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19th Annual Pete + Jameer Nelson Classic: Day 1 Standouts (Dec. 28)

12/29/2023, 12:00am EST

By CoBL Staff

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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CHESTER — The first day of the Pete and Jameer Nelson Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic took place Thursday at Widener University. The six-game slate included a few of District 1’s top programs, a Catholic League and Friends League favorite and a few other talented programs in the region.

CoBL had coverage throughout the entire day; here’s who stood out:

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Armon (above) and Antonie Almuttar impressed for Parish Episcopal (Tex.). (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Antoine Almuttar (2026 | Parish Epsicopal, Tx.)
Antoine is one-half of a fun-to-watch sophomore twin duo for the team from Dallas, which took down Friends Select, 59-53. A stocky 6-foot-3 wing/forward who picked up an offer from South Carolina State in July, he finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He showed some good vision on the offensive end, hitting his twin Armon on cuts a handful of times and keeping the offense flowing (four assists). His biggest contribution to the wins was dominating the paint on both ends, whether that was hauling in rebounds (nine total, four offensive) or blocking shots (three).

Armon Almuttar (2026 | Parish Episcopal, Tx.)
Unsurprisingly very similar in stature to his twin brother, Armon led the charge for Parish offensively Thursday with 21 points. He moved really well off the ball, finding cutting lanes to free himself for open layups, and despite his broad frame showed some fluidity on the perimeter with the ball in his hands, including a spin move in transition. Like his brother, he was also a force on the boards on both sides with eight rebounds (three offensive).

Reid Belcher (2024 | Friends’ Central)
Friends’ Central had a tough time offensively for a good bit against Archbishop Ryan in a 71-56 loss, but Belcher was strong all game long as he worked his way to a 15-point, four-rebound, three-assist showing. The 5-10 point guard managed to evade Ryan post Thomas Sorber (Georgetown) with a variety of moves, including a head-fake that allowed him to dive past Sorber for a layup, as well as a floater; he was a blur in transition at getting to the rim, and handled the ball well against the Ryan press.

James Brenner (2026 | Unionville)
On a squad full of seniors, the sophomore took a backseat to no one in their 51-49 victory against Central Dauphin. Brenner had a dominant first quarter, scoring nine of Unionville’s 15 points. He showed bounce and touch around the rim, getting two tip-ins over Rams defenders. The 6-5 wing stretched the floor too, cashing in one of his two catch-and-shoot threes on the night. He blocked a shot as well. Brenner didn’t score at all in the fourth, but that didn’t keep him from making an impact. He pulled down five defensive rebounds to fend off the resurging Rams team in the final period, as he totalled 14 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists, in addition to multiple defections.

Ryan Brown (above) had 16 points in Unionville's win over Central Dauphin. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Ryan Brown (2024 | Unionville)
The Longhorns’ 6-3 guard finished with 16 points in the win over Central Dauphin. Brown got 12 of those points on four 3-point makes (13 if you include the free throw on a four-point play). The lanky shooter makes himself available for driving teammates, cutting and sliding to the correct spot. He’s also got some good court vision and feel for where his teammates are going to be, adding a trio of assists.

Jaden Colzie (2024 | Plymouth Whitemarsh)
Colzie joined the Colonials’ 1,000-point club during a dazzling 31-point outing in a tight loss to West Chester Henderson in a battle of District 1-6A heavyweights. He had the midrange pull-up dialed in early, knocking down the shot as he dove baseline or toward the foul line. His range from beyond the arc was on full display with five 3-point makes. He hit two or three several feet beyond the college arc on the floor, including a buzzer beater to end the first half. Colzie made things happen as a defender as well, using his quick hands to snatch away three steals.

Nick Coval (2024 | Parkland)
The sharp shooter didn’t immediately find the bottom of the net from deep, but he found other ways to contribute early. Coval got to the cup as a driver and cutter, scoring his first six points inside the arc or at the free throw line, in addition to assisting on a couple baskets by his teammates. But, then he decided to get hot in the second quarter, where he scored 13 of his team’s 16 points, highlighted by a four-point play. The Davidson-signee kept cooking in the second half, layering in jumpers with layups as he went on to put up a game-high 28 points, plus 3 assists.

Wayne Fletcher II (2025 | Central Dauphin)
It took a little while for Fletcher II to get going but his impact was certainly felt. The game tightened when he found his rhythm, eventually finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists. A reverse finish as he got bumped in the air was one of the highlight plays of the day. The 6-3 guard knocked down a pair of threes and jolted in and out of the lane. He’s got some quick long arms to poke the ball away and good feet to stay in front on the defensive end too.

Connor Fleet (2024 | West Chester Henderson)
The 6-foot-1 guard can get buckets with the best of them but was much of a facilitator in Thursday’s 53-50 victory of the Colonials. He tallied 11 points and got downhill to get to the foul line where he got most of his points (7-of-8) and added four assists. He had a handful more would-be dimes that turned into free throws for his teammates. Fleet does a really good job of getting forward Nelson Lamizana good looks, whether that’s lobbing into the post or dishing once he gets into the lane. He also found a cutting Nyle Ralph-Beyer once or twice for an easy hoop once he got into trouble.

Jahaan Green (above) scored 16 points in Eastside's win over Parkland. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Jahaan Green (2024 | Camden Eastside, N.J.)
Green finished with 16 points in a 68-58 win over Parkland. The 6-4 guard/wing has a really good athletic ability that is impactful in both the full-court and half court. He had success driving through the lane and his ability to finish in traffic really stood out, particularly making tough shots with his off hand. Green showed the ability to hit shots from the outside too, pulling up from the top of the arc when given room.

Nelson Lamizana (2024 | West Chester Henderson)
Even though he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers or make any highlight reel plays against Plymouth Whitemarsh, Lamizana made a huge impact on the game. The 6-8 forward finished with a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) by leaning into his size advantage below the arc. He drove from the mid-post and finished over the Colonials defense. Lamizana’s play made the difference in the fourth quarter. He posted up smaller defenders and made himself available for drop-off passes when Fleet attacked the basket, scoring eight points in the final period, including the two free throws that put the game away.

Jalen Long (2024 | Camden Eastside, N.J.)
It felt like Long swung the game his team’s way during a nine-point fourth quarter as Eastside pulled away from Parkland in the final period. He finished with a team-high 18 points and also added three steals and three assists. He’s a shifty 5-10 guard who is incredibly difficult to stay in front of. He splashed in a pair of threes to showcase his range as well. Long’s defense was a real game changer as his relentless pressure helped him pick up those three steals and caused Parkland into a few more miscues.

Will Love (2024 | Camden Eastside, N.J.)
He may be committed to Monmouth to play football, but Love was a true hooper in the win over Parkland. The dual-sport athlete was a foul magnet the way he sought out contact around the basket. Whether it was on putback attempts or transition opportunities, Love didn’t shy away from making winning plays. His defense was just as noteable. At 6-4, he made his presence felt everywhere with the turnover he created, instantly generating fastbreaks for the Tigers. Love contributed a loud 15 points, five rebounds, three steals, and a block.

Isaiah Marshall (2025 | Friends Select)
The Falcons came up just short against Parish Episcopal, but not without a strong effort from Marshall. Determined to get downhill, the junior guard converted speed to power, muscling his way through the Parish Episcopal defense and into layups. He also displayed agility, using step-throughs to navigate the crowded paint. Understanding when getting to the rim just wasn’t an option, patiently maintained his advantage until something else opened up. That’s when passing windows became available and/or he was able to get to his mid-range pull-up. He tallied 17 points, two boards, and three assists.

Thomas Sorber (above) had a 15-point, 14-rebound, 7-block effort against Friends' Central. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Thomas Sorber (2024 | Archbishop Ryan)
Sorber’s arguably the most dominant two-way force in the area right now; the 6-9 Georgetown commit is a joy to watch on the defensive end for his ability to disrupt opponents’ offenses in all sorts of ways. Sorber was a load in the middle for a Friends’ Central squad that doesn’t start a true post, dominating the glass with 14 rebounds (two offensive) while blocking seven shots and altering a few others — and he had two blocks called goaltending, both close calls. Sorber also scored 15 points, and had a couple assists on some great backdoor feeds, a few other similar potential dimes going uncashed.

Darren Williams (2024 | Archbishop Ryan)
Williams led the Ryan offense with a 30-point outburst, doing it almost entirely on jump shooting. The left-handed senior, a 6-2 Florida Gulf Coast commit, was 12-of-19 from the floor (5-9 3PT, 1-3 FT), making exactly three shots in every quarter — eight points in the first, seven in the second, eight in the third and seven in the fourth. He was hitting shots in catch-and-shoot situations, pulling up in transition, in the mid-range, from all over the court; he had a couple layups late, but mostly on transition feeds, the Raiders not needing him to do much dribble-drive penetration in their win. Williams also added six rebounds, three steals and two assists for a well-rounded performance.

Matt Zollers (2025 | Spring-Ford)
Spring-Ford’s 57-44 win over Coatesville wasn’t always pretty, the Rams leading the Raiders 33-21 through three quarters before boat teams got to the foul line quite a bit in the fourth. But Zollers, the school’s starting quarterback and a Division I recruit, was also its best hooper against a really good Coatesville squad. The 6-3 wing guard scored 16 points, including a big 3-pointer with 4:30 left, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out three assists and grabbed a steal in a terrific all-around game. He showed his QB skills with a few long passes to help break the Coatesville press but there’s no doubt that if he’d chosen to make basketball his primary sport, he’d be a scholarship-level ballplayer there too.