City of Basketball Love

By Ryan Coyle (@ryancoyle35)

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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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It can be challenging to turn the page on a chapter that brought so many memories of happiness and success.

But that is what the Devon Prep boys basketball program, which made the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals a season ago, has been tasked with this offseason after graduating Lucas Orchard and Jacen Holloway, who led DP to its first state championship. And last year’s point guard Ty Mishock transferred out of the program.

“It has been an offseason that has been full of a lot of change and transition for us,” assistant coach Matt O’Hara said. “Losing Jacen, losing Lucas, those guys were pillars of the program and ones we will miss for sure, so it has certainly been a transition throughout the offseason kind of turning into this next chapter of the program. While we are really excited about the season ahead and the pieces we have for this team, it is different not having them around.”

There is still a buzzing excitement around these Knights, who want to achieve more success in this next chapter. 

“It would be easy to look at it as a down year when you lose guys like the guys we lost, but we are really excited about this group and think they can accomplish a lot,” O’Hara said. 

Devon Prep brings back two starters from last year’s squad: junior forward Zane Conlon and junior guard Shane Doyle. 

“Shane, I think, cemented himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league last year,” O’Hara said. “He shot the ball pretty well, he came along really well towards the end of the season. We are looking forward to seeing him with an increased role because he has a really good feel for the game. He is someone that makes plays on both ends.”

While Doyle is going to be looked at to pick up the scoring production in the backcourt, Conlon will be counted on to use his 6-foot-5 frame to slow down some of the elite Philadelphia Catholic League big men like Georgetown commit Thomas Sorber (Archbishop Ryan).

“He did a great job holding down the fort inside for us, rebounding the ball, but he can take guys out on the perimeter on the offensive end and hurt other teams with his shooting and passing,” O’Hara said. “I think the ball will be in his hands a lot this year, and he is going to have a chance to make a lot of plays for us in the halfcourt offense.”

Other key returnees for the Pride this year include senior Ben Costello and junior Reece Craft. Two new members to the rotation will be junior transfers Calvin Smith and Mason Thear. 

Thear will be the team’s new point guard, tasked with orchestrating the offense and guarding the high-level PCL guards. Devon Prep under head coach Jason Fisher has been a team that shares the ball well and buries teams with its 3 -point shooting, where Smith figures to be a knockdown threat. 

“Mason is a great point guard for us and Calvin can shoot the 3 really well, so those guys are going to be counted on to step up for us and we are excited to have them because they are really good players,” Conlon said.

“Ben Costello is a senior, really strong, great shooter, tough, physical kid. Stepping up into a bigger role this year,” O’Hara said. “He brings a lot of toughness and shooting to our team. Reece Craft was in the rotation last year, he is being looked at as another guy to step up for us. We are excited to see him take a leap this year; at 6-7 he has a versatile offensive game and can hurt you from the outside.”

While the offense will be pace-and-space and share the ball in the half court with creative offensive sets, there has been a point of emphasis on the defensive end of the floor throughout the offseason.

“Not allowing easy drives into the paint, making sure teams don’t have clean looks from 3 — we are building an identity of a defensive team,” Conlon said.

That stems from the reality that Devon Prep is not the most talented team in the Catholic League when matched up against the likes of Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti, St. Joseph’s Prep and others.

“In our program we talk about being the underdog a lot and being counted out,” Conlon said. “We know a lot of times going into the game we aren’t the more talented team, but we are always going to fight and play together and that gives us a shot every night. When you can do that, especially on the defensive end of the floor, it makes you tough to beat. We have a great bond together on and off the floor, and that helps you in the key moments of those games.”

The confidence hasn’t wavered in the Devon Prep locker room that they can make some noise this year and be a tough out every night in the PCL.

“The expectation is always to win, no matter who we are stacked up against,” Conlon said. “We pride ourselves on being the toughest team on the floor, and that is something we carry with us everytime we go out there to play.”