City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
—

The second weekend of the June scholastic live period got underway nationwide on Friday, with St. Joe’s Prep playing host to the Philly Live event for the second weekend in a row. CoBL was on staff all day long to see as many games as possible spread across the four courts at the Prep, checking out local schools and a few out-of-area visitors as well.

Here are the staff’s picks for standouts from the opening day:

~~~

(More Coverage: Night 1 Notebook, Pt. 1 | Night 1 Notebook, Pt. 2)

~~~

Luke Boyd (2022 I Archbishop Ryan)
One of only two returning starters from last year’s team that advanced to the PIAA Class 5A title game, Boyd is ready to take over the offensive load on the perimeter vacated by Dominic Vazquez (Arcadia) and Aaron Lemon-Warren (Mt. Zion Prep). The 6-foot-1 guard poured in 28 points in an 80-48 win over Pocono Mountain West. He drilled four 3-pointers and slammed home an emphatic dunk late in the second half. He was the Raiders sixth man as a sophomore and has developed into a multi-level scoring option. A season after averaging 9.8 ppg, Boyd is the leader of head coach Joe Zeglinski’s team and a key to getting back to the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals and possibly another deep state playoff run.

Joey Chapman (2022 I Reading)
Chapman made the game-winning steal against Archbishop Wood to seal the PIAA Class 6A title, and now he is ready to become a more viable option on the offensive end. The 6-1 physical guard had 21 points and seven rebounds alongside backcourt mate Ruben Rodriguez (24 points) against St. Joe’s Prep. He got into the lane at will using his strong frame and deceptively quick first step. He has tremendous body control when going to the basket and absorbs contact on the way up. While not known for his shooting right now, he displayed a quick release and should see plenty of shots on drive and kicks this season. 

Chase Coleman (2024 | Archbishop Carroll, Pa.)
It was a terrific team effort for Carroll to open up Philly Live, as the Patriots cruised to a 66-49 win over Executive Education Charter (Pa.) in the first game set, with quite a few Division I coaches on hand to watch. Coleman, a 6-0 guard, was right in the mix the whole way through, putting in a terrific two-way effort. Fresh off his first D-I offer last weekend, from Manhattan, Coleman had 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win; continually with a nose for the glass, he had five offensive rebounds, and excelled at taking advantage of confused defenses to attack the bucket and get second-chance points. Coleman’s bread-and-butter is getting into the lane, where he’s got a strong jump-stop to create space and finish or find teammates.

Khalil Farmer (2022 | Roman Catholic, Pa.)
Farmer’s game is jump-shot reliant, but when his shot is falling — which is often — he can really light it up. That was the case against Camden on Friday night, when the 6-3 off-guard had 20 points, knocking down mid-range and long-range shots with regularity, whether coming off screens, working in catch-and-shoot situations, or pulling up when the defense slightly sagged off. Farmer also worked hard on the defensive end, coming up with seven rebounds and two blocks, plus a steal and an assist. Niagara, Hofstra, Saint Peter’s and Drexel all offered after last weekend, joining a list that already included Albany, Boston U, Robert Morris and others.

Tristen Guillouette (2024 I St. Joe’s Prep)
The Hawks have been missing a big man in the middle since Ed Croswell (Providence) graduated in 2018 and they look to have finally found one in Guillouette. The 6-9 forward posted a double-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks versus Reading. He can set a tough screen then become nimble and roll smoothly to the rim. He has soft hands and a nice touch around the basket. His ferociousness on the glass and ability to disrupt shots in the paint are two of his best attributes and they will help the Hawks in Jason Harrigan’s second season as head coach. He showed off a nice baseline jumper and his overall game is still evolving. With some more work, Guillouette can develop into much of what Croswell was, if not better.

Aamir Hurst (2022 | Neumann-Goretti, Pa.)
A rising senior with the Saints, Hurst was only a role player last year, averaging fewer than two points per outing, but he looks in for a big step up in his final year in South Philly. The 6-1, 160-pound scoring guard has been on a roll recently, continuing that with a 12-point, 12-rebound effort against Downingtown West in a win on Friday afternoon. Hurst is a strong outside shooter who also knows when to attack the bucket when the defense gets moving, and he’s a solid defender with a nose for the glass, as well. Scholarship-level programs have already noticed, as he’s hearing from D-I UMES plus D-IIs East Stroudsburg (Pa.) and West Liberty (W.Va.).

Mike “Deuce” Jones (2024 I Archbishop Ryan)
After getting into the swing of things during Philly Live I, Jones looked as electric as he did for much of his freshman year at Trenton Catholic (N.J.). The 6-2 floor general had 18 points, six assists and four steals against Pocono Mountain West. He found one teammate after the next of backdoor cuts and commanded the offense as if he had been playing in the Raiders system for years. When he attacked, his mid-range game was on full display but he can certainly beat his defender all the way to the rim. On a team with high expectations every year, Jones is positioned to succeed running the offense.

Demetrius Lilley (2022 | Lower Merion, Pa.)
Matched up against another high-level big man in Pocono Mt. West’s Christian Fermin, Lilley clearly got the better of the two, with 19 points and 12 rebounds in LM’s statement 68-18 victory. A 6-9, 240-pound forward/center, Lilley has the ability to stretch the floor but didn’t need to do so in this one, getting all his production around the rim, whether that was gathering in lobs tossed by his Aces’ teammates and laying them in, or posting up the equally-large and aggressive Fermin and taking him to the rack, sometimes needing a second chance but almost always getting the result he wanted. With some of the best hands and footwork around, Lilley is a load in the paint who’s tough to stop from getting at least 10-12 points.

Carlos Lopez (2022 | Egg Harbor Township, N.J.)
In the first set of the day, it made sense that there were not a lot of coaches and media in attendance yet, but they missed an incredible performance by Lopez. The 1,000 point scorer at Egg Harbor scored 26 first-half points against Phil-Mont Christian Academy, knocking down six 3-pointers. Lopez finished the game with a game-high 30 points as Egg Harbor walked away with a 50-point victory. The 6-2 lefty guard said he has been in communication with Rider and is currently working on his ball handling and defense.

Cian Medley (2023 | Camden, N.J.)
The Panthers’ starting point guard doesn’t get nearly as much press as his backcourt partner, but Medley is a Division I guard in his own right, which he reminded watchers on Friday night by playing a key role in Camden’s win over Roman Catholic. A 6-0 point guard, Medley is a modern floor general who runs his team’s offense and gets them into sets, but can also stretch the floor with his shooting and plays in-your-face on-ball defense. Medley had 12 points, five assists and two steals against Roman; Rider, St. Francis (Pa.) and Fairfield have all offered in the last couple months.

Jack Seidler (2022 | Marlboro, Pa.)
A member of Team Final and a rising senior at Marlboro, Seidler had quite a day on Friday. In his first game against Penn Wood, the 6-5, 180-pound wing scored a game-high 26 points, showing off his midrange jumper and delivering some quality passes in his team's close victory. In Marlboro’s second contest of the day Seidler once again led the game in scoring, this time with 31 points, and showed off his long range shot, burying five threes in his squads 81-43 blowout win over Liberty. Seidler has an offer from Drake, and has taken a visit to Brown and is taking one to Cornell soon. Other high-academics have been in contact.

Reggie Seldon Jr. (2024 | Bishop Eustace, N.J.)
A young guard with an advanced floor game, Seldon is definitely one to watch in the region in the rising sophomore class. The 6-1, 165-pound lead guard plays with his head up and his eyes searching the floor, and that court vision helps him make the right play over and over. Also a strong outside shooter, Seldon knocked down five 3-pointers in a win over Neshaminy, powering him to a game-high 24 points in the 60-39 victory. He also showed great touch on a floater, hit a pull-up mid-range shot and made solid passes all game long. Already pretty strong for his age, Seldon’s body should continue to be an advantage for him moving forward.

Daniel Skillings (2022 | Roman Catholic, Pa.)
Skillings was all over the court for the Cahillites in a loss to Camden, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting. The 6-6, 200-pound wing has great length and knows how to use it effectively on both ends of the floor, finishing over and around Camden defenders with both hands, and he knows how to use his body to fend off shot-blockers. Skillings was really crashing the offensive glass (seven offensive boards) and won seven tip-battle for second-chance opportunities, hitting a few mid-range shots to show touch and feel for space. With high-majors interested, it was a good time to shine.

D.J. Wagner (2023 | Camden, N.J.)
On paper, it wasn’t the most spectacular night from Wagner: he was 8-of-20 from the floor and 1-of-9 from 3-point range to get to his 22 points, though he did also get six rebounds, three assists and three steals. But anytime Wagner plays he’s impossible to miss, as he’s got physical tools that few if any other prep guards in the country have: a lightning-quick first step, leading to powerful drives and difficult finishes made easy, his willingness to play within his team concepts and lead by voice and example. And that’s on a bad shooting night.

Robert Wright III (2024 | Neumann-Goretti, Pa.)
We’ve included Wright’s name in a number of these write-ups this offseason, which probably should serve as indication that he’s in for a breakthrough of a sophomore season. The 6-0 scoring guard did just that against Downingtown West, dropping 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting (2-4 3PT), hitting six straight from the field at one point in the second half. Wright has a terrific change-of-pace, getting up and down the court in a blur, then stopping on a dime to knock down pull-up jumpers from mid-range or deep.

Honorable Mention

Dylan Blair (2023 | Downingtown West, Pa.), Jacob Beccles (2022 | Constitution, Pa.), Jamal Carr (2022 | Constitution, Pa.), Joseph Deiter (2022 | Bishop Eustace, N.J.) Evan Esposito (2022 | Neshaminy, Pa.), Moses Hipps (2024 | Archbishop Carroll, Pa.), Mike Knouse (2022 | Archbishop Wood, Pa.), Kobe Magee (2022 | Executive Charter, Pa.), Sal Monastero (2022 | Archbishop Carroll, Pa.), Allen Myers (2022 | Bensalem, Pa.), IV Pettit (2022 | Devon Prep, Pa.), Cornelius Robinson (2023 | Camden, N.J.), Jalil Schenck (2022 | Executive Charter, Pa.), Jaylen Shippen (2022 | Lower Merion, Pa.), Shawn Smith (2022 | Archbishop Carroll, Pa.), Thomas Sorber (2024 I Archbishop Ryan), Masud Stewart (2022 | Neumann-Goretti, Pa.), Jake Warren (2023 | Downingtown West, Pa.), Jake West (2022 | Archbishop Carroll, Pa.), Jaiden Vargas (2022 I St. Joe’s Prep, Pa.), Ruben Rodriguez (2023 I Reading, Pa.), Darren Williams (2024 I Archbishop Ryan, Pa.)