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19th Annual Pete + Jameer Nelson Classic: Day 2 Standouts (Dec. 30)

12/31/2023, 1:00am EST

By CoBL Staff

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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CHESTER — The concluding day of the Pete and Jameer Nelson Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic took place Saturday at Widener University. The six-game slate included a high-level NJ matchups, some great District 1 squads and a few other talented programs in the region.

CoBL had coverage throughout the entire day; here’s who stood out:

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Parish Episcopal's Amon Almuttar drives to the basket against EA. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Antoine & Armon Almuttar (2026 | Parish Episcopal, Tex.)
The identical twins put in nearly identical games for Parish against EA, so we’re keeping them together: Armon had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Antoine matching his brother in points but finishing just one rebound shy of the double-double; Armon had two assists, Antoine one assist and two steals. The two of them both have a great understanding of spacing and movement within the offense, limit their mistakes, compete defensively, and both are excellent glass-crashers, Armon coming up with five of their eight combined offensive boards.

JT Anderson (2024 | Unionville)
Anderson was responsible for 12 points and six assists in the Longhorns’ loss to PW. His passing ability consistently puts pressure on the defense whether that’s hitting long outlet passes in transition or looking off defenders before bouncing to a cutting teammate for an easy layup. He also tossed a no look dime to the corner with his left hand. Anderson has a choppy offensive game, blending his strength and vision to get into the paint. The 6-foot-3 guard can score the ball too. He had a couple tough finishes and also buried a corner three.

Jacob Becker (2025 | Haverford School)
Becker is a 6-foot-4 forward with an inside and outside game. He knocked down three 3-point shots in a 53-52 win over Marple Newtown, including a go-ahead bucket with a minute to play from the right wing. The Fords used the strong lefthander in the post as well. There wasn’t too much razzle dazzle needed down there as he’s able to seal, turn and finish strong inside for an easy bucket. Becker sprinkled in a pair of assists, three rebounds, a block and a steal to round out his performance.

Rutgers Prep freshman Jacob Canton scored 25 points against Camden-Eastside. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Jacob Canton (2027 | Rutgers Prep, N.J.)
Rutgers Prep got out to a fast start in their win over Camden Eastside because Canton both set the table for others and allowed it to be set for him. He displayed his potent drive-and-kick ability, which amounted to seven first-quarter threes for the Argonauts, including two by Canton himself. The freshman guard continued pouring it on in the second with two more triples, one of which was a pull-up from deep. He got back to his unselfish ways in the second half and put the finishing touches on the game with a few free throws, tallying 25 points and 6 assists.

KJ Carson (2024 | Haverford School)
Carson guided the Fords to a win over Marple Newtown with 18 points and a pair of big assists. The 6-foot guard hit a pair of threes in the first half then started to get downhill more in the final two quarters. Carson is a smooth operator with some length that helps him be creative as a finisher when he gets to the hoop. The length also helped him poke away as a steal as well. Carson made big play after big play in a back-and-forth game. He turned the corner and found Jacob Becker open for the go ahead three in the final minute.

Jaden Colzie (2024 | Plymouth Whitemarsh)
While it wasn’t quite the 31-point outburst, Colzie was terrific again in a 20-point outing in a 50-38 win over Unionville. Colzie had 10 in the third quarter to help the Colonials begin to pull away, including a three several feet beyond the college arc to end the frame. Colzie’s pull-up jumper is one of the deadliest around. Foul trouble kept him from his typical disruptiveness on defense but he always makes a few plays on that end that impact the game and continued to do that. Colzie added three assists as well, hitting Ben Marsico for a big three in the fourth quarter.

Connor Fleet (2024 | West Chester Henderson)
The unsigned senior came out the gates with a stepback three to signify how the Garnet Valley game would go. When the Jags went to their 2-3 zone in the second quarter, Fleet dissected it by getting into the middle and setting up his teammates to score. From there, he carried the Warriors offensively for most of the contest by either getting to the rim or knocking down jumpers from deep, including two free throws and another stepback three in the fourth. Fleet finished with game highes of 22 points and 5 assists.

Korey Francis (2027 | Bonner Prendergast)
Francis didn’t start the game for the Friars but he earned himself a spot on the floor for the finish of a 48-45 win over Parkland, securing the final rebound of the win. The freshman 6-2 guard scored a team-high 14 points in the win. He gave the Friars a much needed aggressive presence in the second half, where he scored 12 of his points. Francis hit a pair of threes, including a pretty stepback, but his attack mentality is what really stood out. He got past his man and put pressure on the defense and used a contested finish or two and a pretty floater to put the ball through the hoop.

Marple Newtown's Matt Gardler scored 24 points against Haverford. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Matt Gardler (2025 | Marple Newtown)
Gardler used his craftiness to create instant offense for Marple Newtown. Gardler scored a game-high 24 points, knocking down four 3-pointers as Marple Newtown fell 53-50 against the Haverford School. Gardler knocked down a variety of shots, whether it was off the dribble or catch and shoot, the junior had it going. Despite going scoreless in the first quarter, Gardler got into a rhythm in the second quarter, scoring eight points after knocking down a few jumpers. Gardler continued his hot shooting in the second half with 16 points after the break as Marple went back and forth with Haverford down the stretch.

Andrew Kretkowski (2027 | Rutgers Prep)
The freshman showed off his versatility in Rutgers Preps 83-69 victory over Camden Eastside. Kretkowski scored 17 points using his size down low to establish himself in the paint. Kretkowski showed maturity and patience on the offensive end despite being a freshman. Despite not hitting any outside shots, the forward was willing to fire from deep on a couple of occasions. But Kretkowski had most of his success attacking inside. He also displayed his athletic ability on multiple occasions. Kretkowski caught a perfect lob from Canton in the second half along with flushing home a thunderous jam in the final seconds to seal a commanding victory for Rutgers Prep.

Will Love (2024 | Camden Eastside)
Love was an absolute force in the paint for Camden Eastside despite falling 83-69 to Rutgers Prep. Love finished with a game-high 28 points without taking any outside shots. The forward planted himself down low and went to work, feasting on offensive rebounds and loose balls in the paint. Love won countless battles down low, as Camden Eastside attempted to keep pace with a hot shooting Rutgers Prep team. Love tried to boost Eastside to a large comeback, trailing by 25 entering the fourth quarter. The senior scored 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, but couldn’t will his team to a win.

Episcopal Academy's Kevin McCarthy scored 21 points against Parish Episcopal. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Kevin McCarthy (2024 | Episcopal Academy)
McCarthy attacked a closeout and got to the cup for his first two points, then he proceeded to overwhelm Parish Episcopal with a number of shots from everywhere behind the arc. Left slot, right corner, top of the key; the surgical shooting guard got loose for five threes. The defense struggled to contain him because he relocated after almost every pass, never staying in one spot too long. His two triples in the third helped the Churchmen go on a 9-0 run to start the quarter, then outscore PE 22 to 11. McCarthy chipped in a smith 21 points in the 17-point win.

Nyle Ralph-Beyer (2024 | West Chester Henderson)
Locked in a dog fight with Garnet Valley, the Sacred Heart signee didn't score a ton, but he delivered when it counted most. He played off of his teammates in the first three quarters, contributing 9 points in that span. But after two back-to-back possessions without a bucket, game tied at 51 with under a minute left in regulation, Ralph-Beyer took matters into his own hands. He walked the ball up the court, attacked the basket going right, then pulled up, cashing in from two to give Henderson the lead, leaving 38.2 seconds on the clock. Ralph-Beyer then followed that up with two makes from the line to put the game away.

Jacob Sniras (2025 | Garnet Valley)
The 6-4 wing did a little of everything and a ton of shotmaking versus WC Henderson. He and freshman forward Grayson Golek played off of one another early, each scoring and assisting in their two-man game. Sniras also exploited the Warriors defense by cutting backdoor a couple times. Defensively, he came up with steals in key moments to neutralize the momentum which Henderson tried to build, including a steal he took coast-to-coast to tie things up in the fourth. Sniras played a well-rounded game, giving the Jags 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals.

Jayden Thomas (2024 | Parkland)
After missing last year with an injury, Thomas continued a strong start to his senior campaign Saturday. With star Nick Coval atypically quiet on the offensive end, Thomas rose to the occasion for Parkland, helping keeping his team tight with the Friars. The 6-3 guard finished with a team-high 15 points. He was effective from long range with a pair of threes and also did some damage inside, including an and-one.

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Honorable Mention