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High School Midseason League Updates (Part 2)

01/17/2018, 3:00pm EST
By CoBL Staff

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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We’re approaching the stretch run of the 2017-18 high school regular season, and the conference races are starting to heat up. So here’s Part 2 of a look at each of the area high school leagues and how they’re shaking out, with our revised pick for the winner of each league; for Part 1, click here.

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Kharon Randolph (above) and the Haverford School are tied with Malvern Prep atop the Inter-Ac. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Inter-Academic League

Since the Inter-Ac is only a six-team league, each team gets 10 league games apiece. The Haverford School (12-4, 3-0) and Malvern Prep (10-4, 3-0) are the two undefeated teams through the first three games. Junior forward Christian Ray and senior USciences commit Kharon Randolph have been playing quite well for the Fords so far this year, but it’s been a team effort with contributions from junior guards Gavin Burke and Jameer Nelson Jr. as well. For Malvern, the youngest team in the league, sophomore Kieves “Deuce” Turner has continued his scoring ways since freshman year. Classmates Isaac White and Spencer Cochran, plus freshman Rahdir Hicks make up the backcourt for the Friars. Penn Charter’s (12-5, 2-1) Mason Williams is averaging close to 20 points this year. There have been upsets before in the Inter-Ac, but we see the Fords coming out on top.

Preseason Favorite: Haverford School
Updated Favorite: Haverford School

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Philadelphia Catholic League

In the six years we’ve been covering high school basketball in this area, this is by far the most wide-open we’ve ever seen the PCL. More than half the 14 teams are in the mix for one of the coveted top-four spots and a home game in the league quarterfinals, and pretty much all of them have a good argument as to why they could be the ultimate winner come Feb. 26. The two teams still undefeated through the first four games of league play are Neumann-Goretti, which is chasing its first PCL championship in four years, and Bonner-Prendergast, which has its most competitive team in quite a long while. Neumann-Goretti is led by senior guards Dymir Montague and Noah Warren, junior guard Chris Ings and imposing 6-9 senior Marcus Littles, bound for George Washington, but Carl Arrigale is also getting strong play out of freshman forward TaQuan Woodley. Bonner, which just held off St. Joe’s Prep on Sunday in an instant classic, features high-major-bound junior guard Isaiah Wong, plus an imposing frontcourt of 6-8 Rider commit Ajiri Johnson and 6-9 junior Tariq Ingraham and a strong supporting cast. Sophomore Tyreese Watson, younger brother of former all-city guard Maurice Watson Jr., is starting to get more comfortable at the starting point guard position.


A.J. Hoggard (above) and Carroll are right in the thick of it in the PCL. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

But it would be quite surprising if both the Saints and Friars were to make it through the PCL schedule unscathed. N-G already had to shake off an overtime challenge from Wood; Bonner needed a last-second dunk to beat St. Joe’s Prep. Speaking of Prep (4-1), Speedy Morris has the pieces to cap off a season that saw him with his 1000th game with the school’s first PCL title in over a decade. The senior trio of guards Darius Kinnel and Kyle Thompson plus La Salle-bound big man Ed Croswell have been playing at a high level, and sophomore Trevor Wall has been a nice scoring boost off the bench. Three more one-loss teams all have numerous Division I talent as well: La Salle College HS (3-1) has 6-9 junior Zach Crisler and 6-6 junior Konrad Kizska, plus solid guards in senior Sean Simon and junior Allen Powell; Archbishop Carroll (3-1) has sophomore A.J. Hoggard to pace a group that includes 6-6 junior Luke House and senior forwards Devon Ferrero and Keyon Butler; Roman Catholic (2-1) has high-major targets junior Seth Lundy and sophomore Lynn Greer III plus Towson commit Allen Betrand and sharpshooting junior Hakim Hart.

And don’t forget about defending champ Archbishop Wood (2-2) with senior guards Tyree Pickron (Quinnipiac), Andrew Funk (Bucknell) and wing Karrington Wallace (CCSU), though the Vikings lost at home to Archbishop Ryan (3-2), which we’d be remiss to count out at this point due to the play of junior guards Amin Bryant and Jaquill Stone plus senior Devon Vargas, and freshman Taleeq Robbins has been a pleasant surprise. Final note -- look out for West Catholic, Father Judge and Cardinal O’Hara. Though none are likely to make the Palestra, each could very well pull the upset or two that swings the balance.

Preseason Favorite: Archbishop Wood
Updated Favorite: Bonner-Prendergast

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Pioneer Athletic Conference

Both the Frontier and Liberty Division of the PAC look wide open as of right now. In the Liberty, Methacton (9-5, 3-1) is in first by a slim margin. Junior sharpshooter David Duda has been on fire as of late; he dropped 44 points on nine 3-pointers a week ago. 6-9 sophomore Jeff Woodward has returned from injury and has posted a triple-double and a double-double in his past two games. Norristown (7-5, 2-2) has been a surprise team; first-year coach Binky Johnson and the Eagles are hoping to continue their winning ways into the first annual super-six postseason tournament. Owen J. Roberts (10-4, 3-2) is off to a hot start, seniors Shyheed May and Sean Prawckyj are playing the best basketball of their careers. But don’t count out Spring-Ford (8-5, 3-1). Even though the Rams have lost some non-conference matchups, they look poised to make a run at a PAC championship. Junior Noah Baker is averaging close to 20 points a game for the Rams which dropped their latest game to Upper Darby.

In the Frontier, Upper Perkiomen (10-4, 4-1) has proven itself as the first place team. York College commit Ryan Kendra is scoring around 20 points per contest, and 6-8 senior Will Walker scored 15 points and reeled in 25 rebounds in his most recent game. The race for second place is bound to be a close one as Phoenixville (6-9, 3-3) and Pope John Paul II (5-8, 3-2) have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Phoenixville lost to Upper Perk by just one point, while PJP downed Phoenixville by 18. With the PAC’s new postseason tournament, the “super-six”, in its inaugural year, all three teams have a chance to make a run for a championship.

Preseason Favorites: Spring-Ford (Liberty), Upper Perk (Frontier)
Updated Favorites: Spring-Ford (Liberty), Upper Perk (Frontier)

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Donta Scott (above) and Imhotep look like the team to beat in the Philadelphia Public League. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Public League

The pecking order in the Public League hasn’t changed since the beginning of the season. It’s Imhotep, and then everybody else. The Panthers are 5-0 through the first half of their schedule, winning four of the games by double digits. Imhotep is currently ranked No. 18 nationally by USA Today and topped the list of Class 4A schools in the latest PIAA power rankings. The Panthers are not only talented, but deep. Highlighted by 6-foot-7 junior wing Donta Scott, Imhotep has had least eight players who will play college ball. .

Behind Imhotep is Martin Luther King. The Cougars have two potential Division I talents in senior guard Denelle Holly and 6-foot-9 senior forward Will McNair. Senior 6-foot-5 forward Jerry Andrews, who transferred from Constitution at the end of last year, is a nice piece down low alongside McNair. King’s lone league loss was a 17-point defeat to Imhotep in December. A rematch on Thursday will help determine if the Cougars present a real challenge to the Panthers. After that, a less traditional power is having a successful season thus far. In its first year in the ‘A’ division after playing in the ‘C’ division last season, Mastery North is showing it can hang with the top dogs. Led by junior guard Jamir Rice, the Pumas are 3-2. Their two losses came to Imhotep and King by a combined 11 points.

In the ‘B’ division, two undefeated teams sit atop the league standings. Lincoln and Sankofa have both yet to lose a ‘B’ division game. The Rail Splitters are 12-2 overall on the year and haven’t lost a game since a three-point loss to Episcopal on Dec. 22. Sankofa is led by a strong junior class, including 6-6 wing Khalil Turner and 6-3 wing Scott Spann. The Warriors have an overtime win against King to show they can be dangerous come playoff time. At least one team will have a loss by next Tuesday when they meet for the first time.

Preseason Favorite: Imhotep Charter
Updated Favorite: Imhotep Charter

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Suburban One League

Of the Suburban One League’s three divisions, two are basically signed, sealed and delivered. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (12-0, 7-0) has already beaten its closest competitor in the American Conference, Cheltenham (8-4, 4-1) -- by 20. At Cheltenham. Yeah, Jim Donofrio’s Colonials have it rolling, with a 7-2 center in Naheem McLeod who’s getting better every day, and five seniors around him including breakout scorer Ish Horn plus twins Ahmad Williams and Ahmin Williams. And in the National, Abington (8-2, 5-0) already has a two-game lead on the rest of the division, which has mostly been beating up on itself; even if not, nobody can match the power of Ghost junior big man Eric Dixon, nor the talent and athleticism of junior wing Lucas Monroe and senior guard Robbie Heath. Neshaminy has a good group of seniors led by 1,000-point scorer and Division I commit Chris Arcidiacono, but at 9-3 (3-2) they have a good bit of ground to make up, and we just don’t see it happening.

So the only real intrigue -- aside from which of the two above teams emerges as overall Suburban One League champion next month -- comes in the SOL-Continental. Central Bucks South (9-3, 5-0) has been the surprise success story in the league so far, with senior guard Nate Robinson and junior guard Tommy Kuypers leading the way for an undersized Titans squad that’s winning close game after close game. That includes a road win at CB West (9-4, 4-2) which boasts senior wing Collin MacAdams, a D-II commit to California (Pa.), plus senior guard Shane McCusker and junior Jack Mulhearn. And Pennridge (11-4, 3-2) has a D-I prospect in junior guard Sean Yoder, plus a tough 6-5 forward in junior Jon Post and seniors around them. South hosts both Pennridge (Jan. 23) and CB West (Jan. 25) on back-to-back nights next week; if it can survive that stretch, a conference title seems likely.

Preseason Favorite: Plymouth-Whitemarsh (American), Central Bucks West (Continental), Abington (National)
Updated Favorite: Plymouth-Whitemarsh (American), Central Bucks South (Continental), Abington (National)

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