MD Coaches: Get to know em

Get to know the coaches and players of local programs in the Maryland area. This article serves to connect scouts and colleges with high school level coaches and players. <strong>Coach Brad Rees – McDonogh</strong> Coach Rees and the McDonogh Eagles are on an absolute tear right now, as they’ve won eight consecutive games and remain undefeated. The Eagles’ head coach is approaching his thirteenth season as head coach, and his experience is clearly paying dividends so far in 2021. On the court, the McDonogh squad is led by their captain [player_tooltip player_id="27873" first="Nekhu" last="Mitchell"]- a talented small forward from the 2022 class who remains uncommitted. The 6’0 senior is accompanied by freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id="238688" first="Tatum" last="Greene"] who is already making noise on the court in her first year, and it’s clear that this tandem is working productively together. Coach Brad Rees has developed quite a powerhouse at McDonogh, and Eagle players like [player_tooltip player_id="27873" first="Nekhu" last="Mitchell"] and [player_tooltip player_id="238688" first="Tatum" last="Greene"] are two stars who have truly embraced coach Rees’ agenda and it is showing in the team’s elite level of play. &nbsp; <strong>Coach Franklin Oliver Jr. – Bishop McNamara</strong> Franklin Oliver Jr. is the legendary coach of the Bishop McNamara Mustangs. As a player, Oliver had a phenomenal high school career at Dematha- playing for the legend himself coach Morgan Wootten. Oliver then pursued an academic scholarship to play basketball at Florida A&amp;M where he would earn his B.S. in Health and Physical Education. For years now, coach Oliver has been committed to endorsing and creating local basketball programs for the youth, and to this day his students and players post a graduation rate of 100%. Some of his McNamara Mustangs today, such as [player_tooltip player_id="142823" first="Sahnya" last="Jah"] and [player_tooltip player_id="142828" first="Qadence" last="Samuels"], are on similar paths to play at the college level like their coach, and it’s clear that the Bishop McNamara Mustang program is now a powerhouse in large part because of coach Franklin Oliver Jr’s arrival as head coach almost thirteen years ago. &nbsp; <strong>Coach Sam Caldwell – New Hope Academy</strong> Sam Caldwell’s basketball career began at Luther Burbank High School in California where Caldwell still holds the school record for three point scoring. Now, as a coach, he has led his New Hope Academy team to national championship games and number one ranking spots like a true dynasty. The Lady Tigers remain the #1 team in Maryland today, and the majority of the credit for that success is due to the coaching and recruiting of coach Caldwell himself. Recently, coach Caldwell and New Hope Academy welcomed their new coming transfer and dominant overall player [player_tooltip player_id="136415" first="Bianca" last="Pendleton"]. Under her new coach, Bianca has improved her game and it is clear that she has really blossomed in this new situation. Bianca’s smooth transition into New Hope Academy is a perfect embodiment of the positive influence and leadership coach Caldwell has on the program today, and it would be no surprise at all to see the Lady Tigers take home the Maryland state championship this year, if not the national title. &nbsp; <strong>Coach Anthony Murray – Frederick</strong> Anthony Murray is amidst his first year as the Frederick Cadets’ head coach and it couldn’t be going any better. Frederick has only lost one game so far, and their young talent is up and down the roster in large part due to coach Murray’s recruiting. The former Blair High School student, and later coach, is clearly a perfect fit for the position, and he seems to have found a permanent home with the Frederick program. His star freshman center Aubree Murray is smashing school records left and right, and senior Rose Bubakar remains a solid overall player at small forward. Coach Murray, the D.C. native and Howard University alum, and his Frederick Cadets have truly burst into the Maryland basketball spotlight. Every scout and collegiate level coach in the area should be keen on the rise of the Frederick Cadets’ dynasty. &nbsp; <strong>Kesha Walton – Bishop Ireton (VA)</strong> Coach Kesha Walton was formerly a longtime coach at T.C. Williams, the school depicted in <em>We Are The Titans</em>. Before that Kesha played basketball at North Carolina A&amp;T and also graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She also earned her MBA from the University of Maryland before beginning her tenure coaching at schools and for various grassroots organizations. Today, coach Walton is the third year head coach of Bishop Ireton (VA) who competes in the formidable WCAC conference against powerhouses like Paul VI and St. John’s. Slowly but surely, coach Walton is transitioning Bishop Ireton into a powerhouse of its own, and with players such as [player_tooltip player_id="143239" first="Kennedy" last="Clifton"] and [player_tooltip player_id="143251" first="Kylah" last="Franklin"], the Cardinals are surely going to be within the top three teams of the WCAC within the next two years. Coach Walton and the Cardinals are on the rise and there’s no doubt about it. &nbsp;