FREDERICK, Md. - The Hood College Blazer Basketball program, coming off its second NCAA Tournament in three years, has announced their 2024 recruiting class.  After graduating three players from last year's squad, Hood will bring in four incoming freshmen.  Blazer head coach Chad Dickman is once again excited about the newcomers, "We feel like these four guys are outstanding fits for our program, from character to talent, and we expect them to have very successful careers at Hood".
 
Hood kept things local for half of the recruits, signing two Frederick County products—Ivan Quijada from Frederick High School and Gage Linton from Oakdale High School.
 
Quijada is coming off a 4A state championship title with Frederick High School.  The 6'0 combo guard played a pivotal role for the 25-4 Cadets, hitting some of the biggest shots of the season in Frederick's title run.  The sharpshooter hit five threes and had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals in a 25-point state championship win.  Quijada was named 1st Team All-County, 2nd Team All-Conference, DMVelite Honorable Mention All-Maryland, and was named MVP of the Roundball Classic South Mountain All-Star game.
 
Coach Dickman's thoughts: Ivan is just a winner.  He's a basketball junkie that's always in the gym.  He's a very confident shooter that can get hot in a hurry.  But, he's not one-dimensional at all—he handles it, passes, rebounds, and he's a good defender.  He'll definitely bring over a high level of competitiveness and sweat equity.
 
Gage Linton, a 6'3 small forward, averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds a game this past season at Oakdale High School.  He was named 1st Team All-County, 1st Team All-Area, and 1st Team All-Conference, while being recognized as a DMVelite Honorable Mention All-Maryland Team selection. Linto ranked in the top 15 all-time at Oakdale for career points (9th), rebounds (8th), and assists (14th).  The Linton family has plenty of familiarity with the Blazer program, as Gage's older brother is Blazer all-conference point guard, Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale).
 
Coach Dickman's thoughts: Gage is a good athlete with a solid frame that continues to get better.  He's a physical player that plays hard and just has a nose for the ball.  He can score inside and outside, and his work ethic is top notch.  We're excited to keep him close to home!
 
The Blazers also have CJ Jackson, a 6'4 wing from Boys Latin School (MD), joining the program.  Jackson averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds in the competitive MIAA.  He shot 48% from the floor, 75% from the free throw line, and almost 40% from the 3-point line.  He posted a season-high 29 points vs Archbishop Spalding.
 
Coach Dickman's thoughts: We're very excited about CJ.  He's multidimensional and has the ability to play a point-forward type of role, if needed.  He's a really good athlete and shoots the ball well.  We're confident that he's going to have a very good career as a Blazer.
 
6'5 small forward Jake Bolyn from Perkiomen School (PA) rounds out the Blazer recruiting class.  He averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists for a Perkiomen Prep team that won the PAISAA state championship this past season. 
 
Coach Dickman's thoughts: Jake is a really skilled player that shoots the ball at a high clip and gets it off quickly.  He has great size and he's a versatile player that will be able to do a lot of things for us.  He'll fit in with our style of play very nicely.