City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldDVHR)
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The sixth annual Jr. All-City Classic hit Imhotep Charter on Tuesday night, as 40 members of the Class of 2021 competed over the course of two games in what is CoBL’s annual first look at the rising freshman class.

Here’s our picks for standouts from the event (position and middle school in parenthesis):

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Jerome Brewer (F/Samuel S. Yellin, N.J.)

Possibly the prospect in the gym with the highest ceiling -- it’ll be another year or two before the class really shakes out in terms of who’s really on the high-major track -- was this 6-foot-5 wing forward, who showed off quite a versatile skillset in the second game. Brewer, who plays his AAU ball with Team Final, started off his night by knocking down a mid-range jumper, then got to work around the rim on both ends, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. The lanky athlete looks like he’ll add a few more inches onto his frame, and as long as his skillset keeps developing he could be a wing forward with tremendous size and ability.

Rasheen Caulk Jr. (SF/St. Anthony of Padua, Del.)

The MVP for the White Team in the opening game, Caulk got more run than anybody else as he also started for the White Team in the second game and played plenty in the nightcap as well. But he really shined in his original contest, when he scored 19 points from various points on the floor; he got his first bucket with a beautiful screen, slip and finish, also hit a few mid-range jumpers and hit a 3-pointer later on. The athletic 6-1 wing with a long wingspan capped off a well-rounded game with six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a few blocks as well.

Malik Edwards Jr. (G/St. Laurence School, Pa.)

A 5-10 combo guard who will attend Cardinal O’Hara next year, Edwards showed off his dynamic scoring ability in scoring 14 points for the Black Team in the first game. He’s not the quickest with the ball in his hands, but makes up for it with his craft, as he showcased a solid Euro-step and several creative finishes. Edwards has a great frame for the lead guard spot, and has a chance to blossom into a high-level prospect as he improves his court vision and becomes more of a floor general.

Marvin Harrison Jr. (SG/Penn Charter, Pa.)

While NFL Hall of Famer--and Philly native--Marvin Harrison is obviously most known for his exploits on the football field, the Roman Catholic grad was no slouch on the court in his high school days, amassing 1,166 points as a Cahillite. Clearly the athletic genes didn’t skip a generation, as Marvin Harrison Jr. stood out first with his long 6-2 frame, and then with his propensity for knifing into the lane for crafty finishes. An explosive athlete as well, Harrison Jr. will be attending La Salle College HS and will have a chance to push for minutes in the Explorers’ backcourt as early as next year.

Robert Jackson (PF/Fitler Academic Plus, Pa.)

A bit of a throwback, back-to-the-basket bruiser inside, Jackson was the epitome of knowing his strengths and sticking to them in earning MVP honors for his team. The 6-4 post was comfortable doing all of the dirty work: finishing around the rim, grabbing rebounds, running the floor, and staying active defensively. En route to a 16-point, 10-rebound, 4-block performance, Jackson also showed some nice polish in the low post, with his go-to move being a righty jump hook that he converted on several occasions.

Jordan Longino (G/Germantown Ac., Pa.)

The younger brother of the second-leading scorer in GA history (Evan-Eric Longino, 1658 points), Longino looks like he’s going to join his brother as four-year varsity contributors, as the 6-2 guard has a lot of talent in his varsity-ready frame. While the older Longino brother was more of a 6-4 wing who came up as something of a stretch-’4’, Jordan is a true guard, a better athlete than his brother but with just as high of a basketball IQ. Longino displayed some tremendous passing abilities, making several tough looks on the money with strong deliveries, and added five points for his team with a smooth-looking jumper.

Themere Simmons (PG/Frederick Douglass Mastery Charter, Pa.)

Already having impressed at the high school level with Imhotep Charter in NEBL play, Simmons showed again tonight why he’ll be one of the area’s premier lead guards for the next several years. Standing around 5-8 with a powerful, compact frame, Simmons is a blur with the ball in his hands and has his head up at all times, always looking for the open man. He didn’t show much in the way of a perimeter shot, but expect to see Simmons living in the paint sooner rather than later for the reigning Public League champs.

Jalen Stinson (PG/Haverford School, Pa.)

The Fords needed a point guard in the pipeline with Kharon Randolph and Jameer Nelson Jr. entering their senior and junior years, respectively, and it certainly looks like head coach Bernie Rogers will be able to hand the ball right to Stinson when those two are gone. The 5-9 speedster was terrific with the ball in his hands, breaking down his defender off the bounce to get to the rim and the foul line, or dish it off to teammates with equal effectiveness. Also showed he can shoot it a bit, connecting on two second-half 3-pointers.

Ahmir Williams (PF/St. Martin de Porres, Pa.)

One half of a terrific interior battle in the first game -- Robert Jackson’s performance is detailed above -- Williams used his length and athleticism to consistently make an impact around the basket. Although he didn’t do much with the ball in his hands, his lanky 6-5 frame and high motor were all he needed to wreak havoc as a rebounder and shot-blocker, pulling down 11 boards and swatting a number of shot attempts. He’ll to need to add to his offensive repertoire in the coming years, but Williams should be able to make his presence felt inside almost immediately at the high school level.

Taquan Woodley (PF/Cooper Poynt, N.J.)

The final impressive big man on this list was the most well-rounded of the night. Woodley is a solid 6-6 and 210 pounds, not overweight but solid throughout. He used that physicality inside, powering his way through opponents for rebounds (10 of them) and 13 points, though some of that came on a jumper or two as he showed the ability to face up; though he wasn’t asked to handle the ball much, he displayed the ability to do so capably for brief moments against the press. If he adds a few more inches to his frame, he’s a D-I big man without question. With continued hard work, his ceiling remains fairly high no matter what.

Honorable Mention: Mike Anderson (PG/St. Martin de Porres, Pa.), Jameel Brown (SG/St. Martin de Porres, Pa.), Karim Boyd (PG/Abington, Pa.), Christian Clover (SG/Holy Child at Rosemont, Pa.), Hyseir Miller (SF/Universal Charter, Pa.), Marcus Randolph (G/Willingboro, N.J.), Daeshon Shepard (SF/Dwight D. Eisenhower, Pa.), Zaakir Williamson (PF/St. Francis Cabrini, Pa.)