City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The first-ever Post & Pivot Spring Fling Invitational brought together grassroots programs from the tri-state area for a Friday evening and Saturday packed with action, all four courts at Jefferson University showcasing plenty of talent in the 15U, 16U and 17U divisions.

Here’s Part One of who stood out to the CoBL staff this weekend; CLICK HERE for Part Two:

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Markell Alston (2025 | NJ Scholars EYBL 16U)
A 6-1, 180-pound point guard from Christ the King (N.Y.), Alston was a two-way presence in a win over PA Hoops Academy’s 16s on Friday night. An energetic on-ball defender, Alston forced no fewer than five steals and had a hand in several others, leading to several breakaway layups for himself and his teammates. Talented with the ball in his hands, he’s shifty, fast and strong, every bit the high-major prospect — no surprise, then, that he’s got offers from Seton Hall, Manhattan, Illinois, Creighton and more. He showed off some flashy finishing abilities, but the most impressive thing was how easy he made all of it look.

Ihsan Beya (2024 | Philly Revolution Select 17U)
A defense-first player, Beya set the tempo for his team on that end. He picked up lead ball-handlers fullcourt and made them uncomfortable, forcing turnovers that led to easy transition buckets. Beya’s ball movement on offense didn’t translate to as many counting stats for himself, but it was just impactful. The 5-10 guard created off the bounce to collapse the defense before hitting shooters with skip passes in the corner. He also made quick decisions with the ball, racking up some hockey assists and never hesitating to make the extra pass. And when he caught it in rhythm, he was able to knock down the open shot.

Makel Butts (2026 | WeR1 UAA 15U)
Butts was a matchup problem for almost everyone who tried to stick him. A high feel, 6-7 shot-maker, his jumpers were on the money. It didn’t matter if he walked into three or countered with his one-dribble pull-up, Butts had no trouble getting hit shots off because of his high release. Throwing post players on him and/or blitzing didn’t help much either. The West Philly product was able to make decisions on-ball, reading and reacting to get to find the open man or driving to the basket for a lay. 

Dior Carter (2026 | Philly Pride National 15U)
The 6-3 forward started as a freshman for Academy New Church and is using this experience to dominate the AAU courts this summer. After showing off his talent in the win (55-33) against PA hoops in the 15U circuit, Carter didn’t even take his jersey off as he had to play immediately after for the 16U team facing Revolution. In both games he demonstrated he can play from outside the 3-point line or in the post, whatever the team needs from him. Carter is everywhere on the court as he influences the game with the little things that may be unnoticed sometimes such as steals, offensive and defensive boards, blocks, box outs and defensive quickness. However, he is also a good scorer as he finds his way to the rim without forcing. He can also score from back-door cuts. Finally, with a few dunks he showed his athleticism. Carter made it to the FSL championship with ANC this season and looks like he is ready to take over the conference next season.  

Davin Chandler (2025 | WeR1 16U)
The guard from Decatur (Md.) scored 26 points in a 58-50 win against a Penn Warriors team that was hitting many 3’s to keep the game close. But the 6-1 guard was in control of the game throughout. Nobody was able to stop him in transition and fastbreak as he got several relatively easy layups with his athleticism and quickness. His jumper and 3-pointers are impressive as he mixed mid-range shots with three treys. His patience on the offensive side is remarkable; he always knows where to be on the court and lets his teammate play as well. Chandler has a great touch around the rim and gets fouled a lot. His best move of the game was a quick spin move to pass the defender and get another layup. The guard completed his stat line with a block and a few offensive boards. He also plays football in high school, which probably explains his athleticism.  

John Clemmons (2023 | WeR1 Select 17U)
The 6-6 wing from Caravel Academy is going off this AAU season and did not disappoint this weekend at Jefferson. In the win (46-44) against NJ Scholars, Clemmons scored 18 points and the game-winner. His strong body structure and size definitely help, but he also showed good ball handling and the ability to attack the rim with control and use both hands to score. WeR1’s top scorer added up a few threes with an accurate shot, step-backs and a couple good looks from backdoor cuts. The 18 years-old was one of the most interesting players in his class this weekend and is able to score 30+ points in games as he exhibited in the previous live periods.  

Latif Coulibaly (2026 | Philly Ballhawks 15U)
From Audendried Charter, Coulibaly does it all on the court; with his long arms, he is everywhere. The 6-3 wing had countless steals, which made it challenging for the Philly Showtime players to find their way to the rim. Coulibaly has a strong body structure and his mobility and footwork are impressive as well. He scored 13 points and many of them were in transition as he was faster than everyone else to get from the defensive side to the offensive one. His jumper looks solid and his passing abilities and overall vision are advanced as well. When the defense wasn’t boxing him out, he was likely to get the offensive rebound. 

Munir Daniels (2025 | Philly Ballhawks 15U)
Daniels at 6-2 and 200 pounds, added 10 points against Philly Showtime, with a very unique skill set. Even though he is not the tallest on the court, he makes it hard for the defenders to guard him in the post. As a matter of fact, his pivot foot is very stable and allows him to get layups around the rim with both the right and the left hand. Daniels plays at Audenried with Coulibaly and with his rebounding abilities and rim protection, he is a player that everyone would want to have on their team. Daniels and Coulibaly will be a hard duo to stop for the rest of the AAU season.

Jameer Deshields (2024 | Philly Pride 302 MHC 17U)
With a 20 points performance in a OT win against NJ Scholars, Deshields showed his entire bag. Apart from his solid 3-point shooting, he scored off of Euro-steps, spins and efficient shot fakes. The most impressive part of his game was how hard he plays and even though he had to take care of the ball for most of the game, he was the first one to hustle back in defense. With Philly Pride down 3 with 10 seconds left, Deshields took the ball and hit a contested 3 to tie the game. In OT he scored a few buckets, but most importantly Deshields contributed with 2 steals on the defensive ends. 

Kasey Fleming (2026 | Philly Revolution 16U)
Now a member of the class of 2026 after transferring from La Salle to the George School, Fleming is an impressive-looking wing guard: 6-3 and physically strong, and he plays tough, not afraid of contact or to stick his nose in for rebounds. Fleming contributed 18 points in the Revolutions’ 54-52 win over Philly Pride 302’s 16s on Saturday afternoon, including the game-winning driving layup in the game’s closing seconds; he knocked down a smooth pair of catch-and-shoot 3’s and got to the line a couple times, making all his foul shots.

Justin Hines (2024 | WeR1 HGSL 17U)
Hines was hitting shots from all over in WeR1’s win over PA Coalition’s HGSL squad on Saturday afternoon, scoring 14 of his 16 points before halftime. The 6-5 wing hit a couple mid-range jumpers and looked good doing it, then also popped out for a corner trey; he was also four of four from the foul line. More than just a scorer, Hines grabbed eight rebounds (three offensive) and dished out for assists with a steal in the win. He’s got some D-I interest at the moment, but no current offers.

Larenzo Jerkins (2024 | BW Elite 17U)
With a motor that didn’t turn off, Jerkins was aggressive on both ends of the floor. He relentlessly went after rebounds and loose balls. And if he caught it near the basket he was turning the second-chance opportunity into two points. He tried to contest shots inside, even against bigger players. Jerkins continues to refine his game as well. What were once offensive flashes are now displays of skill. He scored with his back to the basket, using quick footwork and ball-fakes. The 6-5 forward also faced up on the perimeter, getting to his mid-range jumper with one dribble or attacking the rim with 2-3.

Honorable Mention
Kevin Beck (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Luke Bevilacqua (2025 | NJ Scholars EYBL 16U), Darius Brant (2023 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U), Ron Brown III (2024 | Philly Revolution 17U),  Abdurrahman Coulibaly (2025 | BW Elite 16U), Reece Craft (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Jordan Dill (2026 | BW Elite 15U), Jarrod “Buddy” Denard (2027 | Mt. Pleasant Bulldogs 15U), Isaac Dye (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U), David Fridia (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U), Nolan Gerwer (2024 | PMT Warriors 17U), Munir Greig  (2027 | NJ Scholars EYBL 15U), Sean Griffin (2025 | PA Hoops Academy 16U), Madyx Gruber (2025 | Team Final Red 16U), Zuri Harris (2024 | PA Coalition HGSL 17U), Sage Henderson (2025 | Philly Revolution 16U), Jamal Hicks (2024 | Philly Pride 302 16U), AJ Hines (2025 | Team Final Red 16U), Tahir Howell (2024 | Philly Revolution Select 17U), Shareef Jackson (2025 | NJ Scholars EYBL 16U), Kamal Mason (2027 | Education First 15U), Tommy Kelly (2025 | Team Final Red 16U), Kevair Kennedy (2025 | Philly Pride UAA 16U), Bryson Lane (2026 | Philly Pride 302 16U), Saaid Lee (2025 | BW Elite 16U), Sal Lemello (2025 | PSB Philly 16U), Will Littles Jr. (2024 | PSB Philly 17U)