Philly Basketball 24 • 7 • 365

City of Basketball Love

Current Section

Home

Philly Live I: Day Three St. Joe's Prep Standouts (June 18, 2023)

06/18/2023, 11:15pm EDT

By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan)
—

The first weekend of Philly Live 2023 wrapped up on Sunday with plenty of high-quality games at both Jefferson and St. Joe’s Prep for seven sets, going from early in the morning until mid-afternoon.

Here’s who stood out to us in the games we were able to catch at the three courts at St. Joe’s Prep:

~~~

~~~

Nate Brazil (above) skies to the hoop for a bucket. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Nate Brazil (2024 | Imani Christian)
In a pair of viewings, Brazil was not afraid to let fly with his shot, the speedy 5-11 guard a solid ball-handler but much more content to work free for spot-up triples; he was 6-of-11 from deep in Imani’s first game, a loss to St. Joe’s Prep, and 4-of-11 in a loss to St. Rose (N.J.), making him 10-for-22 over the two games, scoring 22 points in the first (with four steals and three assists) and 15 in the second. Brazil showed he can make some tough pull-up jumpers on the move as well, and he didn’t need more than a split-second of free air to get his shot off with good form.

EJ Campbell (2024 | Spring-Ford)
Caught one-and-a-half games of Spring-Ford today (only got to half of their game against O’Hara, which is why there isn’t anybody from O’Hara in these writeups — JV), and it was clear why Campbell has suddenly become a popular name amongst a whole bunch of Division I programs, especially after pulling his first offer (from Rider) earlier this month. The 6-1 guard is focusing on being more of a scoring point guard than a ‘2,’ and though he still knows how to put the ball through the hoop, it was clear he was looking to pass more than ever before, and doing so with aplomb.

Jacob Canton (2027 | Rutgers Prep, N.J.)
A 6-2 guard playing his first significant “varsity” minutes, Canton got more and more comfortable as the day went on, playing a strong overall game and a terrific second half for RP against Bonner in a close loss. Canton went left so easily you’d swear he was a lefty until he uncorked a right-handed 3-pointer, knocking down one on a few attempts; most of what he generated in his 20-point outing (14 after halftime) was getting to the rim, which he did with confidence. He also dished out three assists and had two steals. Certainly a guard to watch.

Olin Chamberlain Jr. (2025 | St. Joe’s Prep)
It can sometimes be difficult for Chamberlain to stand out on a team that includes one of the area’s best bigs and one of the area’s best shooting guards — not to mention a ton of other talent on the Hawks. The 5-11 point guard did so on Sunday with a strong floor game, controlling the pace of Prep’s 68-53 win over Imani Christian, able to get into the defense and get the ball moving, often resulting in an open shot for himself or others; he finished with 11 points (5-9 FG), four rebounds and four assists in the win, making few mistakes on either end.

Naeem Colston (2024 | Samuel Fels)
Colston did what he does best Sunday in a 42-35 victory over Atlantic City Sunday morning: use his height and athleticism to impact the game in the dirty areas before getting to his spots offensively to pick up a win. The 6-6 wing started the game exerting energy on defense and the boards before getting to his spots at the elbow and rim offensively to put the game away. He finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and five blocks; Fels needed all of it to come away with the win.

Mason Conrad (2026 | Methacton)
If Conrad’s performance Sunday in a 54-38 victory over Shamokin is any precursor: Watch out Pioneer Athletic Conference. The 6-0 rising sophomore was one of the best players on the floor and finished with a team-high 13 points to go along with five rebounds and a steal. He showed his athleticism in his vertical leap for rebounds and sticking with his man defensively. Conrad didn’t have any assists, but multiple hockey assists could be credited to him in Methacton’s balanced, share-the-ball attack. He was visibly asking for the ball to take a clutch shot or bring it up the court in pressure situations.

Tyler Dandrea (above) was one of two CB East guards who shined on Sunday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Tyler Dandrea (2024 | Central Bucks East)
It’s time for the CB East portion of these standouts. The Patriots looked good in putting down Cheltenham to the tune of a 22-point victory, called with a couple minutes left per event rules. While multiple players on Erik Henrysen’s squad all contributed to the victory, there’s no doubt Dandrea was one of two who really shined; the 6-2 left-hander worked his way to a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double with two assists, getting into the mid-range and finding all sorts of ways to finish within 12 feet, as well as knocking down three 3-pointers.

Justin DiRoberto (2024 | Central Bucks East)
The other outstanding part of CB East’s attack in the win over Cheltenham was DiRoberto, a 6-2 guard who had a quiet first half (five points) but caught first in the second, knocking down three triples in four minutes (tops), propelling him to a 16-point outing; his most impressive bucket was a pull-up jumper moving left to right in the lane, though his 3-point shot was easy and smooth. He chipped in five assists and three rebounds, plus a steal for good measure.

Bryan Ebeling (2025 | St. Rose, N.J.)
Eberling had himself a real nice game for St. Rose in its win over Imani Christian, going 7-of-8 from the floor (2-3 3PT, 1-1 FT) for an efficient 17 points, with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. A 6-3 guard from Italy, the athletic wing guard finished above the rim on the break, competed hard on the defensive end and made things happen in the half-court, not afraid to attack the rim off the rip or knock in a triple even with a defender closing out. Said he doesn’t have any college interest; that can’t last long after a few more outings like that.

Chris Finks (2025 | Atlantic City)
Finks, a 6-0 guard, scored 17 points in AC’s 42-35 loss to Fels Sunday morning and without his offensive output, the Vikings would’ve been even more lost. Finks attacked the rim and drew and-ones — one of which he converted — and also hit two 3’s while showing a polished layup and midrange package. The rising junior was one of the Vikings’ primary ballhandlers and dished out two assists along with eight rebounds and a block.

Jahaan Green (2024 | Camden Eastside, N.J.)
The 6-4, lengthy wing makes the game look effortless. He can score from all three levels and always appears in control, which can lull defenders to sleep before he explodes past them for an easy finish. Green also knocked down a few outside jumpers and got to the foul line a ton, where he typically converted. He’s a pain for offenses with his length on defense and acted as a safety valve when the team needed a trusted option to get the offense going or the ball up the court.

Tristen Guillouette (defending) had six blocks in addition to his double-double. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Tristen Guillouette (2024 | St. Joe’s Prep)
In the best shape of his life at 6-9 and 230 pounds, Guillouette is playing the best ball of his life. The Hawks’ big man was impressive on both ends in Prep’s win over Imani, going up against five-star wing/forward Alier Maluk and holding him to just five points and seven rebounds while going off for a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double that also saw him block six shots and collect six assists. His best move was perhaps a spin move into a left-handed finish for an and-one, but he also did a great job finding cutters all game long and had a too-easy drop step into a right-hand baby hook.

Zuri Harris (2024 | Coatesville)
Harris may have been forced to play at a faster pace than he wanted to against Camden Eastside Sunday afternoon yet it didn’t diminish his production in the slightest. The 6-0 point guard hit four 3s — three in the second half — on his way to 18 points. He, as always, also orchestrated the offense and had two assists to show for it. The rising senior somehow still had energy after playing at a frenetic pace against Eastside’s press defense to grab five steals, three rebounds, and a block.

Alex Hermann (2024 | Methacton)
The statline isn’t eye-opening: 11 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block, but Hermann is the clear leader of the Warriors who will need to replace graduated seniors Cameron Chilson and Matt Christian this season. Hermann isn’t a loud vocal leader — rather leading by example — and it’s clear the younger players have taken notice. The 6-3 wing makes few mistakes and gives full effort every play, a big reason why the Warriors expanded a four-point halftime lead into a 54-38 win over Shamokin Sunday morning.

Joey Hile (2025 | Shamokin Area)
Hile, a 6-6 do-it-all wing, had exactly 19 points in both games CoBL had eyes on Sunday. Although both ended in losses — a 54-38 setback to Methacton and a 51-49 setback to Chambersburg — Hile did all of the damage he could. The rising junior plays smart within the flow of the offense and never forces anything. He can handle the ball, step out to the perimeter and knockdown jumpers, or bang down low. Shamokin’s offense clearly runs through him and his teammates respect it because it’s the best option for the team to win. Methacton and Chambersburg both realized this and sent extra defenders his way, but Hile still produced.

Matthew Hodge (above) showed why he's become such a hot commodity amongst mid-to-high-major programs. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Matthew Hodge (2024 | St. Rose, N.J.)
Hodge has been one of the biggest eye-openers not just in the Mid-Atlantic but the entire country. The 6-8 wing/forward from Belgium has taken it to a new gear, and he’s become an impressive two-way force. That was clear on Sunday as he put together a 15-point, seven-rebound, six-assist, two-block, one-steal outing in a win over Imani Christian, generally imposing his will on all aspects of the game. Hodge is a super-versatile defender who enjoys locking down his man; he also knocked down two 3-pointers (on four attempts), all five of his foul shots and showed he can be a point-wing in transition with great ball skills and court vision.

Sam Jankowski (2024 | Central Bucks West)
The 6-2 forward was the catalyst in CB West coming back from an 11-point deficit in the first half to outscore Cheltenham 28-11 in the second half for a 46-40 victory Sunday afternoon. The Bucks decided the best course of action in the second half was to give Jankowski the ball near the elbow and let him make plays. Make plays he did. He converted an and-one after a crafty spin move and enduring a brutal foul that sent him to the floor. He found teammates on backdoor cuts multiple times in the second half and frankly had Cheltenham confused in how to stop him. Jankowski has the strength to bang down low, but utilizing his soft touch on both passes and shots paid dividends.

Jermere Jones (2024 | Chambersburg)
Jones, a 6-5 bundle of energy in the post, finished a 51-49 victory over Shamokin with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and a block. He’s active in every aspect of the game even if creating his own shot isn’t a strength; Jones is a menace on the glass and had multiple putbacks. Defensively, opponents were wary to test him. The energy he brings to the game overall would be a positive for any team regardless of what shows up in the box score. The box score Sunday showed the tangible impact Jones brings every game.

Deuce Ketner (2024 | Bonner-Prendergast)
Ketner’s figured out his role in the Friars’ offense at the ‘dunker’ position, owning the low block in scoring 17 points in a win over Rutgers Prep. The lanky 6-6 wing guard knows how to get positioning around the rim and finish at the bucket, and he uses his length to be a real problem on the defensive end. Ketner also got to the line at a good clip, and helped keep rebounds alive while snatching more than his share on both ends.

Jaron McKie (2025 | St. Joe’s Prep)
McKie came out of the gates in Prep’s win over Imani doing what he does best: shooting the ball. The 6-3 combo guard, who’s been reeling in D-I offers of late, hit his first seven shots from the floor — all seven he took in the first half — as he had 19 by the break, going 5-of-5 from deep; he finished with 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting (7-11 3PT), adding in eight rebounds and two steals to boot. It’s not that McKie’s game was anything too fancy; he gets free, keeps it clean and simple and knocks down jumpers. But his ability to find open space even once it’s clear how deadly he is from beyond the arc is something that goes underappreciated.

Jacob Nguyen (2025 | Spring-Ford)
Nguyen’s been one of District 1’s best underclassmen the last two years, and now Division I coaches are paying attention. The 6-3 guard picked up four offers in the last week, and had plenty of coaches watching on Sunday over a pair of games as he burned up the nets from beyond the arc, especially in a win over Rutgers Prep, where he hit no fewer than four triples and threw in a few one dribble pull-ups for good measure. How much he grows and fills out his frame in the next 8-12 months will help determine the best fit at the next level.

Myles Parker (2025 | Rutgers Prep, N.J.)
A lanky 6-6 wing guard, Parker showed flashes of a variety of scoring ways in a close loss to Bonner-Prendergast. He knocked down one of his three 3-pointers, attacked the bucket and finished around the rim, and hit a pull-up jumper or two; defensively, his length helped him block a couple shots, and he also collected a variety of other stats. Like the rest of Rutgers Prep, he’s got a lot of upside and multiple years until he’s on a college roster.

Kevin Rucker (2024 | Bonner-Prendergast)
There was a point in Bonner’s win over Rutgers Prep where Rutgers committed a defensive mistake, one which was pointed out to him by a friend sitting in the front row. Just seconds after, he picked off a pass and took it the other way for a poster slam to make up for it, part of a 20-point outing for the 6-4 wing guard. Rucker played aggressively downhill all game, hitting one first-half triple but otherwise getting to the bucket, where he was able to be an efficient scorer even through traffic.

~~~