City of Basketball Love

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)
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WYNCOTE, Pa. — Baseline Hoops hosted its Pre-live Showcase on Saturday and Sunday at Cheltenham High School. Multiple local 15U, 16U and 17U teams battled, showcasing themselves in an entertaining two days of hoops. Here are the standouts from Saturday’s action:

Emeer Coombs (2024 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 17U)
Coombs was a polished floor general for the Bulldogs. He only had 7 points, but at times dictated the tempo of the game. He drove to get two feet in the paint and then facilitate, rather than hunt his own shot. The pull up three he made helped keep defenders honest. Defensively, Coombs didn’t shy away from the point of attack, grabbing to steal and flustering ball-handlers who tried to beat him off-the-dribble.

Jahi Curtis (2025 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 16U)
Curtis brought two-way versatility to the forward position for MP. He caused havoc on defense. He instinctively altered shots inside and jumped passes. Then, on offense, Curtis caused match-up problems while facing up. His 15 points came from him attacking off-the-bounce and muscling through defenders to hoop. He also posted up, using simple footwork to find finishing angles.

Jordan Dill (2026 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 15U)
Dill’s wiring as a scorer at the high school level translated well in the grassroots setting, with 13 then 17 points in two games. His strong lower body helped him when he was driving to the cup for left-hand finishes. The separation he generated with his first step came in handy when he was getting to his jumper too. Dill knocked down timely pull up twos and threes, as well as off-the-catch.

Isaiah Griffin (2023 | Shawn Warren Elite 17U)
As a graduating senior, Griffin should be on the radar of small colleges and/or JUCOs looking to add an athletic wing. His defensive impact is felt most when he was on the weak-side where he could fly around making rotations and deflecting passes. Offensively, he spaced the floor with corner threes and cut backdoor for dunks and layups. And, of course, that was only a sample compared to how his athleticism flashed in transition.

Laquan Harrison (2024 | Shawn Warren Elite 17U)
The Frankford guard used his low center of gravity and stocky build to bully his way to the rim. Harrison bumped defenders off their spots to create the initial advantage. Then, when it was time to finish, he went into the chest of rim protectors and absorbed the contact. His assertiveness inside drew several fouls and earned him a few trips to the free throw line, scoring 14 total points.

Carnell Henderson (2025 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 16U)
Henderson was the embodiment of a “3 & D” player. By relocating to open space off-ball, he knocked down three triples on his way to a team-high 13 points. He also led his team with multiple steals and deflections. Henderson erased driving lanes by filling gaps in the defense and disrupted passing windows with his long arms. The turnovers he forced helped BW get easy looks in transition.

Sa'd Jamaladdin (2024 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 16U)
After a quiet first half, Jamaladdin exploded in the second, collecting 14 of his 16 points. He’s still raw, but he has some natural talent. Jamaladdin made himself an easy target, scoring on cuts and duck-ins. And as he gained confidence, he began attacking off-the-catch with spins and step-throughs. The forward from SLA Beeber also blocked a shot and got two steals.

Jaydn Jenkins (2027 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 15U)
For someone who hasn’t played a high school game yet - varsity or otherwise - Jenkins’s abilities were on full display in his second game of the day. He overcame his strength disadvantage with positioning and timing. Jenkins used his hands really well on defense, blockings three shots and altering several more without having to leave the ground. 

Anthony Lilly (2024 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 17U)
Lilly more than flashed the potential to be a stretch big. He did traditional big man things like score down on the block (11 points total) and anchor the defense on the strong-side. But he showed some comfort away from the basket as well. Lilly did a good job moving the ball on the perimeter and when he got a clean look from three, he fired it with confidence. 

Peyton McClendon (2026 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 15U)
Even though McClendon is still growing into his body - which itself is still growing - he demonstrated the skill to be a high impact post player this spring and summer. Standing 6’7, McClendon regularly contested shots around the basket. He also used his size to come down with his fair share of offensive and defensive rebounds. His most intriguing flashes came when he got touches on the block and scored with quick post moves.

Keon Mtume-Long (2025 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 16U)
Mtume-Long’s impact on BW’s game all stemmed from his rebounding. The 6’3 guard grabbed double-digit boards in the win. Once he came down with the ball, he exploited the defense with quick hit-aheads down the court to get someone else a transition bucket. And the times he chose to grab-and-go, Mtume-Long knifed through the defense as a one-man fastbreak.

Jasir Tyler (2026 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 15U)
Tyler’s combination of quickness and ball-handling meant he was able to consistently create advantages off-the-dribble. As soon as he got a step on his man, he was driving to the hoop for a lay. Not only could he accelerate to get into the paint, Tyler could decelerate into a mid-range pull up. And when he drew an extra defender or didn’t have the shot he wanted, he immediately found the open man for a clean look.

Honorable Mention:

Kobe Bazemore (2026 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 15U), Bryheem Brown (2026 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 15U), Amir Cain (2023 | Shawn Warren Elite 17U), Robert Cottrell (2024 | Shawn Warren Elite 17U), Jahsir Dias (2025 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 16U), Justin Ezeukwu (2025 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 16U), Derrick Griffin (2023 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs Blue 17U), Talasi Henderson (2025 | Brad Wanamaker Elite 16U), Guy Horton (2024 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs Blue 17U), Tadon Lewis (2026 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 15U), Rocky Mason (2026 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 15U), Lamar Stevens (2024 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs Blue 17U)