City of Basketball Love

Matt Allibone (@bad2theallibone) 

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA — The 2025 edition of the Northeast Basketball League — known now as the Jay Ems and Marrinucci’s Summer League — continued Tuesday night at the Mayfair Recreation Center. CoBL caught up with a few squads for an offseason notebook. 

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Waters hoping to lead a revamped Friends Select squad next season

Micah Waters knows things will be different for Friends Select next season. 

The Falcons are set to graduate five seniors and three starters from a squad that went 14-9 and finished fourth in the Friends League this past season, including all-stars Jay Chiles and Isaiah Marshall. Even though it is likely they will add some transfers, the Falcons will need some role players to take on more responsibility this upcoming year.

A defensive specialist last year, Waters believes he is primed for a bigger role. And he showed signs of that maturation during a blowout of Northeast High School Tuesday night. 

The 6-foot-2 senior wing was the most dynamic player on the court for a Falcons squad that featured a number of burgeoning talents. Waters disrupted passing lanes, found open teammates, and knocked down some 3-pointers. On one possession, he swiped a Northeast pass and immediately tossed a nearly full-court outlet to teammate Jack Gunther for a bucket on the other end. 

Waters also displayed his considerable athleticism on fast breaks. Toward the end of the scrimmage, he threw down a one-handed dunk that drew gasps from the crowd. 

“I’ve always been a ‘stop the best player’ type of guy and my teammates did most of the scoring,” Waters said. “I’m going to be more of a scorer this year. But I also want to keep my teammates involved.” 

Waters said he hopes to play in college and has been getting some interest from Division I schools. He listed Towson and Lipscomb as two he has been in contact with recently. 

When asked what he still needs to work on before next season, Waters immediately answered, “I want to be able to do everything.” He certainly showed off a versatile skill set Tuesday, but the key will be learning to mesh with teammates who are still adjusting to playing together after the departure of a strong graduating class. 

But while it’s still early, it’s clear Friends Select will have a lot to work with next season. Harrison was lights out from 3-point range on Tuesday and Henry Neuberger, a 6-foot-5 junior forward from Delaware, was a beast on the glass. 

Reggie Moore, a 5-foot-9 point guard, displayed explosion, quickness and impressive ball-handling all night. He got to the rim with ease and went end-to-end for a basket after registering a steal on the other end. 

Senior wing Kenny Gatling Jr. also did a little bit of everything from getting steals, grabbing boards and scoring in transition. 

Waters knows the Falcons have plenty to work on before next season, but he’s confident this group can fill the holes left by the 2025 graduating class. 

“We’re still learning about each other and trying to develop together, so we’ve got to stay together as a team,” Waters said. “I just want to have a winning season my last year.”

Holy Ghost Prep seniors preparing for next season with ‘chip’ on their shoulders

Holy Ghost Prep clearly enjoyed a successful campaign last year. 

The Firebirds entered the District 1 Class 5A playoffs as the No.7 seed but stunningly reached the championship game and eventually the second round of the state tournament. The highlight was an overtime win over Penncrest in the district quarterfinals in which Holy Ghost Prep overcame a 14-point second-half deficit. 

But the Firebirds rising seniors aren’t resting on the laurels of that success. In fact, they’re more motivated than ever. 

They know they have plenty to prove themselves. 

Holy Ghost Prep will graduate an extremely productive senior class highlighted by Misericordia commit Adrien Varella, who finished second in program history with over 1,200 career points. Guard Zak Sharlin and center Thomas Nahill are other standouts who will be departing the program. 

So players like senior point guard Chris Albright are ready to prove what they can do when handed a bigger role. Albright and his teammates showed their potential with a convincing win over Lincoln High School Tuesday night. 

“We got a chip on our shoulders,” Albright said. “We came up short in districts and states. Being so good last year is a lot of motivation because it might look like we were definitely more talented last year than this year, but we still have some returning guys who can play ball. 

“So we’re ready to go.” 

Albright got minutes for the Firebirds last year. He nailed a key 3-pointer that helped turn the tide of Holy Ghost Prep’s 62-57 state playoff win over Lampeter-Strasburg. But he knows he’ll have to both handle the ball and score a lot more this season. 

He displayed his potential Tuesday night, facilitating the team’s ball movement but also getting to the rim when necessary. He saved a few possessions by grabbing loose balls and quickly finding a cutter for an open basket. 

“It was a humbling season for me because I was always handed everything previously, and then I didn’t play much,” Albright said. “I know that I have to work for it. I’ve got to step up this year and I’m just ready to go and let the young guys know they have to be ready to go.”

Junior forward Jack Polek, senior guard Adam McDonald, senior forward Liam Duffy and senior wing Jack Farrell were other standouts for Holy Ghost Prep and will be expected to play a big role for the FIrebirds this season. 

For Lincoln, senior point guard Chris Barr was the team’s engine and scored from outside the 3-point arc and at the rim.