City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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This week, we’ll be taking a look at the local AAU programs whose players will be drawing the attention of quite a few college coaches over the next two weekends, which constitute the April Live Periods.

The only area representative on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit, Team K-Low Elite (rebranded from Team Philly last year in honor of its most famous alumnus, Raptors star Kyle Lowry) will be playing in Dallas this upcoming weekend before a stop in Atlanta next weekend; unfortunately, the Gauntlet doesn’t make any trips to the Northeast this year, though K-Low Elite will play in some local tournaments.

Here’s a look at the oldest two teams in the K-Low Elite stable:

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2017 Area AAU Previews: Jersey Shore Warriors | K-Low Elite | Philly Pride | Team Final | WeR1 | Best of the Rest

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17U Roster
Izaiah Brockington (2018/Woodstock Academy, Conn.)
Will Colleran (2018/Valley Forge, Pa.)
Bernard Lightsey (2018/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)
Rhamir Moore (2018/Mastery Charter, Pa.)
Ty Pickron (2018/Archbishop Wood, Pa.)
Seth Pinkney (2018/Archbishop Wood, Pa.)
Kharon Randolph (2018/Haverford School, Pa.)
Tymir Smith (2018/Cherokee, N.J.)
Damon Wall (2018/Doane Academy, N.J.)
Karrington Wallace (2018/Archbishop Wood, Pa.)

Breakdown: This is a rather different-looking group from the Team Philly 16U bunch that took the court a year ago, but Kyle Sample and Lonnie Lowry brought in some pieces that should make their oldest group a strong competitor on the Gauntlet tour. Getting Pickron, a sharpshooting 6-foot-3 wing who played with WeR1 last year and then helped Archbishop Wood win a 5A state title -- Pinkney and Wallace were also key contributors on that squad -- adds some instant scoring punch to the lineup; Drexel and Stony Brook have already offered. Also new to the program is Randolph, a 5-11 lead guard who’d previously been with Team Final; he can play either guard position and is a physical defender as well. What really added a boost was the decision by Brockington to de-commit from NJIT and do a prep year; the 6-4 lefty and Archbishop Ryan senior automatically adds a ton of experience, scoring ability and leadership to the team. Throw in Lightsey, a 5-11 combo guard and 3-point specialist, plus a strong, steady point guard in Wall -- both will get some low-to-mid Division I looks -- and it’s a terrific backcourt that can easily put three scorers on the floor in numerous iterations.

Up front, K-Low Elite will rely on the 6-11 Pinkney to serve his role as a high-level shot-blocker, as the lanky center is still developing offensively but has a high motor and runs the floor easily with his long strides, and has gotten offers from the likes of Temple, La Salle, UMass and more. Like he does at Wood, Wallace (6-7) can play alongside his taller high school teammate or play in the middle, while the 6-8 Colleran is more of a physical post who can stretch the floor with his shooting ability. All together, this should be one of the stronger Team Philly teams over the last few years with its ability to score from multiple places and defend at a high level. Look for Brockington, Pickron and Pinkney especially to reel in bunches of offers the next few weeks, but they won’t be the only ones to hear from colleges.

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16U Roster
Mark Bradshaw (2019/Archbishop Carroll, Pa.)
Amin Bryant (2019/Archbishop Ryan, Pa.)
Jamir Reed (2019/Mastery Charter, Pa.)
Nas Roberson (2019/Maple Shade, N.J.)
Dhamir Bishop (2019/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)
Christian Ray (2019/Haverford School, Pa.)
Karam Cummings (2019/Imhotep Charter, Pa.)
Tahj Asparagus (2019/West Chester Rustin, Pa.)
Khalil Diarrah (2019/Germantown Academy, Pa.)
Zion Teague (2019/Vineland, N.J.)

Breakdown: Similar to the 17U squad, there’s a lot to like about this group of current sophomores, which is stocked with future Division I talent. Coming on strong of late has been Bishop, a 6-4 wing guard who started the 2016-17 season out of the Imhotep rotation but by the end was a valued member of a Panthers’ team that won the PIAA Class 4A state championship; he’s been getting more assertive with his scoring ability and can guard all three perimeter positions. Christian Ray, who reclassified after two big seasons at Octorara and averaged a double-double in his first year for the Fords, is a powerful 6-5 wing guard who loves to play around the rim but also can step out and knock down shots. Adding even more depth on the wings are the 6-4 Cummings, 6-5 Asparagus and 6-6 Diarrah, while Bradshaw and Bryant -- who both have a good deal of Catholic League varsity experience -- will do a lot of the ball-handling.