Video: Preseason Top 25 basketball rankingsBreaking down the national contenders heading into the 2019-20 season.
Head Coach: Mike Jones
Last Season: No. 10 in final Top 100, 33-5 (WCAC Regular Season, Maryland Private School, Alhambra Catholic Invitational champions)
Key Contributors:
Paul Smith (6-9, Sr., F) — Committed to East Tennessee State
Earl Timberlake Jr. (6-6, Sr., W) — Committed to Miami
Tyrell Ward (6-5, So., G)
Head coach Mike Brown
File photo by Patrick Kane
Feb. 7 vs. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Feb. 16 at Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)
Center Hunter Dickinson
File photo by John Jones
The Stags are the favorites of the loaded WCAC, although Paul VI and Gonzaga offer major challenges.
DeMatha has history, experience and talent on its side. The storied Maryland basketball program has finished among the MaxPreps Top 10 teams in each of the past two seasons, and all signs point to that trend continuing.
Despite losing co-WCAC Player of the Year Justin Moore to graduation, the defending WCAC regular-season champions return Dickinson and Timberlake, two of the Top 40 seniors in the country.
Add in key returners Smith and Ward, along with incoming transfer Hawkins, and the Stags feature a very formidable, big and experienced starting five.
None of it will be easy, though.
In addition to a daunting conference season, DeMatha takes on an extremely challenging schedule that includes showdowns with No. 1 Montverde Academy, No. 18 Mater Dei, No. 19 Rancho Christian and St. Frances Academy.
If the Stags escape with another WCAC title and fare well in non-conference play, a top 5 national ranking is highly possible.
