Baltimore City College boys' basketball

Baltimore City College boys' basketball
Nickname	City College Black Knights
Conference	MPSSAA 3A North Region
Division	Baltimore City (Division 1)
League	Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) [1919-1993] Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) [1993-present]
Arena	B.C.C. Gymnasium
Capacity	1,500
Location	Baltimore, MD, US
Team colors	Orange and Black
Head coach	Omarr Smith (6th season) Record: 114-27 (.808)
Championships	(13) MSA A-Conference Championships 1922, 1923, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970 (4) MPSSAA State Championships 2009, 2010, 2014, 2023
Conference titles	(8) MPSSAA Regional Championships 1997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2023
Division titles	(2) Baltimore City League Championships 2014, 2023
Website	bccathletics.com
Home Away

The Baltimore City College boys' basketball team, known as the "Black Knights", or formerly, the "Castlemen", and "Alamedans", is the high school basketball team of Baltimore City College, popularly referred to as "City College", or simply "City". The school's athletic teams were primarily referred to as the "Collegians" prior to 1953, a moniker that is still used alternatively today. One of the earliest results recorded in program history is a one-point overtime road loss to the University of Maryland Terrapins on January 25, 1913.^[1][2] With a recorded history spanning more than 110 years, the program is one of the oldest high school basketball teams in the United States. From 1919 to 1992, the team competed as members of the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA). During this period the team won thirteen MSA conference championships (1922, 1923, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1970).^[3]

The Black Knights have won four Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) state championships (2009, 2010, 2014, and 2023), fifth-most among all MPSSAA schools since the school joined the league in 1993.^[4] City College is joined by Allegany and Lake Clifton as the only schools in history to at least one MPSSAA state championships per decade for four or more straight decades.^[5] The team has won nine MPSSAA regional championships in school history (1997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2022, and 2023), advancing to state semifinals (Final Four).^[5] The program has also won two Baltimore City championships (2014 and 2023). ^[6][7]

City College began competing in the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) in 1919 as a founding member.^[8] The team captured 12 MSA conference championships in school history (1922, 1923, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969).

Between 1960 and 1968, George Howard “Jerry” Phipps led the school through one of the most successful eras in program history. As head coach, Phipps earned a record of 133-27 (.831), five MSA championships (1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967), and a 40-game consecutive win streak between 1966 and 1967.^[9] The 1967 team posted an undefeated season, the second of back-to-back perfect seasons, and was led to the MSA championship by team captain Leonard Hamm, who later became commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department.^[10]

Eugene Parker became the first Black faculty member in school history in 1954. Parker replaced Phipps as head coach in 1969, and guided the team to the MSA conference championship in his first season at the helm.^[9] He also won a MSA co-championship in 1970.^[11] After 73 years of membership, the school withdrew from the MSA to join the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) in 1993.^[12]

City has won four Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) state championships in school history (2009, 2010, 2014, 2023) and is one of just five schools in Maryland to win three or more boys basketball state titles since 2000.^{[13][14][15][4]} The Black Knights have advanced to the MPSSAA state tournament semifinals eight times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2023), third most all-time among Baltimore City League teams.^[16][17]

Wayne Cook took over as head boys basketball coach in 1989 and led City College to the school's final MSA victory in 1993. Following a 10-10 finish in 1993-94, Daryl Wade replaced Cook as head boys basketball coach prior to the 1994-95 season.^[18] In 1997, Coach Wade led City to its first-ever MPSSAA state semifinal appearance.^[19] Wade led City to two more trips to the state semifinals in 1998 and 1999 before leaving the program in 2000.^[20]

In 2005, longtime Towson Catholic coach Mike Daniel was named head boys' basketball coach. In his first season, Daniels led the Black Knights to a 15-8 record, a major improvement over the 2004–05 season in which the team won two games. In his next two seasons, Daniel led City to back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a 20–5 record in 2007 and a 20–4 mark in 2008.^[21] In his fourth season, Daniel guided the team to the 2009 MPSSAA 2A state championship. After back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010, including a 24–3 record and the No. 1 ranking in the final Baltimore Sun basketball poll, Daniel was named All-Metro Coach of the Year in 2010.^[22] In 2011, City ended its season with a mark of 16–9 and ranked No 6. in the final Baltimore Sun boys basketball poll following a loss to Edmondson in the regional semifinals.^[23] Coach Daniel left City at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season to take become head coach at Severn.^[24]

External videos
excerpt from 2023 City v Aberdeen HS, Maryland state boys basketball 3A semiifinals, YouTube video

At the start of the 2011–12 season, Daryl Wade rejoined the program for the second time as head boys basketball coach.^[25] In his first season back as head coach, Wade guided the team to a record of 21-6 and lost in the MPSSAA regional semifinals to eventual state champion Patterson.^[26][27] In 2013, the Black Knights compiled a 20–6 record and a No. 8 ranking in the final Baltimore Sun boys basketball poll, but fell in the MPSSAA regional final again to the eventual state champions.^[28][29] With an undefeated record of 27–0, the Black Knights finished the 2014 season as the No. 18-ranked team in the United States in the final USA Today Super 25 and Student Sports Fab 50 national boys basketball polls.^[30][31] City College began the 2015 season ranked No. 10 in The Baltimore Sun boys basketball poll. The Black Knights' 30-game win streak, which spanned two seasons, ended in the school's Baltimore City League opener against arch-rival Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, the Engineers' first win over City in nearly 10 years.^[32]

Omarr Smith, Sr., current head boys basketball coach, has led the program since the 2017–18 season. Smith, Sr. has led City College to MPSSAA state semifinals appearances in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He also led the team to the 2023 Baltimore City championship en route to an undefeated 28-0 record and the 2023 MPSSAA 3A state championship. He was named Metro Coach of the Year by the Baltimore Banner and the Baltimore Sun. ^[33] As a player, Coach Smith helped lead the program to two MPSSAA state semifinals appearances, including the school's first-ever trip to the state championship game in 1998.^[34]

The team began the 2023-24 season ranked No. 3 in metro Baltimore by the Baltimore Sun basketball poll and No. 10 in the PrepHoops.com regional preseason poll covering all teams in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, joining No. 4 Jackson-Reed as the only public school programs ranked in the regional preseason top-10.^[35][36]

In 1919, City College joined the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) as a founding member. The program won twelve MSA conference championships (1922, 1923, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969).^[8] The school joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) prior to the 1992-93 season.^[37] The Black Knights have won four state championships (2009, 2010, 2014, 2023) and advanced to the state semifinals eight times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2023). Since joining the MPSSAA in 1993, City College ranks fifth among all Maryland public high schools in state championships and ninth in state semifinals appearances.^[4][38][39]

City College finished the season ranked among the top-20 nationally in the USA Today Super 25 boys basketball poll twice since 2010, and boasts 12 First Team All-Metro players since 2007.^[40] Four teams (1966, 1967, 2014, 2023) in program history have completed undefeated seasons. City College is the only Baltimore City team to produce two MPSSAA state championship teams to finish with undefeated records.^[15]

† Ranking from the USA Today Super 25 National Boys Basketball Poll
‡ Ranking from The Baltimore Sun Top-15 Metro Boys Basketball Poll

† Ranking from USA Today Super 25 national boys basketball poll.
‡ Ranking from Baltimore Sun Top-15 metro boys basketball poll.

In 2013, City ranked third among all Baltimore-area high schools with five former players on current NCAA Division I rosters.^[41] Nick Faust, a member of two state championship teams, was named to the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman team at Maryland.^[42] Former small forward C.J. Fair, who helped lead City College to a 25–4 record and the regional semifinals as a sophomore, was named 2013 ACC Preseason Player of the Year at Syracuse.^[43] Former forward Charles Tapper played basketball and football at City and was a First Team All-Big 12 Conference defensive end for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2013.^[44] Will Barton, a current member of the NBA's Toronto Raptors, was a shooting guard at City College before ultimately finishing his high school basketball career at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Barton was the Conference USA men's basketball Player of the Year in 2011. Barton was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA draft.

Several former boys basketball student-athletes have accepted scholarship offers to play basketball at NCAA Division I schools in recent years. That list includes:

• Jermaul Akanbi, F, 2002 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks
• Will Barton, SG, 2010 Memphis Tigers
• Tim Bond, G, 2014 Eastern Michigan Eagles
• Mike Cheatham, SG, 2011 Marshall Thundering Herd
• C.J. Fair, SF, 2008 Syracuse Orange
• Nick Faust, SG, 2011 Maryland Terrapins
• Todd Galloway, SG, 2003 Florida State Seminoles
• Therm James, G, 2009 Mount St. Mary's (MD)
• Jordan Latham, PF, 2009 Xavier Musketeers
• Dwayne Morgan, SF, 2013 UNLV Running Rebels
• Aron Nwankwo, F, 2010 Pittsburgh Panthers
• Kamau Stokes, PG, 2014 Kansas State Wildcats
• Charles Tapper, F, 2011 Oklahoma Sooners football

City ranks second among all Baltimore-area high schools—public, private, and parochial—with 12 first-team All-Metro selections since 2007. In 2014, three players were selected to the All-Metro first team, a single-season school record.

First-Team All-Metro Selections

• Devin Brown, Guard (2007)
• C.J. Fair, Forward (2008)
• Adam Johnson, Forward (2009)
• Jordan Latham, Center (2010)
• Nick Faust, Guard (2011)
• Timmy Bond, Guard (2014)
• Omari George, Guard (2014)
• Kamau Stokes, Guard (2014)
• Dominick Carrington, Guard (2020)
• Kyree Smith, Guard (2022)
• Cam Horton, Guard (2022)
• Cam Horton, Guard (2023)

With its second undefeated season in nine years and fourth overall, the 2022-23 Knights posted a 28-0 record en route to the 2023 Baltimore City League championship, 2023 MPSSAA 3A North Region championship, and 2023 MPSSAA 3A state championship. The team's 28 victories are the most in program history, besting its previous record of 27 wins set during the 2013-14 season. City became the first Baltimore City League school to complete two undefeated seasons since the city school joined the MPSSAA in 1993. Head coach Omarr Smith led the Knights to its second consecutive 3A state semifinal appearance and finished the season as the No. 2-ranked team in the Baltimore Sun final boys basketball poll behind nationally-ranked Mount Saint Joseph High School. Cam Horton was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Metro first team for the second consecutive year. Coach Smith was named Baltimore Sun co-Coach of the Year.^[45][46]

With a record of 22–0, the City won the 2014 Baltimore City League championship and posted the school's first undefeated regular season since 1967.^[47][48] The Knights entered the MPSSAA 3A state basketball tournament as the top-seeded team in the East region. On March 15, 2014, the Knights defeated Westlake in the MPSSAA finals to win the 3A state championship, finishing the season 27–0. The Knights set a then-single season school record with 27 wins. In so doing, City College completed its third perfect season in school history and became the first Baltimore City League team since the 2008–2009 season to post an undefeated record.^[15] City finished the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the Baltimore Sun boys basketball poll for the second time in four years.^[49] The Knights finished ranked No. 18 nationally in the final USA Today Super 25 and Student Sports Fab 50 boys basketball polls, the second highest ranking of any team in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.^[30][31]

In 1967, City completed its second of two consecutive undefeated seasons under Coach Jerry Phipps. The Knights finished the season ranked No. 1 in the final Baltimore Sun boys basketball poll and won the second of back-to-back MSA championships. Leonard Hamm, who later became commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, was team captain.^[10]

The top-ranked Knights finished the season with a record of 20-0 and beat perennial power Dunbar High School twice during the 1965–66 season. City was coached by Jerry Phipps and led by Lee Dedmon, who became an All-Atlantic Coast Conference center at North Carolina.^[50]