City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
—

The second session of Philly Live 2024 brought over 220 boys teams to the City of Brotherly Love from all over the region — Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were well-represented, but teams from all over the Eastern seaboard came up to play in front of hundreds of college coaches.

CoBL’s writers spent the weekend at both Jefferson University and the Philadelphia Youth Basketball ‘6th Man’ Center catching up with local teams and prospects of note. Here’s a notebook featuring recruiting updates on several area prospects:

~~~

(Ed. Note: Links to all of our 2024 Philly Live I content can be found at the bottom of this article)

~~~

Keiner Asprilla (2026 | Don Bosco Prep, N.J.)

Asprilla’s not focused on college just yet.

The 7-1, 230 pound big man is coming off a championship season with Don Bosco Prep, McDonald’s All-American Dylan Harper (Rutgers) leading the Ironmen to a 29-3 record and the Non-Public ‘A” title, scoring 38 points in the state semifinals.. 

Other than Harper, that Don Bosco team from a season ago will bring back a lot of the same weapons next year, including their rising star big man in the middle. 

“(The season) was great,” Asprilla said. “I feel so happy. I got my first ring and I’m trying to get a second one. I want to go back-to-back.” 

Before the Colombia native tries to help his Ironmen go win another championship, he will have a shot at winning one of the most hyped up events in high school hoops: Peach Jam. 

Asprilla has been playing AAU with the New York Renaissance, the same Nike-backed program that Harper played for. He’s been manning the middle for the Rens’ 16U EYBL squad, along with a number of New Jersey standouts including Roselle Catholic star Ethan Mgbako, younger brother of Indiana wing Mackenzie Mgbako. 

Asprilla, Mgbako, and the rest of the talented Rens squad are aiming to make noise during the 2024 Peach Jam (July 13-21 in North Augusta, S.C.) against some of the best talent grassroots has to offer. 

“My goal is to win every game and for me to have a double-double every game,” Asprilla said. “Winning Peach Jam would mean a lot. We're going to be playing the best players in the country and it would feel great.” 

With sights on Peach Jam and a championship repeat with Don Bosco, Asprilla has an opportunity to add onto his list of offers with some good performances throughout the rest of the summer. Right now the 7-1 big man has offers from LSU, Villanova, Kansas State, Auburn, Seton Hall, and many more teams reaching out to him. 

There were a ton of coaches lined up Saturday watching his Don Bosco team go head-to-head against Archbishop Wood, the Ironmen won in dominant fashion, beating one of the best Catholic League teams by 28. 

Asprilla only finished with 10 points but his presence was undeniable; the big man blocked many shots and if he didn’t block it then he altered the shot with his looming frame; he was also dominant on the glass, getting what seemed to be every rebound. 

With the high school live period wrapped up it’s time to see what Asprilla has in store for Peach Jam, more teams will be lined up to see him play and that means more chances for college’s to hit him up but he's playing the long game. 

“I don’t know what I want in terms of a college yet,” he said. “I have to think about it.” — Kevin Gamlin

~~~

Everett Barnes (2025 | Father Judge)

Barnes, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound big man for Father Judge, is the definition of a gentle giant. 

He is quiet and unassuming until the first whistle blows. However, as soon as the ball goes up, he becomes an interior force for the Crusaders. His impact extended beyond his obvious visual measurables and translates into his presence in deterring opposing guards and bigs alike from penetrating the paint and having to make a decision of what to do next.

Barnes has quickly become a point of conversation in the conversations of the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) and their dominant bigs, after transferring from Burlington City High School as a junior. 

His journey of shedding 60 pounds since quarantine and dedicating himself to taking his body seriously has paid off, allowing him to compete at a higher level and enhance his versatility on the court.

In Friday’s game against Sanford School, Everett showcased his defensive prowess by turning away multiple Sanford players at the rim, including high-flyer Jayden Taylor, who has drawn interest from schools like Iona, William & Mary, and Duquesne. Everett's improved conditioning and focus on his explosiveness and overall activity have made him a versatile defender capable of switching effectively.

 "I’ve been working on rebounding, setting screens, being all over the floor,” he said. “Being a presence." Last year as a rotational player for Father Judge, Barnes provided 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest with 1.5 blocks 

Judge head coach Chris Roantree cited Barnes’ hard work and progress, saying “he’s been working really hard in workouts on moving his feet really well, getting out and guarding on ball screens…he can get out now and play our coverages.”

His performance against Sanford was a testament to this, as he displayed soft hands and skilled footwork, catching the ball from the dunker’s spot and attacking the rim repeatedly. He also displayed good footwork in the post, turning over both shoulders and shooting with both hands in the lane. “I would like to see him get more assertive and aggressive offensively and I think he has the skill set to do that,” said Coach Roantree. 

Everett's hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed in the recruiting world either as he received an offer from Stonehill College following his standout performance at the UAA Session 2 in Cincinnati with Philly Pride. 

"It feels good because I’ve put in so much work, and to finally see it pay off," Everett said.

In addition to the Stonehill offer, Barnes has also garnered interest from UPenn, Loyola Maryland, and Princeton. When asked if he plans to commit early or see how things progress throughout his senior year, he said “I’m not sure yet.” — Kenneth Orange

~~~

Jude Haigh (2025 | Bishop Guilfoyle)

One of the more unfamiliar faces at Philly Live put on a memorable performance Sunday afternoon.

Haigh is a 2025 6-foot-5 guard out of Bishop Guilfoyle, a Catholic high school all the way out near State College in Altoona.

Haigh just last week received his second Division I offer from Stonehill College, his first coming from St. Francis last May. He believes the exposure over the last couple weekends has truly aided in his recruitment process.

“I really think Philly live has helped my recruitment a lot,” he said, “We really shocked a lot of people coming out here because we’re not really one of the big names but I feel like we proved ourselves these last couple weekends.”

Haigh’s basketball IQ and fluidity is a testament to his upbringing and always being around the game ever since he could remember. His father, Joe, is currently an assistant coach for Utah State’s women’s basketball and had made several pit stops prior at different schools all across the country.

“It’s in my blood,” he said, “My Dad is a women’s basketball coach so I grew up in the gym. He has worked at a bunch of colleges [...]  I’ve always grown up around the game.”

The sharpshooting guard rarely takes plays off and has a chip on his shoulder whenever he takes the court. His hard work and high motor has recently awarded Haigh even more interest from other Division I schools such as Cornell, Quinnipiac, and Le Moyne.

“It makes me work hard and reassures me that I can play at the best level,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s now or a few years from now, but I know I can play and compete at this level. I have always felt like I've been playing with a chip on my shoulder. Underrecruited, underlooked at. I am always looking to compete and beat other players on the court.”

Haigh put his offensive ability and high motor on display for several college coaches as he poured in 19 points to go along with 6 rebounds in a competitive loss to one of the better defensive teams of the weekend and PCL powerhouse Roman Catholic. He is a pretty polished offensive player who seems to understand situations throughout a game very well, but knows there are always things to improve on.

“I just want to get better at ball handling, being more aggressive off screens and converting those layups and dunks,” he said. “Finishing better at the rim overall.” — Joey Morozin

~~~

Babatunde Oladotun (2027 | James Hubert Blake, Md.)

Over the years it seems every class has someone regarded as the next Kevin Durant. The 2027 class might actually have the next one. 

Although he’s a slim 6-foot-8, Oladotun finds ways to get past defenders and he uses his length to get pull-up jumpers off against almost anybody. Both 247 Sports and ESPN have him No. 1 in the 2027 class, putting Oladotun ahead of many other great prospects, one of them being Imhotep Charter’s Zion Green. 

Green (ESPN No. 19) and Oladotun went head-to-head on Saturday in one of the most hyped up games of the weekend. Imhotep came out and showed everybody why it’s one of the best teams in the country, they put the pedal to the medal and didn’t look back, they beat Oladotun’s James Hubert Blake squad by double digits. 

“I knew they were gonna come out physical from the gate and it bothered me a lot,” Oladotun said. “They gave me trouble from the beginning of the game.”

The 6-8, 180-pound wing had college coaches lined up to see him and the Imhotep standouts take the court. Unfortunately, Oladotun didn’t shoot it well; he finished the game with a double-double but it definitely wasn’t his best outing. Despite his uncharacteristic performance, Oladotun was offered by Syracuse, Michigan, and Butler after the weekend’s games. 

“Some games shots won’t fall and in this game in particular the shots didn’t fall,” he said. “I was trying to get competitive on defense and get my teammates involved. Being a good leader on the court, sometimes when shots don’t fall people get down on themselves but I was trying to keep a positive attitude.” 

Before Philly Live, Oladotun had attended exposure camps; one was in Orlando with the NBPA top 100 camp, and the five-star forward also attended the Nike Elite 100 camp in St. Louis. 

Oladotun will be playing in Peach Jam this July with Team Durant’s 15U squad, a team that is loaded with scholarship level players and a bunch of high-major talent. After already booking their ticket to North Augusta, Oladotun will look to help his team make a run in one of the most decorated basketball tournaments. 

“Winning Peach Jam would mean a lot,” he said. “I feel like we have the pieces to win it all, we gel together.” — Kevin Gamlin

~~~