When Pe'Shon Howard makes the jump to college basketball from high school this fall, he might have just a bit of an advantage over other members of the 2010 class.
Howard, who signed with Maryland last month, has spent the past three years facing the best competition high school basketball has to offer. He wrapped up an illustrious career at Oak Hill Academy this spring, becoming just the second three-year starter for Warriors coach Steve Smith in his 26 years at the Mouth of Wilson, Va., school.
Smith brought the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Howard, a Los Angeles native, to Oak Hill as a sophomore to be the backup point guard. When the Warriors' presumed starter went elsewhere, Howard prematurely assumed that role.
"He got better each year," Smith said. "He didn't do much scoring [as a sophomore]; he was more of a distributor then. He averaged about six or seven points as a sophomore. Last year, he moved up to about 10 or 11. This year he averaged about 14 for us. And he's a pass-first guy, but I needed him to score a little bit more this year."
Howard, who also averaged about 5.5 assists and three steals, was a steady double-figure scorer this season with several 20-to-30-point outbursts mixed in. Against Winston-Salem (N.C.) Prep – Oak Hill's first road game of the season – Howard was unstoppable."We had Doron Lamb (Kentucky) and Roscoe Smith (Connecticut), and those guys, we thought, would be our leading scorers. That particular night, he made 10 3s," Smith said of Howard, who shot 48 percent from the floor, 75 percent from the foul line and 35 percent from 3-point range. "He was 10-for-15 from [beyond] the 3-point line. That game stands out, not just because he scored so many points, but because he really came through. It was our first game on the road and we weren't playing that well … and he just stepped up and took over.
"He's got the knack to do that. He might go four or five games and maybe score 10, 12, 14 points. Then he'll say, 'I've got to score tonight.' He has a knack for knowing when to do it and when not to do it. I didn't really tell him to, but once he started going, we started running sets against the zone and he just kept making shots."
Howard, who led Oak Hill to a 29-4 record, now has three seasons of experience playing against the best competition in the country under his belt. He has developed into a solid shooter, an excellent passer, and a strong defensive presence. Smith said Howard's trial-by-fire sophomore year showed him the physical attributes he would need to excel at that level. Spending time in the weight room became a priority, and by the time senior year rolled around Howard was one of the strongest guards in the country.
"I think he's excited to get to Maryland. I think he'll be ready," Smith said. "He's a big, strong guard. He's probably gained 25-30 pounds since his sophomore year. He's real strong physically, a 200-pound guard. Most high schoolers don't have the body that he has. He has worked really hard in the weight room. His work ethic in the weight room and on the court for me, especially his senior year, is one of the things that sets him apart."
Smith said Howard's only regret of his time at Oak Hill was not leading the Warriors to a No. 1 national ranking. Oak Hill came closest to achieving that feat during Howard's junior year, when he and Brandon Jennings – now with the Milwaukee Bucks – guided the Warriors to a 40-1 record. Howard came up short of his goal, but Smith said he couldn't have asked for anything more from him.
"I'll miss that he played hard every game," Smith said. "I'll miss his effort. It was contagious. He didn't take a night off. He practices extremely hard and he hates to lose. He's one of the guys that came to Oak Hill and felt we should win every game every year. I'll miss that effort that he gave each night. I always knew he was going to show up and play. Some guys, you're not sure. I always knew Pe'Shon was going to give his best effort. If we lost, it wasn't going to be because he didn't get after it. ... He'll be missed. I don't have many guys for three years, so I'll miss Pe'Shon."
