City of Basketball Love

By Joseph Santoliquito (@JSantoliquito) +
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The spring edition of the Delco Shootout took place on Saturday, with 30 area high school teams coming to Penncrest for a day of competition in preparation for the upcoming June scholastic live periods. 

Here’s a notebook of team coverage from the day:

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Central Bucks West may be an SOL Colonial sleeper

Central Bucks West had a rough time last year. The Bucks finished 8-14 overall and at the bottom of the Suburban One League Colonial with an 2-8 mark—unacceptable considering the winning resume of legendary Bucks’ coach Adam Sherman.

There was, however, an underlying theme to the season. The Bucks were 0-8 in games decided by one possession with under a minute to play, including a 43-41 loss to eventual SOL Colonial champion Souderton. CB West had one senior and that lack of experience showed during those times. With a year under them, this Bucks team may be far more competitive, returning 5-foot-9 rising senior guards Max Milillo and Connor Chuo, 6-foot-3 rising junior forward Dan Pellegrini, 6-foot rising sophomore guard John Vrettos and 6-foot-3 rising senior Gavin Reichner.

Sherman also has an intriguing big in rising 6-foot-6 sophomore Harry Myers.

“We’re starting to see a chemistry development,” said Sherman, who will be entering his 25th season. “Harry is 6-6 and he’s only 14 years old. He’s young. We were young last year. We’re excited about him. He shoots the ball really well and he’s making good progress. We were in every game last year. I think our inexperience didn’t allow us to turn the corner for those close games. That was a big part of it. I’m hoping the experience gained from last season will show up this season.

“We only lost one senior. Everyone else is returning. We’re getting there.”

CB West showed possibly a template on what the Bucks may need to do to win this coming season. In a 37-25 victory over Germantown Friends, the Bucks were undersized, but were feisty, and not afraid to defend or hit the glass in helping rebound. Another Sherman trait this team seems to have was that once a mistake was made, or a turnover committed, as a group, that player responded with a hustle play on the other end of the court.

“We were young and in games last year,” Pellegrini said. “I think we learned to keep playing down to the final whistle, and I think we learned how to deal with close games better. We’re moving the ball better this summer.”

Milillo admits last year was frustrating. “If we move the ball well and pick up the intensity on defense, we’re going to be okay,” he said. “We’re mostly building off what we did last year. We can’t settle for shots early in possessions, and what you saw today, we’re getting more layups. Last year, we kind of sat back when we were in man defense. This year, which we’re doing now, is forcing pressure and trapping. Sherm coaches us to get back and make up for mistakes the next play. We have a lot of built on. We think we can do a little something this year. We just have to believe it.” — Joseph Santoliquito

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Upper Moreland working hard after big season

There’s no doubt that Upper Moreland’s boys were one of the surprise stories of the 2024-25 season. The Golden Bears, coming off a 14-win year, went 23-8 (9-1 SOL Freedom) to capture a share of the league title for the first time in four decades, advancing to the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals after ending Upper Dublin’s 28-game winning streak in the second round of states. 

Dan Heiland and his coaching staff have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat that success. The Golden Bears graduated six seniors including three members of the top six in Colson Campbell, Jaden Cybok and Anthony Carson, so the group that Heiland had with him on Saturday — which was also absent rising senior Nate Best this weekend — looked quite different from the one that finished play in March. 

“What we accomplished last year was incredible but we also have the same mindset of ‘that’s behind us, and we have to build off of that,’” Heiland said. “You lose six seniors, six quality seniors, and you’ve got shoes to fill. No one person that we’re trying to fill shoes [with] is going to be the exact same, but finding that role, finding out how everybody works together, plays together, what they need to improve on, that’s what these next few months are about.”

Much of the focus this year will be on senior forward Larry Hughes and sophomore wing Cannon Campbell, the pair of whom both played well as UM fell just short in a comeback attempt against Delco Christian in an early afternoon game. 

A bouncy 6-4 forward who’s garnering collegiate attention for his abilities on the football field as a wide receiver, Hughes had a breakthrough junior year for the Golden Bears. He’ll be the team’s best rebounder and inside presence on both ends, capable of protecting the rim thanks to his impressive vertical leap. 

What he’s working on this season is his 3-point shot, hoping to be able to reliably stretch the floor as a senior; he also knows he needs to be more of a vocal leader, something that hasn’t come as naturally when he was younger. 

“The expectations are still high with this team,” Hughes said. “I feel like we’ve just got to get together [...] I’ve always just been the guy standing there, but it’s my year, I’m the senior, I have to step up and be a leader of this team.”

Campbell, a 6-4 left-hander, was a key reserve as a freshman but will jump right into a major role as a sophomore. One of the best underclassmen prospects in the entire Suburban One League, Campbell showed his versatility against Delco Christian by scoring inside and out, grabbing rebounds, dishing out assists with a steal and block in the mix as well, initiating offense a good bit and making good decisions with the rock. 

“He’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot more this season and he’s going to have opportunities to do similar things to what his brother did in the sense of creating for himself or others,” Heiland said. “We’re looking for him (to) be that stretch-four guy that can bring the ball up at times, rebound, facilitate, and score from the outside as well.” — Josh Verlin

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Downingtown West shows combustible promise

It was a spring game played in early June, on a lazy Saturday afternoon at the Delco Shootout at Penncrest High School, yet it seemed to carry the intensity of a District 1 playoff game. By halftime, Downingtown West and Strath Haven were locked in a 33-33 tie. Most of the games played at the Delco Shootout reached into the 40s. These two teams combined to score over 100 points, in a 59-50 Downingtown West victory.

What was enticing is how explosive Downingtown West looked during major segments of the game, especially 6-foot-6 rising senior forward Brady Moore, 6-foot rising junior guard Brendon Good-Kimble, son of the legendary Bo Kimble, 6-foot rising junior guard Keron Whitfield Jr. and 6-6 rising senior center Amari Ross, son of Whippets’ coach Stu Ross.

And this was without 6-2 rising junior guard Isaiah Hicklen being there.

The Whippets finished 18-11 last season, and suffered a crushing 57-55 overtime loss to defending Ches-Mont League champion Coatesville in the Ches-Mont semifinals and then a third loss to Coatesville in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A playoffs. The Whippets season ended in a first-round PIAA Class 6A state playoff loss to District 11 champion Parkland.

“We’re still working and it’s only June,” said Stu Ross, whose team has been to the state playoffs the last four years. “A lot of things can happen between June and November, but having the consistency of the guys coming back is a big help, considering we lost (Downingtown West’s all-time scorer now at West Chester) Donovan Fromhartz. Those will be points that we will have to make up.  

“But I’m really excited. People think we will have a big drop off losing someone like Donovan, and Donovan spent a lot of time preparing these guys for this moment. Everyone will need to move up in terms of the scoring pecking order. I do like what I see. This could be one of our better teams. Karon played a lot of minutes for us last year, and he will have a new role.”

Moore is getting attention from Division III schools like Bates and Catholic University. He will become the face of the team this season. “Stepping into the leadership role is a big priority,” Moore said. “I need to be more aggressive, but I’m ready for my game to change. I have to make plays downhill and draw defenders and kick out. I think we can be good this year. We play as a team. We all care. We like each other. That has a lot to do with it. Amari has stepped up, Brendon has stepped up, that’s why I feel good about our success.”

Good-Kimble, a stellar football player, says being held accountable by coach Ross is a key.

“I’m ready to be a leader,” said Good-Kimble, who is receiving interest from Fordham and Delaware in football. “We’ll need to make up for (Fromhartz) by sharing the ball more; and as a team, we will need to pass up a good shot for a great shot. If we do that, we’ll be good.” — Joseph Santoliquito   

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Germantown Friends looking to rebound in 2025

Jamil Pines will be entering his third season as head coach of the Tigers, and he is hoping this summer will generate some optimism and cohesion after a 9-16 overall finish and 1-6 in the highly competitive Friends Schools League last year. One area that will need to be immediately addressed is where the scoring comes from, after the school’s all-time leading scorer, rising senior 5-foot-10 combo guard Jordan Dill, transferred to Imhotep Charter.

Pines and the Tigers may have received some answers in the Delco Shootout at Penncrest High School on Saturday, going 1-1 in loss to Central Bucks East, and beating West Chester Henderson, 37-27, after being down 10-0 at the outset.

One player who emerged in both games was 6-4 rising junior Billy Henighan III, who did everything for the Tigers from handling the offense, to rebounding, to hustling after every loose ball.

Henighan is one of four starters back, with 5-11 rising sophomore guard Isaiah Dill, Jordan’s younger brother, 6-4 rising junior wing Adrian Keene and 6-6 rising senior Levi Dubroff.

“The second game was nice, coming back, and our team will look a lot different,” Pines said. “Losing Jordan is a big loss. He scored over 2,000 career points. We’re going to look for someone to step into his role, and that could be Billy. We had no seniors last year, and with (rising sophomore) Eisa Kelly transferring in from Cheltenham is a big help. We’re looking to rebuild the chemistry and Isaiah and Billy will be big parts of what we do.”

Germantown Friends struggled with chemistry in the game against CB West, turning the ball over and sometimes getting doubled from behind, losing the ball on steals. That sluggishness carried over to the start of the Henderson game, then began to settle when the Tigers shared the ball and began hitting cutters to the basket, as well as collectively shoot better.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement in what we have done this summer,” Henighan said. “I want to take basketball as far as I can. We remember those losses. I hate losing. We lost by 40 at ANC; we lost by 30 to Westtown and the game was never even close. We were the doormats of the league. We finished last. It is a team that will come into this season with some revenge. We haven’t beaten Friends Central in six years, I think.

“Games like today bring us closer. It was hot. It wasn’t easy. This shows we can come back. That’s the team that we want to be this year. We want to be dogs.” — Joseph Santoliquito

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MaST Charter holds bigger aspirations for 2025

Pat Mulville liked what he saw on Saturday at the Delco Shootout at Penncrest High School and the MaST Charter coach should have. Mulville saw his team take two games against a pair of Class 5A schools, Sun Valley and Harriton. The Panthers are the defending PIAA District 1 Class 3A champions and went 17-8 overall and 11-4 in the Bicentennial League last season.

The Panthers suffered a 52-49 setback in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A state playoffs to District 12 fourth-place finisher Overbrook, but Mulville has almost his entire team back.

Four starters return in rising 6-1 senior guard Shawn Nunez, 5-9 rising senior guard Reuben Dorceus, 6-1 rising junior forward Brian Mallon and 6-2 rising sophomore wing Gabe Jenkins—and will get big help from 6-foot rising senior Logan Webb, who was ineligible to play last season.

Mulville is entering his fourth season and this will be the most returning players that he has ever had. He saw his team beat two Class 5A schools on Saturday, and he has seen a marked improvement over where the program was this time last season.

“Seeing Sean and Reuben take over as leaders this offseason has really helped us,” Mulville said. “We’re supposed to play Lansdale Catholic, West Chester East, and West Chester Henderson this coming season. We want to prepare the best we can for our league. I loved how we looked (on Saturday). Having Logan back this season is big for us.”  

Dorceus was the catalyst. He showed great court vision, had everyone involved, and was willing to play stubborn defense and hit the defensive boards. Webb showed an adept shooting range. He hung on the perimeter as Dorceus would drive, and showed some solid catch-and-shoot ability. — Joseph Santoliquito

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Quick Hits
— Delco Christian’s turning the page after the graduations of Khamai Orange and Beau Lyren, two 1,000-point scorers who led the Knights to their first-ever Bicentennial Athletic League and District 1 Class 2A championships this year. With 2026 F Bradford Berwick absent in the AM due to the SATs, that let a group of young Knights show their stuff in the win over Upper Moreland. Leading the way were 2027 Karter Freeman, a returning starter and athletic 6-3 wing who can finish above the rim, and 2028 G Joel Johnson, an aggressive defender and ball-handler who will be on the rock for head coach Reggie Parks moving forward.

— Radnor’s got a familiar name taking a big step. Conor Hicke, younger brother of former Raptors standout and current Princeton wing Jackson Hicke, is now a 6-5 wing with length, and he looks ready to be a featured player for the Central League squad this winter. The middle of five Hicke siblings, Conor knocked down a couple 3-pointers and had a few solid takes to the rim in a game against Downingtown West, and he also rebounded well against a Whippets squad with good size. Spending the summer working out with his brother should help his physicality and motor continue to progress, as he’s made good strides in both areas. 

— Garnet Valley’s under new direction in Jack Diggory, a 2015 GV grad, but the former assistant under Mike Brown is keeping continuity going with a few other assistants back from last year and a familiar style out on the court. They’re going to be deep with 2027s, starting four against Phoenixville in a win, with Grayson Golek already a two-year starter. The versatile 6-4 forward led the way as expected against the Phantoms, but keep an eye on 6-4 Cole McAndrews, who pairs well with Golek in the frontcourt, 6-1 guard Mason Koperna made plays and 6-2 guard Luke Faccenda looks ready to make a big varsity impact like his older brother Ryan did before graduating in 2023. 

— Speaking of Phoenixville, the Phantoms have a youngster to keep an eye on in 2028 Jaden Smith. A combo guard with good size at 6-2 and a strong, athletic build, Smith had plenty of flashes in Phoenixville’s loss to Garnet Valley; his older brother, 2027 G Jacoby Smith, was a member of the Phantom rotation last year and should also be one of their key pieces this season along with 2026 G Stephen Yurick and 2027 G Keron Booth; keep an eye on 2026 SF Chase Thorburn as another scoring option who stretched the floor against GV. — Josh Verlin

—  Brady Moore, Downingtown West’s 6-foot-6 rising senior forward, looked a lot stronger and far more assertive than he did during the season. In the opening minutes of what was a very competitive game played at a high level against Strath Haven, Moore slammed down two dunks, and he made it clear, once he was near the rim, that was his intention. His handle has far improved, and he looked more comfortable away from the basket than he did during the season. 

—  Bill Henighan III, Germantown Friends’ 6-4 rising junior guard, looked like he was ready to take over a leadership role in the Tigers’ void of losing all-time leading scorer 5-foot-10 combo guard Jordan Dill, who transferred to Imhotep Charter. In the two games the Tigers played, Henighan was a constant, consistently playing to win, handling the offense, playing strong defense, and was not afraid to throw his body around, diving for loose balls on a Saturday morning in a spring tournament. 

— Reuben Dorceus, the MaST Charter 5-9 rising senior guard, may be among the smallest players on a tiny Class 3A school, it should not diminish his considerable worth to the Panthers or in the area. Coach Pat Mulville has done wonders the last few years at the small school in the Bicentennial League and by the explosive way in which Dorceus played on Saturday, MaST Charter stands a good chance of repeating as PIAA District 1 Class 3A champions. Dorceus could not be defended one-on-one, and he somehow managed to squeeze his way to the basket each time there was a missed shot, coming down with a number of rebounds. — Joe Santoliquito