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2023 Battle of the Bell 16U/15U Standouts (May 20)

05/22/2023, 2:00pm EDT
By Chad Graham & Owen McCue

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports) &
Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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The Battle of the Bell returned on Saturday at Cristo Rey High School as the area’s top 17U programs and some of their younger counterparts (and a few others) met up for bragging rights of the city’s top grassroots program. Team Final’s 17U squad won both of its matchups — edging K-Low Elite 66-65 before an 85-56 win over Philly Pride — to make its case as the top dog.

But those were just two of the nine games that took place during the course of the day. CoBL’s Chad Graham was there for the duration, while Owen McCue joined him later on. Here is the list of the 16U and 15U standouts for the day’s events:

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Battle of the Bell 17U Standouts
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16U

Devin Booker (2025 | K-Low Elite 16U)
Booker had a breakout season at Cristo Rey this season, earning offers from Mississippi State and Fordham. He flashed both his ability and potential in a 14-point outing against Philly Pride on Saturday. The wiry 6-4 guard canned three triples, showing off a quick release on catch-and-shoot jumpers and looked smooth pulling up as well. Along with his length, Booker’s bounce typically distinguishes itself during games and he tossed down a nasty dunk after a backdoor cut.

Donovan Fromhartz (2025 | Philly Pride 16U)
The 6-5 wing from Downingtown West is the last guy you want to leave open on  the perimeter, and yet there he was. Fromhartz cashed in a few threes on the day. He also made good decisions with the ball when defenders frantically closed out too hard. More than just a floor-spacer, Fromhartz rounded out his 3&D archetype with his effort as a help defender. He deflected passes and rotated to contest shots, turning one of his steals into a fastbreak layup. He also came away with several defense rebounds to end possessions.


Kevair Kennedy, 2025 Philly Pride 16U

Kevair Kennedy (2025 | Philly Pride 16U)
The 6-foot Father Judge left his imprint on the statsheet in a number of ways, tallying eight points, six assists, nine rebounds and three steals in a win over Baltimore Basketball Club before adding an 11-point, five-rebound and four-assist (also one block) outing against K-Low. Kennedy has long arms that help him on the defensive end and finishing around the basket. He likes to get into the paint, operating at different speeds and attacking via different angles to do so. He uses his long arms to make tough shots around the basket and dish the ball to teammates when he gets into traffic. He’s unafraid to scrap for rebounds once he’s down there as well.

Jacob Meachem (2025 | K-Low Elite 16U)
Meachem’s on-ball defense was pretty special to watch on Saturday, pestering opposing guard the length of the court at times and often locking up anyone who dare try to blow by the 5-9 Hill School point guard. A pass-first guard, Meachem still managed his way to 16 points in an entertaining matchup with Pride, helped by four threes, including a pretty stepback or two. His quickness stands out on both ends as the same athletic gifts that help him keep opponents in front allow him to break down the defense, helping him tally a trio of assists in the contest.


Amir Nelson, 2025 Philly Pride

Amir Nelson (2025 | Philly Pride 16U)
Nelson, a 5-10 guard from Cristo Rey, looked mighty comfortable in his home gym on Saturday. He scored 14 points (three 3s) in a lopsided win over Baltimore Basketball Club then followed with a team-high 15 points (three 3s) in a victory over K-Low, unafraid to catch and shoot from well behind the line. Along with his six long balls, Nelson went 4-for-4 from the line as well against K-Low. He can attack the basket as well, getting a tough one to go as he slipped to the floor after beating his man. He added a pair of swipes on the defensive end in the first game as well.

Kai Shinholster (2025 | K-Low Elite 16U)
A classic two-guard, Shinholster was dangerous coming off of screens. He made a living on curls at the top of the key or at the elbow where he could either catch-and-shoot or get into his in-between game. The 5 threes he made versus BBC were on the money. They ran similar actions for him going toward the baseline and  let him run some PNR too. At 6-4, his footwork and use of ball-fakes were reminiscent of hoops before the space-and-pace revolution.

15U

Jacob Canton (2027 | NY Rens 14U)
The Rens eighth grade team looked mighty impressive in a dominant win against Pride’s 15U squad and Canton was a big reason why. He had a team-high 19 points in the victory and added two assists and six boards as well. The 6-2 guard headed to Rutgers Prep next year was terrific around the basket, attacking both sides of the rim with ease whether that was maneuvering his way around defenders or finishing through a bump. He has a really good feel for space once he gets into the line and was aggressive attacking the glass from the guard position as well.


Patrese Feamster, 2026 Philly Pride

Patrese Feamster (2026 | Philly Pride 15U)
After a relatively quiet first game, Feamster came alive in the second. He did his job as a movement shooter, running off-ball into mid-range and three-point jumpers. The other part of his game that stood out was his improved ability to create advantages on-ball. Feamster used simple dribble-combos to get in rhythm for pull up threes and/or to set his man up to drive past him to the basket then finish with craft.

Luca Foster (2026 | K-Low Elite 15U)
Only about 6-5, Foster’s biggest impact came on the glass, where he grabbed 11 rebounds in one game and 7 in another. His ability to turn those rebounds into second-chance opportunities for himself and his team was impressive. That effort translated to his activity on defense too. Foster also displayed flashes of skill inside the arc, getting to his spots in the mid-range and slashing to the cup.

Mikah Hart (2027 | Philly Pride 15U)
Hart shouldered the primary creator duties for the majority of two games on Saturday and carried it well. He came out blazing in the opening game versus K-Low, draining three triples and getting to the line (6-of-7 FT). His first step was as quick as his release. Hart got two feet in the paint and threw dimes to bigs for high-percentage looks. Defenses tried to wear him out by picking him up full court, continuously rotating who was guarding him, and sometimes blitzing him. But the kid from Jersey didn’t back down. He processed what they were trying to do and often found solutions.

Josiah Hutson (2026 | K-Low Elite 15U)
Despite coming off the bench, Hutson showed leadership and poise. He didn't get on the scoreboard until late against Philly Pride, but still came away with 5 points, 3 steals and several rebounds. Then, versus WeR1, he grabbed another 3 steals and gave his team a lift on offense. The 5-9 guard drilled 7 threes, pulling up from NBA range as he scored 25 points to will them to victory. 


Andrew Kretkowski, 2027 NY Rens

Andrew Kretkowski (2027 | NY Rens 14U)
Kretkowski poured in 18 points and tallied six rebounds, two steals and a block in a win over Philly Pride’s 15U squad, showing a lot of versatility for a 6-6 eighth grader. He knocked down a three from the top of the key and a long two from the wing early, finishing with a pair of triples and also knocking down a fadeaway midrange jumper. Kretkowski, who is also headed to Rutgers Prep, attacked the basket with the bounce and finished through contact and earned a pair of trips to the line. His comfort with the ball was apparent when he took a steal and went coast-to-coast, completing the bucket with a nifty finish around the hoop. 

Marvin Reed (2027 | NY Rens 14U)
Hailing from the Philly-area, but running with the NY-based team, Reed was right at home. Even though he only had 9 points, his fingerprints were all over the game against Philly Pride. The 5-10 point guard immediately set the tone when he stole the ball on the opening tip and converted it into a layup. Reed brought the intensity on defense – being aggressive at the point-of-attack, communicating when he was off-ball, gumming up ball-screens, and diving for loose balls. 


Nazir Tyler, 2027 WeR1

Nazir Tyler (2027 | WeR1 15U)
Tyler put up a strong 8th grade campaign at Germantown Friends this past season, so it’s no surprise to see him excel against his peers (well actually still an age group up). Tyler, a 6-3 guard, poured in 16 points and grabbed four rebounds against Philly Pride. He did most of his damage from deep, knocking down four threes with a pure, quick shooting stroke — a few from way back. The young guard has some long arms he used to his advantage on the defensive end and finishing at the hoop as well.

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Honorable Mention 

Caleb Alston-Nelson (2025 | K-Low Elite 16U), Everett Barnes (2025 | Philly Pride 16U), Larry Brown (2026 | K-Low Elite 15U), Emmanuel Butts (2026 | Philly Pride 15U), Jaden Driver (2026 | Baltimore Basketball Club 16U), Will Higgs (2026 | Philly Pride 15U), Malik Hughes (2026 | K-Low Elite 15U), Sammy Jackson (2026 | Philly Pride 15U), Gabe Moore (2025 | K-Low Elite 15U), Nigel Pierman (2025 | Philly Pride 16U), Mekhi Robertson (2027 | Philly Pride 15U), Semaj Robinson (2026 | K-Low Elite 15U), Bryce Rollerson (2025 | Philly Pride 16U), Zeke Staz (2025 | K-Low Elite 16U), Cam Wallace (2025 | Philly Pride 16U), Khabir Washington (2026 | WeR1 15U)


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