or be the first man off the bench for Jay Wright. With Darrun Hilliard (Detroit Pistons) and Dylan Ennis (Oregon) gone, plenty of backcourt minutes are available for Booth to claim.

Alex Trautwig/Getty Images

Name: Tevon Saddler

College: UNC Greensboro

Position: Guard

Year: Junior

High school: St. Frances

Hometown: Aberdeen

2014-15 stats: 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 42.9% FG, 30.5 minutes

Saddler flirted with transferring after his freshman year but ended up returning to the Spartans and thriving as their leading scorer. The former St. Frances star reached double figures in scoring in 22 out of 31 games last season. He was a third-team All-Southern Conference selection as a sophomore and enters his junior year as a preseason first-team pick.

Marc Lebryk, USA TODAY Sports photo

Name: Durand Johnson

College: St. John’s

Position: Guard/Forward

Year: Fifth-year senior

High school: Lake Clifton

Hometown: Baltimore

2013-14 stats: 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 19.8 minutes at Pittsburgh

It’s been almost two years since Johnson played in a game, but the Pittsburgh transfer could very well be St. John’s leading scorer this season. Johnson showed plenty of promise as a redshirt sophomore before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. He was then suspended for the entire 2014-15 campaign. But first-year Johnnies coach Chris Mullin beat out several other high-major schools for Johnson’s services, and he’ll count on the Lake Clifton grad to lead a young SJU squad.

Photo courtesy of the St. John’s athletic department

Name: Jamel Artis

College: Pittsburgh

Position: Forward

Year: Junior

High school: Vermont Academy

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 46.9% FG, 31.8 minutes

Artis more than doubled his scoring output as a sophomore, jumping from 4.9 points per game to 13.6. A 6-foot-7 small forward with handles, Artis emerged as one of the ACC’s most versatile players, earning third-team all-conference honors from the coaches and honorable mention from the media. The Panthers’ returning leading scorer, Artis is one of four returning starters on a Pitt team that won 19 games and made the NIT.

Marc Lebryk, USA TODAY Sports photo

Name: Daniel Ochefu

College: Villanova

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

High school: Downingtown East (Pa.)

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 9.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 24 minutes

One of college basketball’s top post defenders and best-passing big men, Ochefu took his game to another level as a junior. The Baltimore native, who went to high school in Pennsylvania, led the Big East in field-goal percentage at 64.4 percent, in addition to finishing third in the league in rebounding. For his efforts, Ochefu was named honorable mention All-Big East, and was selected as the Philadelphia Big Five’s most improved player.

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Name: Damion Lee

College: Louisville

Position: Guard

Year: Grad student

High school: Calvert Hall

Hometown: Baltimore

2014-15 stats: 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 43.8% FG, 38.1 minutes at Drexel

After a redshirt junior season at Drexel in which he was the country’s fourth-leading scorer, Lee finished his bachelor’s degree, announced that he’d play his fifth year elsewhere, and immediately became the most coveted graduate transfer in college basketball. He picked the Cardinals after also considering Arizona, Gonzaga, Maryland and Marquette. In his first game at Louisville, an August exhibition contest in Puerto Rico, Lee poured in a game-high 36 points.

AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley