City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The longest-running community-run ALS charity event in the country, the Billy Lake ALS Basketball Marathon held its 33rd edition on Saturday at Bonner-Prendergast, with two girls’ games and seven boys’ games featuring area high school teams. 

CoBL had writers in attendance for the majority of the event, checking out of eight of the nine games on hand. Here’s who stood out to the CoBL staff over the games we attended:

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Chris Allegra (2026 | Coatesville)
A 5-10 guard, Allegra is one of the toughest players around, which he showed during a win over a shorthanded Father Judge; despite being the shortest player on the court the entire time, Allegra still grabbed a handful of offensive rebounds along with his 11-point outing against the Crusaders’ younger players. Allegra’s best moment came when he had a driving layup in transition, then immediately picked off the inbounds pass and smoothly deposited a reverse layup before running to a corner and helping trap a ball-handler. 

Pryce Alston (2028 | La Salle)
The 6-foot-9 sophomore center can be an intimidating force inside for the Explorers this coming season. In the first half of a 41-37 comeback victory over Penncrest on Saturday, Alston was possibly the only bright spot in a dreadful first half for the Explorers, who trailed 21-6 at halftime. Alston finished with 6 points, two blocked shots and three rebounds in the victory, but his athleticism, quick feet, long arms and good hands created many problems on defense for Penncrest. He saw the court very well and had not problem getting physical near the basket.  

Melo Aylmer (2028 | Central Bucks West)
The 6-foot sophomore guard transfer from Lansdale Catholic is silky smooth with the ball, can score both driving the lane and pulling up, and plays with a poise that belies his sophomore status. He will be important to CB West’s drive to the District 1 playoffs this season, and if the Saturday morning session is any indication of what’s ahead, the Bucks are in good shape with Aylmer. He scored eight points, hit open teammates, and showed good range on his shot, nailing a three late in the first half in the Bucks’ 43-29 victory over Springfield (Delco). 

Andrew Brown (2026 | Haverford High)
In a tight contest with Bishop Shanahan, Brown was a key component in the end sequence which halted the Eagles’ campaign. The senior guard drilled a triple to break the 37-37 tie and bring it to 40-37. However the Eagles attack was still prevalent as they worked Haverford to take a one-point lead with a score of 40-41 while roughly a minute remained. This did not shake the resilient guard as he was able to get to the line and nail 2 free throws to give Haverford the lead back and catalyst their 44-41 victory. As a high-level slasher tallying 15 points, Brown continues to emerge as a leader for the 2025-2026 Haverford public squad.

Andrew Corcoran (2026 | Bishop Shanahan)
An athletic 6-foot-3 guard, Corcoran presented as a clear leader for the young Shanahan squad that made the trip to the Bonner-Prendergast gymnasium this Saturday. Finishing with 19 of the Eagles’ 41 points, the senior guard could score at any level but repeatedly chose to work defenders from outside the 3-point line to get to the lane and finish. With a quick first step and notable dribbling skills, he made something out of nothing, rarely scoring off of a cut or pass and choosing to attack his respective defender himself. Corcoran will cause problems in the Ches-Mont league during his final campaign due to his athleticism, size, and fearlessness. 

Alexis Eberz (2026 | Archbishop Carroll)
The oldest Eberz sibling was in control in Carroll’s 66-40 win over Perkiomen Valley, going off for 31 points as the Viking defense couldn’t do much to slow down the Patriots’ Villanova-bound star guard. Eberz, known as a strong outside shooter, only needed to hit one from deep as she continually got into the lane, whether that was with strong cuts to the hoop along with a feed from a teammate, or by driving and using her quality athleticism to rise up over a defender and pop one in off the glass. The 5-9 guard rounded off her game with seven rebounds and two assists.

Kayla Epps (2028 | Bonner-Prendergast)
An athletic 5-5 lead guard, Epps is an absolute defensive pest, which she showed by racking up eight steals in Bonner’s 30-28 loss to Springfield (Delco.) in the opening game of the event. The sophomore got her steals in large part just by getting up into whoever she was guarding, using her quick hands and feet to stay in front of whoever she was guarding and poke the ball away, though she also read a few passing lanes and picked off some cross-court looks like a free safety. She also added 10 points, though it was her defense that got her on this list.

Hannah Evans (2028 | Perkiomen Valley)
A new-look Perk Valley doesn’t have a senior in the starting lineup, and it’s one of the Vikings’ sophomores that looks like she’ll be their go-to bucket getter this season. A 5-8 guard, Evans went for 23 points against a high-level Carroll side, getting hot after missing her first few shots and staying that way through the rest of the game. Evans hit five 3-pointers on 10 attempts, showing off her ability to catch-and-fire in a split-second, and she also had a few nice takes to the rim.

Kam Jackson (2027 | Bonner-Prendergast)
Bonner’s fun-to-watch 5-9 junior point guard has had a strong summer and he continued that on Saturday with a 13-point, five-assist effort in Bonner’s loss to SCH Academy. Jackson understands his role as a point guard, with the ball on a string and a good understanding of when to attack and reset the offense; he’s also always looking for teammates, making a number of great drive-a-kick finds to shooters, even if they didn’t end up in made buckets. He also flashed his high-level finishing ability with a few tricky layups, including an and-one, as he was 5-of-5 from inside the arc and 3-of-3 from the line.

Owen Kelly (2026 | SCH Academy)
Behind a standout effort from Kelly, SCH Academy came into Bonner’s gym and beat the hosts by six in the first boys’ game of the day. The 6-5 wing and Lafayette commit went for 20 points with six rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block as he showed off his typical ability to knock down jumpers combined with his much-improved ability to attack the rim and get to the line. Kelly went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, earning his way there every time, as he showed off great footwork to be able to get into the lane, maintain his balance against a physical Bonner defense and draw contact. 

Max Milillo (2026 | Central Bucks West)
The 5-foot-9 senior guard is a heady, good off-the-ball defender, who knocked away numerous passes, and ran the Bucks offense very well in CB West’s 43-29 victory over Springfield (Delco) in the morning session of the Billy Lake ALS Basketball Marathon on Saturday. He finished with seven points, and displayed an ability to see open teammates the times he drove the basket. At 5-9, he was not averse to crashing the defensive boards, which is something he will be asked to do this coming season for the undersized Bucks. There was one frame against Springfield when he hit an open teammate in the corner for a three. It was an example of what he brings CB West. 

Mikey Mita (2026 | Penncrest)
The 6-foot-7 senior forward bound for high-academic Carnegie Mellon University can do it all—as he will be counted on this season for the Lions. He finished with 12 points in Penncrest’s surprising 41-37 loss to La Salle, in which the Lions were ahead, 21-6 at halftime. Mita plays with confidence, under control, and can hit shots inside and out. His quick feet and long arms make him tough to get around defensively, and offensively, he wants the ball in his hands. His athleticism can be a nightmare matchup for bigs who try and come out to defend him, and if given room, he can nail the three. 

Brady Moore (2026 | Downingtown West)
The 6-5 rising senior wing has great range both on the offensive and defensive sides, and fast feet, long arms, and great reflexes allow him to defend both on the perimeter and down low. He finished with a team-tying high 15 points in West’s 82-56 victory over Eastern Regional (N.J.). He scored with slams, mid-range jumpers and ending with four assists and three rebounds. He plays with high energy, and is worth seeing play, guaranteed to throw down one highlight reel dunk a game, as he did against Eastern Regional.  

Alice Murphy (2029 | Springfield-Delco.)
The Cougars opened the day with a tight win over Bonner-Prendergast with a significant boost from a trio of freshmen off the bench, including Murphy. A 5-10 wing/forward, Murphy wasn’t afraid to play downhill and physical, showing off her solid handle as she navigated screens and got to the hoop, finishing an and-one as part of a 11-point, three-rebound, four-steal effort. She hit a 3-pointer in the first half and was also 6-of-7 from the line, including a couple big makes in the final minute of a two-point victory.

Dan Pellegrini (2027 | Central Bucks West)
The 6-foot-3 junior forward moves exceptionally well, he is very strong around the basket, as Springfield (Delco) found out in the morning session of the Billy Lake ALS Basketball Marathon on Saturday, with 12 points and six rebounds. He was vital cog on CB West’s press trap, scoring six-straight in the Bucks’ 43-29 victory. He anticipates well and displays great body control when driving the lane. He fights through contact well, and is certainly not afraid to be physical around the basket. He could be a matchup problem, too big for smaller forwards to cover down low, too fast for bigs to cover on the perimeter. 

Keron Whitfield (2027 | Downingtown West)
The 6-foot-1 junior guard was electric in Downingtown West’s 82-56 victory over Eastern Regional (N.J.), dropping a team-tying high 15 points, mostly on drives to the basket. Eastern could do nothing against him. Whitfield scored on layups with an exceptional first step, and explosive burst. He can create his own shot, and hit from distance. He anticipated well defensively, and blocked a couple of shots, one going the length of the court to block a shot from behind. He closed the first half with a great spinning move to the basket.

Nate Zanetich (2026 | Eastern Regional, N.J.)
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound big is getting Division III looks, knows how to use his body and position his large frame around the basket, and his long arms make him a quality rim protector. He finished with 15 points in Eastern’s 82-56 loss to Downingtown West, though made his presence known in the game. West sometimes had trouble driving the lane against Zanetich. He had no trouble getting physical inside, and he played with a competitive edge, not afraid to initiate contact and bound off defenders. He also plays with high energy, running down the court to reach his spot before his opposite could get there. 

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Honorable Mention
Jeremiah Adedeji (2027 | Father Judge), Larry Brown (2026 | Coatesville), Khory Copeland (2029 | Father Judge), Kayla Eberz (2028 | Archbishop Carroll), Ben Kondyra (2028 | Central Bucks West), Abbie MacFarland (2027 | Springfield-Delco.), Abbie McFillin (2027 | Archbishop Carroll), Kate Nemic (2027 | Perkiomen Valley), Skylar Rothley (2028 | Bonner-Prendergast), Cate Schumacher (2027 | Archbishop Carroll), Will Stanton (2026 | Penncrest).