March 05, 2008|By Pat O'Malley
Severna Park's Brad Bald, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound senior center and an Archbishop Spalding transfer, emerged as the Anne Arundel County public schools league's top big man this season. Averaging 17.7 points and 12.8 rebounds with 18 double doubles, Bald scored in double digits in every game this season and turned the Falcons (15-7) into a contender for the 4A East region.
He and his brother, junior Brendan Bald, who is averaging 11.9 points, transferred together at the end of last year to Severna Park and had an immediate impact.
Bald, who signed a letter of intent with UNC-Wilmington, had 20 scholarship offers after the exposure he received playing for the high-level Triple-Threat of D.C. Amateur Athletic Union summer team.
Bald, who has been chosen to play for the Baltimore squad in the Charm City Challenge, has a 3.9 grade point average and 1530 SAT score. He plans to major in law or business and possibly follow in his father's footsteps and become an attorney. Jeff Bald, his father, played basketball and baseball at Severna Park in the mid-1970s.
Why did you transfer from Spalding to Severna Park for your final year?
I wanted to have fun my senior year and be with all of my buddies in the Severna Park area. I knew it would be fun to go there, and I'm glad I did. It's been great for me and my brother Brendan playing basketball and socially as well. We knew everybody coming in.
What's your relationship like with Brendan?
We're close and have good chemistry and know each other well. We pass to each other and look for the open man.
How do you compare the level of play in the Anne Arundel County public schools league to that of the Baltimore Catholic League?
I don't think it's that big of a difference. The county league is competitive and a really good league. A lot of teams in the county are well-coached and have good chemistry. The region we're in with the county's other 4A schools is going to be very competitive.
Why did you choose UNC-Wilmington over other schools such as Loyola, Radford, Lehigh and Vermont?
I loved the coaching staff and their approach. It's a great atmosphere at Wilmington basketball-wise; the Colonial Athletic Association is a really good league. And the school is by the beach. I should get a chance to play, because four of their five starters this year are seniors.
When did you start getting noticed?
Playing with Triple-Threat last summer with guys like Chris Braswell [DeMatha, Hargrave Academy, headed to Georgetown] and Jason Clarke [Bishop O'Connell, committed to Georgetown], the college scouts were around. We played in tournaments in Las Vegas, Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia, and schools started showing interest in me.
What do you have to do to get ready for the next level?
I have to work on my strength. I want to gain 10 pounds, and overall I could be in better shape than I am. I need to run more and get in better shape to be a step-out power forward. After the high school season, I'm getting into a API local workout center to lift weights about an hour and a half on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll do that up until I leave for Wilmington.
When will you do that?
In June, I'll be going down to take some classes for about 20 days and then have some summer time off before going back to Wilmington.
What are your goals for college?
To be the best player I can be, and I definitely want to play in an NCAA tournament.
What other interests do you have?
Hang out with my friends, and I'm big on pingpong. I've been playing pingpong since I was about 7 years old. My friends and I play at each other's houses all the time. I like all kinds of music from rap to rock and country, and I especially like comedy and fiction movies.
Who do you look up to?
My parents [Jeff and Sharon].
