City of Basketball Love

Aron Minkoff (@AronMinkoff)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's "Prepping for Preps," our series of articles previewing area high school teams for the 2015-16 season. For the complete list of schools previewed so far, click here)

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Smack-dab in the middle of one of the best basketball leagues in the region, Bonner-Prendergast finds itself fighting to showcase what makes them different.

What distinguishes them from the rest of the teams in the the Philadelphia Catholic League, one that produced state champions in three of the four Pennsylvania classifications.

The answer to what will make the difference is neither apparent nor simple. With the season yet to get underway, it is tough to assess who will finish where in the Catholic League, with so much talent, circulated among the league, any number of teams could find themselves vying for a playoff spot at season’s end.

Though Roman and Neumann-Goretti look like they have a head up on the rest of the league, with Archbishop Wood right behind, there are a number of programs who will be fighting for the 4-to-11 slots all season long: Archbishop Carroll, Conwell-Egan, La Salle College HS, Father Judge, Archbishop Ryan, Saint Joseph's Prep, and more. Including Bonner.

“It is probably the best league in the state,” Bonner coach Jack Concannon said. “It is ultra-competitive. You gotta show up every night, whether or not you are playing the top-ranked team or the bottom-ranked team. I think our teams 10-14 teams could beat a lot of other teams in a lot of other leagues. It is just the way it is.”

After a 12-11 finish in 2014-15, Bonner-Prendergast’s season ended in the first round as the ninth-seeded Friars lost to eighth seeded Father Judge.

The goal for Concannon and the Friars remains the same as it does every year, with a roster that features four seniors, each of whom played meaningful minutes last season, one begins to ask when the goal is increased, how much further can this team go.

“In our league, our goal is to get into the playoffs,” Concannon said. “And then to see what happens from there.”

Those four seniors that return for Bonner are led by John Hargraves, a 6-foot-3 forward who plans on playing basketball at Moravian College next season. Hargraves averaged 6.7 ppg last season, but will be counted on to score more in filling in for the departed Marques Jackson.

Jackson led the Friars in scoring last season at 13.5 ppg.

“I think he has the chance to be an All-Catholic player,” Concannon said of Hargraves. “I have never coached a player that works harder than him, in practice, games whatever, he is a pleasure to coach, and in my opinion, one of the best power forwards around.”

Of course, it is not all up to Hargraves. Joining him are fellow seniors Mike Mercanti, Keith Washington Jr. and Ryan Germany. The quartet of seniors all of have valuable experience, having played in the Catholic League before.

“We are going to go probably as far as our seniors take us,” Concannon said. “We are really relying on them,”

Washington, one of the other four mentioned seniors was second on the team in scoring last season, chiming in 8.8 ppg last season. The 6-foot guard will be counted on to help flow the offense and feed the ball to his big man, Hargraves.

Joining Washington in the backcourt is 5-9 junior guard Christian Lane. Lane played on the varsity team sparingly last season and is expected to start for the Friars this upcoming season, in what will be a real test for the young guard.

Everything still points to Hargraves, the leader of the team and one of the biggest players. In a league that often features exceptional size and skill in the paint, Hargraves, while he will have help, will surely be counted on.

“There is probably a little bit of pressure on me, but it is not just me as a senior, it is me Mike, Ryan and Keith, so you know we all have a piece of the load to take,” Hargraves said. “I think we will be able to shock a lot of different teams because they don’t see us coming.”

Bonner will open up the season on Friday with a rematch of last season’s opener, hosting Malvern Prep. The Friars lost that one, 67-53. While Malvern Prep is not exactly on the same level of some of the teams that Bonner will face in the Catholic League, it is a good first test to start the season.

After the holiday season, Bonner will begin to face some of those Catholic League heavyweights as they get into the thick of league play.

“I think the future is bright, we intend to compete with everybody else,” Concannon said. “To me, the league is very equal, once you get past the elite, top teams.”

This idea, this mentality, that they are just as good as the majority of the teams in their league could prove to be beneficial to them in the upcoming season. Last season, in finishing in ninth place in the league, they only defeated one team that finished ahead of them in the standings, Father Judge--in overtime, by one point.

Bonner’s bench will feature some young talent in 6-foot-3 junior Dylan Higgins who was a sixth man for the Friars last season, and will most likely return in that role.

Concannon is also hopeful that 6-foot-7 sophomore Jake Wilson will make an impact on the team. He has yet to be medically cleared but when that happens he should play a meaningful role for the Friars.

There was also much speculation regarding class of 2018 Nigerian forward Ajiri Johnson, who was expected to join the Friars this season. Instead, the 6-foot-8 Johnson is attending a prep school in Connecticut.

“I think we are looking real good this year,” Hargraves said. “We are a very physical team, and I think we are a lot more smarter, we have to use our intelligence a lot more.”