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2016 AAU Preview: Team Philly

04/12/2016, 5:15pm EDT
By Josh Verlin

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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AAU Program Previews: Jersey Shore Warriors | Philly Pride | Team Final | Team Philly | WeR1

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Program Name: Team Philly
Coach: Kyle Sample
Circuit:
Adidas Gauntlet
Key returnees: N/A
Notable Alumni: Kyle Lowry, Juan’ya Green, Lavoy Allen, Maalik Wayns

Roster

Eli Alvin (2017/Mastery Charter North, Pa.)
Izaiah Brockington (2017/Archbishop Ryan, Pa.)
Terrell Jones (2017/Lower Merion, Pa.)
Elijah Kiah-El (2017/George Washington, Pa.)

Jack O’Connell (2017/Episcopal Academy, Pa.)
Anthony Ochefu (2017/Westtown School, Pa.)
Daeqwon Plowden (2017/Mastery Charter North, Pa.)
Wiley Roberson (2017/Cherokee, N.J.)
Jarrod Stukes (2017/La Salle College HS, Pa.)
Fred Taylor (2017/Archbishop Ryan, Pa.)
Koby Thomas (2017/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)

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2015 Recap

Led by eventual Penn commits Devon Goodman (Germantown Academy) and Ryan Betley (Downingtown West), plus Rider pledge Xzavier Malone (Plymouth-Whitemarsh), Team Philly made noise on the brand-new Adidas Gauntlet series last year. After going 3-1 at the Dallas stop, they weren’t quite able to maintain that momentum in Indianapolis but still made it to the Adidas Summer Championships, where they went 1-3.

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Koby Thomas (above) could be in for a big summer with Team Philly. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

2016 Outlook

Lonnie Lowry and Kyle Sample have assembled a 17U squad for this season that should once again be competitive on the Adidas circuit, and it’s made up similarly to last year’s: there isn’t one player who should dominate game after game, but instead there are a few young athletes who are all capable of going off, combined with some under-the-radar prospects who could see their recruitments hit Division I level over the next few weeks and months. All-in-all, it’s a scrappy bunch that brings a lot of different things to the table; its versatility might be its greatest asset.

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The Star(s)

High-flying Koby Thomas looks primed for a big summer after helping Imhotep all the way to the PIAA Class AAA semifinals as a junior. The 6-5 Imhotep wing is one of the better athletes around, and loves nothing more than to sky for a big dunk or blocked shot on the other end, and he’s starting to become less “athlete” and more “basketball player” as he continues to get more court time at a key point in his development.

Another player on this roster who’s gotten a lot better over the last year is Archbishop Ryan wing Izaiah Brockington. A lanky 6-4 lefty, Brockington averaged 14.8 ppg as a junior and was a major reason the Raiders made it to the Catholic League semifinals and finished just one win shy of the PIAA playoffs, certainly surpassing preseason expectations. He’s become a much more reliable 3-point shooter since last summer, but his bread-and-butter is still getting into the lane and getting to the line.

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Daeqwon Plowden (right) had 24 points and 11 rebounds as Mastery Charter North lost the PIAA Class AA championship, 68-49 to Aliquippa. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

The Sleeper(s)

Mastery Charter North isn’t the most well-known program in the Philadelphia Public League, but that might not last much longer. The Pumas made it all the way to the PIAA Class AA state championship this year for a reason, and two of their top players are on this Team Philly squad: Eli Alvin, a 5-10 guard, and Daequon Plowden, a muscular 6-4 wing forward. Plowden earned second-team all-state honors after averaging 15.0 ppg, capped off with a 24-point, 11-rebound effort in the title game loss to Aliquippa; colleges will love his next-level-ready body and ability to hit tough shots.

The other sleeper on this squad is Terrell Jones, a 6-4 guard out of Lower Merion. The Aces have a long tradition of developing Division I talent, including most recently Justin McFadden (Binghamton), B.J. Johnson (Syracuse/La Salle) and Yohanny Dalembert (James Madison) in the last four years. Jones is approaching that territory, as the attack-style guard gains confidence following a year in which he helped Lower Merion to 18 wins and a spot in the PIAA Class AAAA tournament. A smooth scorer, Jones will need to show he can consistently knock down the outside shot and defend other D-I guards to earn scholarships of his own.

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The Supporting Cast

The name “Stukes” should be familiar to those who’ve read the site over the last few years: between older brothers Nadir (Rosemont) and Amar (La Salle HS/La Salle University), the Stukes family has made its mark on the local scene. Next up is Jarrod, a 5-8 guard who slid into the starting point guard role at La Salle HS this season and was solid all year long, averaging a shade above 10 ppg as the Explorers won 17 games.

Others who will make their presence felt include Jack O’Connell, a 6-6 sharpshooter from Episcopal who’s a 3-point specialist; Wiley Roberson, an athletic 6-4 wing from South Jersey; Fred Taylor, a lanky 6-8 forward from Archbishop Ryan; and Elijah Kiah-El, a 6-7 forward from George Washington who will bring some extra muscle to the frontcourt.

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Anthony Ochefu (above) could surprise a few coaches with his play this spring. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

The X-Factor

Though he’s not going to end up at Villanova, where his brother Daniel just won a national championship, Anthony Ochefu looks primed for a big summer now that he’s finally healthy and in the best shape of his young career. The 6-foot-8 forward, who’s grown about two inches over the last year, is an active big man with good hands who runs the floor hard and plays tough inside.

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16U Roster: Tymere Bennett (2018/Cherokee), Bernard Lightsey (2018/Imhotep Charter), Collin MacAdams (2018/Central Bucks West), Marlon Hargis (2018/St. Augustine Prep), Dymir Montague (2018/Neumann-Goretti), Seth Pinkney (2018/Archbishop Wood), Christian Ray (2018/Octorara), Jahi Randall (2018/George Washington), Damon Wall (2018/St. Benedict’s Prep)

Breakdown: This is a group with a ton of potential, especially in the backcourt. Wall, a very mature point guard for a high school sophomore, has some talented scorers around him like the 5-11 Lightsey, a 3-point specialist; Christian Ray and Marlon Hargis are both around 6-4 and can score inside and out, which they’ve already done plenty of in their respective high school careers. In the middle, this is a big summer for the 6-10 Pinkney, a lanky forward who’s only beginning to scrape the surface of his potential. They get started at Spooky Nook this weekend before an Adidas event in Atlanta next weekend.


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