City of Basketball Love

By Corky Blake & Tom Robinson 
—

The Mid-Atlantic Independent School Team Camp had its second week Friday through Sunday with top local prep programs from the Inter-Ac and Friends’ Schools League, along with many other prep programs from the tri-state area with the addition of programs from the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) for Week 2.

CoBL had writers moving around the five courts of play throughout the weekend at Executive Education Charter in Allentown. Here’s the first notebook from the event focused on individual players and their recruitments: 

~~~

2025 MAISTC Week 2 Coverage
Notebooks: Recruiting Pt. 1 | Recruiting Pt. 2 

~~~

Nick Harken (2027 | Malvern Prep)
Two grueling weekends and eight games at the Mid-Atlantic Independent School Team Camp couldn’t have finished any better for Malvern Prep.

Trailing a Canadian squad of mostly 19- and 20-year-olds, Malvern Prep scored the final eight points of the game to emerge with a 55-50 victory over Jean-de-Brebeuf on Sunday afternoon to conclude MAISTC action at Allentown’s Executive Education Academy.

“We lost this morning (to Bridgeport Prep, Conn.) but being able to finish with a win — we’re off for the next month — down by 12 against a really good team and being able to come back leaves a good feeling,” said Malvern Prep’s Nick Harken.

Harken is a 6-4 junior swingman who will be entering his third year as a starter along with point guard Marvin Reed. Add in talented 6-10 sophomore center Logan Chwastyk and the future is bright for the Friars even if they believe their time is now. Team camp showed Paul Romanczuk’s squad it can compete with anyone.

“We have a very young and new team,” Harken said. “We just got a transfer point guard, and we start four underclassmen. This weekend and last (weekend) were just learning how to play with each other and how to win basketball games together.”

It will be interesting to see how big of a step forward Harken takes this winter with Malvern Prep, which went 17-10 overall, 5-5 in the Inter-Ac, and ended its season with a loss to Perkiomen School in the PAISAA quarterfinals.

“My freshman year, we had Ryan Williams (now at Northeastern) so I was just a role player,” Harken said. “My sophomore year I became the leading scorer, so I feel me and some of the other guys my age are going to step up and lead the team. This year is a big moment for us leadership-wise.”

Harken said he’s grown two inches since debuting as a 6-2 freshman. Along with the height has come a more reliable jump shot. He wasn’t afraid to let loose with a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc against Jean-de-Brebeuf – something the college coaches in attendance should have noted. Though Harken’s shot didn’t go in, it was taken in rhythm and was just off the mark.

“I’ve been progressing with my jump shot,” Harken said. “My freshman year I only made three 3s the whole season, and last year I was the best shooter on the team. I made 28 3s and shot 45 percent. That one didn’t go in, but the way I’ve been shooting the past year I just have to keep shooting my shot.”

Harken powered to the basket to start the Friars’ 8-0 decisive run with four minutes remaining.

“(Driving to the basket) always has been my strength, the best part of my game,” Harken said.

Chwastyk rolled to the basket and deposited a pass for the go-ahead hoop. A minute later, Chwastyk flushed an alley-oop pass. Reed drew a charge and then capped the win with a pair of one-and-one free throws with 18 seconds to go.

Harken knows leadership isn’t just an on-court duty.

“It’s about keeping everyone together and making sure no one feels left out, making sure we all play the right way,” he said.

Harken said he’s been in recent contact with some Ivy League and Patriot League schools among his Division I contacts though he said no official offers have been extended. – Corky Blake

~~~

Josh Benka-Coker (2027 | Pennington School, N.J.)
With only two subs on its bench for its first game Sunday morning, the Pennington School (N.J.) needed to be efficient with its effort against Life Center Academy (N.J.). That was especially true for 6-8, 220-pound junior Josh Benka-Coker, the Red Hawks’ lone big man.

Benka-Coker was the perfect complement to the fearless slashing of 6-4 senior guard Dylan Napoleon and the outside shooting of 6-2 sophomore guard Aven Diamond. Benka-Coker finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor and 3-of-6 from the foul line to go with six rebounds and a slew of altered shots.

Benka-Coker, who was joined in Sunday’s starting lineup by his twin brother 6-3 Jonathan Benka-Coker, averaged 10.4 points and 10.6 rebounds last winter in his first season with Pennington (12-11). The Phillipsburg (N.J.) resident, who played his freshman season at Bethlehem Catholic, contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds in Pennington’s loss to the Hill School in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League semifinals.

Benka-Coker plays on the travel circuit with N.Y. Renaissance. Earlier this month he received his first Division I offer from Pepperdine. Benka-Coker said he’s had a lot of coaches at all levels help him, and he doesn’t want to let them down.

“I’ve had a lot of interest (from colleges), and Pepperdine was my first offer,” Benka-Coker said. “My goals (during June’s NCAA live period) are to play harder and be a good leader.”

Against Life Center’s trio of rotating 6-8 and 6-9 centers, Benka-Coker repeatedly finished strong around the rim. Midway through the first half, he earned consecutive and-ones before swishing a mid-range jumper from the right side.

Late in the game, Benka-Coker corralled a rebound and went coast-to-coast for his final points.

“I’m working on improving my ball-handling and shooting,” Benka-Coker said. “I feel confident shooting 3s.”

What’s in store for Benka-Coker when he returns to help lead Pennington during the 2025-26 season? He delivered vintage Saquon Barkley speak.

“I want to be a good teammate and make the guys happy,” he said. “I want to make sure everyone eats.” – Corky Blake

~~~

James Brenner (2027 | Germantown Academy)
James Brenner has a new routine ahead of him.

This week’s transfer from Unionville to Germantown Academy means a fresh start that will include an earlier start to most days in the upcoming academic year.

“It’s about 40 minutes without traffic, so it might be an hour to school in the morning,” Brenner said of his new commute. “A little early wake up; make some breakfast. I kind of like long car rides, listening to my music, so it shouldn’t be all that bad.”

Brenner reclassified as a 2027 last week after finalizing his transfer from Unionville, made it to one offseason practice session with his new Germantown Academy teammates, then joined them on the court for play in the second weekend of the team camp at Executive Education in Allentown.

“It’s nothing negative to Unionville, but it was a great opportunity, especially to reclass and give me an extra year to build mentally, physically and just get ready for the college level,” said the 6-6 forward, who remains in contact with Sacred Heart University after getting an early scholarship offer from the NCAA Division I school in Connecticut. “My coaches are great and they have a lot of connections.

“Playing in the Inter-AC is a great opportunity that I can’t turn down. It’s great competition.”

That competition combines with the extra year to give Brenner a chance to draw more interest from colleges. As of now, he is hearing from Patriot League, Ivy League and high-level Division III programs.

“I think it will help if spots are already taken for 2026 and it will give me an extra year to build as a player,” Brenner said. “Hopefully, I’ll get better looks from that.”

The first weekend with new teammates is part of a process as Brenner brings much-needed height to a team looking to improve.

Brenner scored eight points in the second half as one of five Germantown Academy players to finish with either 12 or 13 points in a balanced attack during an 88-73 loss to Hill School. He was the team’s main offensive weapon in the first half of a 71-49 loss to Canterbury School (Conn.), producing 11 points in that time.

“The guys are great,” Brenner said. “They were very welcoming when I got up there. They’re experienced. They’ve played in the Inter-AC before. They didn’t have the greatest record, but they have the experience. 

“It was good to hear from them. They’re just great to play with. They are very positive teammates. … We have a lot of potential. It’s all pretty new, so we don’t have the greatest team chemistry. As that builds, we should be good.”

The losses came with the team playing shorthanded because of injuries.

“You could see the spurts of potential,” Brenner said. “ … It’s just about playing a consistent 32-minute game and putting the pieces together.” – Tom Robinson

~~~

Caleb Ourigou (2027 | Lawrence Woodmere Academy, N.Y.)
In each early trip up the floor in Saturday’s meeting, Caleb Ourigou from Lawrence Woodmere Academy (N.Y) engaged in a physical battle for control of space around the lane with Western Reserve Academy’s (Ohio) 6-9 Lukas McCanna.

Ourigou made his presence felt often as he showed physical strength as a two-way force around the basket.

Between a blocked shot in the low post that he controlled and turned into a rebound and a quick reaction to reject a jumper from the elbow in the game’s first five minutes, Ourigou also made it out to the arc to contest a shot.

Along with getting up in the air to alter shots, Ourigou was effective holding down his spot or displacing others on the floor.

“I try my best,” he said. “I love being physical.”

That was clear as the 6-10 Ourigou became the centerpiece of a Lawrence Woodmere team that displayed an effective combination of size – Ourigou was joined by 6-9 and 7-1 teammates – and multiple accurate 3-point shooters in its 71-57 victory.

While contributing in other areas, Ourigou also scored 12 points, connecting for six in each half.

Impressive as the 2027 power forward is physically already, he aspires to become even stronger.

Ourigou, who has received recent offers from Syracuse, UCLA, Fordham, and St. John’s, and has other majors reaching out, takes his off-court workouts seriously.

“My conditioning, my strength, everything,” he said. “The next level is even more physical.”

Ourigou says he can get better if he can reach the “top level” in those areas.

On the court, Ourigou aspires to add versatility to an offensive game where he already shows good footwork when posting up and roaming the baseline.

“I’m still working on being more of a stretch-4, so I can occasionally step out and shoot that little (mid-range jumper) or 3-pointer,” Ourigou said. – Tom Robinson

~~~

Jahrel Vigo (2026 | Phelps School)

Jahrel Vigo was the calm in the storm for the Phelps School Blue team in a wild 87-84 last-second loss to Darrow School’s (N.Y.) AAA team Sunday in a game that probably had more technical fouls called in it than all the other games combined during the second weekend of the Mid-Atlantic Independent School Team Camp.

Vigo, who starred about a mile away from MAISTC’s host site, Executive Education Academy, at Allentown Central Catholic, opted for a post-graduate year at Phelps to expand his college options after being selected the 2024-25 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference MVP.

“I wanted to get more eyes on me and play better competition,” said the 6-3 Vigo. “Here, I’m playing point guard. At Central, I pretty much played anywhere I was needed.”

Vigo showed his ability to break pressure and get Phelps into its offense. He also showed he can dial up his number when needed.

A few possessions after converting a three-point play to break a 54-all tie early in the second half, Vigo drove into the lane, momentarily lost his balance. He regained his footing, shot the ball with a defender on his back. Not only did Vigo make the shot, he drew the foul and made another and-one.

Vigo scored on consecutive drives to regain the lead late in the game as he matched Darrow’s talented point guard Haisi Mayben and 6-6 leaping off-guard Hunter Te Ratana point-for-point. In the end, however, 6-4 guard Thor Grissom drilled a 3 over Vigo’s outstretched arm for the winning 3-pointer with three seconds remaining.

“They were a physical team, and the whole game was close,” Vigo said. “They were just three points better than us today.”

Vigo, who’s received an offer from Siena since enrolling at Phelps, was one of eight Class of 2026 players on the program’s Blue team this weekend. Others from the 2026 class who made an impact against Darrow included 6-8 wing Evans Barning (Archbishop Carroll, D.C.) and 6-4 wing Xavier Blake (Polaris Prep, Ontario).

Another player to keep an eye on for coach Trey Morin’s team is 6-6 combo guard Brandon Martin, who reclassified to the Class of 2028 after previously being one of the top players in the WPIAL at Greensburg Central Catholic.

In other words, plenty of options for Vigo.

“There are a lot of guys who I can dish to, and it makes play-making easier,” Vigo said. – Corky Blake