Maryland/DC: Terps Go for Title, Hoya for All-American

With Diamond Stone choosing to join Melo Trimble and Jack Layman, the Terps hold the best chance for a basketball title in years. When you add D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera from just over the state line in Washington DC, some of the best basketball in the country continues to be played around the nation’s capital just like it has been from the careers of Elgin Baylor to Kevin Durant.

We ran the Value Add Sports calculations on all returning athletes in the state and emailed sports writers and other experts in the state to help rank the 25 state players to watch on a list.

Football may have an uphill battle this year, with neither Navy nor Maryland expected to excel. However, high school football is solid with linebacker Keandre Jones of Good Counsel the best of five top prospects from the area.

We believe Smith-Rivera may be the most underestimated basketball player in the country, and could be a surprise All-American this year. Whether or not he will have enough support from his Hoyas teammates remains to be seen, as Georgetown and the Big East need a good showing in the Sweet 16. CBS reported on the Hoyas thinking big again when he decided to forgo the NBA.

But make no mistake, Stone walks in as the potential final piece to an NCAA run by the Terps, who already beat Wisconsin last year.

Here are the top players to watch from Maryland and DC:

1. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown, Basket, PG
2. Melo Trimble, Maryland, Basket, SG
3. Diamond Stone, Maryland, Basket, C
4. Joshua Ellis, American, Track/Field, 3,000m Steeplechase
5. Patricio Garino, George Washington, Basket, SF
6. Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, Soccer, Midfielder
7. Katrina Coogan, Georgetown, Track/Field, 5,000m Run
8. Lucas Stalnaker, Navy, Track/Field, 10,000m Run
9. Keenan Reynolds, Navy Midshipmen, Foot, QB
10. Charlie Jones, American, Basket, SF
11. Jake Layman, Maryland, Basket, PF
12. Markelle Fultz, Hyattsville, MDDeMatha, Basketball, G
13. Rajae Gayle, Howard, Track/Field, Javelin
14. Joe McDonald, George Washington, Basket, PG
15. Andre Walker, Loyola MD, Basket, PG
16. Keandre Jones, Olney, MDGood Counsel, football, LB
17. Elizabeth Wenger, Georgetown, Soccer, Defender
18. Jonathan Green, Georgetown, Track/Field, 5,000m Run
19. Mike Shawaryn, Maryland, Baseball
20. Caleb Rowe, Maryland Terrapins, Foot, QB
21. Isaac Copeland, Georgetown, Basket, PF
22. Clare MacAdam, Navy, Soccer, Forward
23. Yuta Watanabe, George Washington, Basket, C
24. Gregory Graves, Mount St. Mary’s, Basket, SF
25. Anthony Cowan, Washington, DCSt. John’s College High, Basketball, G

Others Receiving Votes:

Jaren Sina, GEORGE WASHINGTON/2017, Basket, SF

Richard Merritt, Washington, DCArchbishop Carroll, football, OL

Shane Simmons, Hyattsville, MDDeMatha, football, DE

Ettian Scott, Georgetown Hoyas, Foot, LB

Tre Campbell, Georgetown, Basket, SG

Ryan Andino, Maryland Eastern Shore, Basket, SF

Dwayne Haskins Jr., Potomac, MDBullis School, football, QB

Paul White, Georgetown, Basket, SF

Jourdan Grant, Maryland Baltimore Co, Basket, PG

Deshaun Morman, Towson/2017, Basket, SG

Alani Moore, Rockville, MDMontrose Christian, Basketball, G