City of Basketball Love

Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert)
—

The run to the Palestra is still fresh on the mind for Archbishop Ryan boys’ basketball.

“They got a little taste,” Ryan coach Joe Zeglinski said. “They got a taste of the Palestra.”

Ryan got a first-hand look at what a Philadelphia Catholic League title game entails last season, reaching the PCL championship at “The Cathedral of College Basketball” before falling to Neumann-Goretti. This year, the Raiders’ sole focus is getting back there and taking care of business.

“It’s a whole different atmosphere,” Zeglinski said. “They got a little taste, and they hope to get back there to finish the job.”

Last season was the first time that Ryan made the Catholic League final since Zeglinski, a 2006 Archbishop Ryan grad, took over the program seven years ago. His team had made the PCL semifinals four other times and appeared in the PIAA Class 5A state title game in 2021. And in terms of competing for the Catholic League, the Raiders have been trending in the right direction.

“We try to keep the culture the same,” Zeglinski said. “That’s why we’ve had some success, where it kind of rolls over year to year. The leaders of the team know what to expect, and the young guys follow.”

Ryan returns a number of key contributors from the runner-up squad, the biggest being center Thomas Sorber, a first-team All-PCL selection last season. The 6-foot-9 big made an immediate impact as a transfer from Trenton Catholic last season, averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game. 

Additionally, Sorber has only continued to grow since stepping on campus at Ryan, rising up the recruiting ranks and adding facets to his game that will only make him — and the Raiders — more dangerous in his junior year. 

“He does so many things well,” Zeglinski said. “His passing might be underrated. He’s really taken a step up with the ball in his hands, making great decisions for us and is getting better and better.”

Second-team All-PCL guard Darren Williams is also back as a junior to serve as a lead ball-handler for Ryan, while guard Michael Paris is the team’s lone senior. Paris stood out in the Catbolic League playoffs at the Palestra last season, scoring 13 points off the bench in the semifinal against West Catholic before adding nine in the title game, and will be a leader for the Raiders this year.

“Michael’s a gamer,” Zeglinski said. “He’s a winner. And as you saw in the big moments, he doesn’t shy away. He embraces those moments, and he’s really excited for his senior season. I think he’s going to surprise some people with how much he’s improved over the spring and summer.”

Ryan has lost some major contributors due to graduation in Jalen Snead, David Wise and sharpshooter Luke Boyd, but the Raiders believe that their core — the three major contributors along with fellow returner Jaden Murray — has the talent and can make the progress needed to find success.

Still, Ryan has some newcomers who will need to come along in their roles as the year goes on. Ryan Everett, a junior guard who led the JV unit as a sophomore, will be expected to make strides this season. Juniors Rocco Marabito and Christian Durham can also be counted on as first-year rotation players. Marabito is a versatile guard, while Durham is a 6-foot-4 forward.

“It was definitely more of a learning curve this year,” Zeglinski said . “We have a good core back, but it’s not the five or six guys we had (coming back) last year, so there’s a little bit of a learning curve.”

Matching last year’s success — an appearance in the PCL final and a run to the round of 16 in the PIAA state tournament — will not be easy in an ever-talented Catholic League. But if one game is any indicator, Ryan is still capable of reaching that level.

The Raiders took on the St. Patrick School (N.J) on Tuesday in their opener and won on a buzzer-beater from Sorber. It was an impressive win for a team looking to challenge itself in the early part of its schedule with upcoming matchups against squads like DeMatha (Md.), Radnor and St. Vincent-St. Mary (Oh.) before the new year.

“That’s why we’re playing a really tough non-league (schedule),” Zeglinski said. “So we can get prepared. We can't wait around against these top programs.”

Starting 1-0 with Sorber leading the way, Ryan will look to keep building as the season goes on to get back where it reached last year — and beyond.

“It’s going to keep us focused,” Zeglinski said of his team’s expectations. “They’re going to keep that goal on the forefront of their minds, but, at the same time, take it moment by moment. This group is focused and determined.”