City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2022-23 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 9. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

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As always, Philadelphia basketball is everywhere.

Year after year, more than 100 Philly-area ballplayers are spread around Division I rosters, from East Coast to West Coast, North to South, low-major to high-major and everywhere in between. Each fall, CoBL rounds up all of those local prospects to update you on how their careers are going and what’s expected of them in the year to come.

We’ve split the area’s D-I alumni into a five-part list, including four segments of returning players and one of the true freshmen who are going off into their first year of D-I hoops. Here’s Part 2 of our 2022-23 CoBL alumni roundup, featuring 20 players who aren’t in their first year of collegiate basketball:

(If we’re missing someone, let us know: cityofbasketballlove@gmail.com)

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2022-23 Alumni Roundup: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Freshmen

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Eric Dixon (R-Jr. | Villanova)

Dixon is poised for very big things in his fourth season at Villanova and first under the new leadership of head coach Kyle Neptune. 2021-22 was Dixon’s breakout season; after averaging just 8.2 minutes the year prior, Dixon started in all 38 games in the Wildcats’ Final Four season, posting 9.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg. With Jermaine Samuels no longer on the floor and the majority of Villanova’s forwards being on the inexperienced side, it’s very likely Dixon’s role will further expand in 2022-23. 

Caleb Dorsey (Jr. | Penn State)
The 6-foot-7 Hill School product has spent two full seasons with Penn State, but has yet to fully get his footing; he’s appeared in 17 games so far, with an average of 4.8 minutes across those contests. That being said, Dorsey finished his sophomore season on a playing-time upswing; of his 12 games played in 2021-22, nine came on or after January 31, with an average of 5.8 minutes across that stretch. It’s not much, but it’s promising as Dorsey likely hopes to see the court more in his junior season.

Gabe Dorsey (So. | William & Mary)
Dorsey — Caleb’s brother, also a Hill School alum — transferred to William & Mary this offseason after one season at Vanderbilt. During his season with the Commodores, the 6-foot-6 wing struggled to produce much in limited minutes, with points and rebounds averages both under one. A William & Mary program looking for a fresh start after a 5-27 season should, in turn, provide a fresh opportunity for Dorsey. 

Jack Forrest (Sr. | Bucknell)
Now at his third school in four years after stints at Columbia and St. Joe’s, Forrest — a Lower Merion grad and former Central League MVP — brings solid shooting and scoring ability to the Bison. Forrest missed time due to injury in both of his years at St. Joe’s; after averaging double-digit points in 14 games as a redshirt sophomore, his production took a noticeable step back last season amidst further injury struggles, with just 3.6 ppg in 22 appearances. Forrest figures to, at least, fill a solid bench role in a relatively inexperienced Bucknell frontcourt. 

Simeon Fryer (Gr. | Texas A&M Corpus Christi)
After starting his college career at the Community College of Beaver County, Fryer found his groove over two seasons at Texas A&M Corpus Christi; he’s started in 53 of 57 games since arriving in south Texas and averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 boards as a full-time starter in 2021-22. Most notably, Fryer’s shooting took a huge step forward last season, as the Upper Dublin product improved his 3-point clip from 22 percent in 2020-21 to 37 percent a year ago.

Andrew Funk (Gr. | Penn State)

Funk spent four years working his way up the roster ranks at Bucknell before transferring as a grad student to Penn State. The Archbishop Wood grad logged 76 starts in his last three years with the Bison, starting in all but one of his appearances during that stretch, and ultimately grew into the team’s leading scorer last season with 17.6 ppg to go with 3.6 rpg and 3.0 apg. This winter, Funk will be working to carve out his role amidst a crowded group of Penn State guards that features Drexel transfer Cameron Wynter and 2021-22’s second-highest-scoring Nittany Lion, Seth Lundy. 

Jalen Gaffney (Sr. | Florida Atlantic)
A consistent contributor who never quite turned into a full-time starter, Gaffney averaged 16.8 minutes across 87 appearances in three years at UConn. Gaffney saw his playing time and production dip significantly toward the end of his junior season prior to transferring; he logged 15 or more minutes in nine of the Huskies’ first 10 contests, but cracked double digits in just 10 of the following 23. As such, he ended the year with 4.0 ppg after averaging 8.0 points through 10 games. The Westtown School alum gets a clean slate at Florida Atlantic, where he’ll likely garner good minutes with several years of Big East experience under his belt. 

Lynn Greer III (Soph. | Saint Joseph’s)
Greer made the newsworthy decision to return home this offseason, transferring to St. Joe’s from Dayton after one season with the Flyers. Greer didn’t log much time on the floor at Dayton appearing in limited minutes across just 10 games. A known capable scorer who averaged nearly 20 points as a senior at Roman Catholic, Greer should have a bright future at St. Joe’s, but may take time to find a full-time role, as the Hawks return three key rotation guards from last season.  

Marlon Hargis (Gr. | St. Francis Pa.)
Hargis, who completed two seasons at Holy Cross before transferring to St. Francis in the 2020 offseason, developed into a consistent role with the Terriers last season. As a redshirt junior, he logged 10 starts in total 30 appearances, averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. Hargis, a St. Augustine Prep alum, will likely have somewhat of a similar role this season, as St. Francis returned five of its top six scorers from a year ago.

Zahree Harrison (Jr. | St. Francis Pa.)
Harrison saw a good bit less playing time than Hargis on the same St. Francis team a year ago, but his minutes and production increased dramatically down the stretch of the season. On the season, he averaged 3.5 ppg in 20.5 mpg, but in the year’s final five games, he averaged double-digit scoring while logging a staggering 37.6 mpg. With a strong finish to his sophomore season, Harrison may have an opportunity to earn more consistent time on the floor this coming season.

Hakim Hart (Sr. | Maryland)
Noted for his defensive prowess, Hart has developed into a regular starter over the course of three years at Maryland. He saw minimal playing time as a freshman, but went on to start in 19 games as a sophomore and 31 a year ago. As a junior, the Roman Catholic alum averaged 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 85 percent from the free-throw line, and should continue to be a key starter for the Terrapins as a senior this year.

Rahdir Hicks (Soph. | Towson)
The Malvern Prep alum wrapped us his first year at Towson having logged five starts in 24 games, but posted minimal stats in 12.5 mpg. The Tigers are coming off of a successful 25-9 season that featured a guard-heavy rotation. Two of those guards, though, graduated from the program, so there may be room for Hicks to pick up some more minutes in his second year with the program.

Zach Hicks (Soph. | Temple)
In his first season out of Camden Catholic, Hicks played the role of key reserve for the Owls; he didn’t start a game on the year, but averaged an efficient 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 21.4 mpg. Hicks was at his best down the stretch of the 2021-22 season, averaging about 12 points in February and March specifically. After a productive first season, Hicks should be positioned to enter a starting role for Temple this year, after successfully filling the sixth-man sparkplug role as a freshman.  

Anquan Hill (Soph. | St. Bonaventure)
Hill transferred to St. Bonaventure after one season at Fairleigh Dickinson; it was a successful freshman season, in which the Archbishop Carroll grad averaged 7.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while logging 17 starts. Hill’s move to St. Bonaventure is certainly a step up in competition, both externally and internally, but the Bonnies’ roster could not be more wide open for opportunity; five players covered 90 percent of the minutes last season, and all five are no longer with the program. 

A.J. Hoggard (Jr. | Michigan State)

Part of the impressive 2020 class to come out of the city of Coatesville, Hoggard played his high school hoops at Archbishop Carroll and then Huntingdon Prep (W.Va.), and now goes into his third year playing a significant role with the Spartans. He’s started eight games in each of his first two years, mostly playing sixth man as a sophomore, when he averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.8 apg in just 20 minutes shooting 43.9% overall. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5:1 placed him third in the Big Ten and his assists per game fourth, though with Tyson Walker back in the mix for another year, he might have a similar role this season.

Eddie Holland III (Soph. | Penn)
The 6-5 wing guard out of Friends’ Central barely played as a freshman, seeing spot time in seven games for the Quakers. The Penn staff is hopeful he’ll take a step forward and be a contributor off the bench, but there are several other guards in his position that will all be fighting for the same 15-20 minutes, and it comes down to who can make shots and defend. 

Tariq Ingraham (R-Jr. | Rider)
It’s hard to know exactly what the Broncs will get out of Ingraham, a bruising 6-9 forward out of Bonner-Prendergast, as he’s only played in three games the last three years at Wake Forest due to medical reasons and injuries. At Rider, he’ll be reunited with his former Bonner frontcourt mate in Ajiri Johnson, and the two of them would be a great pairing in the MAAC if he can get healthy; the two led Bonner to the PIAA Class 4A title game in 2019, where the Friars lost to Imhotep Charter.

Christian Ings (Sr. | Norfolk State)
After spending his first two years at Rider, averaging 6.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.0 apg between 52 games (38 starts), Ings went down to Norfolk State last year, where he put up career bests of 8.9 ppg and 2.5 apg, plus 2.4 rpg, shooting 40.5% (15-of-37) from 3-point range while starting 21 out of 25 games as Norfolk State went 24-7 and made it to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. The athletic 6-0 guard out of Neumann-Goretti is listed as a senior but does have two years of eligibility remaining if he wants to use them.

Tairi Ketner (Soph. | Albany)
A 6-7 forward out of Archbishop Carroll (and a prep year at Woodstock Academy), Ketner is one of a number of players on Albany with ties to the area, plus head coach Dwayne Killings and most of his staff. The son of former UMass and NBA big man Lari Ketner, ‘Huss’ averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.1 rpg in 21 games off the bench last year, with season highs of five points and four rebounds. Though he’s not blessed with terrific height at the ‘5’ spot, Ketner does have great hands and footwork, and should carve out more of a role this year.

Konrad Kiszka (Sr. | Princeton)
A former standout at La Salle College High School, Kiszka has only played in 14 games in his college career: 13 as a freshman in 2019-20 and just one last year as he then sat out due to injury. It might be an uphill battle for Kiszka to be a significant part of the Princeton roster this year, but the 6-7, 210-pound wing has the abilities to help a college program, if he chooses to use his extra years of eligibility after this season, as he should have two remaining, even if he can’t use them in the Ivy League.