In PG County, public high school hoops is no joke. It’s not like Virginia where everybody with any game goes private.
Goodbye Ronald Polite
- Thread starter Falco
- Start date
In PG County, public high school hoops is no joke. It’s not like Virginia where everybody with any game goes private.
FreeGunston12
All-American
Talent can come from anywhere.
Sure, good players can tend to congregate in particular high schools/conferences. As a coach, you want to establish relationships/pipelines if you can with recruiting hotbeds.
But the level of competition (especially for the mid major quality recruits) should not be this giant red flag if you like what you see.
Edit: I removed examples until I can dive into more current A-10 examples. But I fear you will mistakenly use frequency to evaluate my opinion. Competition (both for recruits and scouts) is density-dependent.
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PG county public schools is low key probably top 10 public high school basketball being played in the country right now.
PG county public better than fairfax or loudoun public but nowhere near md/dc/va catholic league.
Tyler kolek in the almighty nepsac (top 5 best prep league in country) but he’s in the B division and most of the D1 targets all play in A division. So he tore up the b league. Gotta recognize that as well
P
PoorManProfit
Spectator
100% true fact.
FreeGunston12
All-American
This is a result of a quick search on the current A-10 first team:
Toppin - Ossining, NY: Ossining High School (not a good basketball school, did prep before college though)
Jalen Crutcher - Memphis. TN: Ridgeway High School (not a good basketball school)
Fatts Russell - Philadelphia, PA: Imhotep Charter (good basketball school)
Jacob Gilyard - Kansas City, Mo: Barstow School (not a good basketball school)
Kyle Lofton - Hillside, NJ: Putnam Science Academy (good basketball school)
Jordan Goodwin - Bellville, IL: Althoff Catholic (not a good basketball school)
I don't know anything about these schools conferences, but from what I could tell 4 out of the 6 current first-teamers came from what we would consider questionable competition. If I'm wrong about any of these schools, I apologize.
Obi Toppin- Mt Zion is a pretty damn good school and he needed to prove himself there in order to obtain a college scholarship so I probably wouldn't even include his first high school since nobody recruited him while there. He also grew like 6 inches in 2 years
Jalen Crutcher- His high school plays in one of the toughest public school leagues in all of America. he played D1 talent night in night out. Maybe he wasn't at a good basketball school (even though they have 4 state titles since 2000), but the league was really really good.
Fatts: Nuff said by you above
Gilyard: Bad Basketball school although a prep school playing better talent than most public schools
Kyle Lofton: Great* basketball school. They churn 3-5 kids into D1 athletes every year from their Prep and Varsity teams
Jordan Goodwin: No clue really but they did play Mater Dei and Chaminade last year so they obviously play good competition
G M U
Starter
I'm not saying talent can't come from a public school or that Ronny isn't tight, just saying we were able to get a 1st team All Met caliber player due to the fact that he's playing against teams without any true bigs.
FreeGunston12
All-American
Thanks. Like I said, I don't really know. Just a quick sample of the top talent in the league.
Edit: and just for the record, I didn't include Obi's first high school - he transferred multiple times, which is probably why he wasn't heavily recruited out of high school.
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OP
- Thread Starter
- #211
I don’t disagree with you. However, I think it’s easier to evaluate talent when everyone on the court is good.
p8triotfan4life
Starter
nice article on Ronny Polite..
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...orge-mason-thinks-its-getting-sleeping-giant/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...orge-mason-thinks-its-getting-sleeping-giant/
Quentin Daniels
Hall of Famer
p8triotfan4life
Starter
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High School Sports
In Oxon Hill’s Ronald Polite, George Mason thinks it’s getting a ‘sleeping giant’
Ronald Polite averaged 22.5 points as a senior at Oxon Hill. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
By
Kyle Melnick
March 23, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
With the high school and college basketball seasons finished, The Washington Post will use the coming weeks to look ahead to next season, when some of our area’s prep stars will bring their skills to various campuses across the nation. This is the first story of the series.
George Mason men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen sat in Oxon Hill’s home bleachers last March when Ronald Polite received a pass while cutting to the paint. There were teammates circled around Polite, but the Clippers guard saw a small opening to the left side of the basket. He attacked the gap, jumped around a defender and finished a layup through traffic.
It was only the second quarter of Oxon Hill’s Maryland 3A playoff game against Potomac, but Paulsen had seen enough. He told assistant coach Duane Simpkins he was sold on Polite and offered him a scholarship in Oxon Hill’s locker room after the Clippers’ win.
AD
Paulsen said the intuition Polite displayed on that play is unteachable, and it’s one of the main skills the senior will bring to George Mason, which finished this past season 17-15, including 5-13 in Atlantic 10 play.
“As good as Ronald is, he’s going to come to a program that really values player development,” Paulsen said. “The Mason program’s a sleeping giant, and I think he’s a sleeping giant.”
2020 Winter All-Met: Boys’ basketball first team, second team, and honorable mention
Despite not being a coveted prospect nationally, Polite emerged as one of the area’s top players this season, averaging 22.5 points and 5.5 assists while leading Oxon Hill to its first Prince George’s County title since 2010. The first-team All-Met selection’s season came to a halt against Southern Maryland Athletic Conference champion St. Charles in the second round of the Maryland 3A playoffs.
Polite made a big jump athletically this past season, even throwing down one of the area’s best dunks over a Potomac defender in February. His intelligence, though, is what has stood out to his coaches.
AD
He grew up studying former NBA stars while watching “Hardwood Classics” on NBA TV. In middle school, before teams watched film, Polite observed opposing players’ tendencies during warmups. Even playing quarterback as a kid, Polite could roll to one side but still find open receivers on the opposite side of the field.
“The thing that’s super exciting for me about him is his ability to pass, his vision and his unselfishness,” Paulsen said. “Passing and vision and basketball IQ are at shorter supply now than ever. He brings that right to the table right from Day 1.”
While Polite grew up as a facilitator, he developed into a go-to scorer entering his junior year by improving his midrange jump shot. Oxon Hill Coach Lewis Howard sold George Mason’s coaching staff on the fact that Polite plays at a fast pace and doesn’t become rattled under defensive pressure. Polite believes his skill set translates well to George Mason’s up-tempo, pick-and-roll-heavy offense, which is similar to Oxon Hill’s system.
AD
“As time went on, I had to become a better scorer, create by myself a little more, because that’s what was best for my team,” Polite said. “I had to learn how to create plays from nothing.”
In July, Polite verbally committed to George Mason, partly because it was the first school to offer him a scholarship. He also considered William & Mary, James Madison and Delaware.
George Mason graduates two players and expects to return most of its scoring next season. Former local stars Jordan Miller (Loudoun Valley) and Xavier Johnson (Episcopal) should remain big contributors in the backcourt.
Polite will have to earn a spot in a rotation that usually went nine players deep this past season. Paulsen doesn’t know what Polite’s role will be in his freshman season, but he foresees him directing the Patriots’ offense at times and forcing turnovers with his 6-foot-3, 162-pound frame.
AD
“If you just look at him and you didn’t see him play, you wouldn’t think that he could do the things that he can do,” Howard said. “The unteachable things that he has is his feel for the game.”
Howard believes Polite has a high ceiling and could become the Atlantic 10’s premier player during his George Mason tenure.
Paulsen does, too.
“I don’t think it’s a question of if he’ll be an elite player for us,” Paulsen said. “I think it’s a question of when.”
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High School Sports
In Oxon Hill’s Ronald Polite, George Mason thinks it’s getting a ‘sleeping giant’
Ronald Polite averaged 22.5 points as a senior at Oxon Hill. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
By
Kyle Melnick
March 23, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
With the high school and college basketball seasons finished, The Washington Post will use the coming weeks to look ahead to next season, when some of our area’s prep stars will bring their skills to various campuses across the nation. This is the first story of the series.
George Mason men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen sat in Oxon Hill’s home bleachers last March when Ronald Polite received a pass while cutting to the paint. There were teammates circled around Polite, but the Clippers guard saw a small opening to the left side of the basket. He attacked the gap, jumped around a defender and finished a layup through traffic.
It was only the second quarter of Oxon Hill’s Maryland 3A playoff game against Potomac, but Paulsen had seen enough. He told assistant coach Duane Simpkins he was sold on Polite and offered him a scholarship in Oxon Hill’s locker room after the Clippers’ win.
AD
Paulsen said the intuition Polite displayed on that play is unteachable, and it’s one of the main skills the senior will bring to George Mason, which finished this past season 17-15, including 5-13 in Atlantic 10 play.
“As good as Ronald is, he’s going to come to a program that really values player development,” Paulsen said. “The Mason program’s a sleeping giant, and I think he’s a sleeping giant.”
2020 Winter All-Met: Boys’ basketball first team, second team, and honorable mention
Despite not being a coveted prospect nationally, Polite emerged as one of the area’s top players this season, averaging 22.5 points and 5.5 assists while leading Oxon Hill to its first Prince George’s County title since 2010. The first-team All-Met selection’s season came to a halt against Southern Maryland Athletic Conference champion St. Charles in the second round of the Maryland 3A playoffs.
Polite made a big jump athletically this past season, even throwing down one of the area’s best dunks over a Potomac defender in February. His intelligence, though, is what has stood out to his coaches.
AD
He grew up studying former NBA stars while watching “Hardwood Classics” on NBA TV. In middle school, before teams watched film, Polite observed opposing players’ tendencies during warmups. Even playing quarterback as a kid, Polite could roll to one side but still find open receivers on the opposite side of the field.
“The thing that’s super exciting for me about him is his ability to pass, his vision and his unselfishness,” Paulsen said. “Passing and vision and basketball IQ are at shorter supply now than ever. He brings that right to the table right from Day 1.”
While Polite grew up as a facilitator, he developed into a go-to scorer entering his junior year by improving his midrange jump shot. Oxon Hill Coach Lewis Howard sold George Mason’s coaching staff on the fact that Polite plays at a fast pace and doesn’t become rattled under defensive pressure. Polite believes his skill set translates well to George Mason’s up-tempo, pick-and-roll-heavy offense, which is similar to Oxon Hill’s system.
AD
“As time went on, I had to become a better scorer, create by myself a little more, because that’s what was best for my team,” Polite said. “I had to learn how to create plays from nothing.”
In July, Polite verbally committed to George Mason, partly because it was the first school to offer him a scholarship. He also considered William & Mary, James Madison and Delaware.
George Mason graduates two players and expects to return most of its scoring next season. Former local stars Jordan Miller (Loudoun Valley) and Xavier Johnson (Episcopal) should remain big contributors in the backcourt.
Polite will have to earn a spot in a rotation that usually went nine players deep this past season. Paulsen doesn’t know what Polite’s role will be in his freshman season, but he foresees him directing the Patriots’ offense at times and forcing turnovers with his 6-foot-3, 162-pound frame.
AD
“If you just look at him and you didn’t see him play, you wouldn’t think that he could do the things that he can do,” Howard said. “The unteachable things that he has is his feel for the game.”
Howard believes Polite has a high ceiling and could become the Atlantic 10’s premier player during his George Mason tenure.
Paulsen does, too.
“I don’t think it’s a question of if he’ll be an elite player for us,” Paulsen said. “I think it’s a question of when.”
This is one hell of a “snippet.”
Interesting phrase used by DP and one I remember from years ago.
After Westhead was hired, I had a Washington Post article on my door for weeks as to why the hire was going to work (Mason's location in a region filled with high school talent) and that the program was a "sleeping giant".
We are definitely sleeping with paulsen in charge. Who knows if we can ever turn into a giant.
This program is a sleeping giant you say?
Seems this sleeping giant has narcolepsy.
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High School Sports
In Oxon Hill’s Ronald Polite, George Mason thinks it’s getting a ‘sleeping giant’
Ronald Polite averaged 22.5 points as a senior at Oxon Hill. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
By
Kyle Melnick
March 23, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
With the high school and college basketball seasons finished, The Washington Post will use the coming weeks to look ahead to next season, when some of our area’s prep stars will bring their skills to various campuses across the nation. This is the first story of the series.
George Mason men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen sat in Oxon Hill’s home bleachers last March when Ronald Polite received a pass while cutting to the paint. There were teammates circled around Polite, but the Clippers guard saw a small opening to the left side of the basket. He attacked the gap, jumped around a defender and finished a layup through traffic.
It was only the second quarter of Oxon Hill’s Maryland 3A playoff game against Potomac, but Paulsen had seen enough. He told assistant coach Duane Simpkins he was sold on Polite and offered him a scholarship in Oxon Hill’s locker room after the Clippers’ win.
AD
Paulsen said the intuition Polite displayed on that play is unteachable, and it’s one of the main skills the senior will bring to George Mason, which finished this past season 17-15, including 5-13 in Atlantic 10 play.
“As good as Ronald is, he’s going to come to a program that really values player development,” Paulsen said. “The Mason program’s a sleeping giant, and I think he’s a sleeping giant.”
2020 Winter All-Met: Boys’ basketball first team, second team, and honorable mention
Despite not being a coveted prospect nationally, Polite emerged as one of the area’s top players this season, averaging 22.5 points and 5.5 assists while leading Oxon Hill to its first Prince George’s County title since 2010. The first-team All-Met selection’s season came to a halt against Southern Maryland Athletic Conference champion St. Charles in the second round of the Maryland 3A playoffs.
Polite made a big jump athletically this past season, even throwing down one of the area’s best dunks over a Potomac defender in February. His intelligence, though, is what has stood out to his coaches.
AD
He grew up studying former NBA stars while watching “Hardwood Classics” on NBA TV. In middle school, before teams watched film, Polite observed opposing players’ tendencies during warmups. Even playing quarterback as a kid, Polite could roll to one side but still find open receivers on the opposite side of the field.
“The thing that’s super exciting for me about him is his ability to pass, his vision and his unselfishness,” Paulsen said. “Passing and vision and basketball IQ are at shorter supply now than ever. He brings that right to the table right from Day 1.”
While Polite grew up as a facilitator, he developed into a go-to scorer entering his junior year by improving his midrange jump shot. Oxon Hill Coach Lewis Howard sold George Mason’s coaching staff on the fact that Polite plays at a fast pace and doesn’t become rattled under defensive pressure. Polite believes his skill set translates well to George Mason’s up-tempo, pick-and-roll-heavy offense, which is similar to Oxon Hill’s system.
AD
“As time went on, I had to become a better scorer, create by myself a little more, because that’s what was best for my team,” Polite said. “I had to learn how to create plays from nothing.”
In July, Polite verbally committed to George Mason, partly because it was the first school to offer him a scholarship. He also considered William & Mary, James Madison and Delaware.
George Mason graduates two players and expects to return most of its scoring next season. Former local stars Jordan Miller (Loudoun Valley) and Xavier Johnson (Episcopal) should remain big contributors in the backcourt.
Polite will have to earn a spot in a rotation that usually went nine players deep this past season. Paulsen doesn’t know what Polite’s role will be in his freshman season, but he foresees him directing the Patriots’ offense at times and forcing turnovers with his 6-foot-3, 162-pound frame.
AD
“If you just look at him and you didn’t see him play, you wouldn’t think that he could do the things that he can do,” Howard said. “The unteachable things that he has is his feel for the game.”
Howard believes Polite has a high ceiling and could become the Atlantic 10’s premier player during his George Mason tenure.
Paulsen does, too.
“I don’t think it’s a question of if he’ll be an elite player for us,” Paulsen said. “I think it’s a question of when.”
Thanks for the share.
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