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Difference Makers Ball Drop Classic Day 2 Standouts (Dec. 22)

12/23/2022, 4:00pm EST
By Chad Graham

Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)
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JENKINTOWN — The Difference Makers Ball Drop Classic continued on Thursday at Manor College with a slate of four afternoon games. Caught three of those games. Here are the standouts from the day’s action:

Torrey Brooks Jr (2026 | League Bound, N.J.)
The 5’10 guard played with poise and pace. As a creator, Brooks Jr. changed speeds to find and hit teammates through passing windows. As a shot-maker, he showed touch with his runners. The freshman knocked down a three off the catch too. Brooks Jr. contributed 11 points and 6 assists.

Josh Coulanges (2023 | Cardinal O’Hara)
The senior point guard punished the defense with his crossover. A righty who loves to go left, Coulanges got two feet in the paint all game. He had some creative finishes, using the glass and rim to neutralize shot-blockers. In addition to leading the team to victory with 20 points, Coulanges led them with 6 assists.


Friends' Select senior Temir Davis scored a team-high 17 points on Thursday. (Photo: Chad Graham/CoBL)

Temir Davis (2023 | Friends Select)
Davis showed leadership with his performance on Thursday afternoon. Through his on-ball defense, he deflected multiple passes and grabbed 3 steals, which led to quick transition buckets for the Falcons. Offensively, he moved off-ball and spaced the floor with 3 spot-up threes. Davis finished with a team-high 17 points and the win. 

Amari Dow (2024 | Cristo Rey)
Dow was a warrior for the Blue Pride. He got downhill to score 14 of his 26 points in the paint. A few of them came on putbacks, in spite of Bridgeport’s height advantage. The 6’3 junior also drew a ton of fouls, going 9-of-12 from the line and putting BP’s big men in foul trouble. Cristo Rey wasn't able to pull out the win, but Dow’s heart and energy in an intense game gave them a fighting chance.

Josue Kandugi (2024 | Bridgeport Prep, C.T.)
Listed at 6’5, Kangugi was a force on the inside. 22 of his 25 points came in the painted area. Almost every touch he got down there resulted in a dunk or a strong finish through contact. The junior forward’s physicality was also apparent on his 13 rebounds. He didn’t hesitate to put a body on someone to extend possessions on offense and to closeout possessions on defense.

PJ James (2024 | Bridgeport Prep, C.T.)
Finishing with 17 points, James’s scoring didn’t define his performance. He used his handle and burst to penetrate the defense and create for others (7 assists). But his biggest impact came on defense. James was disruptive at the point-of-attack. He had 3 steals, 1 of which came by literally ripping the ball away from the opposing guard. His play down the stretch helped Bridgeport pull out the win.


Cardinal O'Hara junior Pearse McGuinn totaled 17 points and seven rebounds Thursday. (Photo: Chad Graham/CoBL)

Pearse McGuinn (2024 | Cardinal O’Hara)
McGuinn started the game cleaning up everything around the basket. He blocked 4 shots and altered several more. He got himself going putbacks off the offensive glass. Then, his teammates started to reward him. They found him rolling hard to the rim where he finished with dunks and in a couple pink-and-pop situations. McGuinn gave the Lions 17 points and about 7 rebounds.

Jameel Morris (2023 | Our Savior Lutheran Prep, N.Y.)
Morris’s energy was infectious. His aggression and agility as an on-ball defender made opposing ball-handlers uncomfortable from the jump. His three steals created sudden fastbreak opportunities. He used that same ability to slash the basket for quality looks. He had a solid 14 points and the tone he set carried over to how his teammates played, even when he wasn’t on the floor.

Zein Wahdan (2023 | Springfield Commonwealth, M.A.)
The 6’9 big controlled the paint for SCA. Wahdan protected the rim on one end and used his low post footwork to score on the other. His passing from the center position was key too. Whether it was hit-aheads in transition or moving the ball from the high post, Wahdan helped SCA’s offense run smoothly. He finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, & 3 blocks.

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Honorable Mention: Jean Arenguren (2023 | Springfield Commonwealth, M.A.), Devin Booker (2025 | Cristo Rey), Aasim Burton (2024 | Cardinal O’Hara), Christian Cervellero (2023 | Cardinal O’Hara), Jaylen Chiles (2025 | Friends Select), Jzhaun Davis (2023 | Bridgeport Prep, C.T.), Aimane Elbouzzau (Bethel Academy), Zion Foy (Bethel Academy), Christian Kirkland (2023 | Friends Select), Lamar Lovett (2024 | Cristo Rey), Isaiah Marshall (2025 | Friends Select), Deyishon Miller (2023 | Quality Academy Prep, N.J.), Isaac Munkadi (2024 | Bridgeport Prep, C.T.), Izaiah Pasha (2023 | Cardinal O’Hara), Naji Reid (2023 | League Bound, N.J.), Joshua Wyche (2023 | Cristo Rey)


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