skip navigation

Donofrio Classic Report: Thurs., April 13

04/13/2017, 11:45pm EDT
By Josh Verlin & Tyler Sandora

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Tyler Sandora (@tyler_sandora)
--

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. -- Here’s a recap of the second night of Donofrio Classic quarterfinals, which took place at the Fellowship House on Thursday evening:

Game One: Just Clean It came into Donofrio boasting some of the best chemistry of any team, as its members have largely played AAU together over the last few years under the Northeast Sting/Team Final Black banner. That chemistry was apparent early and often in a dominant 108-78 win over Positive Image II that was played with a running clock almost the entire second half. Tyree Pickron (2018/Archbishop Wood) scored all 19 of his points in the first half, including hitting five 3s in the opening nine minutes; as a team, Just Clean It hit 17 long-range shots. Archbishop Wood senior Matt Cerruti (team-high 25 points), Wood senior Collin Gillespie (16 points), Judge senior Marc Rodriguez (12 points, four 3s) and Pennsbury senior Mark Flagg (11 points) all joined in on the bucket party. Kahssian Kay (2017/Rocktop Academy) finished off a strong tournament with a team-high 22 points, 17 of which came in the second half; Justin Kupa (2017/Lenape) added 16 as the only other member of Positive Image in double figures.

Game Two: The Raw Sports All Stars came into Thursday nights game without star guard Lonnie Walker (Miami), who was in New York City for the Jordan Brand Classic. That didn’t seem to bother the Central PA based squad, as they defeated Del-Val VC 138-94. A high tempo team with plenty of athletes, Raw Sports was led by the highest flyer of them all; William Allen senior Talek Williams (Central Connecticut State). The 6-foot-2 uber-athletic lefty scored 30 points and threw down some impressive dunks, including a 360-windmill slam on the fast break. Michigan signee Eli Brooks (2017/Spring Grove) and Sam Sessoms (2018/Shipley) both added 23. For Del-Val, Jack Clark (2018/Cheltenham) scored 28 and Andrew Funk (2018/Archbishop Wood) contributed 19.

~~~


Archbishop Carroll senior Jesse McPherson (above) committed to Lock Haven on Thursday night shortly after winning his Donofrio quarterfinal. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Carroll big man makes college decision
It was on his visit to Lock Haven that Jesse McPherson realized two things.

First, was that he’d found where he wanted to go to school.

Second was just exactly where he needed to focus this summer to be ready for college competition: the weight room.

While playing pickup with the Bald Eagles, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward discovered that what he could get away with in high school wasn’t going to cut it at the next level.

“I tried to do my little jump hook and give (my defender) my right shoulder -- and he didn’t go anywhere, I didn’t make any progress,” McPherson said with a laugh. “It was like, this guy is too strong.”

That didn’t deter McPherson from loving his visit to the school last weekend, and on Thursday night he made it official with a Tweet: he’d be a Bald Eagle this fall.

“[I] fell in love with the campus, the team, the staff, everything about it, it was just the team for me,” he said. “Coach Mike [Nestor], Coach Olek (assistant coach Brian Oleksiak), can’t ask for two better coaches, i just feel like they can really go for my play style and really grow as a person and a player.

The Bald Eagles went 13-14 overall this year, including 9-13 in league play.
Nestor and Oleksiak first started recruiting McPherson last summer, and had to compete with several other Division II programs for the athletic post’s services. Bloomsburg, Chestnut Hill, Millersville and Clarion had all offered, and McPherson said his decision came down to Lock Haven and Bloom.

He chose a young Bald Eagles squad with a lot of potential, led by Abington grad Amir HInton, who averaged 23.8 ppg as a redshirt freshman this year.

“I just feel like with that team, we can all grow together,” McPherson added. “The whole team, it’s a lot of sophomores and there’s only about two seniors, one junior, and the rest of the team’s sophomores.”

McPherson wasn’t far off: this year’s Lock Haven squad had two seniors and two juniors by eligibility, along with eight underclassmen -- including seven freshmen or redshirt freshmen.

First, he just wants to add a few pounds to his frame; if he can get to 212 by the start of the season, those seven pounds of muscle will make a big difference.

“I feel like I can play with them but in the strength department, they’ve got me there,” he said. “After that, everything else will just come.”

~~~


Cheltenham's Jack Clark (above) grew six inches in the past year to turn into a serious Division I prospect. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Cheltenham junior growing into serious prospect
Every week, Cheltenham junior Jack Clark measures himself on the back of a door with a pencil and a ruler to determine how much he has grown.

It’s not overkill.

Around this time last year, Clark was exactly six feet tall. Now, he stands at 6-6, and he might still be growing. His father is 6-1, his grandfather is 6-7, and his doctor predicts he could get as big as 6-8.  

Because of how tall Clark has gotten in such a short amount of time, there was naturally a slight downfall to rising so quickly; pain.

“I started to feel pain in my lower back and my knees when I was growing,” he said.

One aspect of Clark’s game he hopes to expand on is his jump shot. Now that he is taller, he understands that college coaches will enjoy to see a tall guard with a smooth stroke from deep.

“My shot has gotten better since I got taller,” Clark said. “Now I can see over the defenders and release it higher. It’s gotten a lot easier to shoot with defenders in my face.”

This summer Clark will suit up with the Philly Pride 17U team on the Under Armour Association circuit, hoping to add offers to a list which currently only includes Rider.

This past season for Cheltenham, Clark averaged 15 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning himself a spot on the SOL second team all conference. In the first round of the state playoffs, despite losing the game, Clark scored 32 points and hauled in 11 rebounds .

A versatile wing, Clark showed Thursday night that he has an improved shot, as well as his explosiveness around the rim, scoring 28 points and knocking down a pair of threes.

“Before the growth spurt, I was a little guard who would get into the lane and just float it up,” he said, “but now I can go to the basket and dunk on people.”

~~~

Quick Hits
-- Archbishop Wood senior Matt Cerruti is beginning to narrow down his college decision. The 6-3 shooting guard saw his stock rise into the high-level Division II territory, and now he’s got a decision to make. He’s currently taking visits to several programs that are recruiting him heavily: Lock Haven last weekend, Assumption and St. Anselm next weekend; Daemen College is the fourth school that’s still in the mix as well. Cerruti said he’s looking for “playing time at a place I can go help a winning program, (and) go win, that’s probably the main two [things] right there.”

-- Rashon Johnson (2017/Simon Gratz) mentioned schools such as Gwynedd Mercy, Cabrini, and Rosemont especially as schools after his services. A 6-foot-4 athletic wing, Johnson hopes to be able to play immediately wherever he decides to spend his college years. Showing off his ability to penetrate the lane as well as shot from deep on Thursday night, Johnson scored 10 points and made a pair of threes. In addition to an ideal relationship with the coaches and teammates, Johnson hopes to improve on his ball handling and shooting.

-- Zuri Peyton (2017/Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy) said Thursday night he will be reclassifying from the class of 2017 to 2018, and do a prep year at the Phelps School. Peyton, a native of the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, said he hopes to get stronger and develop his basketball IQ by the end of his prep season. Standing at 6-foot-4, Peyton averaged 14 points per game this past season for SCH Academy. Peyton nailed two 3’s and scored eight points in Thursday night's game.


Westtown junior Jake Forrester (above) is hearing from several high-level programs heading into the April live periods. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

-- The highest-recruited uncommitted player in attendance at the Fellowship House, Jake Forrester (2018/Westtown School) did most of his work inside against Del Val VC, but the springy forward says he’s working to transition his game more to the perimeter. At 6-foot-8, Forrester is one of the elite rebounders in his class and finishes strong above the rim, but mentioned that he’s developing his handle and 3-point shot before suiting up for the PSA Cardinals on the Nike EYBL circuit. Forrester mentioned Seton Hall, Miami, VCU, Virginia and Providence as the schools recruiting him the hardest right now--the Hurricanes and Cavaliers having yet to offer--and look for him to take campus visits throughout the summer before committing prior to his senior season.

-- Shane Ford (2017/Wissahickon) is down to four in-state Division III programs vying for his recruitment: Gwynedd Mercy, Penn State-Abington, Penn College of Technology and Saint Vincent College. His brother, Austin Ford played at St. Vincent the last four seasons and is graduating this year but that doesn’t give the Bearcats an advantage; Shane said he is looking at “the business major [of each school], that’s part of the decision, and how well I fit in the system and what role I would have.” Expect a decision for the versatile 6-3 forward with an inside-out game in May.

-- Sam Sessoms (2018/Shipley School) is still waiting on his first Division I offer, but the first April live recruiting periods should bring good news for the 5-11 point guard, who’s been on the D-I radar the last two years. The compact and strong lead guard, who earned all-Friends Schools League First Team honors in leading Shipley to the FSL championship game this year, is hearing from St. Joe’s, Drexel and George Washington recently; Stony Brook, Monmouth and several other mid-majors have checked in as well. Playing with Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit this offseason, he’s hoping to show “that I improved my jump shot off the dribble, and leading the team...since last summer, I learned how to control the team, talk to my teammates better,” he said.


HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Old HS  Recruiting  Josh Verlin  Tyler Sandora