5 things to know about Baltimore Catholic League basketball tournament

The 53rd Baltimore Catholic League Tournament, presented by Brooks Financial Group, will tip off this weekend at Goucher College in Towson, featuring some of the best high school boys basketball talent in the nation. The Baltimore Catholic League Tournament is the longest-running boys postseason tournament in the state.

Here are a few highlights of what’s in store:

What is the schedule and where will the games be played?

The games are scheduled for Decker Sports and Recreation Center Arena on the campus of Goucher College in Towson during three consecutive days, beginning March 1 (3 p.m.) with the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals March 2 (6 p.m.) and the championship March 3 (3 p.m.) 

The junior varsity championship also is featured March 3 at 1 p.m.

Goucher will host the event for the second straight year and the 12th time (1996-98, 2000-04 and 2017-18). 

What are Friday’s quarterfinal matchups?

No. 7 seed John Carroll (4-10 BCL) vs. No. 2 St. Frances (9-5), 3 p.m.
No. 6 Loyola Blakefield (4-10) vs. No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel (8-6), 4:45 p.m.
No. 8 Calvert Hall (3-11) vs. No. 1 Mount St. Joseph (13-1) 6:30 p.m.
No. 5 St. Maria Goretti (7-7) vs. No. 4 Archbishop Spalding (8-6), 8:15 p.m.

Who are the teams to beat?

Defending BCL champion Mount St. Joseph (35-4 overall) is again the top contender for a title on the heels of its Feb. 24 Maryland Independent Athletic Association A Conference championship victory.

The Gaels turned back fellow BCL contender Archbishop Spalding, 57-52, to win the MIAA championship at UMBC’s CEI Arena. It was St. Joe’s eighth MIAA A title overall, but its first since 2022. It was the 28th straight time a BCL team has won the MIAA A title. The Gaels also won their second straight regular-season BCL title and are gunning for a third straight BCL tournament title. John Carroll was the last team other than St. Joe to win the BCL in 2021, which ended a three-year title run by St. Frances Academy.

St. Joe has won nine straight and 15 of its last 16. Second-seeded St. Frances (23-12 overall) was the only BCL team to beat the Gaels in the regular season on Jan. 8. However, the Panthers hit the tournament on a bit of a spiral having lost six of their last nine.

Fourth-seeded Archbishop Spalding (22-9) had a seven-game win streak halted by St. Joe in the MIAA final. Third-seeded Mount Carmel (24-11) had a four-game win streak halted in the MIAA semifinals by Spalding.

St. Maria Goretti, which will close at the end of the school year, will make its final appearance in the tournament. The Goretti Gaels (17-15) are led by coach Sidney McCray, who repeated as the league’s O. Ray Mullis Coach of the Year.

Who are the top players to watch?

Calvert Hall senior Brendan Johnson was named the Baltimore Catholic League’s Jerry Savage Player of the Year. He averaged 26.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 36 percent from 3-point range, 

Goretti senior Caleb Embeya, averaging 18 points and 1.8 blocks a game, repeated as the BCL’s Mark Amatucci Defensive Player of the Year and senior teammate Jarvis Wright, averaging 20 points a game, earned league’s Cokey Robertson Most Improved Player of the Year Award.

The 2023-24 All-BCL first team includes Archbishop Spalding junior Malik Washington, Embeya, Mount St. Joseph senior Tyonne Farrell, Mount St. Joseph senior Jordan Brathwaite, Mount Carmel senior Andrew Dixon and Loyola junior Mason Ellison.

The All-BCL second team consists of Wright, St. Frances sophomore Jasiah Cannady, St. Frances senior Josiah Legree, John Carroll sophomore Aidan Able and Loyola senior J’Lin Brown.

Honorable mention selections include Donovan Flamer (St. Frances), Junior Mancho (Mount Carmel), Tyrin Bizzelle (Calvert Hall), Tristen Wilson (Mount Carmel) and Theartis Battle (John Carroll).

The BCL Dave Kropfelder Never, Never Quit Awards for each school, as selected by their coach, include:  Jaylin Sykes (Archbishop Spalding), Dean Mimaros (Calvert Hall), Justin Spencer (John Carroll), Deji Battle-Olley, (Loyola), Rodney Scott (Mount Carmel), AJ Norman (Mount St. Joseph), Gary Pittman (St. Frances) and Keyan Proctor (St. Maria Goretti).

How can tickets be purchased?

Tickets for each day of the 2024 BCL Tournament are on sale at bclbasketball.com.

General Admission (Adults 18 and older) – $15 advance online through Feb. 29 / $20 March 3-5

High School Student Admission (Ages 6-18) – $10 advance online through Feb. 29 / $15 March 3-5

Children (ages 5 and younger) – free admission

For more details on Baltimore Catholic League Basketball, visit BCLBasketball.com, where Chris Pika maintains a terrific site.

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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