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Philly-area freshmen making noise already

11/22/2016, 7:30am EST
By Josh Verlin & Ari Rosenfeld

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Ari Rosenfeld (@realA_rosenfeld)
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It’s been a great start to the season for a number of first-year college players who hail from the greater Philadelphia region.

Here’s a look around the country at some of the standouts at the Division I, II and III levels:


Pat Andree brought his smooth jumper with him to Lehigh, where he's been knocking down shots. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Pat Andree (F/Lehigh)
Perhaps the most dangerous sniper in the area last year at 6-foot-8, it’s no surprise that the Christian Brothers Academy (N.J.) grad’s combination of size and shooting ability has translated effectively to the Patriot League. In 22 minutes per game off the bench, Andree is averaging seven points per game and shooting an even 50 percent from long range. He’s also been able to use his size on the glass, corralling five boards apiece in each of his last two games.

Keith Braxton (SG/St. Francis)
An under-the-radar recruit despite a monster senior season at Delsea (N.J.), Braxton took a post-grad year at Lawrenceville Prep and it certainly appears to have paid off. Just as he did in high school, Braxton has stuffed the stat sheet for the Red Flash, averaging 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists through three games. He’s clearly made an impression on head coach Rob Krimmel and his staff, as he earned a start in St. Francis’ most recent game after coming off the bench in its first two.

Charlie Brown (SF/Saint Joseph’s)
The 2015 George Washington grad returned home after spending a prep year at St. Thomas More (Conn.) and slotted right into the St. Joe’s starting lineup, where he’s already productive despite still only scratching the surface of his potential. The lanky 6-7 wing is third on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg), adding in 4.8 rpg, going 11-for-24 (.458) from the 3-point arc; with his frame, he’ll also be a high-level defender before long, and has a chance to be special in a Hawks uniform.

Tony Carr (PG/Penn State)
Last year’s CoBL PIAA Player of the Year and the highest-ranked basketball recruit in Penn State history, Carr is one of three local freshmen in the Nittany Lions’ starting five. Thus far, he’s picked up right where he left off at Roman Catholic, stuffing the stat sheet with 14.8 points (second on the team), 4.2 assists (first), and 3.8 rebounds per game. Not known as a shooter in high school, Carr has been hot from deep to start his college career, shooting 8-for-20 (40 percent) from 3-point range.

Ryan Daly (SG/Delaware)
The Blue Hens’ sixth man, Daly hasn’t shied away from just playing his game, averaging 8.5 ppg even though his 3-point shot hasn’t quite been falling (5-23, .217) just yet. The 6-4, 185-pound guard out of Archbishop Carroll has been aggressive with the ball in his hands, willing to draw contact off the bounce and score through it, and he’s been crashing the glass for an average of 5.2 rebounds/game as well. Hit double figures in three of his last four games.


Donte Divincenzo (above) has 25 points in the last two games for the nation's No. 2 team, Villanova. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Donte Divincenzo (SG/Villanova)
By far the highest-rated player in the state of Delaware’s 2015 class, Divincenzo did play in eight games last season, but after breaking his foot just eight games into the season, he was granted a medical redshirt and thus is still in his first year of eligibility. The explosive Delaware native has been a spark off the bench for the second-ranked team in the nation, averaging 7.6 points per game and shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc. Divincenzo saw an uptick in minutes with Phil Booth sitting out the Wildcats’ last two games, and responded by scoring 12 and 13 points, respectively, and knocking down three triples in each contest.

Mikey Dixon (SG/Quinnipiac)
One of the most explosive scorers in the region last season--Dixon averaged over 27 points per game at Sanford School (Del.)--the 6-foot-2 combo guard has to this point been able to transition his high-scoring act to the next level. Coming off the bench for the Bobcats, Dixon has averaged 13.5 points in two games, including 17 against Columbia last night. Dixon has knocked down six of his 11 attempts from long range and has been an effective distributor as well, dishing out three assists in both of his first two collegiate games.

Samir Doughty (SG/Virginia Commonwealth)
The city’s leading scorer as a senior at Math, Civics, & Sciences in 2014-15, Doughty was forced to sit out last season after being ruled a partial academic qualifier. Playing a shade over 20 minutes per game for the Rams, Doughty has been a model of consistency so far, scoring 10, eight, and 10 points respectively in his first three games. Perhaps most impressive is his efficiency, as the 6-foot-4 Doughty is shooting 52.5 percent from the field and an even 40 percent from three-point range.

Tommy Funk (PG/Army)
The Archbishop Wood product grabbed the starting point guard job at West Point from the get-go, and it’s a gig he could very well hold for the next four years. He’s put up exactly five assists in three of four games for the Black Knights, averaging 8.0 ppg as well. And that’s without his shot falling yet: the 6-0 guard is only 9-for-37 (.243) to start the season, including 5-of-17 (.294) from 3-point range.

Stevie Jordan (PG/Rider)
After leaving the city for his senior year to attend Advanced Prep International (Tex.) alongside multiple five-star talents, the former Conwell-Egan star is adapting very nicely to the college game thus far. One of a number of area freshmen on the Broncos’ roster, Jordan has been by far the most productive, stepping right into the starting point guard spot. Despite struggles with his jumper--he’s just 1-for-8 from deep thus far--Jordan took home MAAC Rookie of the Week honors after averaging 11 points and 4.7 assists through three games.

Sa’eed Nelson (PG/American)
Another local product starting at point guard in the Patriot League, the 2016 South Jersey Player of the Year at St. Augustine Prep is off to a great start to his college career. Through three games--including road tilts against Maryland and Texas A&M to begin his career--Nelson is averaging 10.3 points per game. After failing to record an assist in the American’s narrow loss to the Terps, he’s dished out eight in the Eagles’ last two contests.


Archbishop Carroll product Josh Sharkey (above) is seeing nearly 20 mpg off the bench at Samford. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Sharkey (PG/Samford)
The second Archbishop Carroll product on the list, Sharkey is carving out a nice role as the team’s backup point guard. Averaging 18.7 minutes in three games off the bench, the 5-10 floor general is averaging 6.7 ppg, best on the team amongst non-starters and fifth overall, with five steals and three assists so far. His debut has been his strongest game yet: 12 points, three assists and three steals in 26 minutes of a win over San Diego.

Lamar Stevens (F/Penn State)
The other member of Roman Catholic’s 2016 class in the Nittany Lions’ starting lineup, Stevens has arguably been Penn State’s best player through five games. The bruising, 6-foot-7 combo forward is averaging 14.4 points per game thus far, and erupted with a 24-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance in just his second collegiate game. Just as he was in high school, Stevens has been incredibly effective getting to the foul line, where he’s shooting a superb 28-for-31 (90.3 percent) on over six attempts per game.

Josh Warren (PF/Cornell)
Of the three Downingtown West products to land college scholarships out of last year’s senior class -- Ryan Betley (Penn) and Dom Guerrera (West Chester) -- Warren is having by far the biggest impact thus far. The 6-8, 220-pound forward has been the first big off the bench for the Big Red, chipping in 5.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, including a 10-point, six-rebound game against Siena, when he went 5-of-9 from the floor.

Mike Watkins (C/Penn State)
The third Philly freshman starting out in State College, Watkins was actually a member of the 2015 class but sat out last season amid eligibility issues. Finally back on the court as a redshirt-freshman, Watkins has made an instant impact down low for the Nittany Lions, averaging 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. It should come as no surprise to anyone who saw Watkins at the high school level that the 6-foot-9 Phelps School graduate is making his biggest impact on the defensive end, where he’s already averaging three blocks per game, including five a piece in each of his first two games.


Randy Bell (above) is the highest-scoring freshman on this list, averaging just shy of 25 ppg. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Division II
Randy Bell (SG/Holy Family)
By far the most impressive of the six freshmen in the Holy Family rotation has been this 6-3 guard out of Timber Creek (N.J.), who’s been putting up enormous numbers for the Tigers. Through four games, Bell is averaging 24.8 ppg, putting up just over 20 shots per game, shooting 40.7 percent overall and 30 percent (12-of-40) from beyond the 3-point arc; he also won the first CACC Rookie of the Week award and was an honorable mention in week two. Has the potential to become a top-notch defender as well in Holy Family’s 2-3 zone.

Vaughn Covington (G/Caldwell)
Covington, a product of South Philly powerhouse Neumann-Goretti, was never needed to carry a huge scoring load for the Saints. But he’s been doing plenty of it at his new school, averaging 15.3 ppg as part of a talented freshman backcourt duo for head coach Mark Corino. The slender 6-1 guard has been in double figures in all four games, shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from 3-point range, plus 23-of-27 (.852) from the foul stripe, with 23 assists against just eight turnovers; he was CACC Rookie of the Week this week as well.

Dashon Giddings (G/West Chester)
One of many talented guards who came into West Chester last year, Giddings is finally making an impact for the Rams after redshirting the 2015-16 season. The 6-4 guard out of Del-Val Charter is averaging 7.0 points in 16.8 minutes/game through WCU’s first four, chipping in 4.8 rebounds with 10 assists against five turnovers. He started his college career with a bang, going for 17 points and five assists in West Chester’s season-opening loss to Notre Dame (Ohio).

Amir Hinton (SG/Lock Haven)
A 32-point outing in an exhibition game against Penn State hinted that the redshirt freshman from Abington was going to do big things in a Bald Eagle uniform, and so far that’s been the case. The 6-5 shooting guard is averaging a team-best 21.3 ppg, attacking the bucket relentless to shoot 52.9 percent from the floor, though he’s just 5-of-16 (.313) from 3-point range. He’s gone for at least 20 in three games, with an assist-to-turnover ratio (14:6) above two-to-one.

Zay Jennings (SG/Caldwell)
The second freshman making a big impact for the Cougars is Covington’s backcourt partner. A 5-11 sharpshooter out of the Lehigh Valley, Jennings is averaging a team-high 15.5 ppg, shooting a nifty 41.5 percent (17-of-41) from beyond the arc. After a nine-point debut, the Allentown Central Catholic product scored 24 in all 40 minutes against Roberts Wesleyan, then was 5-for-7 from deep in getting 18 against Felician.

Seth Stankiewicz (G/Bentley)
Coming off the bench in all four games for the Northeast-10 program, Stankiewicz has been efficient with his 13.5 minutes/game, averaging 7.0 ppg while hitting 10 of the 16 shots he’s taken. After scoring 14 points total in the team’s first three games, the 6-0 Hill School product burst out for 14 points in 14 minutes in a win over Franklin Pierce, making all five of his shots, including four 3-pointers.

Division III
Sam Allen (F/Hobart)
Okay, so Lewisburg, Pa. is maybe a little bit outside our typical coverage zone, but Allen deserves a mention after winning Liberty League Rookie of the Week honors for putting up 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in helping the Statesmen to a 1-1 record to open the year. The 6-7 forward, playing 22.5 minutes per game off the bench, was 6-of-15 (.400) from the floor and 3-of-7 (.429) from 3-point range, grabbing five of his 14 rebounds on the offensive end.

Tucker Lescoe (SG/Hobart)
Just ahead of Allen on Hobart’s scoring list is Lescoe, a 6-1 gunner out of Cocalico, who’s averaging 13.5 ppg so far on the season. As expected, the 3-point specialist has attempted a team-high 18 long-range shots, connecting on seven (.389); he’s only taken two shots from inside the arc, hitting one of them. Went for 18 points in the team’s second game against St. John Fisher (N.Y.), going 4-of-7 from deep.

Khalil White (SG/Penn State-Harrisburg)
A high-scoring guard out of Cheltenham, White has continued that right into college, leading the Lions with a 20.0 ppg average, winning the first Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week award of the season; after starting off his college career with 13 and 14-point outings in wins over Haverford and New Rochelle, White dropped 33 in a win over TCNJ. He’s shooting a terrific 61.3 percent (19-of-31) overall and 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from 3-point range.


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