City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue
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ABINGTON — The Abington Boys Spring League continued on Wednesday at Abington Senior High School with several area teams in action throughout the night. CoBL caught up with a few of the squads for an offseason notebook:

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Hatboro neighbors teaming up for first time

If you are ever looking for Kevin Stroup or Shane Phillips, check the other one’s house. The lifelong friends in Hidden Meadows neighborhood are usually swimming in the pool, eating burgers, or playing driveway hoops together like they’ve done since they were about 5 years old.

Last season was supposed to be a special one for the neighbors with Stroup transferring into Hatboro-Horsham after spending his freshman year at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Instead, an ACL injury cost Stroup his sophomore campaign and the opportunity to team with his buddy on the court.

Stroup returned to the court two weeks ago though, and they’re excited about the prospect of teaming together on the court this year.

“It’s crazy knowing each other that long, finally getting to come together on a serious team and try to win a championship,” Stroup said.

Phillips was a second team All-SOL Liberty Division selection last season for the Hatters, averaging about 16 ppg as Hatboro-Horsham improved from 4-18 to 8-14 under first-year coach Bill Coleman.

He said none of it came easy, however, particularly when league play began as he was more often than not face guarded by the other top players in the league — PW’s Mani Sajid, Abington’s Xander Grasty, Upper Dublin’s Ryan Mulroy.

Phillips, a 6-1 guard, can really shoot it and said he boasted a 95% free throw percentage over his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He only shot 38 foul shots last season though, and an emphasis this offseason is to get to the basket more often and make himself harder to take away in the game plan.

“I’m trying to get downhill, a lot more, trying to work on my left, definitely working on some more moves except for just shooting because I don’t want to get face guarded the whole game and not be able to do anything without the ball,” Phillips said.

2026s Jayden Tion, Kenny Lutz and Jaden Thompson are all key pieces expected back next season for the Hatters. The hope is that the presence of Stroup, currently sporting a bulky brace on his knee, can help him find more space as well as he starts to look more and more like himself post-injuryl.

“All season, I had to sit on the bench every single game,” Stroup said. “It was super hard for me just to sit and watch when all I wanted to do was play. All I wanted to do was help the team. I’m just glad, be able to help and hopefully make a difference, make a statement in the league next year.”

The Hatters are expected to be an undersized group with most of their size graduating this year. Phillips expects the team to play with pace. That means some full-court pressure on defense and staying in attack mode on offense.

They’ll need a steadying presence, which Stroup hopes to provide. 

“I feel like one thing we struggled with a lot last year was handling the pressure or even in the half court getting trapped,” Stroup said. “I feel like I can play at my pace and kind of help out, keeping control of the ball and less turnovers, which was a big problem for us last year. I also feel I can bring a lot of energy, which is something we lacked last year.”

Along with pickup games, Stroup said he and Phillips have played in a few recreation leagues together over the years. Before this spring, the last time they teamed together in official action was a fall league in 2022 when Stroup was an eighth grader and Phillips was a freshman.

They’ll only have one season together at Hatboro with Phillips entering his senior campaign for the Hatters. The goal is to make sure it’s a fun one.

“I’ve been best friends with him for literally years,” Phillips said. “It’s like a dream to play with him."

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Sankofa big man Alexander one to keep an eye on

Rahmir Alexander would stick out on most teams. The 6-foot-7 2028 forward stands above most of his peers.

On a Sankofa Freedom roster that’s been known for its undersized guards over the last few seasons, Alexander especially towers over his teammates.

With a team full of scorers and havoc wreaking defenders, and a couple of strong, bouncy athletes to boot, Alexander’s development his offseason could be big in unlocking another level after a 19-win campaign that included a run to the Public League quarterfinals and the PIAA Class 1A title game.

“All three years that I’ve got left (to develop) will be important,” Alexander said. “They’ve told me that a lot.”

Alexander averaged just 1.2 ppg and 1.5 rpg for the Warriors last season, but he said he’s come a long way in the last calendar year.

“Everything,” he said of where’s improved. “When I started off, I couldn’t make a left handed layup or right handed. It was all bad. Seeing me now, it’s a huge improvement.”

2027 wing/forward Samad West (6-3), who wasn’t in attendance Wednesday, and 2027 forward Terrence Fortson (6-3) were both important pieces for Sankofa last season.

Having a capable 6-foot-8 forward to spell them or play alongside them in the front court would add another element.

Alexander flirted with a double-double (eight points, eight rebounds) off the bench in a win against a shorthanded ANC team on Wednesday. The rawness showed around the hoop, but Alexander’s toolbox was also on display as he racked in rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

“In this game, I think I helped a lot with defense and rebounding,” Alexander said. “Especially since our second tallest big wasn’t here. I had to step up big time.”

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Custus-Dancy getting chance to lead the way for ANC

With just one senior in the rotation last season, Academy New Church is set to bring the majority of its production back in 2025-26.

There’s 2026 forward Cameron Smith and Ryan Warren. 2026 wing/guard Dior Carter has been a productive piece throughout his tenure with the Lions. 2026 guard continued to fill at up at ANC last season after a terrific three seasons at Penn Charter.

Classmate Jasin Custus-Dancy is ready to fill his spot alongside them again next winter.

“Make sure I get everyone involved and then guard the best player on the court,” Custus-Dancy said of his role. “The best guard, I’m there.”

Custus-Dancy arrived at ANC from the City School as a sophomore in 2023-24. After limited action on ANC’s 2024 Friends Schools League championship squad, the 5-10 guard was the Most Improved Player for the Lions this winter.

He averaged 4.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, and 1.5 spg to help ANC bring home a second straight FSL title.

“For half the season, when Ryan Warren got hurt. I had to step up big time,” Custus-Dancy said. “In the big games like the George School, Friends League, Governor’s Challenge. I had to step up big there. I had to take a big role.”

There was no Smith, Warren, Carter or Rollerson there for ANC on Wednesday, providing another opportunity for Custus-Dancy to step up. 

Custus-Dancy's top priority this offseason is to improve his jump shot as he's confident in his ability to handle, take care of the ball, find open teammates and defend.

Opportunities like Wednesday, when he is the most experienced Lion on the court, also give him the opportunity to find his voice as a floor general on the court and a leader on the team.

“It’s good. When I was coming in, it was the same situation, having to get to know the team, get to know the players,” Custus-Dancy said. “Being able to lead this team, helping them know what we’re going to get into heading into next season, that’s good."

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— Even with first team All-SOL Liberty selection Xander Grasty sidelined with a hand injury, Abington looked to have a lot of talented pieces in place in a dominant win over Hatboro-Horsham. The Ghosts are set to bring back two all-leaguers in the backcourt in 2027 Grasty, and 2026 Faizon Garland. Garland got to the hoop frequently, and 2026 Michael O'Rourke shot the ball well Wednesday, but the biggest eyecatcher was 2027 Kyler Pickron, who attacked the rim with abandon on multiple occasions. The Ghosts, who went 14-9 and lost in the first round of districts last year, also appear to have some depth up front with 2026 Amari Stone and an intriguing 2027 forward Malcolm Lucas, who the team is hoping can step up this season.

— Sankofa 2026 Nafise Dubose (16 ppg) was the only double-figure scorer on a balanced Warriors team last season. To no surprise, he led the way in a win over ANC on Wednesday, but there’s a lot to like on this Warriors roster. 2026 Nasir Brown is one of the one’s filling the big shoes of Asim Hardy, and looked plenty confident attacking the basket himself and finding teammates.  2026 guard Yasir Johnson averaged just 1.0 ppg last year, but he was in double figures on Wednesday and impacted the game on the defensive end by pressuring the ball and jumping passing lanes.