City of Basketball Love

Tyler Sandora (@tyler_sandora)
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The Saint Joseph’s Commuter Team Camp got underway on Friday night, the first of three straight days of action at 54th and City Ave. One of the larger camps around, the Hawks’ staff has eight courts going for four sets each day, with teams who can get to-and-from campus each day.

Here’s a notebook from Friday night’s action:

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Gators hope offseason will bring them closer together

The Shipley School’s basketball team has one goal in mind this offseason: develop chemistry.

Many of the key contributors from last season will return to the lineup, but with minutes available, some talented young players will get the opportunity to shine.

“We’ve got some new guys playing together, so we really haven’t established an identity yet,” head coach Phil D’Ambrosio said. “We’re trying to get guys comfortable playing with each other.”

Shipley’s leading scorer last season, rising senior point guard Sam Sessoms, will lead the offense for the third straight season. At 5-10, Sessoms has no fear of going right at his defenders in the paint and finishing through contact. In his first game against North Penn, Sessoms dropped 33 points, including five 3’s, and made his defenders look confused while he dazzled them with his shifty handle.

Shipley’s next big contributor will be center Ray Somerville. A 6-10 rising junior, Somerville has made numerous improvements to his game recently, and colleges have begun to notice. Stony Brook offered him on Friday, while Drexel, La Salle, Lafayette, and Hartford have all been in contact with the 240-pound big man.

Since transferring from Penncrest and repeating his sophomore season at Shipley, Somerville has been extremely grateful for his opportunity to showcase his talents at a higher level.

“It’s opened so many doors for me,” he said. “In the first two weeks at the school I had colleges interested in me already.”

Gone is Kiyon Hardy, a 5-9 guard who's off to D-II Kutztown, taking more than 20 points per game with him.

Khai Champion, a rising sophomore and younger brother of Loyola (Md.) guard Chuck Champion, will be an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on, as the 6-2 combo guard scored 12 points in the loss to North Penn.

Playing in the Friends League which has been dominated by the Westtown School the past few years, Shipley could give the Moose a run for their money if they continue to play together and develop as a team.

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Quick Hits
-- Trailing Shipley 33-28 at half, North Penn needed somebody to step up and bring them back into the game. That person was A.J. Mitchell. The rising junior guard scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half, propelling North Penn to a 68-62 win in their first matchup of the night. At 5-11, Mitchell uses his explosive first step to get past defenders and to the rim. He showed a much improved outside shooting ability, and was terrific in the open floor.

-- Bonner-Prendergast gained a huge transfer last week in former Salesianum big man Tariq Ingraham, and they may not be done adding pieces to the program. St. George’s Tech’s Nah’shon Hyland suited up for Bonner on Friday night, and he said he’s “most likely” to join the Friars next season. Hyland hopes that playing in the Catholic League will help prepare him for when he gets to the next level. At 6-3, 150 pounds, Hyland is nicknamed “bones” for his lanky frame and playing style. Monmouth is the only school to offer so far, but Temple, St. Joes., and Hofstra have all reached out to Hyland.

-- One of the best lockdown defenders on display Friday night was Tatnall rising senior Andre Ward. A 5-foot-7 stocky guard, Ward was causing problems for his opponents on seemingly every possession. With his quick hands and nonstop motor, Ward was making it very difficult for his opponents to slow it down and run their offense. On offense, Ward is a facilitator, but he’s working to develop more of a balance between passing and scoring. Pace University and Connecticut College have both been in contact with Ward.

-- The Haverford School will return all five of its starters from last season, which saw them finish third in the Inter-Ac. In addition to all of that talent returning this season, expect to see some new faces on the floor for the Fords. Expect to hear names like Tyler Seward and Jaylim Stinson, rising freshmen guards, both of whom attended the Haverford School last year as eighth graders. Both Seward and Stinson have a quick first step, and both showed impressive finishing ability around the rim. Add in classmate Christian Clover, who is in his first year with the Fords, and you’ve got yourself a deep, young bench. While it's still uncertain whether or not Jameel Brown, an athletic rising eighth grader will make a varsity impact, don’t be surprised if the bench of The Haverford School will propel them to an Inter-Ac championship.

-- Another young prospect to keep an eye on would be Shipley’s Khalil Farmer. Farmer will be repeating his eighth grade year at Shipley and will become a 2022 prospect. Already 6-foot-3, Farmer showed no signs of backing down, as he went strong to the basket on numerous occasions and guarded the opponent's best player at times. While he still needs to adjust to the speed of the high-school level, expect him to contribute to Shipley’s varsity squad this season.

-- Moravian and Hood College are D-III two schools after the services of pennsbury big man Chad Weldon. A 6-8 rising senior, Weldon showed that even with his skinny frame, he can play physically under the basket. Because he’s only 195 pounds, Weldon hopes to put some weight on before his senior season to enable him to expand his post game. Weldon’s touch around the rim is much improved, and when he can develop a mid-range jumper, expect more schools to be after him.