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. 2 of notebooks focusing on area high school teams and what they’re working on this summer: 

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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) | Recruiting (Pt. 5) | Team Coverage (Pt. 1) | Team Coverage (Pt. 2) |

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Neumann-Goretti

The Saints aren’t used to finishing in the middle of the pack. 

Neumann-Goretti went 18-11 (7-6 PCL) last year, losing to Father Judge in the PCL quarterfinals to miss out on the Palestra for the first time in seven years, a rarity in Carl Arrigale’s 26-year tenure in South Philly. The Saints did rally, winning the PIAA Class 5A championship by beating hometown favorite Hershey at the GIANT Center in March, a run that Arrigale hopes will launch his team towards a bounce-back 2025-26. 

It helps that he’s got a veteran core to build around, starting with a trio of senior guards in Stephon Ashley-Wright, DeShawn Yates and Kody Colson. Last year, Ashley-Wright was the team’s leading scorer (17.5 ppg) with Yates (14.1 ppg, 5.9 apg) and Colson (12.5 ppg) joining him in double figures. In the middle is senior Alassan N’Diaye, who averaged 14.1 ppg and a team-high 8.5 rpg last year 

And they have their eyes on just one thing. 

“PCL championship or it’s a failure,” Colson said. “We’ve all got one more year left, we’re all trying to just put together our best season. We’ve got to put our pride aside, last year we fell short, so I’m trying to make sure we get it done this year.”

“The mindset is just to try to win everything,” Ashley-Wright added. “We’re more consistent and more for each other and we just want it.”

The Saints went 6-0 across two weekends at Philly Live, beating a number of high-level out-of-state programs along the way. The top unit was really clicking Friday during a 20-point win over Linden (N.J.), with all four of those returning rising seniors finishing in double figures as the Saints racked up 15 assists and knocked down 10 3-pointers. 

Making a big impact on the wing was 2027 SF Marquis Newson, who comes to N-G after spending his sophomore year at Academy New Church. A talented 6-5 wing with long arms and a scorer’s mindset, Newson is a Division I recruit and another big piece, and his teammates are happy to have him there.

“He fits in actually perfectly,” Ashley-Wright said.”Came to the practices, just fit in right with the group, and you see on the court he’s just carrying along with us.”

Stepping up behind that high-level quintet will be 2028 guard E.J. Stanton, next up in Arrigale’s long line of talented ball-handlers. One more newcomer, California transplant 2027 G/F London Collins, is a physical presence at 6-2 with long arms and wide shoulders, and he’s the nephew of former N-G standout Scoop Jardine. 

It’s a group good enough to compete with anybody at the top of the PCL, and they’ve got a coach that’s been there more than anybody else in the city. Don’t sleep on these Saints. — Josh Verlin

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Cheltenham

After a rare absence from the district postseason in 2023, Cheltenham advanced to the district quarterfinals and qualified for the state playoffs for the second year in a row last season.

The Panthers graduate three all-league players in Osei Johnson (first), Justin Ezeukwu (second) and Salim Kelly (HM), but there’s a lot to like about coach Pat Fleury’s team as they showed in a 90-65 win over Dallastown on Friday at Jefferson.

“It’s still early but we definitely have a good core group,” Fleury said. “We’re still somewhat young. … We’ve been together now for basically three years, so I think it’s starting to click.

It all starts with 2027 guard Kamal Mason (5-9), a first team All-SOL selection a season ago. Fleury describes him as a natural facilitator who can score the ball. He’s the type of player who elevates his teammates.

Chris Harmon (6-3), Mark Hill (6-1) and Micah Millis (6-1) are three 2026 guards that impressed Friday as well. They can impact the game with their scoring, but also with their athleticism on the glass and the defensive end. That’s the M.O. of the Panthers in general, Fleury hopes.

“The ball will find the person who brings the energy,” Fleury said. “We don’t really worry about scoring. If we defend and get rebounds, it’s all part of the game. Scoring is only one statistic. That’s our biggest thing. … Defelections, steals, rebounds, extra passes, just so it’s more fun for everybody.”

2027 wing Isaias Vargas (6-5) brings some athleticism and versatility to the group. Another 2026, Tyree Martin, is a 6-foot-7 forward to keep an eye on.

With the talent the Panthers have in the backcourt and out on the wings, the lanky forward could be an X-factor.

“He’s a long way from where he wants to be, but he’s gotten miles better,” Fleury said. “He’s just working a lot this summer.” — Owen McCue

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Lansdale Catholic

This decade has been raw for the Crusaders. They are the unenviable owners of a 59-game Philadelphia Catholic League losing streak, dating back to February 22, 2021, the last time Lansdale Catholic won a Catholic League game—and that came by forfeit to Neumann-Goretti, for use of an ineligible player. 

The last time the Crusaders won a Catholic League game on the court was February 12, 2021, a 44-43 nailbiter over Conwell-Egan.

Since 2021, Lansdale Catholic has gone 0-59 in the Catholic League, hauling four-straight seasons in which they went 0-13. When they begin their league schedule in January 2026, they will be looking to snap a five-year league losing streak.

Crusaders’ second-year coach Torre Harrison does not need to be reminded about the history. He knows. He also knows that if Lansdale Catholic were in any other league in the area, or any other league in the state, chances are the Crusaders would be competitive.

But this is the Catholic League, by far the best league in the state, home of a league history-making four state champions last season (Father Judge-6A, Neumann-Goretti-5A, Devon Prep-4A, West Catholic-3A).

Harison is using the summer to build a culture that erases the past with patient learning. The Crusaders return starters 6-foot-1 rising senior guard Yeboa Cobbold Jr., 6-4 rising sophomore forward Chase Stevens, and 6-foot rising sophomore guard Melore Aylmer with a team that went 8-16 overall and 0-13 in the Catholic League.

There were a few games that the Crusaders were a possession or two away from winning.

“That’s where our youth showed,” Harrison said. “We will learn from those things and be better for it. We are young, but everyone is coachable and ready to learn. I will not question the effort of my team. I am willing to be patient. It’s not foreign to me. When I was an assistant at (Archbishop) Carroll, we went through a lot of the same things, being patient with young guys playing meaningful varsity minutes.

“This is still a learning stage. We are playing to win. It’s about winning. Last year was about learning, this year will be about winning games and circling certain teams on the schedule where I expect us to win.”

The inside height will come from Stevens, 6-5 rising junior forward Colton McKeogh, 6-4 and rising junior forward Brayden Martin. Harrison said he likes the summer 6-2 rising senior guard Matt Johnson is having. Stevens is a sophomore who averaged 12 points a game as a freshman last year.

“The message to the guys is to compete, compete, compete,” Harrison said. “We beat a really Camden Catholic team earlier (on Saturday) and at this stage, we are throwing more attention to development than wins and losses.”

Johnson likes the look of this team. He feels a year’s experience will help. “We definitely made a lot of progress. No one on this team has won a Catholic League game. There are no easy teams, but we have to win one before we win two. We need to stay together as a team and grow from adversity.”

Martin transferred in from Conwell-Egan. “I’m going to help these guys prepare better for games,” he said. “I know the history here. It’s been a while that we haven’t won a league game. I want to build a culture that plays angry and hard, and get my team going.” — Joseph Santoliquito 

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Quick Hits

— La Salle College HS stepped onto the floor Friday at the Sixth Man Center without a single starter from last season. Along with the departure of graduates Nick Parisi and Hayes Altomare, the Explorers were without several multi-sport athletes who are in football mode, including 2027 PG Nick Neri. The new-look group still impressed in a 58-57 win over McCaskey, led by 2027 guard Max Okebata (6-3), who followed up a 15-point, seven-rebound performance against McCaskey with a great weekend. Last year’s sixth man could be one of the breakout players in the PCL this year. Returning from injury, 2026 guard/wing Ryan Damon (6-4). 2026 guard Jack McCabe is another senior leader. 2028 forward Pryce Alston (6-8) is a big man to keep an eye on over the next few years, already with solid balance and touch in the paint.

“It’s a full new restart,” Damon said. “We have some football guys who are still at football that we’re looking to have come back, but whoever’s out there we’re ready to play with and getting ready to go.”

— With standout James Brenner now at Germantown Academy after transferring to the Class of 2027, Unionville’s squad this upcoming season will have a different look. The Longhorns could get a boost from the Class of 2028 in guards Owen Watson (5-9) and Harris Stanislawczyk (5-8), wings/forwards Ian Buehler (6-2) and Graham Huntington (6-4). Watson was particularly impressive in a loss to Delbarton School (N.J.) on Saturday at Jefferson, shooting the ball and running the point. Will Sharkey, a 6-5 2026 forward, has some intrigue as a small college prospect as a player with size and touch who can step out and knock down shots. 2026 Sean Haugh (6-3) also made shots against Delbarton. — Owen McCue

— Plymouth Whitemarsh certainly looks like a serious District 1 6A contender at this point in the offseason, perhaps sharing a co-favorite potential with Coatesville heading into the summer and fall. It helps that Jim Donofrio has a bona-fide star guard in 2026 Mani Sajid and a legit Division I big in 2026 Michael Pereira, but the strength is in the supporting cast: 2026 PG Jack Hayes was playing well across both weekends, as were 2026 F Micah Thompson, 2026 G Terron Davis, 2027 G Buddy Denard and more. Donofrio’s got real size up front in Pereira (6-9) and Thompson (6-7), multiple quality scoring options and a lot of experience. It’s a good mix to have.