skip navigation

CoBL/Nexxt Level Shootout: Players/Matchups to Watch

09/21/2017, 12:00pm EDT
By Ari Rosenfeld

Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldDVHR)
--

This weekend’s 4th annual CoBL/Nexxt Level Shootout will bring 48 high school teams to Voorhees, and it’s a group of teams absolutely packed with Division I talent.

Here’s a look at quite a few of the top players who will be taking part this weekend, including some individual matchups and other assorted talent:

~~~

Individual Matchups to Watch
Eric Dixon (2019/Abington) vs. Lance Ware (2020/Camden), 9:55 AM Saturday
The second set of the entire event features a matchup of what should be the top prospect in Philly’s western (District 1) and eastern (South Jersey) suburbs, respectively. Local hoops fans should already be plenty familiar with Dixon, as the bruising 6-foot-7 power forward led Abington to a district title last year as a sophomore and has already amassed nearly 1,000 high school points. In the process, he’s earned offers from high-majors like Virginia, Miami, and Rutgers and holds either offers or heavy interest from the entire City Six. Ware, on the other hand, is more unproven than his counterpart, having spent last season playing out of position at the point for Life Center Academy. Now playing for the legendary Camden Panthers, the 6-foot-8 do-everything forward has a chance to be the best prospect South Jersey has seen this decade. With a consistent jumper added to his elite passing and defensive ability, Ware could be a blue-blood recruit down the line; he is already considered a top-50 prospect in his class. These two lefties have vastly different games, but will make for a thrilling forward battle in one of the first games of the weekend.

Isaiah Wong (2019/Bonner-Prendergast) vs. Khalif Battle (2019/Gill St. Bernard’s), 3:25 PM Saturday
If you know just one thing about either of these junior guards, you know that this is a matchup that will feature plenty of buckets. Two of the most electrifying scorers in the Tri-State Area, Wong and Battle are both debuting with new teams as well, adding another layer of intrigue to what already promised to be a thrilling matchup. A transfer from Notre Dame (N.J.), Wong starred for WeR1’s 17U team which captured the Under Armour Association championship this summer; a slippery 6-foot-3 combo guard, he holds offers from Villanova, Miami, and UConn, among others. The younger brother of Syracuse star and potential NBA draft pick Tyus Battle, Khalif Battle missed his sophomore year at Trenton Catholic due to injury and then opted to transfer to his brother’s former school. Not quite as tall as Tyus, the younger Battle is a 6-foot-4 sniper who can fill it up in a hurry from long range. His play with Team Final this past spring and summer earned him offers from Syracuse, Miami, and Washington, to name a few. Both Wong and Battle are considered top-100 prospects nationally in the 2019 class.

Mikeal Jones (2020/Girard College) vs. Taj Thweatt (2020/Wildwood Catholic), 3:25 PM Saturday
At the same time Wong and Battle are going at it on one court, the other court features a matchup of two of the region’s most intriguing young prospects. Local fans should be plenty familiar with Jones, the 6-foot-8 forward who played key minutes for a state and PCL champion Roman Catholic team in 2015-16 before reclassifying and leading Girard to the Class A state title game last year. Jones is still working to expand his game to the wing, but is as productive as they come inside the arc. He boasts offers from Villanova and Penn State. Thweatt is in a similar mold as Jones, playing a hybrid between the traditional small forward and power forward positions. Standing around 6-foot-6, he’s a bit less skilled than his counterpart but plays with great intensity and has a more consistent perimeter stroke. Still flying a bit under the radar, look for Thweatt to take the reigns of the Wildwood Catholic program upon the graduation of D-I guard Caleb Fields after this year.

Sam Sessoms (2018/Shipley School) vs. Caleb Matthews (2018/Smyrna), 2:30 PM Sunday
This Sunday afternoon tilt features two of the more similarly effective but vastly different backcourt scorers in the region. Sessoms has a chance to amass 2,000 career points at Shipley; a 5-foot-11 lead guard, he’s one of the quickest guards you’ll find with the ball in his hands and is impossible for defense’s to stay in front of at times. A prototypical “Philly guard”, Sessoms has committed to play his college ball at Binghamton. The catalyst for the reigning Delaware state champs, Matthews figures to average right around 20 points per game for the Eagles this year. Contrary to Sessoms, Matthews is relatively limited when it comes to explosiveness or foot speed, but uses the threat of his deadeye 3-point shot to work his way into the lane where he’s very crafty as both a finisher and passer. Matthews currently sits without a Division I offer, but does hold a scholarship from D-II Caldwell with heavy interest from some other high-level D-II programs.

~~~

Other Prospects to Watch
Precious Achiuwa (2019/St. Benedict’s)
SATURDAY: 9:55 vs. Bethlehem Catholic, 11:45 vs. Abington
The highest ranked prospect in attendance all weekend, Achiuwa is a consensus five-star prospect in the 2019 class and a potential McDonald’s All-American. Achiuwa has the physical tools of an NBA wing, standing 6-foot-8 with elite length and athleticism, and with the addition of a consistent perimeter shot has a chance to be a top-10 prospect nationally. The Nigerian native and Queens resident is the younger brother of former St. John’s forward God’sgift Achiuwa.

Jack Clark (2018/Cheltenham)
SUNDAY: 5:15 vs. Woodbury, 7:05 vs. Paul VI
One of the area’s fastest-rising prospects this past AAU season, Clark racked up 15 scholarship offers playing with Philly Pride after sprouting from about 6-foot-2 at the start of his junior season to his current height of 6-6. Down to a final five of Dayton, La Salle, Penn State, South Florida, and UMass, Clark is still raw as he adjusts to his new frame but has a chance to emerge as a high-level scorer on the wing in the coming years.

Matt Cotton (2018/Eastern)
SATURDAY: 5:15 vs. Constitution, 7:05 vs. Sankofa Freedom
Cotton has transferred to his hometown Eastern HS after splitting the first three years of his high school career among Academy of the New Church (Pa.) and St. Benedict’s (N.J.). He’s likely to be South Jersey’s top performer this season. A 6-foot-5 wing prospect in the 3-and-D mold and also a top student, Cotton is being pursued by high-majors, Atlantic 10 schools, and high-academic Division I programs alike.

K-Vonn Cramer (2019/Mount Pleasant)
SUNDAY: 1:35 vs. Neumann-Goretti, 3:25 vs. Phelps
Likely the single most entertaining player on hand for the weekend is Cramer, a 6-foot-5 pogo stick masquerading as a hybrid forward. Sporting a near 7-foot wingspan and a ridiculously explosive vertical leap, Cramer lives well above the rim, regularly throwing down monstrous lefty slams in transition, as a cutter, and on the offensive glass. His high-wire act has earned him offers from Rutgers, VCU, Seton Hall, and St. Joseph’s.

Ed Croswell (2018/St. Joseph’s Prep) & Jacob O’Connell (2019/St. Joseph’s Prep)
SUNDAY: 9:55 vs. Camden, 11:45 vs. Bishop Eustace
Vying for the title of the area’s top frontcourt is the newly formed duo of Croswell and O’Connell, with Croswell being a 6-foot-7 La Salle commit and O’Connell a raw-but-developing 6-foot-10 transfer from Eastern (N.J.). Croswell is a more refined scorer on the block and is working to develop his mid-range stroke, while O’Connell projects as more of a finesse, pick-and-pop style big. Croswell committed to the Explorers earlier this month, while O’Connell, also a top student, holds offers from Columbia and Stony Brook with interest from the bulk of the Ivy and Patriot leagues.

Andrew Funk (2018/Archbishop Wood) & Tyree Pickron (2018/Archbishop Wood)
SUNDAY: 9:55 vs. Bishop Eustace, 11:45 vs. Camden
Returning to defend Wood’s PCL and state titles, Funk and Pickron form a blue-collar, sweet-shooting duo which should combine for 30-40 points in the bulk of the Vikings’ games this season. Both guards recently made their college commitments, with Funk choosing Bucknell over Penn and Delaware and Pickron committing to Quinnipiac over Stony Brook and Bowling Green. These two play off of each other very well, with both having high IQs which allow them to create space for themselves and each other. Expect the senior duo to be joined in the Vikings’ starting backcourt by freshman point guard Rahsool Diggins.

Ajiri Johnson (2018/Bonner-Prendergast)
SATURDAY: 1:35 vs. Wildwood Catholic, 3:25 vs. Gill St. Bernard’s
In his first season at Bonner after transferring from Putnam Science Academy (Conn.), Johnson established himself almost immediately as one of the area’s most intimidating interior forces. A 6-foot-8 post prospect, Johnson runs the floor like a wing and is able to elevate well above the rim for dunks and shot blocks. He’s also developed a fairly skilled offensive game built around a solid midrange jumper. After earning over 10 scholarship offers, Johnson has cut his list to a final six of Drexel, La Salle, Lafayette, Monmouth, NJIT, and Rider.

Paul Mulcahy (2019/Gill St. Bernard’s)
SATURDAY: 1:35 vs. Girard College, 3:25 vs. Bonner-Prendergast
Teaming with the aforementioned Battle in the Gill backcourt is the 6-foot-5 Mulcahy, a jumbo lead guard with one of the more intriguing skillsets around. Despite the frame of a wing, Mulcahy is best operating with the ball in his hands where he uses his exceptional court vision to make plays for his teammates; he struggles a bit with his perimeter jumper, but you won’t find many prospects more cerebral operating inside the arc. Mulcahy holds offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall, SMU, and Boston College.

Arashma Parks (2018/Phelps School)
SUNDAY: 1:35 vs. St. Joe’s-Hammonton, 3:25 vs. Mount Pleasant
One prospect who’s new to the area but who area fans should get to know is Parks, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Commonwealth Academy (Mass.) who is verbally committed to Temple. A New York native, Parks projects as an undersized center who uses his strength and motor to produce around the rim. His current and future schools aren’t Parks’ only local ties; the future Owl is the younger brother of Villanova redshirt freshman center Omari Spellman.

Ryan Young (2018/Bethlehem Catholic)
SATURDAY: 9:55 vs. St. Benedict’s, 11:45 vs. Eastern
The fastest-rising prospect in the area this past spring and summer, Young started the AAU season with his first offer from Lafayette and ended it with a commitment to Northwestern. In between, the Jersey Shore Warriors product picked up 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Maryland, Temple, George Washington, and Richmond. A 6-foot-9 post, Young is an elite rebounder on both ends and is incredibly skilled with his back to the basket. His younger brother, 6-foot-7 junior Kyle, recently earned his first offer, from Mount St. Mary’s.


HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Old HS  Ari Rosenfeld