City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The dust has settled on Week 2 of the annual two-weekend hoopfest that is Philly Live 2025 with 10 courts of action wrapping up play Sunday night.

CoBL had writers and scouts at Jefferson University and the Alan Horwitz 'Sixth Man' Center throughout the weekend. Here's Pt. 3 of notebooks focusing on individual players and their recruitments:

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2025 Philly Live Week 2 Coverage
Standouts: Friday (Pt. 1) | Friday (Pt. 2) | Saturday (Pt. 1) | Saturday (Pt. 2) | Saturday (Pt. 3) | Sunday (Pt. 1) | Sunday (Pt. 2)
Notebooks: Recruiting (Pt. 1) | Recruiting (Pt. 2 ) | Recruiting (Pt. 3) | Recruiting (Pt. 4) | Team Coverage (Pt. 1) | Team Coverage (Pt. 2) |

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Larry Brown (2026 | Coatesville)

As his phone rang, Larry Brown had a good idea what was coming.

While the Coatesville senior had been tipped off by his coach that his first Division I offer was likely on its way, it didn’t take away any of the satisfaction of actually hearing the news. Boston University became the first program to offer the versatile forward a spot at the next level but likely won’t be the last.

Brown will be a key player for one of District I’s premier programs this season and he’s getting ready for it.

“My coach (John Allen) had called me first, so I already knew what it was but I was still excited when coach Joe (Jones) called me,” Brown said. “He said ‘Larry, how are you feeling?’ and even though I knew what it was, it was a great feeling.”

Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward who can play inside or out, handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter, said he didn’t expect an offer but felt like with the work he’d put in, one would eventually come. Unsurprisingly, one of the main things Jones pointed out that he’d liked about the Coatesville senior was Brown’s motor and intensity on the court.

“I feel like my motor has gotten stronger,” Brown said. “My patience, my jump shot, being strong on the ball and attacking strong, I can guard 94 feet, I think I’ve gotten better at all that.”

Brown said he’s also heard from FDU, UA Little Rock and East Stroudsburg directly while a few others including Monmouth have reached out to his coaches.

“I gotta stay hungry,” Brown said.

The Red Raiders graduated seniors like Nasir Williams and Amon Fowlkes from last year’s state quarterfinal team but there’s a strong tradition at Coatesville every year. With Brown and standout sophomore Colton Hiller, among plenty of others more than able to contribute, Coatesville will again enter a season with high aspirations at the league, district and state level.

“These last two weekends, I’ve really noticed how the little things matter,” Brown said Saturday in between games against Seton Hall Prep and Roman Catholic. “Missed rebounds, there were some on my end I needed to have, missing the ball, missed free throws, dumb fouls at times, it all matters.”

Brown said he’s been working on his jump shot and attacking the basket but also his defense, saying anytime he gets a stop it fires him up even more. He knows eyes are on him, not just from college programs, but also his teammates and he’s also working to be a more vocal presence as a result.

“I’m learning how to help my guys and be a leader,” Brown said. “I feel like I’ve always been quiet but on the court, I'm a different person and in that leadership role, I’ve stepped into it.” — Andrew Robinson

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Brayden Jones (2026 | East Catholic, Conn.)

Philly Live Session I was good to Brayden Jones.

Last weekend, two more Division I offers came rolling in, FGCU and Drexel. After East Catholic wrapped up the live period on Saturday the 21st, Drexel liked what they saw out of Jones and called him, relaying the message that they want him on their squad. FGCU staff members approached him after a game, to talk about their program, seeing him as a potential fit. They gave him the official offer later in the week, adding more choice within his recruiting journey.

“It feels good knowing that the work I have been putting in is paying off,” said Jones, commenting on his recent offers. “But, I still have more to show and more to work on.”

Jones has five other D-I offers: Central Connecticut State University, Toledo, Fairfield Manhattan, and Iona. The first one came a year ago in June 2024 from CCSU and the following six have all come about within the last month. While these offers have all materialized recently Jones has known his potential for a while–since freshman year–and has put in the work thereafter.

“You know freshman year we had a great team,” Jones said. “Seeing everyone else push me to make myself be better made me have a goal to set to make it to the next level.”

The 6-8 forward originally did not have basketball at the forefront, instead having soccer be his main sport growing up. However, he made the switch right before highschool as he says, “My parents told me I was too tall to keep playing soccer and I needed to focus on basketball.”

The change to basketball appears to be the right decision as his height and size allow him to be a dominant scorer in the paint. This weekend, in the Eagles 64-54 win over Upper Dublin, Jones put up 26 points as he used his body and strength to move defenders out of the way and score easy buckets inside. He had a great impact on the game as Upper Dublin would only be able to make runs when he was taking a break on the bench and he was able to utilize his length on defense to make steals and convert them into points for East Catholic. 

As Jones’ senior year approaches he has planned some visits to see the schools that have offered him. This week he will visit Iona and Fairfield and is currently planning visits to Toledo and FGCU for later in the summer. Jones does not have an exact timeline for his commitment, looking to see if he can continue to rack up offers as he closes out EYBL season with City Rocks and as East Catholic hosts open gyms for college coaches in the fall. But, it is clear he is willing to continue putting in the work to play for the best program possible.

“My end goal is just to play at the highest level,” Jones said. “The best college I can, and show that I belong to the play there.” — Olivia Valania

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D.J. Jones (2027 | Cardinal O’Hara)

The 6-7 rising junior lefty wing has already received some interest from Navy, and there will potentially be a growing list. The son of former St. Joe’s great and current Hawks’ assistant coach Dwayne Jones, DJ transferred into O’Hara from Sanford High School (Del.) so he could go against better opposition in the Philadelphia Catholic League. 

“I know the Catholic League is the best league in Pennsylvania, and probably one of the best leagues in the country,” he said. “I’m ready for this. I started at O’Hara in May. In Delaware, we don’t have to play that much defense. That will be something I will need to work on here going against the teams and the players in the Catholic League. My goal is to get O’Hara wins and get O’Hara to the playoffs, something I understand didn’t happen last year.” 

DJ wears a size 15 shoe and says he is projected to grow to 6-8, or 6-9. O’Hara pulled off a nice dramatic, last-second 51-49 victory over Montgomery (N.J.) on Saturday at Philly Live II. DJ made his first two shots, a three from distance and a pull-up jumper. He then underwent a lull, and regained his rhythm, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the second half.

With his dad leaning in courtside closely watching everything he did, DJ proved to be fundamentally sound, boxing out, displaying great athleticism and willingness to play defense. Navy has called him. It is a list that will grow. St. Joe’s will no doubt be calling. Dwayne and the St. Joe’s family may have a potential problem on their hands: DJ’s upward arc will undoubtedly draw blue blood attention. 

“Right now, I’m working on my game, I want to get off a more consistent shot, and I have played with my back to the basket, but I’m a guard,” he said. “I feel confident in myself to lead on and off the court. I think I’m being underestimated a little bit. I still have to make a name for myself in the Catholic League. My ballhandling and defense needs to improve. I am lifting more and I want to get heavier. I’m around 180, 185 and I would like to play at around 195.” — Joseph Santoliquito         

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Khalif Turner (2026 | Milton Hershey)

Khalif Turner got serious in his junior year and the results showed.
 

The Milton Hershey senior elevated his game to become one of the top players in the Mid-Penn Conference and helped the Spartans go from a three win 2023-24 season to a 17-10 record and a PIAA Class 5A playoff appearance. It’s also put him on the radar for a host of mid-state college programs who saw a different player and team this past season.

“I limited my distractions,” Turner said. “I was getting in the gym every day, working out. I’m just about basketball now and hoping to take that next step.”

The Milton Hershey School is a boarding school so its students live on-campus during the school year and in some cases, year-round. Turner, who is from the Washington, D.C. area, stays on campus most of the time and he plays his travel ball with Central PA Elite.

He also shares his on-campus housing with most of his teammates, so they built up a pretty strong chemistry that led to the team’s success during the season.

“We came together,” Turner said. “We were in the gym every day. If one person was missing, it felt like we were all missing, we kept each other together.

“When we played as a team, we would win. When we decided to do our own individual stuff and not follow the game plan, we’d tend to lose a lot. We came together as a team.”

Winning just three games the year before served as a pretty strong motivator for all the Spartans. They dominated Middlesex (NJ) in their matchup Saturday evening with several players shining in the win following a win over Hamilton West (NJ) for a 2-0 day.

Turner, who averaged 18.6 ppg, said the game slowed down for him this year and it shows. He’s got a quick first step and a good handle, so he can get by defenders but it never seems like he’s moving too fast.

The 6-foot-1 guard listed McDaniel, Lebanon Valley College, Penn Tech and Millersville as the programs that have shown the most interest.

“They like how I just control the floor,” Turner said. “I try to be a leader on the court. If someone makes a bad play, I want to let them know it happens and let’s move on to the next play, just help us all come together.”

While he’s always wanted to play at the next level, Turner didn’t think it was something that would pan out for him two years ago while he and his team were mired in a tough season. He changed his approach this last year, reignited his love for the game and turned in the kind of season that could help make his dream a reality.

“It’s something I’ve always thought about, I really want to make it to that next level,” Turner said. “I’m excited to see where my journey takes me.” — Andrew Robinson

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Quick Hits

— Tyrease Hunter (2026 | Roselle Catholic, N.J.) is part of an impressive top six for the Lions, who don’t have a starter taller than his 6-3 frame, but that didn’t stop them from winning the NJ Non-Public ‘B’ Crown this past year, beating St. Rose in the championship. Todd Decker’s five-out system looked great on Sunday in a 73-68 win over Father Judge, Hunter contributing 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in a terrific all-around performance as four Roselle starters finished in double figures.

“It’s great, I really like it,” Hunter said of the interchangeable lineup. “We really don’t have positions, we all just play off each other, we’re all just playing basketball. It really helped us last year, it really worked.”

A high-level athlete with a strong frame, Hunter is a no-doubt Division I talent. He picked up offers from Seton Hall, Auburn and Ole Miss a couple years back, but said that Seton Hall is still very much involved in his recruitment; Delaware and Boston U have been more recent schools in touch since his play this month. — Josh Verlin

— Stephon Ashley-Wright (2026 | Neumann-Goretti) just picked up an offer from Towson, taking a visit to the Maryland school’s campus last week and meeting with head coach Pat Skerry and staff. “The campus is nice, everything is nice there,” he said. “Coach Skerry, he’s an awesome dude, I love him.” St. Joe’s and Bryant had offered a while back, and he said he’s also hearing from other schools in the mid-major range. “I’m really looking for coaches to trust me and lead me,” he said. “Just help me become a better young man through the four years.”

— Seamus Bieg (2026 | Camden Catholic, N.J.) is hearing from a slew of high-academic Division III coaches. Watching him play Saturday morning in a game against Lansdale Catholic, it didn’t take long to see why: the 6-0 guard is an impressive shot-maker with good athleticism and a high basketball IQ, as well as the ability to make quick decisions on the court and with the ball in his hands. He piled up 29 points in the game with five 3’s, adding nine rebounds (five offensive) and four assists plus two steals. He named interest from UChicago, Dickinson, Haverford, Catholic (D.C.) and Gettysburg as well as D-II Assumption (N.Y.).