City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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CoBL held another high-level Performance Clinic on Sunday at Widener University, with a few dozen area high school players taking the court for three hours of drills and games. The players were under the direction of head trainers Kyle Sample and Chuck Ellis, with A.J. Williams making his CoBL Clinic debut alongside them.

Participants engaged in a number of drills, working on everything from dribbling techniques, shooting, defending, passing, and decision-making. Players spent the first two and a half hours at individual drill stations, before moving on to 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 drills to work on team concepts. The clinic concluded with half an hour of 5-on-5 scrimmages.

Here are some standouts:

George Gordon (2017/F/Downingtown West)
Gordon showed his size and leaping ability by often finishing drills with an emphatic one- or two-handed dunk. The 6-foot-7 forward was a threat to score whenever he was inside. His length also allowed him to be an asset on defense. There were no easy shots for his opponents whenever he closed down on them, and his size helped him box out opponents for rebounds. He can do many things for his team, he even made a 3-pointer in one scrimmage.

Shawn Johnson (2019/G/Archbishop Carroll)
Johnson certainly doesn’t look like a young man just starting his freshman year of high school--at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, he was plenty capable of competing on a physical level with players two and three years older than he. His shot wasn’t falling too well during drills, but as the afternoon went on he started hitting shots and then really shined during the last hour of 5-on-5 games. To make up for what he’s currently lacking as a shooter, Johnson has a tight handle and can break down his man off the dribble to get to the hoop.

Jelani Mauge (2016/PG/Boys’ Latin)
The 6-foot-4 point guard proved that he was okay with doing what was needed to make his team better, even if it meant not taking a scoring load. He looked to set up his teammates and even crash the boards. Mauge is taller than the average point guard, and that certainly helped with grabbing rebounds and his ability to see and pass over defenders. When called upon to score, he was able to get open and knock down 3-pointers, and did a good job of getting looks in the mid-range as well.

Olin McClendon (2016/PG/Cherry Hill East)
A 6-foot, 170-pound guard, McClendon showed his scoring touch Sunday. For not being the biggest player on the court, McClendon was often able to get by defenders in the backcourt and put the ball in the basket once he got to the rim, even with defenders around him. While his attacking and scoring in the paint stood out the most, McClendon also featured an ability to find teammates and a jump shot that makes him a scoring threat anywhere on the offensive end.

Lucas Olshevski (2017/SF/Robbinsville)
Olshevski was able to contribute to his team in various ways on offense. He showed that he could knock down some jumpers and even take it inside for a layup. He has solid footwork to help him craft his way to the basket as he penetrates the defense. As opponents caught on, closing off his lane to the paint, he was able to kick it out to an open teammate for the easy score. Defensively, he is a solid rebounder, having no problem to fight for boards.

Keinan Oxner (2016/G/Eng. & Sciences)
Oxner showcased his court vision during the 5-on-5 portion of the camp, hitting open teammates for great looks and often doing so while leading the break. The 6-foot-1 guard did more than just assist, too. He was solid on the defensive end and also looked for his shot at times, proving he can drive and score. In individual drills, he showcased a great rise and form on his jump shot and excellent footwork during defensive drills.

Tracy Simsick (2016/F/Souderton)
One of the most polished players at the camp was Simsick, a 6-foot-4 wing who looks like he’s going to have a long list of small-college suitors before long. He stood out in many of the individual drills, as he was one of the more consistent mid-range shooters all clinic long, and has great footwork with the ball in his hands; on the defensive end, he’s quick enough to keep most guards in front of him, and physical enough to body up bigger forwards and make it difficult for them to get off easy shots.

Maurice Waters (2017/F/Constitution)
Waters displayed the grit that is necessary for playing in the paint. The lanky 6-foot-6 forward, a Bartram transfer, was able to get inside and finish in traffic. On the other end of the court, he played tough, hard-nosed defense, contesting shots inside and quickly closing down on perimeter players whenever they got the ball. Not only could he drive and finish around the basket, but he also showed that he could knock down some jumpers.

Honorable mention: Noah Ehlin (2017/PG/Council Rock North), Stephen Holman II (2018/F/Timber Creek), Joey Monaghan (2017/F/Pennsbury), Nasir Randolph (2016/G/Constitution), Christian Ray (2018/G/Octorara), Raylil Winton (2018/PG/Bensalem)