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CoBL Interstate Shootout Day Two Standouts (Haverford College) (Sept. 11)

09/12/2022, 11:30pm EDT
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)

The 7th Annual CoBL Interstate Shootout brought 70 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to the courts at Friends’ Central and Haverford College this weekend for yet another fantastic weekend of hoops in front of dozens of college coaches, as well as the CoBL staff and other assorted media.

Here’s the CoBL staff’s picks for standouts from Sunday’s action at Haverford College:

Dylan Blair (2023 | Downingtown West)
The Whippets put together balanced performances in their two games Sunday — wins over Caravel Academy (Del.) and Pemberton (N.J.). Blair’s abilities still stood out as he took over during a stretch run in the second half of the win over Pemberton to help Downingtown West pull away. Blair, who announced a Division I commitment to Army on Monday, showed off his range and finished through contact at the rim. His ball handling helped run out the final seconds of the game when Pemberton tightened things up. Blair also showed off his point guard skills, setting up his teammates throughout. A no-look pass to Donovan Fromhartz (who had some moments of his own Sunday) for a slam was certainly an eye catcher. 

Jack Blum (2023 | Council Rock North)


Council Rock North's Jack Blum shoots a jumper. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Displaying an impressive inside-out game, Blum drew lots of attention from defenders throughout the afternoon due to his ability to finish at the rim with both hands, coupled with his confidence to spot up from the outside. Leading the team in scoring in both contests on the day, the 6-4 Blum inspired his squad on the defensive end as well where he aggressively challenged shooters, altered many a shot in the paint, hit the boards persistently, and showed off his handle when initiating the subsequent break on several occasions.

Kyon Coles (2026 | Pocono Mtn. West)
Comfortably burying 3-pointers from well beyond the arc, the freshman guard’s range opened up the floor for him to operate on Sunday. Coles scored 13 points in a 52-20 win over Collegium, scoring from deep and using his quickness to get to the basket in transition. The 6-2 ball-handler also sees the floor at a high level for a young player to bring a dynamic presence to the court. He looks like an instant impact player for a squad coming off a District 11 runner-up finish last season.

Nick Coval (2024 | Parkland)
Coval has steadily turned himself into one of the top sharpshooters and all-around scorers in the state and put on a display from long range at Sunday’s Shootout. The 6-2 guard dropped 26 points in a losing effort against Trenton Catholic (N.J.), knocking down open looks from 3. Coval also did damage breaking down the defense as he worked his way into the lane and finished around the basket with a nice floater touch. The Division I recruit also scored 18 points (three threes) in a win over Paul VI (N.J.). 

Jackson Gaffney (2023 | Radnor)


Radnor's Jackson Gaffney, left, goes up for a shot. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

On the first possession of Radnor’s matchup versus Sanford School (Del.), Gaffney cut down the baseline and finished with a one-handed slam. This outwardly quiet and unassuming kid had the crowd's attention. Gaffney finished with 14 points and led Radnor to a 52-41 victory to follow up a big outing in a runaway victory over Watchung Hills (N.J.) to start his day. The St. Joe’s Prep transfer dunked twice more in halfcourt sets with no regard for Sanford’s height and athleticism. He also collected critical rebounds for Radnor, repelling Sanford’s late game runs, and hit a couple jumpers too. Perhaps the biggest local eye-opener all weekend.

James Ianelli (2023 | Bishop Eustace, N.J.)
The senior guard helped Bishop Eustace (N.J.) defeat West Chester Henderson 57-51. Ianelli was confident and decisive with the ball and finished with 19 points. The 6-2 guard showed an ability to slash through the lane and knock down threes. He always finds himself in a threatening position because of his off-ball movement. Ianelli creates offense through solid defense and is a leader on the floor. He directs and encourages his teammates.

John Kelly (2024 | Watchung Hills, N.J.)
After an explosive first half when he led his team with nine points,  Kelly exploded for 17 of his team’s 23 points in the second half as they held off Pope John Paul II. The 6-3 shooting guard caught fire from deep, knocking down four 3-point shots, but he isn’t just a pure shooter finding a variety of ways to score the ball. A rebound tip-in and cut down the lane were a few other ways he put the ball through the hoop as well as taking the ball to the hole with his left and right hand, using his size at the guard position to finish over smaller guards.

Dior Kennedy (2024 | Coatesville)


Coatesville's Dior Kennedy, right, gathers the ball. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

One of the smoothest players to watch at the Interstate Shootout, Kennedy makes basketball look effortless. The 6'-2 guard dropped 19 points and caused several turnovers against Hightstown (NJ). Kennedy made the game easier for his teammates and always found the open man. The combo guard used his long arms and fast feet to create steals and easy offense. Kennedy is confident with the ball and constantly picks up his teammates off the floor. 

John Mobley (2024 | Lower Merion)
Mobley’s relentless effort in every facet of the game was vital to Lower Merion’s strong performances against Eastern (N.J.) and St. John Vianney (N.J.). The junior guard scored 11 points against Eastern and 14 against St. John Vianney. He fought for every possession, hustled for loose balls, and attacked the glass. When Eastern switched to a 2-3 zone, Mobley parked himself at the high post, using excellent vision to set up his teammates for open looks. He also showed leadership qualities by communicating with teammates and scoring big buckets when needed. Mobley’s muscular frame and dynamic first step helped him finish through contact at the rim. 

Antonio Morris (2024 | Bensalem)
Morris caused havoc on both ends of the court for Bensalem on Sunday as he dazzled with an assortment of shot fakes and crafty moves to the basket to go along with a smooth stroke from distance. The 6-0 point guard and son of the Owls’ head coach, who tallied a team-high 19 points in a 36-33 victory over Collegium Charter, also made his presence felt on defense with relentless ball pressure and a determined effort on the glass.

Aiden Tobiason (2024 | St. Elizabeth, Del.)
Tobiason put on a long-distance shooting clinic throughout the afternoon as the 6-3 junior hit a combined seven 3-pointers during a 2-0 day for the Vikings. Displaying standout athleticism, Tobiason made the defense pay anytime he got any bit of space to set his feet and catch and shoot. Showing the ability to move well without the ball, Tobiason also scored some buckets in the paint as a result of some sharp basket cuts.

Nasir Washington (2023 | West Philadelphia)


West Philadelphia's Nasir Washington goes up for a shot. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Washington led the Speedboys to a 2-0 showing on Sunday, scoring 17 in a win over Sterling (N.J.) and following with 22 in a victory over Eastern (N.J.). The powerfully built 6-3 guard finished through contact and showed off his bounce with a handful of fastbreak slams. He also stepped out and hit a total of five threes in the two games. There’s room to grow in the playmaking department but he was willing to pass, particularly dumping off to teammates after beating his man into the lane. On defense, his size and strength at the guard position plays well too.

Dominique Wyatt (2024 | Caravel Academy)
Caravel’s dynamic 5-9 point guard had a strong game in a close loss to Downingtown West, doing the most on either team to create offense for himself and his teammates. Wyatt is fun to watch with the ball in his hands, as he won’t hesitate to take any defender off the bounce, with a strong frame that allows him to get through traffic on the way to the hoop, and though he likes to score, he’s not selfish and will keep his head up for cutters and shooters. A crafty finisher, Wyatt’s got strong awareness and body control around the bucket, and can make tough contested layups with both hands.

Honorable Mentions

Bryson Amos-Whitfield (2023 | Trenton Catholic, N.J.), Sami Anderson (2024 | Timber Creek, N.J.), Joseph Callahan (2023 | Bishop Eustace, N.J.), Josh Eli (2023 | Paul VI, N.J.), Jonathan Fields (2024 | West Philadelphia), Donovan Fromhartz (2025 | Downingtown West), Eric Gonzalez (2023 | Bensalem), Kabrien Goss (2024 | Trenton Catholic, N.J.), Jackson Hicke (2023 | Radnor), Josiah Hutson (2025 | Cheltenham), AJ Lemons (2024 | Pemberton, N.J.), Jamel Lindsey (2023 | Holy Ghost Prep), Dan Mason (2023 | Bishop Eustace, N.J.), Alex McFadden (2024 | Radnor), Nico McNiel (2024 | Sanford School, Del.), Caleb Mundell (2023 | Sterling, N.J.), Julian Pagan (2023 | Pocono Mtn. West), Marquis Peoples (2024 | Coatesville), Jose Ramos (2023 | West Chester East), Keenan Reiss (2023 | Hightstown, N.J.), Tommy Vaughn (2024 | Sanford School, Del.), Bryan Warren (2023 | Timber Creek, N.J.)


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