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Pete + Jameer Nelson Classic Standouts (Dec. 30)

12/30/2021, 11:45pm EST
By Josh Verlin & Zak Wolf

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Zak Wolf (@ZakWolf22)

CHESTER — The 2021 Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic brought eight teams to Widener University on Thursday for four showcase non-league games. 

Thursday’s Results (Click for game reports)
Bonner-Prendergast 54, Salesianum (Del.) 40
St. Joseph’s Prep 67, Lincoln 66

Neumann-Goretti 54, Collegium Charter 40
West Catholic 64, Plymouth Whitemarsh 37

Here’s who stood out to the CoBL staff:

Jaden Colzie (Soph. Plymouth Whitemarsh)
The point guard showed off his deep range in a tough loss. Colzie knocked down three triples, two of them coming from well beyond the 3-point. Colzie helped initiate the offense against a tough West Catholic press. He got into the lane a bunch of times and used the attention drawn from the defense to dish it out to teammates for open looks. Colzie scored 11 points and was one of two players in double figures for the Colonials. — ZW

Jalen Harper (Soph./St. Joseph’s Prep)
A 6-2 sophomore guard, Harper had a strong two-way performance in the Prep’s win over Lincoln. Harper was 4-of-9 from the floor to get his 14 points, but it was his 12 rebounds (three offensive) that really stood out. Harper is a three-level scorer with a smooth pull-up jumper and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in amongst the trees; on a team with a number of impressive youngsters, he’s going to be a big part of their success over the next few years. — JV

Aamir Hurst (Sr./Neumann-Goretti)
Hurst was one of the area’s better under-the-radar players all summer with Neumann-Goretti, but he hasn’t always gotten to show that this season, relegated to a sixth man role. But with Masud Stewart unavailable this week, Hurst was back in the starting lineup, and showed why he’s getting D-II interest from PSAC schools with an efficient 15-point outing. The 6-2 guard was 3-of-5 from the field and 8-of-8 from the foul line, and his length makes him a problem defensively. — JV

Jaron McKie (Fr./St. Joseph’s Prep)
The leading scorer on the day amongst all eight teams was the Prep’s 6-2 freshman and son of Temple head coach Aaron McKie. The younger McKie was 4-of-5 from deep and 8-of-11 overall to get to 27 points, knocking all seven of his foul shots on an impressive overall day from the floor. McKie’s got a picture-perfect jumper off the catch or pull-up, and he’s got good bounce, even if he’s not the type to play hyper-aggressively just yet. Lots of promise ahead. — JV

Mandon Seapoe (Sr./Bonner-Prendergast)
The Friars’ senior guard came off the bench and played a steady role in helping the Friars to victory to get the event underway. Bonner’s primary ballhandler when he was on the court, Seapoe often came to the rescue of his teammates when they were in trouble, helping settle the offense, and set the tone for an unselfish bunch that racked up 16 assists with six dimes of his own, matching six rebounds to go along with eight points. — JV

Shakur Smith (Sr./Bonner-Prendergast)
The Friars picked up a dozen steals against Salesianum, utilizing a strong half-court trap defense to get things going in the other direction, leading to a number of run-outs and dunks. Smith certainly was the beneficiary of a few of those, but there’s no doubt the 6-2 senior guard did plenty else to earn his 21 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. Smith was strong through contact and hit a few jumpers, including one of his two 3-point attempts. — JV

Zion Stanford (Jr./West Catholic)
The small forward led all scorers with 18 points in West Catholic’s blowout win over P-W. At 6-5, Stanford used his big body to get inside at will, finishing through contact and punishing smaller defenders. Stanford was backing down defenders as well as using his handle to drive by others. The junior did most of his work in the first quarter, scoring 12 of West Catholic’s 14 first-quarter points. — ZW

Aymere Thomas (Sr./Lincoln)
A whirling dervish of a 6-6 forward, Thomas is all over the court for the Railsplitters, with an intriguing versatility that’s still working on being refined. A lefty 6-7 forward, Thomas has the ability to stretch the floor with his jumper, attack the rim from the perimeter and defend inside and out. He finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds (five offensive) plus two blocks and three steals against St. Joe’s Prep, though he took 20 shots, so the efficiency still has to come. — JV

DiNero Washington (Jr./Collegium Charter)
That Collegium hung with Neumann-Goretti for 36 minutes wasn’t due to one player, of course, but Washington’s effort was a big reason why the Cougars were still in it down the stretch of the fourth. A 5-8 guard, Washington finished with a team-high 12 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists, and he was a defensive pest all game long even against the Saints’ high-level backcourt. — JV

Robert Wright III (Soph./Neumann-Goretti)
Even though his shot wasn’t falling with as much regularity as usual, there’s no doubt that Wright was one of the top players at the event Thursday. The 5-11 sophomore guard needed 20 shots to get to his 18 points, missing a few floaters and tricky reverse layups as the Saints struggled to create offense overall, but Wright’s knack for getting into the lane and breaking down defenses with his handle was apparent; he also grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists and grabbed two steals, and made clutch plays down the stretch. — JV

Honorable Mention: Deuce Ketner (Soph./Bonner-Prendergast), Amon Fowlkes (Fr./Collegium Charter), Tristan Guillouette (Soph./St. Joseph’s Prep), Travon Mack (Jr./Collegium Charter), Tamir Powell (Sr./Lincoln), Kareem Thomas (Soph./Salesianum, Del.), Amir Williams (Soph./Neumann-Goretti), NaSeem Wright (Soph./Lincoln)Shemar Wilbanks-Acqui (Jr./West Cactholic), Quadir Bennett (Jr./Plymouth Whitemarsh)


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Tag(s): Home  Boys HS  Collegium Charter  Catholic League (B)  Bonner-Prendergast  Neumann-Goretti  St. Joe's Prep  West Catholic  Lincoln  Plymouth Whitemarsh  High School