City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
--

Which class is the most talented in Philadelphia? We're about to get one answer to that question.

The All-City Classic is bringing together many of the top players in each of the four high school classes (2015-18) for a head-to-head tournament to determine which is the best around.

Hosted at Imhotep Charter (6201 N. 21st St.) on May 5-6, the Clash of the Classes is the newest addition to the All-CIty Classic lineup, which already had showcase games for the various top boys and girls' high school players in the city, as well as a middle school event; all of those will take place later in May.

Up first though is a chance to see which group of classmates is ready to prove itself as the best in Philly this year, and a strong class of seniors will be the odds-on favorites going in. Future Big 5 stars Lamarr Kimble (Neumann-Goretti/Saint Joseph's), Levan Alston (Haverford School/Temple) and Chris Clover (St. Joseph's Prep/Saint Joseph's) lead the way for the 2015s, with UNLV commit Derrick Jones (Archbishop Carroll) and Mike Watkins (Phelps School/Penn State) sure to contribute a number of highlight-reel dunks.

Though they're a year behind, there's just as much star power in the 2016 class. Tony Carr and Lamar Stevens are both approaching 20 high-major Division I offers, and plenty of their classmates (DeAndre Hunter, Stevie Jordan, Nazeer Bostick and more) are getting offers of their own from all over the country. The one thing this class lacks is a true dominant post man to compete with Watkins, but this group of guards and wings can run with anybody.

Of course, the two younger classes are at a physical disadvantage, but there are plenty of future D-I players on both rosters. The sophomores (2017s) are full of players who've already made big contributions on the high school level, including Inter-Ac MVP Nick Alikakos, impressive Neumann-Goretti teammates Quade Green and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, plus D'Andre Vilmar, David Beatty, Koby Thomas and more.

The best prospect in the whole event might be 2018 G Cameron Reddish, who played his freshman season at Haverford School but will be either at Westtown or Friends' Central next year; his teammates Tyree Pickron, Marcus Little and Justin Anderson all had big first years on the high school circuit as well. 

The semifinals will take place on Tuesday, May 5, with the 2016/2018 game at 6:15 PM and the 2015/2017 game to follow. The consolation and championship will be played the following night at the same time.

Admission is $10

2015 Roster
Levan Alston (SG/Haverford School)--Temple
Traci Carter (PG/Life Center)--Marquette
Chris Clover (SG/St. Joseph's Prep)--Saint Joseph's
Samir Doughty (SG/Math, Civics & Sciences)
Sammy Foreman (PG/Martin Luther King)
Ahmad Gilbert (SF/Constitution HS)--Minnesota
Derrick Jones (SF/Archbishop Carroll)--UNLV
Lamarr Kimble (PG/Neumann-Goretti)--Saint Joseph's
Mustapha Traore (PF/Phelps School)--Monmouth
Mike Watkins (F-C/Phelps School)--Penn State
Kimar Williams (G/Constitution)--Florida International

2016 Roster
Nazeer Bostick (SF/Roman Catholic)--Penn State
Jaekwon Carlyle (G/Imhotep Charter)
Tony Carr (PG/Roman Catholic)
DeAndre Hunter (SF/Friends' Central)
Stevie Jordan (PG/Conwell-Egan)
Zane Martin (SG/Neumann-Goretti)
Jabri McCall (PG/Martin Luther King)
LaPri McCray-Pace (SG/Conwell-Egan)
Josh Sharkey (PG/Archbishop Carroll)
Lamar Stevens (SF/Roman Catholic)

2017 Roster
Nick Alikakos (SF/Episcopal Academy)
Jaquan Arrington (SF/Imhotep Charter)
David Beatty (SG/Archbishop Carroll)
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (PF/Neumann-Goretti)
Quade Green (G/Neumann-Goretti)
Marc Rodriguez (PG/Father Judge)
Daron Russell (PG/Imhotep Charter)
Jamar Sudan (PF/Chester)
Koby Thomas (SF/Imhotep Charter)
D'Andre Vilmar (G-F/Roman Catholic)

Alternates
Eli Alvin (PG/Mastery Charter)
Izaiah Brockington (SG/Archbishop Ryan)

2018 Roster
Justin Anderson (SG/SCH Academy)
Antwaun Butler (PG/Strawberry Mansion)
Bernard Lightsey (SG/Imhotep Charter)
Marcus Little (F-C/Academy New Church)
Seth Pickney (PF/Archbishop Wood) 
Tyree Pickron (SG/Archbishop Wood)
Cameron Reddish (G/TBD)
Sam Sessoms (PG/Shipley School)
Damon Wall (PG/Doane Academy)
Ahmad Williams (SG/Cardinal O'Hara)