Preseason Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings: No. 6 DeMatha

Stags start 2018-19 where they finished last season, No. 6 in the nation with the same starting five.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens
By
Oct 17, 2018, 10:30am
Video: Preseason Top 25 Basketball Rankings
Breaking down the national contenders heading into the 2018-19 season.


Head Coach: Mike Jones
Last Season: 32-5 (Maryland Private School, WCAC tournament, Alhambra Catholic Invitational champions)
Head coach Mike Jones
Head coach Mike Jones
File photo by John Jones
Players to Watch:
Hunter Dickinson (7-foot-1, Jr., C)
Carsten Kogelnik (6-6, Jr., W) — Committed to Brown
Justin Moore (6-4, Sr., G) — Committed to Villanova
Paul Smith (6-8, Jr., F)
Earl Timberlake Jr. (6-6, Jr., G)
Joshua Wallace (6-0, Sr., G)
Jamir Young (6-1, Sr., G)

Key Games/Events:
Dec. 8 - vs. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) — ARS National Hoopfest (Washington, D.C.)
Dec. 9 - vs. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) - ARS National Hoopfest
Dec. 15 - vs. Guyer (Denton, Texas) — ARS National Hoopfest (Dallas)
Jan 5 - vs. Norcross (Ga.) — Cancer Research Classic (Wheeling. W. Va.)
Jan. 19 - vs. Olive Branch (Miss.) — Spalding Hoophall Classic (Springfield, Mass.)
Feb. 10 - vs. Paul VI (Fiarfax, Va.)
Center Hunter Dickinson
Center Hunter Dickinson
File photo by John Jones
Season Preview:
In today's day it's rare to see a national Top 10 high school basketball program return all five starters with no major transfers breaking up the starting rotation.

The Stags do just that in 2018-19, returning Dickinson, Kogelnik, Moore, Smith and Timberlake from last season and starting the season with the same national ranking they ended the 2017-18 season.

Finishing last season as WCAC, Alhambra Invitational and Maryland Private School state champions, the Stags have lofty expectations of repeating as WCAC tournament champions and finishing Top 5 nationally, according to head coach Mike Jones.

The Stags will face a difficult non-conference schedule, taking on IMG Academy, Guyer, Norcross, Roman Catholic and Olive Branch, in addition to their rigorous conference slate.

Experience, chemistry and talent are the three major reasons why DeMatha begins 2018-19 with their highest preseason ranking in over a decade.

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