City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The final weekend of Philly Live brought a ton of talent to the courts at Jefferson University and St. Joe's Prep over the course of the weekend, including a number of local squads. CoBL was able to take in the action over the course of the weekend and catch up with some of the team's in (very early) preparation for next season.

Here's the second part of our high school notebook from the event:

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More coverage from Philly Live: Day 1 Standouts | Day 2 St. Joe's Prep Standouts | Day 2 Jefferson Standouts | Day 3 St. Joe’s Prep Standouts | Day 3 Jefferson Standouts | High School Notebook Pt. 1 | Recruiting Notebook Pt. 1 

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Reading eyes PIAA repeat with new-look group

What is the only thing harder than winning a PIAA 6A state championship? Winning another. That task only gets harder when you have just one returning starter. That’s the road that lies ahead for Reading boys basketball. Championships are always a goal, but right now assistant coach Francis Camara is focused on laying a foundation that can help this group of players now thrust into those starting roles adapt and succeed. 

“We have to try and continue to implement our habits. That’s what we’re working on right now,” said Camara, now in his sixth season with the team. 

It’s not lost on Camara how special last season was but for him and the rest of the staff, all eyes are on the future. 

“To win a state championship 6A in Pennsylvania, that’s big-time basketball,” said Camara. “It was a very special run for us but now we’re looking for guys to grow and mature into those roles throughout the summer”

The group got a taste of what that would look like over the weekend at Philly Live II, and it was a mixed bag of results as they followed a nice performance in their first game with a blowout loss to Potomac. The loss was surely discouraging, but overall this was a chance for Camara to see how some of his guys would respond to their new roles. 

Among those players taking a step up is 6’3 rising senior Yadiel Cruz, who is now in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last season. Cruz struggled to finish inside against Potomac but showed off some of that scoring potential that has Camara hopeful he is ready to take on a bigger workload. 

Then there’s Nick Chapman, who you might remember from his clutch rebound and assist to seal the state title in the final seconds. His stellar defense will once again be called upon this season. 

Lastly, there’s 6-5 rising senior Malik Osumanu, who is the only returning starter from the group. Described by Camara as the “typical Reading guy” who leads with his heart, Malik will look to use his experience to help this transition for his team. 

That experience, Camara said, will be crucial. 

“[Experience] really helps with composure. A lot of our guys are able to be composed in certain situations because they’ve been there before,” Osumanu said. “Basketball is a very up-and-down game. To be successful during those peaks and valleys of the game you need composure.”

Composure and stellar defense that is, which has become synonymous with Reading basketball in recent years and something Camara says will still be the identity of this team.

Anytime you are coming off a championship run, there’s bound to be some adjustment period for the new guys. That much was clear for Reading over the weekend at Philly Live II. But for Camara, he is not concerned. 

“All we can do is just get better day by day,” he said. “As long as we do that we’re going to be exactly where we want to be in May.” — Justin Procope

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Constitution aiming to return to state power

Constitution has no doubts about their ultimate goal next season: win the state championship. Last season, after being projected by many as one of the favorites for the title, the Generals fell short after a 58-40 loss against Mahanoy Area.

Under head coach Rob Moore, they will return four starters. With plenty of athleticism and  talent, they will have the chance to go far. 

They will be led by 6-3 point guard Kyree Latimer and 6-5 combo guard Amir Speights. With a lot of points and assists in their hands, the two rising seniors will bring experience and leadership.

“Last year was a period of us just trying to figure it out. Tryna make the pieces work,” assistant coach Ron McGee said. “I think we figured out those pieces now and we are starting to play really unselfish basketball.”

At Philly Live, the younger guys have been stepping up as well. Rising juniors Talasi Henderson, Khaleek Johnson, Khair White-Blaylock and Isaiah Cooke bring explosiveness, get defensive stops and do their part offensively. Most importantly, they will profit from significant experience for when it will be their time to guide

Mcgee said that they were not satisfied with how their season ended, but it was a learning experience. Now that they are more disciplined, they are looking to go further next year. They want to win the state, the district and the city championship. They want to take it one game at a time and take each opponent seriously.

 Mcgee added that conditioning and diet are two key components of their preparation. They try to make sure that their players eat the right thing, get to the gym whenever they can and put in the work on their own. These are some keys to their athleticism and speed. Latimer, who runs the offense, is one of their most versatile and athletic players. 

“Bring more to the table since we lost our second leading scorer and a couple guys that hit shots, so I gotta contribute more and play harder,” Latimer said about his goals for his senior season. “Get more in shape […] hit more shots, tougher shots and be smarter.”

Latimer, who was the leading scorer with 14.5 points the last season, said it was only his first season playing with Constitution. He had to sit out his entire sophomore year because he transferred late from Bonner-Prendergast.

The point guard hasn’t received any offers yet, but Cornell and Cal State Bakersfield are interested and these schools will plan his visit soon..

Like Latimer, Speights thinks he can be a D1 prospect as well, with his ability to shoot the ball and play multiple positions. Speights said he heard from Radford, Siena and a couple D2s, especially from the PSAC. 

“I wanna work on my body more, get more athletic, work on my ball handling and my decision making,” Speights said. — Antonello Baggi

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Brown, Anderson look to continue Unionville’s success

Unionville appeared in the District 1 Class 5A championship and in the state playoffs for the first time since 2006 (the Longhorns would’ve appeared in 2020 but the tournament was canceled due to COVID).

Playing as a featured team in offseason tournaments and showcases is a result of that success.

“I definitely think it'll help us with postseason play because that's where all the energy ramps up and that's when we started playing a little bit tougher competition last year,” Ryan Brown said. “It's also good for the younger kids that are going to be getting some minutes this year. They can play at a faster speed that they haven't played at before.”

Rising seniors Brown, James Anderson, and Charlie Kammeier will be running the show again as returning starters along with 2026 James Brenner, who was out of action during Philly Live II Saturday due to a broken finger. Unionville still beat College Achieve (N.J.) 58-54.

“We’ve been putting in the work this offseason,” Anderson said. “Everyone’s been in the gym constantly. We’re prepared to play better teams and have been since the end of the season. Young guys like Lee Lockwood are really showing up and playing well. It’s going to help transform them later in the season when we need them.”

Unionville’s ball movement, unselfishness, effort, and shooting are pleasant viewing experiences for basketball heads under the guidance of head coach Chris Cowles; it allows the Longhorns to surprise teams that might be underestimating them.

“We're not the most athletic team,” Anderson said. “So we have to work as one unit and not just one person. We know exactly what we need to do. We have high expectations of each other. So just being connected and doing what each of us needs to do.”

“It's all effort,” Brown said. “If the shot goes up, you have to box your opponent out or else he's gonna get a rebound over you if you don't move him a couple of inches to a foot backwards. Putting yourself in a spot to be able to help your teammates if they get beat off the dribble.”

Expectations bring added pressure to a team that finished 22-6 last season with four starters returning; the seniors realize there could be a target on their backs coming into a season as a district champion favorite rather than a sleeper.

“We just got to play our game and can't play anyone else's game,” Anderson said. “If the game’s going too fast or too slow, we just have to play to our speed and our strengths.”

The 2024 class — which has been tight-knit since Anderson moved to the school in the eighth grade — has high hopes for the season and although it made it deep into playoff season last year, the two straight losses that ended the season — a 61-36 loss to Radnor in the D1 5A championship and a 64-54 loss to Muhlenberg on Unionville’s home court in the first round of states — left a sour taste in the group’s mouths.

“We didn't just lose to Radnor,” Brown said. “We got blown out by Radnor because we weren’t playing with the right effort and mentality the whole way through. We just have to go into every game, especially playoff games, with the right mindset and can’t play down to competition.”

“Losing those two games to end the season was killer,” Anderson said. “You never want to lose, but in big games like that when we’re playing at Temple, we kind of got embarrassed. That’s a shot to the gut and a low blow. You never want to experience that. That’s our motivation this whole year.” — Sean McBryan

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Ambrose, Shanahan ready to reload

Bishop Shanahan went 3-9 in the Ches-Mont National Division and ended the season with a 10-17 record in 2022-23; don’t let that fool you.

The Eagles played their best basketball at the end of the season winning a District 1 Class 4A title and two state playoff games before hanging with and ultimately falling to state runner-up Neumann-Goretti 74-64 in the PIAA quarterfinals.

The district championship was Shanahan’s first since 1996 and the state playoff run was its deepest since winning it all in 1985.

It’ll be up to a new group of contributors to lead the Eagles back after Ben Rodner-Tims, Charley Federico, Logan Kapczynski and Roman Alexander have all graduated; Ryan Ambrose and the 2025 class showed promising potential Sunday in a 44-41 victory over Hightstown.

“We were senior heavy last year with seven seniors,” Ambrose, a 6-5 wing, said. “They were really good and gave us the path by leading the way for us. Now it’s our turn. I’m really excited for the season and I think we’ll be good.”

Ambrose had 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the game; his classmate and 6-6 post Sean Griffin had eight points and nine rebounds and will likely play big roles for head coach John Dougherty this season. David Maddrey-Rylander, another 2025, also played well Sunday.

“We’re a solid class,” Ambrose said. “In two years we’ll be really, really good, but we’re going to be good next year too. Us three are a solid core, we’ve been playing basketball together since third grade and have a lot of chemistry.”

Danny Keenan, a 5-10 rising sophomore, scored 13 points and 2024s Chase Boyle and Kevin Scaggs will be looked to for guidance as the experienced veterans.

“We’ve built a ton of chemistry and learned each other’s games over the years,” Ambrose said. “We’ve really put work in training in the offseason. We can stretch the floor, can shoot, and we’re big. I don’t think we have a weakness on this team. Each player brings a different factor and I think we’re solid. 

“We’re definitely focused on getting that district chip again and we’ll focus on states after that.” — Sean McBryan

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Quick Hits

— For the first time since the 2017-18 season, Haverford head coach Keith Heinerichs won’t see the name Seidman on his roster.

“The challenge will be trying to find scoring,” Heinerichs said of replacing the Seidmans with John at Franklin & Marshall and Googie headed to Catholic. “Also a vacuum of leadership. We have a couple of [rising] seniors that have done a nice job this offseason of being leaders on the court, playing the right way, sharing the ball. I think that’s going to be important that we know our roles. We’ve been doing that already and it’s key because we don’t necessarily have a go-to guy.”

But Heinerichs did mention one player who could develop into the man for the Fords this upcoming season.

“I think Andrew Stiegleman is ready to be a go-to guy. He’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Heinerichs said. “Reese Fitzgibbons has a ton of athleticism in that junior class as well.”

Stieglman, a 6-2 rising junior, dropped 22 points along with eight rebounds, and two assists, which he could’ve added even more to if he didn’t get poked in the eye and have to leave the game early in a 64-31 victory over Alliance Christian.

Fellow 2025 in 6-4 post Fitzgibbons had eight points and 10 rebounds; seniors Jack Raech and Keith Heinerichs will also play big roles in navigating the post-Seidman era for Haverford.

“The goal is always the same: play hard and unselfish,” Heinerichs said. “Then everything else takes care of itself.”

— The dynamic duo of point guard EJ Campbell (offer from Rider) and wing Jacob Nguyen (offers from Bucknell, Drexel, Albany, Bryant) was the main attraction in Spring-Ford’s 80-59 victory over Eastern Regional Sunday, but Campbell knows getting the entire team involved is what will be key in getting the Rams back to — and winning —  a district championship.

“I’m a pass-first point guard, but can score when needed,” Campbell said. “I try to get my teammates up and I’m definitely going to lock up on defense. Jacob’s a great shooter and we’re a good tandem. We still need to get our teammates involved; we need the whole team involved to win.”

The top-seeded Rams fell to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the D1 6A championship  and then to eventual state champion Reading High in the PIAA 6A semifinals. It was an historic season for the Spring-Ford boys basketball program as it won its first PAC title in seven years and appeared in a district championship and the state semis for the first time in program history.

“We’re trying to get back to the district championship,” Campbell said. “This is my senior year so I really want to win it this year. That’s my main goal.”