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High School Weekend Preview (Dec. 15-17)

12/14/2017, 3:15pm EST
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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Here’s a look at several multi-game high school events going on in the area this weekend, Dec. 13-15:

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Darius Kinnel (above) and St. Joe's Prep are one of four teams in the Hoop Group's Reading Tip-Off Showcase. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Hoop Group Reading Tip-Off Showcase
Fri., Dec. 15, Albright College
Berks Catholic vs. St. Joe’s Prep (6:30 PM)
Berks Catholic returns three starters from last year’s team that made a run to the second round of the PIAA 4A state playoffs. Last year’s leading scorer Casey Jack (11.3 ppg) played a big role in the season-opening win over Pottsville with 10 points and 10 assists. The junior anchors a solid class for the Saints which also includes Luis Garcia and Luke Painton. As for St. Joe’s Prep, La Salle commit Ed Croswell and junior Jacob O’Connell will look to control the boards as the two tallest players in this game. On the perimeter, the Hawks return two D-I prospects in Kyle Thompson and Darius Kinnel, who made the Catholic League’s first and second team, respectively.

Reading vs. La Salle College HS (8:00 PM)
The reigning PIAA 6A state champions have a new look as Reading only boasts three players from the rotation last season. Expect junior guard Wes Butler to assume a heavy scoring load, while the Red Knights also return some experience in their frontcourt with 6-5 senior Ricki Lopez and 6-4 senior Kahari Whitfield both having seen minutes on last year’s team. Those two will be tasked with slowing down La Salle College High School’s big man Zach Crisler, who boasts offers from multiple D-1 schools. Crisler and fellow big man Konrad Kiszka both have the ability to hit jumpers and attack the basket, making the duo a difficult one to stop.

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All-City Tipoff
Fri., Dec. 15, Bishop McDevitt
Archbishop Carroll vs. Shipley (5:00 PM)
Coming off of a 37-point performance against Catholic League powerhouse Neumann-Goretti, senior guard Sam Sessoms and Shipley enter this weekend with a 4-1 record. Phil D’Ambrosio’s squad will need more terrific guard play from Sessoms and junior Amyr Henry if it wants to take down Carroll. The Patriots’ have been led by super-sophomore guard A.J. Hoggard. Shipley’s Ray Somerville, a 6-10 big man with Division I offers, will be challenged by Carroll’s frontcourt of 6-5 seniors Devon Ferrero and Keyon Butler, who don’t have quite his size but have a lot of smarts and versatility.


Andrew Funk (above) and Archbishop Wood play in one showcase on Friday and host another one Saturday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Archbishop Wood vs. Overbrook (6:45 PM)
A new look Overbrook squad, which includes transfers Cyrie Coates and Raquon West, will take on arguably the most talented team in the whole Philadelphia area in Archbishop Wood. Khalif Washington and Zyeef Cannon are both returning players for the Panthers, who finished 11-12 a year ago under first year coach Keenan Rand. Wood, who lost to national powerhouse DeMatha Catholic last week, comes in with three seniors already committed to Division I schools. Tyree Pickron (Quinnipiac), Andrew Funk (Bucknell), and Karrington Wallace (Central Connecticut State) have all been terrific so far this year for the Vikings. Add in 7-foot senior Seth Pinkney, and John Mosco’s squad has a great chance to repeat as PIAA 5A state champions.

Roman Catholic vs. Cheltenham (8:30 PM)
Second year head coach Matt Griffin and the Roman Catholic Cahillites are 2-1 on the young season, losing to Gonzaga College High School (D.C.) a week ago. Sophomore point guard Lynn Greer III hopes to capitalize on a fantastic freshman season which saw him average 11.4 points a game. Towson commit and senior Allen Bertrand (6-4) and junior Seth Lundy (6-6) round out Roman’s main scoring threat. For Cheltenham, 6-6 senior and La Salle commit Jack Clark has sprouted up about five inches or so from this time last year. He’s joined by senior guard Ahmad Bickley and junior forward Kyin Healey.

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Diane Mosco Foundation Shootout Against Cancer
Sat., Dec. 16, Archbishop Wood
Coatesville vs. Pennsbury (12:30 PM)
After surprising many last year with a Ches-Mont championship despite starting two freshmen in the backcourt, Coatesville returns Ches-Mont Player of the Year Jhamir Brickus as well as all but two pieces of their core from a year ago. Brickus, a 5-9 sophomore, is a quick, shifty ball handler and serves as the focal point of the Red Raiders while 6-9 senior and Eastern Kentucky commit Tyrel Bladen anchors their frontcourt as a rim protector and solid rebounder. On the other side, Pennsbury’s only returning rotation player from a year ago is point guard Raylil Winton. The senior is good shooter from beyond, but a player to keep an eye on would be 6-8 forward Chad Weldon, a senior who will need to slow down Bladen on the boards.

Plymouth Whitemarsh v. Archbishop Carroll (2:15 PM)
Expect plenty of up-and-down action -- and maybe a little bit of trash talking -- when these two proud programs go head-to-head. P-W, under the direction of head coach Jim Donofrio, plays as in-your-face a style as anybody around, with senior guards and twins Ahmad Williams and Ahmin Williams flying around the court’s 94 feet and causing as much disruption as they can. And they can take such risks, because guarding the rim is junior center Naheem McLeod, a true seven-footer (and maybe an extra inch or two) with a tremendous wingspan. Carroll is led by sophomore guard A.J. Hoggard, a 6-2 combo guard with three-level scoring ability, but they’ll need contributions from senior guard Justin Anderson, senior forwards Devon Ferrero and Keyon Butler and junior wing Luke House.

Abington vs. Bethlehem Catholic (4:00 PM)
The reigning District 11 4A champs BeCaHi are off to a strong start after an impressive win against MLK at the Scholastic PBP Tip Off as well as a 20-point conference win at Parkland. Ray Barbosa’s Hawks are lead by constant double-double threat and Northwestern commit Ryan Young, sharpshooting senior Deandre Gardner -- who has put up 39 points in his first two games -- and shifty junior guard Justin Paz, also a Division I prospect. They’re matching up against an Abington coming off of a District 5 6A title. Charles Grasty’s squad is lead by 6-7 junior Eric Dixon, who boasts a host of high-major offers, mostly lately Villanova to go along with Temple, St. Joe’s, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, Virginia and more. Dixon is joined by junior Lucas Munroe, a 6-5 wing, and senior Robbie Heath at guard; are have started at least the past three seasons.

Cheltenham vs. Neumann-Goretti (5:45 PM)
Last year’s Catholic League and PIAA Class 3A champions, Neumann-Goretti is back after graduating starters Quade Green, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, and Mike Millsip, who now play for Kentucky, Villanova, and East Stroudsburg respectively. Returning from their championship campaign are 6-1 junior Christian Ings -- an athletic guard who’s comfortable beyond the arc --   plus 6-9 senior and George Washington commit Marcus Littles and 6-0 senior Noah Warren, a capable spot up shooter. They’ll look to rebound after a five-point loss to Shipley at the Scholastic PBP Tip Off. The Saints are matching up against a Cheltenham team on the rise after making the District 5 6A semifinals. The Panthers will rely on La Salle commit 6-6 wing Jack Clark’s size and shooting ability, which make him a dangerous scoring threat. John Timms will also count on his 5-10 senior point guard Ahmad Bickley to lead the Panthers via his passing ability and strong mid-range game.


Sam Sessoms (above) and Shipley are trying to knock off a Catholic League team for the second weekend in a row. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Archbishop Wood vs. Shipley (7:30 PM)
After knocking off Neumann-Goretti in a showcase game last week, Shipley is looking to make it two-for-two against Catholic League teams when the Gators go up against a Vikings squad with four Division I-bound seniors: Andrew Funk (Bucknell), Tyree Pickron (Quinnipiac), Karrington Wallace (CCSU) and Seth Pinkney (TBD). Shipley only one committed senior, Sam Sessoms (Binghamton), but the 5-11 point guard is as much a “Philly guard” as his class has, with unending confidence and just as big a chip on his shoulder. He’ll need help from junior forward Ray Somerville, junior wing Chaz Owens and sophomore guards Amyr Henry and Khai Champion if they’re going to have a chance against a home team playing with a lot of emotion -- the event is in the memory of Wood head coach John Mosco’s wife Diane, who lost her battle with cancer several months ago.

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Philly vs. NY/NJ All-City Classic
Sun., Dec. 17, South Philadelphia HS
Neumann-Goretti vs. Our Savior New American (N.Y.) (4:00 PM)
A national prep power in recent years, OSNA has produced New Orleans Pelicans second-year center Cheick Diallo and a slew of other African-born prospects in the last few classes. Despite being hampered by the loss of top-30 sophomore Nate Tabor to a season-ending leg injury, this year’s group features a similarly strong international flavor. French junior Clarence Nadolny is a Division I combo guard prospect, as is Canadian sophomore Jefferson Koulibaly, who holds an offer from Rutgers. Also look out for Malian-born twins Hassan and Foussyeni Drame, two versatile 6-foot-5 wings, and freshman Adama Sanogo, an intriguing young post prospect.

Girard College vs. Wings Academy (N.Y.) (5:45 PM)
The runner-ups in the PIAA Class A a year ago, Girard College has its entire starting lineup back, though under new leadership in first-year head coach Bobby Jordan. The Cavaliers’ most impressive prospect is 6-8 sophomore wing forward Mikeal Jones, who can play anything from the ‘1’ to the ‘5’, and already has an offer from Villanova among others under his belt. But they’ve got other scoring options, including 6-4 senior Daiquan Copeland, 6-6 senior Brandon Smith and 5-6 sophomore Aquil Stewart, the team’s best outside shooter.

Imhotep Charter vs. Roselle Catholic (N.J.) (7:15 PM)
North Jersey powerhouse and Tournament of Champions contender Roselle Catholic is led by five-star senior and LSU commit Nazreon Reid, a 6-foot-10 forward with a diverse inside-out skillset. Flanking Reid is a talented group featuring Delaware commit Ithiel Horton, a transfer from closed St. Anthony, top-100 2019 wing Kahlil Whitney, and junior guard Josh Pierre-Louis, the brother of Temple’s Nate and an intriguing prospect in his own right. New to the lineup this year is sophomore big man Cliff Omoruyi, a freakishly long rim-runner who transferred in from Queen of Peace (N.J.) and holds offers from Syracuse, Seton Hall, and Rutgers.

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Tag(s): Home  Old HS  Josh Verlin  Tyler Sandora  Boys HS  Archbishop Carroll  Archbishop Wood   La Salle College HS  Neumann-Goretti  Roman Catholic  St. Joe's Prep  Coatesville  Shipley School  Cheltenham  Plymouth Whitemarsh  Abington