City of Basketball Love

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)
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TOWNSEND, Del. — The third annual Luv1ne Classic returned to Delaware this weekend for two loaded days of competition.

Here’s who stood out during Sunday’s action at Odessa High School:

Angel Long & Quron Elliott (2025 & 2026 | Mt. Zion Prep, Md.)
After coming up short to West Catholic earlier in the day, Mt. Zion (White) rebounded with strong play from their guards versus Howard. Helping to run the show, Elliot created a ton off the bounce. He got two feet into the paint and pulled up for jumpers from deep. On the other hand, Long brought that fire off the bench. His movement shooting and havoc defense energized his team. Both sub-6 feet tall, Elliott and Long had 12 points a piece in the bounceback wom. 

Jaylen Bernikow (2025 | Odessa, Del.)
Following the Ducks win over Mt. Zion (Blue), they took down Howard in the final game of the day, thanks to a 20-point outing from Bernikow. He found his rhythm right after tipoff with a catch-and-shoot three. From there, Bernikow filled it up with middies and touch shots inside the arc, before ending the half with a movement three. His floor spacing opened up the lane for others to get to the rim. He finished things off with his fourth triple late in the second half and chipped in 2 pairs of rebounds and assists, plus a steal.

Jayvon Byrd (2027 | West Catholic)
Byrd hit up Penn Charter for 15 points and 4 boards on Saturday, then came back for seconds on Sunday with 17 points against Mt. Zion (White). The 6-2 sophomore the bottom of the net on a trio of movement threes. From there, mixed in rebounds and assists on split-second decisions. Then he finished off the game at the free throw line where he shot 6-for-6. 

Elijah Coates & Aaron Whitaker (2028 | William Penn, Del.)
Starting at point guard for the Colonials against Mt. Zion (Blue), Coates handled ball pressure well, in addition to providing some pressure of his own as a point of attack defender. He repeatedly scored around the basket, highlighted by an oop from Ryan Ramirez. Delayed but not denied, Whitaker went off in the second half. His 8 points and secondary playmaking were crucial down the stretch. 

Jayden Lewis & Brandon Spencer (2027 & 2025 | Sussex Central, Del.)
The Golden Knights jumped on MOT quickly with an aerial assault powered by Lewis and Spencer. Spencer drilled one three to get them going, followed by a couple from Lewis. MOT went zone, but that didn't slow Spencer down because he hit his second and third triples shortly after. Their shooting from deep forced the defense to guard them further out and opened up the middle for cutters. In the end, the senior-sophomore duo combined for 22 of the team's 41 points. 

Darnell Lloyd Jr. (2025 | St. Andrew's, Del.)
Maximizing his wingspan and reach, Lloyd Jr altered the dimensions of the court against Conrad. He blocked 3 shots and influenced four more around the basket and on closeouts. Conrad packed the paint to limit his touches, but they couldn't completely stop Lloyd Jr. When his teammates were able to get passes off, they found him above the rim for 11 points, including an and-one dunk. Furthermore, he utterly controlled the glass. The 6-9 unsigned senior pulled down 16 rebounds to lead the Saints to victory. 

Tyshawn Wilborn (2025 | Odessa, Del.)
The Ducks were at a size disadvantage versus Mt. Zion (Blue), but it didn't matter because Wilborn took the challenge head-on with his skill and toughness. The 6-4 wing got active on the boards and flew around defensively. Even when he couldn't get the block or rebound himself, he still affected the play by getting a hand up to contest or by tapping the ball to someone else. Offensively, he made himself available around the basket by sliding to open space on drives and sprinting the floor in transition. His 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks tipped the scale in Odessa’s favor. 

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Honorable Mention
Nick Baysah (2026 | Howard, Del.), Jaron Cannon (2025 | Sussex Central, Del.),  Philip Doughty Jr (2025 | Sussex Central, Del.), Bryson Lane (2026 | Howard, Del.), Tayron Malonga (2027 | Mt. Zion Prep, MD), Brion Moses (2025 | Conrad, Del.), Henry Nyasagare (2025 | Odessa, Del.), Kofi Opoku (2025 | MOT Charter, Del.), Elijah Proctor-Moore (2025 | St. Andrew's, Del.), Kyndal Riley-Garlick (2028 | William Penn, Del.), Dyson Scott (2025 | Odessa, Del.), Rahmir Speaks (2027 | West Catholic, Vinny Starr 2026 | Conrad, Del.), Andy Webb (2025 | William Penn, Del.), Kameryn Wylie (Mt. Zion Prep, Md.)