City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)

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(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2023-24 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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Two seasons removed from a state title and three seasons removed from a Philadelphia Catholic League championship, West Catholic girls basketball hit the reset button last season.

With the pieces from those title teams gone, Burrs coach Messiah Reames tossed four freshmen into the Catholic League fire.

West Catholic finished 13-12 in 2022-23 and 5-5 in the PCL, good enough for a sixth-place finish in the league. The Burrs were knocked out in the first round of the league playoffs by Cardinal O’Hara then fell to Imhotep in the District 1 Class 3A title game. They picked up a state playoff win over Palmerton before losing in the second round.

“Some people thought it was crazy, but I knew what we had in those young kids,” said Reames, in his third year leading the program.

Freshmen Ciani Scott (6-foot), Jasmine Butler (5-11) and Ciana Blake (5-8) return this season alongside junior Kiajah Henry (6-foot) and senior Laila Farmer (5-7). The hope is that last season’s trial by fire pays off in 2023-24.

“Going in last year, we put them out there,” Reames said. “You’re young. You gotta get that experience on the go on the court. We played a lot of games, logged a lot of minutes, so hopefully that’ll transition over into this season.”

“It thought it was pretty fun, my freshman year playing against all these Catholic League teams,” Butler said. “I got pushed to be better because I know what’s going to happen throughout the way, and I know what’s coming.”

Senior guard Sakinah Abdus-Salaam (5-10) and junior guard Nyla Coleman (5-8) are with the Burrs after playing at Abington Friends last season. Reames noted during the preseason Abdus-Salaam was a guiding voice for the young group.
She likely won’t be the only one talking, however.

“I like being loud because it really gets the other people out their minds, out their games,” Butler said.

Scott said one of the biggest learning experiences from last season came on the defensive end, where some of the passing and cutting from the older PCL teams caused headaches for the young Burrs.

A year wiser, Reames wants that part of the floor to be his team’s strength this season, and he has the personnel to make it happen.

“We’re all athletic and we have nice length,” Scott said. “On defense, it’s easier to trap and stuff. Our traps are good. We make the gym loud, our communication is very loud.”

Graduated senior Amina Reid was the team’s lone all-league player last season. Scott is a candidate to emerge as the team’s centerpiece.

The 6-foot forward said she wants to be known for her work in the paint and put in the necessary work this offseason to go out and prove that. Her mom dropped her off at West Catholic this summer for two-a-day workouts with Reames, adding in weight lifting sessions during lunch.

She can be a two-way force who can open up things for everyone else when they run the offense through her in the paint. Scott can score inside and is developing her outside game, but she can pass the ball as well.

“I think she had an opportunity in playing last year to see how much better she could be,” Reames said. “She was focused all summer, so we’re really expecting big things from her this year.” 

The Burrs didn’t come into last season with a lot of familiarity with each other. None of the freshmen played together growing up.

It’s a lot different heading into this season as Reames describes his team as a close-knit bunch that like each other almost too much at times — perhaps carrying on conversations into practice.

That unity should help on both ends.

“It took a lot of work in the gym, team bonding after school, sticking together,” Scott said. “(We had to learn) everybody’s pros and cons, what they’re good at.”

Butler said last season was fun, and her mission is the same for her sophomore campaign. There are some heavy hitters in the Catholic League once again, but Reames hopes his team can find a way back into the postseason and win a game.

“I think we’re better now because last year it was only our freshman year,” Butler said. “We didn’t know what was coming yet. But now that we know, we know what to do, what defense to do, play good, all the other stuff.”