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2025 Philly Live II: Friday Standouts (Pt. 1)

06/28/2025, 11:30am EDT

By CoBL Staff

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The annual two-weekend hoopfest that is Philly Live 2025 continued on Friday, with 10 courts of action going between the gyms at Jefferson University and the Alan Horwitz ‘Sixth Man’ Center from first tip-off at 12:00 p.m. to the final tip at 8:10 p.m.

CoBL had writers and scouts scattered throughout both gyms, checking out as much of the competition as we could. Here’s who stood out in games we were able to get our eyes on during the first day of action:

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Nico Antoniacci (2028 | Riverside)
The 6-2 rising sophomore combo guard had a strong all-around day in Riverside’s 2-0 showing. Antoniacci opened with 22 points and four steals in an 11-point win over State College, then added 25 points, five assists, and two steals in a 74-58 win over Pope John Paul II. He was in constant attack mode, slipping through pressure, drawing two four-point play attempts, and flipping right into defensive disruption. Loves the baseline drive and finds creative ways to score or set up teammates.

Neumann-Goretti 2026 guard Stephon Ashley-Wright. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Stephon Ashley-Wright (2026 | Neumann-Goretti)
The Saints put on a clinic in a 20-point win over Linden (N.J.), with all five of N-G’s starters — four of whom are in this report — finishing in double figures. And while they all can lay claim to good games, Ashley-Wright was really on top of his, the 6-foot-1 lead guard finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals as he played a terrific two-way floor game. Ashley-Wright never gave up on plays, whether it was chasing down offensive rebounds, making the extra pass in transition for an open layup.

Jaren Barnett (2026 | Linden, N.J.)
Barnett led Linden with 14 points (6-12 FG), eight rebounds, four steals, and two assists in a 54-51 overtime win against Imhotep Charter, scoring 10 of those points in the second half to help power a comeback after trailing at the break. A 5-11 point guard with a vocal presence who keeps his team steady, Barnett isn’t the biggest, but he plays with a strong motor and purpose. He consistently directs the offense, probes with the dribble to open things up, and brings a level of toughness that sets the tone.

Jason Bourelly (2028 | Bensalem)
The 5-11 rising sophomore guard finished with a team-high 19 points in the Owls’ 62-40 victory over The Christian Academy. He saw the court well, finding open teammates. He was willing to come out and play perimeter defense. He was not afraid to drive the lane, and scored using a mixture of rangy three-pointers, points off steals and drives to the basket. He and rising junior Michael Eberhardt may give the Owls a pretty nice backcourt this coming season under new Owls’ head coach Jerry Devine.

Tyshaun Boyd (2026 | Arts, N.J.)
Arts and Samuel Fels played a terrific game down to the wire, with Fels winning it in the final minute after a hard-fought effort by both sides. Arts is long and athletic all around, with Boyd certainly contributing to that: a 6-6 wing/forward with long arms, he’s an active body on both ends, capable of defending Fels’ bigs and also stepping out to make things difficult for guards; we don’t have exact stats for this game, but Boyd stuffed the stat sheet with points — mostly by getting to the bucket and foul line in a physical game — and rebounds, with assists, steals and blocks as well.

Ryan Brown, Jr. (2026 | Central York)
Brown had himself a strong day at Philly Live. The 6-1 CG led the Panthers with a game-high 27 points and five steals in a 71-46 win over Sterling (N.J.), helping turn a six-point halftime lead into a dominant finish. The combo guard was aggressive on both ends, picking off passes, knocking down shots — including two threes — and finding teammates off the bounce. Later in the day, Brown followed up with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in a tight one-point loss to West Philadelphia. He created clean looks off the dribble, converted well from the field, and knocked down 3-of-4 from deep in another efficient effort.

Kyon “K.J.” Coles Jr. (2026 | Pocono Mountain West)
The 6-2 rising senior combo guard delivered a strong scoring performance in PMW’s thrilling 68-66 win over Pope John Paul II, finishing with 26 points (six threes) and seven assists. Coles shot 6-of-12 from deep, showcasing his range and confidence from well beyond the arc, including hitting from multiple spots. His quick read on defenders, whether slipping past for a layup or kicking out to a shooter stood out, as did his fluid dribble moves and sharp execution off inbound plays. A composed floor presence with a creative outside game and next-play mentality.

Michael Eberhardt (2026 | Bensalem)
The Owls’ 6-1 rising junior point guard showed an explosive first step, a good handle, good range on his jump shot and great defensive anticipation. He scored many of his 15 points in Bensalem’s 62-40 victory over The Christian Academy off steals. On the court, he was clearly the leader, directing the offense and defense, and was strong going to the basket. On his drives, he showed he could change direction well and exhibited sound body control. The Owls’ offense looks like it may be in good hands this coming season.

A'zir Ellegood (2027 | Sanford, Del.)
Ellegood was the tip of the spear for the Warriors’ all-guard attack and they made sure he got the ball in a variety of ways versus William Allen. Off the dribble, he got downhill with his power hand, then spun or euroed to get back to his left and finish. The Warriors also got him easier looks with Iverson cuts, allowing the 5-10 point guard to catch-and-go in any direction he pleased. The defensive playmaking was pivotal as well. Despite his offensive usage, in the second half, Ellegood took the Canaries’ best player and contained him to stop a comeback attempt. Ellegood finished with 14 points, four assists, and three steals.

Liam Foreman (2026 | The Christian Academy)
The 6-foot-3 rising senior forward scored 11 of his team’s first 18 points and finished with 19 of his team’s total of 40 in its 62-40 loss to Bensalem. He was very strong to the basket, proving he could score driving or from the perimeter, where hit a couple of threes in the first half. There were a few occasions where he singlehandedly broke through Bensalem’s press. He displayed some defense, coming from a wing to block what seemingly was an uncontested layup.

Korey Francis (2027 | Bonner-Prendergast)
The 6-4 rising junior guard was about the only shining light in Bonner-Prendie’s 74-65 loss to Arts (N.J.). Collectively, it seemed, the Friars could not stop seeing shots fall short, fall wide, though mostly, not fall in the basket. Francis singlehandedly made the game somewhat interesting until the final five minutes. He was incredibly effective driving the lane, and sometimes, with everyone else frigid from the outside, driving on two and three defenders.

Kye Gray (2027 | Calvin Coolidge, D.C.)
The 6-foot rising junior guard played with incredible energy, scoring in a variety of ways in Coolidge’s 72-57 victory over Devon Prep. Gray scored almost half of his team’s points, finishing with a game-high 31 in the victory over the young Tide, who were cold from the outside, and allowed Gray to do pretty much anything he wanted, scoring while driving to the basket, pulling up, finding an open area in the corner to threes. He did it all.

Jason Green (2026 | Pope John Paul II)
The 6-2 rising senior guard was a bright spot in both games for PJP II despite the 0-2 finish. Green had a team-high 20 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists in a tough loss to Riverside, showing off his ability to slash into the paint, disrupt defensively, and push the tempo. He followed that up with 24 points (four 3s), seven rebounds, and two assists in a narrow 68-66 loss to Pocono Mountain West. With his quick-twitch movement, high motor, and creative finishing touch, he plays bigger than his frame and keeps defenders off balance. Still developing physically, but a great D-3 target who could draw D-2 looks.

Horace Jackson (2026 | Upper Dublin)
With Smyrna off to a hot shooting start, the Cardinals looked to an unexpected source for answers — their 6-4 rising junior. Jackson asserted himself with blocks and deflections on defense and rebounds on offense. Then, once he got going, it was all downhill. He knocked down jumpers from inside and outside of the arc, and he was even more effective off the catch. Jackson found different ways to exploit his matchups, whether he was ripping through and getting by slower guys or putting smaller defenders on his hip and scoring over them. Jackson led UD with 23 points and five boards in their second-half comeback.

Ryan Jackson (2026 | Central York)
The 6-0 rising senior guard was the steady presence his team needed across two games on Saturday. Jackson played with poise and leadership, constantly directing traffic, calling sets, and holding the group together. He was aggressive off the bounce, drawing three or four fouls in the first half alone against Sterling (N.J.) — and continued to get downhill after the break. He finished that one with 17 points, two steals, and two assists in a 71-46 win. In a tight battle later in the day, Jackson tied for a game-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a one-point loss to West Philadelphia, making an impact with both toughness and feel.

Asante Jones (2027 | Linden, N.J.)
Jones finished with eight points in Linden’s thrilling 54-51 overtime win over Imhotep Charter, scoring six of them in the second half. The 6-8 power forward knocked down a jumper and came up with a crucial steal in overtime, helping Linden secure the win. While he wasn’t the top scorer, Jones played with great energy and drew multiple fouls, stepping up when it mattered most and showing strong instincts in the open floor. He moves smoothly, makes plays in transition, and thrives as a finisher when opportunities open up.

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