Disclaimer - I make mention of innumerable Maryland high schools and players in this column. But, I'm also not including some schools and players (including my old HS), because there's just TOO many to note. That should be a testament to this article's argument.

Maryland High School Basketball Represents

I watched the McDonald's All American game last night, as any dedicated college basketball fan would. I came into the pre-game competitions imagining I would see some of the studs I'd heard about from my native state, Maryland, but I didn't know I'd see that many.

Michael Beasley (Kansas State), Donte Green (Syracuse), Chris Wright (Georgetown), Austin Freeman (Georgetown), and Nolan Smith (Duke) all represented the state of Maryland in the all-star showdown.

Five out of 26 players in a state as small as Maryland? Not only did Beasley take home the game MVP, but Smith won the team-ball competition and Chris Wright hoisted the three-point championship. Wow, must be some decent basketball there, right? Wait, there's more.

There are six other players in the Rivals.com 2007 Top 150 from Maryland - Anthony McClain (UCONN, Florida, Cincinnati, Tenn.), Malcom Delaney (VaTech), Augustus Gilchrist (VaTech), Darnell Dodson (Pittsburgh), and John Flowers (West Virginia).

Don't think this is just an "up" year for the state that borders Washington, D.C., another basketball haven. Here are a couple of schools you might, or should have heard of if you're an avid hoops fan:

• Dematha Catholic High School - Sports Illustrated granted Dematha the acclaim it deserves in 2005 - the No. 2 high school athletic program in the United States. Who went there? Mike Brey (Notre Dame Head Coach), Sidney Lowe (N.C. State head coach), Dereck Whittenburg (former N.C. state player), Jordan Collins (former N.C. State player), Travis Garrison (former Maryland player) as well as Keith Bogans (Orlando Magic, U. of Kentucky) and Joe Forte (former UNC standout), who played together at Dematha.

The Stags' history also features possibly the best high school basketball coach - Morgan Wooten - who was immortalized when he was put into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Check the rest of the former college and NBA players from Dematha

• Montrose Christian High School - This school's most famous player is this guy named Kevin Durant...he hasn't been in the news much lately, has he? Maryland point guard Greivis Vasquez and many other former D1 players have emerged from old Montrose lineups.
  

If you'd like to see some Maryland players in action - check out Georgetown's team this weekend. Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert and DaJuan Summers are all from MD.

This is all to say that Maryland basketball is on the same level as California, New York, Illinois, and Florida (forgive me, I know I'm missing others). Just ask Carmelo Anthony, whose hometown of Baltimore I feel has boundless potential to separate Maryland from the middle of the pack.