City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
& Rich Flanagan (@richflanagan33)
__

The first weekend of Philly Live 2023 continued on Saturday at two venues, Jefferson University and St. Joe's Prep.

CoBL had writers at the majority of Saturday’s action; here’s a notebook off some of those we talked to at SJP:

~~~

More Philly Live Coverage: Day 1 Standouts | | Day 2 Standouts (Jefferson) | Day 2 Standouts (St. Joe's Prep) | Day 1 Local HS Notebook | Day 1 Recruiting Notebook | Day 2 Recruiting Notebook Pt. 1

Billy Richmond (2024 | Camden)

While there aren’t too many familiar faces on the court for Camden this summer, there are plenty of familiar faces in the stands.

Kentucky associate coach Orlando Antigua racked current Wildcats DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw was back in the stands watching Camden on Saturday alongside a host of other high-major coaches, including Alabama head coach Nate Oats, Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway and assists from Villanova, Louisville, Kansas, Miami, Mississippi State, to see one of the few faces on the floor back for The High from last season’s nationally ranked squad — 2024 6-7 combo guard Billy Richmond.

Richmond, who came to Camden from Memphis last season, was certainly on the high-major radar by the time last season began as he held offers from Mississippi State, Memphis, Seton Hall, Louisville and Saint Louis in the preseason.

He saw his recruitment soar while playing a national schedule with The High this winter, adding offers from Kentucky and Kansas State during the season. Villanova, Miami (Fl.), Cal and most recently Alabama in early May joined the offer list that Richmond said is up to 11 after playing with the NJ Scholars during the spring live periods.

“Just me being on ball more, coming off the pick & roll more, my jump shots’ been more effective and playing down in the paint,” Richmond said of what he’s been able to show college coaches. “Because at Camden I was like the third option because we had Aaron and DJ, which when the defense collapsed on them I’m wide open. I just took the shots. Spring ball, it’s been just putting the ball more in my hands, getting to the bucket at will and finding my teammates.”

Wagner and Bradshaw are already at Kentucky, point guard Cian Medley (Saint Louis), forward Dasear Haskins (St. Joe’s) and Cornelius ‘Boog’ Robinson (formerly an Albany commit) are headed to the next level as well.

That leaves Richmond at Camden with a new-look group that will need the likes of Terron Murray and Ari Gooch to emerge alongside him and Paul VI transfer Manny Joe-Samuel to gel on a new team. Richmond thinks last year’s group put him in position to successfully take over the reins.

“It’s just a big spot to fill,” Richmond said. “You’ve got good players like DJ and Aaron and even Boog and Cian, they played a big role. You’ve gotta come in and kill, win by any means.”

“Mostly in practice just competing against each other, going hard all day,” he added of how that group got him better. “DJ taught me how to work on my jump shot; Aaron taught me how to be aggressive in the post; Cian taught me how to be a general as a point guard. I just really learned a lot.”

Richmond’s father played at Memphis and Vanderbilt but he doesn’t have any list of favorites right now, enjoying the process getting to know all the schools recruiting him. He’s planning to take some visits later this month, though he’s not sure where he’s headed yet. 

“I’m still trying to figure that out, take these visits, see what’s best for me and go from there,” Richmond said. — Owen McCue

~~~

Jaron McKie (2025 | St. Joe’s Prep)

Everybody knows the name but now coaches are finally getting to see the game.

McKie has been a household name for a little over two seasons and his game is doing the talking for him. He scored 19 points in a 62-54 win over St. Ignatius (Ohio) and that outburst was highlighted by his pinpoint shooting ability. Three makes from behind the arc allowed St. Joe’s Prep to stretch its lead but he did it off the catch as well as the dribble. The 6-3 rising junior guard has been raking in the offers with his improved play and the Hawks’s increased expectations.

Luckily, his dad has gone through the recruiting process before and been steering him in the right direction.

“He’s been telling me to write a list of the schools I want to visit and those that keep calling me,” McKie said.

His father, Aaron is a former star and head coach at Temple University - a program that recently offered - Jaron and piqued plenty of intrigue with the Owls community on what could be. After averaging 16.5 points and 4.7 rebounds while making a team-high 68 three-pointers this season, McKie has earned offers from St. Louis, Temple, Bucknell, St. Joe’s, Albany, University of Pennsylvania - all of which have officially come in since June 6. His performance on Saturday in front of head coach Shaheen Holloway earned him an offer from Seton Hall.

His patented jumpshot is what first put on the radar of many colleges, but with a growing ability to take it off the dribble and attack the glass, McKie is realizing the next maturation in his game that has made him a more attractive recruit.

“College coaches are looking for guards who can rebound and I’m hoping that will bring scholarships,” McKie said.

His first offer came from St. Louis then his father’s alma mater swooped in next. He had a plethora of potential suitors looking on Saturday. Penn head coach Steve Donahue watched intently as did St. Joe’s head coach Billy Lange and associate head coach Justin Scott. Albany head coach Dwayne Killings, who was previously an assistant at Temple with Aaron, and assistant Ryan Daly have been targeting McKie. Drexel hasn’t formally offered him yet but head coach Zach Spiker and assistant Will Chavis watched the entire game on Saturday afternoon.

McKie doesn’t have any visits scheduled to this point but expects that to begin within the next year. In the meantime, he remains focused on getting the Hawks to another postseason appearance and the hope of a state tournament berth. His shooting will be key to that but so will his evolving floor game.

“Definitely getting to the hole,” McKie said. “I had a lot of layups today and I’m trying to expand on that.” — Rich Flanagan

~~~

Nick Coval (2024 | Parkland)

Coval demanded the attention of the Gwynn Park (Md.) defenders on Saturday but even more so, he demanded the recognition of many college coaches in the gym with his 30-point performance. He poured in 21 points in the opening half and nailed five three-pointers in the loss but from the manner in which several coaches from schools that have been watching him play and develop over the last few years, he was the best player on the floor.

“I wouldn’t say this is new but they’re all here to see me, so that’s a good feeling,” Coval said.

The 6-2 Parkland rising senior holds offers from Holy Cross, Bucknell, American University, St. Joe’s, Toledo, Lehigh, University of Pennsylvania, Florida Gulf Coast, Columbia, Delaware, Wiliam & Mary, Fairfield, Lafayette, Drexel, and Robert Morris. Not surprisingly, a majority of those programs were there to see him dominate at the offensive end. 

Florida Gulf Coast head coach Pat Chambers and associated head coach Kyle Griffin were on hand to watch as was Penn head coach Steve Donahue. Billy Lange and Justin Scott from St. Joe’s were courtside for Coval and new Temple head coach Adam Fisher watched him from the baseline. Assistants from Colgate and Williams & Mary, where his dad, Scott played for four seasons from 1982-85, were there, too. 

While each program is looking for something different in its recruits, Coval noted that they all tend to want him to play the same role he is playing now as a score-first guard who can find his shot when others can’t.

“They see me as a scorer, and I can play the one or two,” Coval said. “I’m versatile because I can shoot and score at all three levels. These programs find that valuable in me.”

New Bucknell head coach John Griffin was watching Coval as the Parkland guard - fresh off a season that saw him capture Eastern Pennsylvania Conference MVP after avg. 22.6 points and 5.2 assists while making 78 three-pointers - recently visited the campus on June 15. “It was a great visit and I like the coaching staff a lot. The campus and facilities are really nice. Overall, it was a positive experience,” Coval emphasized. 

He already shares a connection with Jesse Flannery as the Bucknell assistant’s father, Pat - a longtime and successful head coach of the Bison for 14 seasons - was a mentor to Scott. Pat won 233 games during his tenure and led Bucknell to wins in consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including an upset of No. 3 Kansas in 2005. Griffin was a member of that team and all of these connections certainly add to the intrigue that he may join the Bison.

His superb play on Saturday earned him an offer from Fordham, another school to follow moving forward as he heads into his senior season. Coval sits third all-time at Parkland in scoring with 1,441 career points and his hope is leave the program at the top of the list while accomplishing a host of other items along the way, including a return to the state tournament where the Trojans lost to Roman Catholic in the quarterfinals.

There are an array of options for the heralded recruit to choose from but he will be diligent in his decision which should come in the next few months.

“Right now, I’m letting it play out, but I would say sometime in the fall or before the season starts.” — Rich Flanagan

~~~

Sammy Jackson (2026 | Roman Catholic)

Sammy and Shareef Jackson always played together growing up. Shareef, a 6-8 big man in the 2025 class, was the post player inside, while Sammy was the smaller guard out on the perimeter, ready to dribble by his defender or fire away from deep.

Shareef’s had two years to establish himself as a dominant big man in the Philadelphia Catholic League, helping anchoring the PCL champions down low last season. After a season on the JV team as a freshman, Sammy sprouted about two or three inches in the past year up to 6-5 and looks ready to recreate some of that youth basketball magic at their father’s alma mater this season.

“Growing up, we were always a big height difference, but now that I’m catching up to him we’re kind of evening out,” Sammy said.

“I’m a little scared that he might pass me, but I’m happy to see he’s doing good and that he’s actually grown a lot since the beginning of last year,” Sharef said.

Roman loses four starters from last season’s PCL title squad, including St. Joe’s-bound Xzayvier Brown and Anthony Finkley, who came and watched the youngster on Saturday.

Senior point guard Robert Cottrelll was a mainstay in the rotation 

“Last year, we were on the team. We didn’t play too much, but we all got our mental reps in. It’s just time to put in the work.”

“This year now that a lot of our players left from last year, he can bring shooting and a little more playmaking as well because with this team right now Sammy, 6-5, 6-4, we need some guys with size at certain spots to get the ball up court and run certain plays that we need to play,” Shareef said.

Sammy wasn’t quite ready for the varsity level last season and he’ll still have to adjust to the physicality. But he showed what he can do against a very tough and talented Saint Ignatius (Ohio) squad on Saturday with 12 points, flashing some range and creativity as a driver/finisher.

It will be fun to see him continue to grow as the offseason continues — he’ll re-join Philly Pride’s 15U squad after these two weekends with Roman — as he is still figuring out how to use his new frame to his advantage.

“Now that I’m taller, I’m able to use my body against people, it’s just getting it stronger and using my skills to use (that size) against other people,” Sammy said.

He’s especially excited for the opportunity to suit up in a Roman uniform with his brother, hopefully as early as next weekend.

“We’ve always been playing together since third grade, so we’re always happy to team up,” Sammy said. “Our chemistry is good and we’re both really excited for it.”

Quick HIts

— Defending NJSIAA Group 3 State Champion Ramapo (N.J.) has quite a backcourt in high-academic 2024 guards Peyton Seals (6-4) and Wyatt Eglinton Manner (6-3). The pair combined for 30 points in a win over Jackson-Reed (D.C.) to finish off a 2-0 day, also picking up a victory over Gwynn Park. 

“We’ve played for basically four years this coming year together, so we have chemistry,” Eglinton Manner said. “We’re boys off the court, and I think you can see it on the court too. We play well together, it's fun.”

While Seals announced his commitment to Princeton earlier in the weekend, Eglinton is still looking for a college home and should have plenty of suitors before the end of his senior year. He said it's mainly D-III programs with high interest though some Patriot League and Ivy League programs have checked in. Dartmouth, Brown and Holy Cross are a few programs he mentioned that stick out as places he’s liked after visiting campus/ playing at their camps. 

“I think hard work. I hustle a lot,” Eglinton Manner said when describing his game. “I worked on shooting a lot this year. I played the two more than point guard, so I’m kind of trying to play both.”

Ramapo went 30-3 during a historic 2022-23 campaign that ended in state gold, but Eglinton Manner and his teammates still feel the sting of a loss in the county semifinals to Bergen Catholic, which they’d like to avenge on the way to back-to-back state titles this season.

“We obviously want the state again, but we want to get them back in the county,” Eglinton Manner said.

— Shareef Jackson (2025 | Roman Catholic) didn’t suit up on Saturday, but he said he’d be back in action next weekend. The 6-foot-8 forward has been a staple of the Cahillites lineup for the past two seasons, and will be the rock a young Roman group leans on this season when he’s back on the floor.

Though he has plenty of experience in the Catholic League, including a PCL title under his belt, Jackson is just getting his feet wet in the recruiting landscape. He said his first experience being directly contacted by college coaches at the start of the contact period was a mix of emotions. 

“It was very scary honestly, nervous, making sure that i’m saying the right thing,” Jackson said. “I’m always the guys who might miss out on one or two texts in regular live, so I want to make sure none of the coaches suffer from that. 

“It was refreshing actually seeing actually having coaches contact you saying they have interest because I know during freshman and sophomore year people are like, ‘Oh they’re looking at you,’ and you kind of get that doubt like, ‘Am I doing enough?’ Now, I’m talking to coaches, knowing certain people have my interest has really helped me with my emotions, helped me on the court and off the court.”

“It’s always different seeing that you’re kind of on this level, you’ve been playing here for a long while and seeing your brothers and people you know join you, it’s always a great experience playing with him.”

Jackson mentioned VCU, Lafayette and Harvard as just some of the schools who have been in touch. He noted he’s doing his homework on schools just like they are doing their research on him, hoping to take a tour of Penn's campus this summer. While it’s still early in the process, he knows when it eventually comes time to make a decision he’ll look for both an academic and basketball fit.

— Donovan Fromhartz (2025 | Downingtown West) woke and received good news earlier this week when he received his first Division I offer from Albany. He knew Army was interested after they signed his former teammate Dylan Blair last season and his AAU and high school coaches told him schools like Harvard, Penn and Princeton had been watching him during the UAA session in the spring, but hearing from the Great Danes was a pleasant surprise.

“Albany came out of nowhere, I wasn’t expecting that,” Fromhartz said. “I hadn’t contacted them, but that was nice to hear.”

Fromhartz said he heard from quite a few Ivy League programs at the start of the contact period. Yale, Cornell and William & Mary are few more schools who reached out for the 6-6 wing, who attends Downingtown STEM Academy. 

“My spacing and my leadership and my ability to talk to my teammates and get them in the right spots,” Fromhartz said stuck out to coaches.

There were coaches from Saint Francis, American, Elon, Army and Stonehill for the Whippets’ game against St. Joseph’s-Metuchen. Fomhertz put on quite a performance, pouring in 20 points, knocking down shots and creating offense with the ball in his hands. Without Blair running the show this season, Fromhartz is excited to showcase his improve ball handling and what he can do when he puts the ball on the floor.

“That’s what I’ve been working on even when Dylan was there, but that’s my main focus this year because I’m going to have to step into a bigger role because we graduated three of our starters, which isn’t easy but we’re getting there,” Fromhartz said.