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Prepping for Preps '22-23: Collegium Charter (Boys)

12/01/2022, 4:15pm EST
By Sean McBryan

Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan)

(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2022-23 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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Collegium Charter broke through last season winning its first District 1 Class 4A title behind the play of leaders Dinero Washington and Duce Jackson and coaching of Markel Jones.

The fact the Cougars did it after not playing for an entire season due to the COVID-19 pandemic made it even more impressive.

“They were hungry coming off a season where they couldn’t play,” said Jones, who enters his fourth season at the helm. “They were hungry to prove that they were able to get over that hump and be a different team than any team that [Collegium has] had so far.”

It was the first winning season for the Cougars since the 2015-16 season and came after two consecutive 11-13 finishes before the aforementioned lost year.

“We were young and then through the pandemic we went from a young team to an older team,” Jones said. “I feel like it was going to happen inevitably. Maybe that season we missed would’ve been like our first breakout season.”


Collegium Charter forward Duce Jackson is approaching the 1,000-point mark this season. (Photo: Jack Verdeur/CoBL)

Jones kept in contact with his players sending them videos and setting up some runs at an LA Fitness and other gyms when possible to continue building camaraderie during the lost season, but the biggest reason for the breakthrough was what Jones described as a “loaded 2022-23 class.”

Collegium took a hit this offseason when Washington, a 1,000-point scorer and the program’s all-time leading scorer, was deemed ineligible by the PIAA. Jackson, a 6-7 forward that is generating D-II and D-III looks will be the go-to guy this season.

Jackson currently sits at 619 points and has a chance to reach the 1,000-point threshold by the end of the season.

“We just happened to have a really talented 2022-23 class and those guys just worked really hard led by Dinero and Duce,” Jones said. “We finally were able to get guards and the big guys to go with them in Duce and Travon Mack. I think it was just the perfect storm of players.”

Jackson, and Mack will all return to the hardwood for their senior seasons in Exton as the Cougars try to run it back.

“Every year we’re looking to win the league and compete for a district championship,” Jones said earlier this season before the Washington news. “But this year, because we’re bringing so much back from that district championship team, we really want to try and make a run at states.

“I think we have a team that can return and make a run at it. I know there’s other good teams in 4A, I think Imhotep is 4A this year and Neumann-Goretti is 4A again, but I think with that experience we can make a run at it.”

Mack, a 6-8 center, averaged 5.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game last season. Jackson had 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. 

Third-leading scorer from last season, guard K’Mari Smith, transferred to West Chester Henderson in the offseason. Smith drained two free throws with 3 seconds left to seal the 62-58 victory over Pope John Paul II in last year’s district championship.

Without Washington, the leadership role will fall first to Jackson although the senior-laden Cougars have some others that are primed to fill in, specifically senior 6-0 guard Alyjah Warren, who averaged 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last year.

“Alyjah will take a step forward,” Jones said. “He’s been a starter the last two years and played a lot as a freshman. He was our defensive catalyst last year, played some point when he needed to, and shot well from the 3. I think he will step up, he’s had some good games over the summer.”

Senior Aaron Pitt Jr., a 5-9, 220-pound forward, who played about nine minutes per game last season and Evan Schnitzius, a 5-10 junior, are two others to keep an eye on this season for Collegium.

The Cougars’ three losses last season came at the hands of Dock Mennonite, Neumann-Goretti and Trinity in the state playoffs. Jones tries to schedule a strong non-conference schedule outside of the Bicentennial League; Collegium beat Bishop Shanahan and West Chester East last year.

Dock Mennonite went 14-0 in the Bicentennial and 20-5 overall last season, Church Farm 12-2 and 17-10, Phil-Mont Christian 11-3 and 17-7, and Bristol 9-5 and 12-12 to round out the other top five finishers in the Bicentennial League last season.

Non-conference opponents for Collegium this season include West Chester East again, Marple Newtown, West Chester Rustin, and a matchup against West Chester Henderson and former teammate K’Mari Smith.

“We really try to load up on the non-conference games to get prepared for districts and states,” Jones said. “Dock Mennonite and Church Farm are usually really good in our league. So just getting ready for those games.”


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