City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin),
Matt Cooper (@macoop2) &
Thomas Primosch (@ThomasPrimosch)
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WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- West Chester University’s annual “Big 64” showcase tipped off on Saturday morning, with eight groups of eight teams taking turns playing on the four courts at WCU’s South Campus all weekend long.

Here’s a notebook from the first day of action:

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William Penn starts preseason on strong note
William Penn made a loud statement in their second game of the day, beating District 1 powerhouse Chester in a scrappy, physical game.

For second-year head coach Steve Christensen, it was a win that he’s hoping will be a preview of what the regular season will be like for his team.

“We expect to be in those games,” Christensen said. “We have probably the hardest schedule in the state this year, so those are the games we’re gonna be in every night. We’ve gotta expect to win those games and we gotta prepare to win those games.”

William Penn did an excellent job of staying with a physical Chester team that had a clear height advantage at almost every position.

The Colonials were able to force Chester into contested outside shots, most of which didn’t go in.

Guard Danny Walsh and stood out for William Penn on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Walsh displayed good court awareness, throwing a couple nice passes to teammates in transition. He also played tough defense on Chester’s guards and made it difficult for them to distribute the ball.

After winning the Blue Hen Conference Flight A championship and making it to the second round of the state tournament, things are looking up for Christensen’s squad. Despite losing seniors Dizhae Hernandez and Myles Dowling, Christensen has a new group of seniors who he coached last year and can rely on.

“I think our three seniors that are going to play a lot are going to be Danny Walsh, Malik Hines, and Markee Johnson,” Christensen said. “I think they’re gonna be the guys that kind of carry us. They’ve been there, they’ve done that, they know what we expect.”

“Last year we went 16-4 and lost in the second round of states but the program was struggling before that so the guys got us going in the right direction,” Christensen said. “Now that we’ve established the bar pretty high, now we gotta take it to the next level.

If they play like they did against Chester, the Colonials have a legitimate chance to be in the hunt for another Flight A title and a shot at a state championship. --Thomas Primosch

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Del-Val looking for scoring help after graduations
Del-Val Charter is heading into their second straight season in the Philadelphia Public League “A” Division, and now that the Warriors know what they’re in for, things are much different the second time around.

Despite graduating multiple key players, head coach Jason Harrigan believes that they have the talent and experience to compete this year.

“Playing in the Public League “A” division definitely helped prepare us,” Harrigan said. “It’s a really tough league and playing tough teams every night and every game just makes your team a lot better. (The players) play harder and practice harder and it just helps with the overall preparation and making sure you’re prepared every single day and every night.”

After graduating leading scorer and now West Chester freshman DaShon Giddings, among others, the charter school from Philly is looking for some new faces to carry the scoring load.

As one of the few returning players from last years team, Semaj Motley impressed as a score-first point guard. Motley consistently drove to the rim using his quickness and knocked down a few long range shots in crunch time.

Harrigan was definitely impressed by Motley’s ability to step in and lead Del-Val.

“Semaj learned a lot (from playing time last year) and came on late last year,” Harrigan said. “Really this offseason, he’s just accepted his role and he’s more open to coaching. Right now he’s really embracing this opportunity and really wants to win. He realizes how much preparation is important so he’s practicing harder and pushing guys and he’s turning into a leader.”

Motley wasn’t the only senior to make a big contribution to the Del-Val win. Imhotep transfer Wade Lowman made his presence known hitting on shot after shot with a sweet left handed shooting stroke. The transfer wing is looking to have a big year after coming over from perennial Public League contender Imhotep Charter.

Harrigan sees big things in store for Lowman, whom he spoke very highly of.

"I expect him to pick up where some of our other guys left off and be a senior leader,” he said. “He’s been waiting for the opportunity to play in the ‘A’ division for a long time so I expect him to play hard and bring some of that championship experience he learned at Imhotep.” --Matt Cooper

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Quick Hits/Standouts
--Bonner-Prendergast (Pa.) got one injection of size this summer with the addition of 6-8 sophomore Ajiri Johnson, but he’s not the only young big man the Friars are excited about. After a health issue kept him on the sideline as a freshman, 6-7 sophomore Jake Wilson has gotten the go-ahead to get back on the court, and it looks like Bonner will certainly benefit from his presence. Though he weighs just 160 pounds, Wilson has a very promising frame and athleticism, with long arms that allowed him to block quite a few shots in a win over West Chester East. The son of former Villanova forward Ron Wilson, Jake certainly has a Division I ceiling but has a lot of work to do to catch up to his classmates--especially in the weight room.

-- Before going down with a cramp in his leg, Appoquinimink junior Myles Cale showcased an impressive offensive skillset. He frequently got past his man with ease and had no hesitation when it came to attacking the rim. Cale got to the line often but failed to convert on all his attempts, missing at least four of them. Despite his free throw struggles, he showed off a nice jump shot, hitting two catch-and-shoot threes. Cale has the willingness to share the ball and make the right play and when he got hurt it was obvious that Appoquinimink’s offense took a hit. Cale has offers from Temple, Maryland, La Salle and Delaware.

-- Most high school big men are still looking to hit the weight room and add size to their lanky frames, then there is Bethlehem Catholic forward Kweku Dawson. The Phillipsburg transfer Dawson knows how to use his size on the court, frequently using his strength to crash the offensive boards and rack up second-chance points. His physicality in the post, to go along with advanced touch, make Dawson awfully difficult to defend down low. While his post moves are still a bit raw, Dawson did flash potential to be a threat at the Division II or Division III level. According to his coach, Dawson has received looks from programs like Rosemont, Moravian, West Chester, and East Stroudsburg.

--Quite a few of the Division II and Division III coaches gathered around Abington’s first game of the afternoon against Del-Val Charter were buzzing about the Galloping Ghosts’ Eric Dixon, as the physical forward was bullying his way to the hoop time and again. And all of them were dismayed to learn that Dixon is just beginning his freshman year of high school. At a solid 6-6 and 230 pounds, Dixon certainly doesn’t look like a typical 15-year-old, and though the lefty has a lot of polishing to do in both his body and skillset, he’s got a great platform to build off of.

-- Cardinal O’Hara junior Jaye’lyn Peebles continuously got to the basket, drawing contact and converting on a multiple and-1 opportunities. The 6-0 guard used his strong frame to bully his way to the hoop. He excelled at finishing through contact but he also showed the ability to make the smart pass to his open teammates. Peebles played tenacious defense on Appoquinimink’s backcourt, hounding them as soon as they crossed midcourt. Occasionally he would get out of control and gamble unnecessarily but his defensive motor didn’t waver much throughout the game. Peebles will be a big factor for O’Hara this year on both sides of the ball.