City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The largest of all the Scholastic Play-By-Play events, the 13th annual Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic consists of 16 games taking place at three different venues over the course of two days, Fri-Sat., Dec. 29-30.

There isn’t really a bad game in the bunch, but here are several key games we’re especially looking forward to; the complete schedule can be found at the bottom:

Abington vs. Archbishop Carroll
Fri., Dec. 29, Jefferson Univ., 7:00 PM

The first of a terrific two-game close to an overall strong seven game-slate at the former Philly U features the defending District 1 6A champions against a Patriots squad that’s in the hunt for the Catholic League championship, as well as several top college prospects. Abington junior forward Eric Dixon has high-major programs from around the nation on his recruiting trail, as the 6-7 lefty is a double-double machine who makes 20 & 10 look easy; Carroll sophomore guard A.J. Hoggard doesn’t yet have the list of offers Dixon does, but the 6-3 guard is a talented three-level scorer who also fills up the rest of the stat sheet. Both have strong supporting casts: the Galloping Ghosts have senior guard Robbie Heath and Lucas Monroe to take the pressure off Dixon, while the Patriots have senior forwards Keyon Butler and Devon Ferrero, as well as senior guard Justin Anderson and junior wing Luke House who can all get double figures on any given night.

Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Bonner-Prendergast
Fri., Dec. 29, Jefferson Univ., 8:45 PM

There aren’t many better matchups around when it comes to battles in the paint than between P-W’s stud-in-the-making Naheem McLeod and Bonner’s pair of Division I-bound forwards, senior Ajiri Johnson and junior Tariq Ingraham. At 7-foot-2, McLeod is an imposing threat around the rim for anybody who dares approach it, and he’s been rounding out his game with a more potent offensive ability, though he’s still limited to within 8-10 feet of the hoop. Bonner’s bigs are more advanced offensively, though neither have the sheer size of Mcleod; the 6-9 Johnson, a Rider commit is a bouncy athlete with a face-up game out to 15 feet, while Ingraham is a more grounded 6-8 post with a smooth passing game and good touch around the rim. Expect to see the Friars go high-low in an attempt to draw McLeod away from the rim. If not, Bonner guard Isaiah Wong, a top-100 junior with multiple high-major offers, will be forced to handle much of the offensive load -- if he can deal with P-W seniors Ahmad and Ahmin Williams, two ferocious defenders. Colonials 6-0 senior guard Ish Horn has also been scoring the ball at a high clip this season.

Bishop Shanahan vs. St. Joe’s Prep
Sat., Dec. 30, Widener Univ., 1:30 PM

Shanahan might not be as traditionally strong a program as many of the others in this preview, but the Eagles have proven themselves worthy of a test against a Catholic League powerhouse, after making the Ches-Mont championship and District 1 5A semifinals, with four starters returning. Shanahan, which features Gannon (Pa.)-bound big man Kevin Dodds, a 6-6 forward with a terrific post-up game and a non-stop motor, has already taken out Coatesville this season, and head coach Ken Doyle has a seven-man rotation who knows their roles and can handle playing in big atmospheres, including senior point guard David Angelo, senior wing Thomas Ford and junior guard Joe O’Malley. They’ll have their hands full with Prep’s six-man rotation, one of the most well-rounded yet for head coach Speedy Morris. The frontcourt features 6-10 junior Jacob O’Connell and 6-7 senior Ed Croswell, a La Salle commit; the backcourt includes a pair of three-year starters, seniors Kyle Thompson and Darius Kinnel, plus junior wing Gabe Arizin. This will be a chess match between the two teams, and could very well be played in the 40s or 50s. If Prep doesn’t come prepared, Shanahan could very well pick up the win.

Lower Merion vs. Coatesville
Sat., Dec. 30, Widener Univ., 6:45 PM

This could be a preview of the District 1 6A championship game -- or at least a potential quarter or semifinal, depending on the draw. Either way, these are two big-school programs with a lot of history and pride behind them, as well as a good deal of talent currently on the floor. Lower Merion is led by a strong junior class that goes eight deep on the varsity roster, including Division I recruits Jack Forrest (6-4) and Stephen Payne (5-11), plus hustle experts Theo Henry (5-11) and Darryl Taylor (6-0), all playing for the same coach (Gregg Downer) who once mentored a young man named Kobe Bryant when he walked LM’s halls. Coatesville doesn’t have Rip Hamilton anymore either, but Chuck Moore’s current group of Red Raiders has a fun-to-watch backcourt of sophomores Jhamir “Jig” Brickus and DaPree Bryant, two sub-6-footers who give everything they’ve got at both ends, and they’ve got quite a bit. In the  middle, the Raiders have 6-9 senior Tyrel Bladen, an Eastern Kentucky commit who could take advantage of an Aces squad that doesn’t have anybody over 6-5.

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Full Schedule

Friday, December 29 @ Jefferson
Episcopal Academy vs. Pennsbury (10:30 AM)
Lower Merion vs. Academy Park (12:15 PM)
Girard College vs. Malvern Prep (2 PM)
St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Cheltenham (3:45 PM)
Chester vs. Coatesville (5:30 PM)
Abington vs. Archbishop Carroll (7:15 PM)
Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. Bonner-Prendergast (8:45 PM)

Friday, December 29 @ Chestnut Hill College
Church Farm vs. Overbrook (2 PM)
Archbishop Ryan vs. Academy New Church (3:45 PM)
Fels vs. Shipley (5:30 PM)

Saturday, December 30 @ Widener
Girard College vs. Episcopal (12 PM) --
Bishop Shanahan vs. St. Joe’s Prep (1:30 PM)
Malvern vs. Shipley (3:15 PM)
Haverford School vs. Academy Park (5:00 PM)
Lower Merion vs. Coatesville (6:45 PM)
Penncrest vs. Chester (8:30 PM)