City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Kassidy Ingram (@ingram_kassidy)
—

The first week of the 2024-25 college basketball season is in the books. 

Most teams around the country have played their first couple games, though some have played three and others have just gotten their first taste of action in the last couple days. Either way, that small sample size is just enough to let us see which local products are off to hot starts, or who’s taken a significant step forward in their rotations.

Here are some local products from outside the Big 5 who got their seasons off on the right foot this week: 

~~~

Sultan Adewale (Soph. | Albany)
A Neumann-Goretti graduate, Adewale is in his first season with the University of Albany after transferring from Iona, where he started in 15 of the 33 games played while averaging 3.2 ppg and grabbing a total of 104 rebounds. Currently, the 6-8 forward from England is the third leading scorer for the Great Danes. Starting in both contests against Army West Point and SUNY Oneonta, Adewale is currently averaging 10.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg in 18.5 minutes per contest. 

Anna Camden (Gr. | Richmond)
After missing all of last season with a lower leg injury, Camden has made her return in her graduate campaign with the Richmond Spiders, the 2024 Atlantic 10 Champions. A Penn State graduate, Camden has provided valuable minutes for the Spiders, starting both games against Temple and Morgan State this season and scoring 15 points in a blowout 93-39 win against Morgan State. In two games, she is averaging 19.7 minutes a game and is the second-leading scorer averaging 12.0 ppg. 

John Camden (Sr. | Delaware)
It’s been a good start to the season for the Camden siblings. In three seasons between Memphis and Virginia Tech, Camden never averaged more than two points per game, serving as only a deeper reserve through his first 38 career games. But he’s jumped right into a huge role at Delaware, starting both of the Blue Hens’ games this week and averaging 14.0 ppg thanks to a career-high 19-point, three-rebound season-opener against Bucknell. 

Jack Clark (Gr. | VCU)
From La Salle to NC State to Clemson, the 6-10 Clark is currently finishing his graduate year with VCU. The Cheltenham native is currently averaging 10.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg, a team high for the Rams. VCU is currently 2-0, as they’ve cruised comfortably by Bellarmine (84-65) and Boston College (80-55), both in which Clark has had near double-doubles. 

Kate Flanagan (Jr. | Holy Cross)
Flanagan, a 5-8 guard, is now in her junior season with the Holy Cross Crusaders. After leading the team and Patriot League in assists (151), assists per game (4.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7) in her sophomore season, Flanagan returns this season leading all scorers, averaging 16.5 ppg and 6.5 apg, with a total of 13 assists between the two early-season matchups: Quinnipiac and UMass-Lowell. 

Casey Harter (Soph. | Northwestern)
Going into her sophomore year with Northwestern, Harter has started both games against Illinois State and Lehigh. Averaging 35.5 minutes, the Souderton High graduate is the third-leading scorer for the Wildcats, averaging 14.0 ppg and is 44% from the 3-point line (4-of-9). 

Diamond Johnson (Gr. | Norfolk State)
After landing at Norfolk State her senior year after stints at Rutgers and NC State, Johnson looks to finish her graduate season with the Spartans after averaging 20.2 points last season. So far the 5-5 point guard has started out strong with a 32-point game against Longwood University. Between the Spartans three games so far, Johnson is averaging 21.5 points on 45% FG, shooting 58% from beyond the arc, while also recording 4.5 rpg and apg, as well as 2.0 spg. 

Mackenzie Pettinelli (Fr. | St. Bonaventure)
The Bonnies got a late start to the season, playing their season opener on Saturday, an 82-61 win over Binghamton. Pettinelli, a 5-9 wing out of Spring-Ford, stuffed the stat sheet like she had with the Rams, getting the start and finishing with 14 points (5-6 FG, 4-5 3PT), with six rebounds and six assists against just one turnover in a team-high 35 minutes. 

Marcus Randolph (Sr. | Saint Peter’s)
Now in his fourth collegiate season out of Archbishop Wood, Randolph is playing his biggest role yet for Saint Peter’s, for whom he averaged 6.5 ppg in 20.5 mpg last year. In the Peacocks’ first two games, Randolph is averaging 12.5 ppg in 30.5 mpg, first scoring nine points against Seton Hall and then 16 against UMass-Lowell, knocking down three 3-pointers against the River Hawks in 38 minutes of action. 

Ava Renninger (Fr. | Fairleigh Dickinson)
Renninger’s come out like gangbusters at FDU, which isn’t too surprising for anybody who saw the 5-6 point guard regularly be the best player on the floor for Archbishop Wood. Through three games, she’s the Knights’ leading scorer (16.0 ppg) and is 7-of-14 from 3-point range, while also grabbing four rebounds per contest. She’s doing all of that in 28 minutes per game as the Knights’ top reserve. 

Will Riley (Fr. | Illinois)
The former Phelps School standout headed to college a year ahead of schedule, but the 6-8 wing has had no issue fitting right in at the next level and showing why his stock keeps rising as an NBA prospect. Riley started his college career with a 31-point, seven-rebound, three-assist spectacular against Eastern Illinois, doing so on 10-of-13 from the floor; he followed that up with 14 points and seven boards against SIU-Edwardsville. 

Thomas Sorber (Fr. | Georgetown)
Want an early pick for Big East Rookie of the Year? Look no further than the 6-10 Archbishop Ryan product, who’s off to a monster start with the Hoyas. Starting at the ‘5’, Sorber followed up a 20-point, 13-rebound, two-block outing in his debut against Lehigh with a 25-point, nine-rebound, two-block effort against Fairfield, both wins. Next up is a much tougher test at Notre Dame. 

Deywilk Tavarez (Soph. | Charleston)
Tavarez took a big leap up in competition this season, going from Delaware State up to Charleston, which has been one of the best mid-majors in the country the last few years. In two games, both starts, the ANC product is averaging 14.5 ppg on .474/.571/.875 splits, and his turnover issues from last year (3.8/game) are largely cleaned up (1.5/game). 

Erik Timko (Gr. | Delaware)
After tearing up the nets for three years at Jefferson, the Methacton grad is finishing up at Delaware, where he’s having no issues getting adjusted to the D-I level. Through two games, he’s second on the Blue Hens in scoring (16.0 ppg), and he hasn’t even shot it well from 3-point range (2-of-9, .222), usually his strong suit; he had 20 points in the season opener against Bucknell (7-11 FG, 2-5 3PT). 

Derrius Ward (Sr. | Coppin State)
Ward’s career has taken him all over the place, from La Salle to Harcum to Texas-Rio Grande Valley and now to Coppin State. But the 6-6 Sankofa Freedom product seems to have finally find the right spot, as he’s averaging 15.3 ppg through three games, a huge improvement from the 3.9 ppg at UTRGV two years ago, including 19 points against Wake Forest, his career high against a D-I opponent. 

Kaseem Watson (R-Soph. | Delaware State)
Watson averaged 3.4 ppg as a freshman at Cal-Bakersfield two years ago, then redshirted last season before transferring with his brother Kareem to DSU this offseason. In two games, both starts, with the Hornets, he’s averaging 12.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg while hitting 44.4% from the floor, with a career-high 16 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes against Columbia.

Taylor Wilson (Soph. | Army)
Through three games, the 6-0 forward from Archbishop Carroll is averaging 8.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg, already a significant step up from her freshman year (2.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg). But those numbers don’t tell the whole story — after just one point in the Black Knights’ opener, she’s scored 12 points with six rebounds against Siena and then 13 with four rebounds against Saint Peter’s.

Robert Wright III (Fr. | Baylor)
After spending a year at Montverde Academy (Fl.), the former Neumann-Goretti standout and one of the nation’s top point guards in the 2024 class is averaging 11.0 ppg and 4.0 apg toff the bench through two games at Baylor. And he’s doing it on 50% shooting, against No. 9 Gonzaga and No. 16 Arkansas, with only three turnovers in 47 minutes.

Reese Zemitis (Fr. | Bucknell)
The 6-0 Neshaminy product is earning big minutes right away in Lewisburg. Playing nearly 30 mpg against the likes of Penn State and Pitt despite coming off the bench in both, Zemitis is averaging 10 points per game thanks to hitting 6-of-12 (50%) from downtown, going 4-of-7 against PSU and 2-of-5 against Pitt.