Philly Live 1 Scouting Reports, Around the League

Archbishop Carroll

Judging by their schedule, Coach Bowe has extremely high expectations for his young Carroll team. Majority of the lineup will be sophomores and juniors, returning from last year are their outstanding crop of 2026’s, led by 5’11 Ian Williams, who recently got his first D1 scholarship (to Albany), 6’0 Nas Ralls (offer to Cal State Bakersfield), 6’9 Drew Corrao (offer to Albany), and 6’4 wing Luca Foster. Joining the group of sophomores in the starting lineup is 6’5 wing Brendan Horan, who saw limited action last season, but has shown flashes with more playing time this summer. This Carroll team isn’t terribly deep at this point in the summer, but look out for JV risers Rhaki Boyer and Nate Russike to come off the bench.

Carroll starts the weekend with a tremendous test against Camden, this Panthers team will be the first since 2019 without the Fab Five, with Wagner and Bradshaw off to Kentucky, Cian Medley at St. Louis, DaSear Haskins to Hawk Hill and Boog Robinson at Monmouth. This Camden team will be drastically different in Roman Catholic Alum Maalik “Smack” Wayn’s second year as Head Coach. The Panthers return 4☆ senior Billy Richmond, a high flying guard whose recruitment skyrocketed during his first season at Camden, picking up major scholarships like Kentucky, Alabama, Louisville, Miami, Villanova and Kansas State. The Panthers also return talented guys who saw limited action last year like 6’5 senior Teron Murray, who plays with Richmond on the NJ Scholars EYBL team, and 2025 Sitafa Hall. A new face for the Panthers is 2025 combo guard Manny Joe-Samuel of the NJ Scholars program, who played last season for Paul VI (NJ). Manny Joe-Samuel is no stranger to PCL competition as last season against St. Joe’s Prep he scored 35 points in a tightly contested game to get his team the win, one of the most impressive performances from non-league players I saw all year.

On Saturday, Carroll will face Don Bosco Prep out of Jersey, the Ironmen have the #1 prep player in the country in Dylan Harper, son of NBA champion Ron Harper and brother of Rutgers legend Ron Harper Jr. Harper is everything a basketball player can be, uber athletic and scores from all areas of the court, there aren’t too many flaws in his game. Many project him to be a surefire lottery pick after a season at either Rutgers or Duke. Don't be surprised if Harper goes for 30+ a few times this weekend. As for the rest of the team, 2024s Isaiah Brown, and Will Mensah, and 2025 Brady Loughlin are all returning guys who saw action last season. Brown, a recent standout at the HoopGroup Southern Jam Fest, and 6’5 Loughlin, who plays up on the 17u Jersey Force HGSL squad, are both D1 hopefuls.

To wrap up the weekend Carroll gets Immaculate Conception, a few short hours after their contest with DBP. Montclair Immaculate is a team that fell just short of an absolutely loaded Roselle Catholic squad in the North Jersey Non-Public B championship, but they return their most important piece, 2024 Louisville Commit TJ Robinson, who many recruiting services have on the cusp of his fourth star. Robinson is a menace when attacking the glass, and feeding his teammates with easy looks. Robinson runs with the NJ Scholars of the EYBL and is one of their most important pieces that led to an upcoming Peach Jam birth this July. Another important piece for IC will be 2025 guard Myles Blackley, who is attracting significant D1 attention from the likes of Seton Hall, Radford, UPenn and App State so far.

Archbishop Ryan

This is Ryan’s last season with two of their top five players in program history with seniors 4☆ Thomas Sorber, a recent Georgetown Pledge, and Darren Williams, who committed to Florida Gulf Coast in early May. Both are multi-time All-Catholic selections and both are coming off of 1st Team selections. The story of the offseason, however, has been the biggest addition of any Catholic League team so far in 2025 wing Brandon Russell of the NJ Shoreshots AAU program. Russell brings exactly what Ryan needs in outside shooting, another scoring option and a confident ball handler alongside Williams. Russell is a guy who will greatly benefit from playing in front of Division 1 coaches during the live period and I expect some heavy interest following this weekend. Joining the big three are 2024’s Ryan Everett, a savvy guard that can knock it down from deep, 6’2 guard Rocco Marabito, in his second year with the program, another reliable option for the Raiders who showed immense grit and toughness in the rigors of the Catholic League regular season, 6’6 forward Jaden Murray, another option down low, and Christian Durham, who saw limited action last season, but previously averaged 20 points a game for Clayton (NJ). I’ve also been told to be on stock rise alert for 2026’s Matt Johnson and Ian Walker, who should lead the Ryan program into the future after Sorber and Williams depart.

Ryan is expected to be one of the premier attractions to the Live Period, and their schedule indicates exactly that, with matchups against Bergen Catholic, Gonzaga College and Richmond Heights on the horizon.

First on their docket is Bergen Catholic on Friday the 16th at 7 PM on Jefferson University’s campus, Bergen, one of the usual contenders in the always competitive New Jersey State Association playoffs, features the senior duo of 6’7 Brandon Benjamin and 6'9 Terry Copeland. Both are 3☆ prospects according to 24/7 Sports and both hold Division 1 Scholarships. Another two to look out for are 6'5 junior Declan Wucherpfennig, who has an offer to Siena and interest from the high academics, as well as, Austin Spencer, who could draw D1 interest as well. However, the real star of Bergen Catholic is 2026 superstar Chidi Nwigwe, a 6’6 wing who is well on his way to 5☆ status and holds a multitude of D1 offers like Illinois, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Texas A&M, St. Bonaventure, LSU, Rutgers, and others.

On Sunday at 9:40 AM, the Raiders get Gonzaga College (DC) out of the WCAC. Gonzaga features four outstanding 2025 prospects in Nyk Lewis, Will Harper, Christian Gurdak and Derek Dixon, three are 4☆ prospects and all have an abundance of options concerning college opportunities. Dixon holds offers to Kansas State, Pitt, Fordham and a few other low majors, while Lewis can claim Georgetown, Maryland, LSU, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, and more as his suitors. Gurdak, a 6’10 newcomer from WCAC rival Paul VI (VA) has offers to Maryland, Iowa, and Penn State, and the final piece in that class is Will Harper, who just earned an offer to Harvard, but has interest from the rest of the Ivy League, Air Force and Delaware. Last season two of Gonzaga’s WCAC rivals got the best of Archbishop Ryan early in the season, defeats to DeMatha Catholic and Bishop McNamara, an infamous game that only resolved after four overtimes. Look for Ryan to get their lick back in this one.

To end Ryan’s weekend they’ll get Richmond Heights from Ohio. Their star player is 2025 guard prospect Dorian Jones, a four star prospect creeping into the top 30. The rising junior has offers to Ohio State, Arizona State, Cincinnati, and Toledo. Joining him in the backcourt, they’ve got De’Erick Barber, a shifty 5’11 guard and 6’3 Demarris Winters, who has picked up offers from Arizona State, Akron and Kent State in the past two months. Both play on the Nike E16 circuit with All Ohio Red. Last season Richmond Heights finished 29-0, good for 25th in the country on the Maxpreps poll, and captured an Ohio State championship to boot, their second straight.

Archbishop Wood

The story of Wood’s off-season has clearly been the meteoric ascension of reigning league MVP 2024 guard Jalil Bethea. After starting the spring in the top 50 by most recruiting services, everybody reputable either has him in the top 20 nationally, or they haven’t updated their rankings yet. The uncanny ability to score the basketball is still there, but his game as a passer has expanded immensely, as shown at the Pangos All-American camp where he made the top 30 All-Star game and threw dimes all over the court to similarly skilled/rated teammates. While Bethea has been the headline, Wood has a need for its young guard group to take charge. A trio of 2025s will compete for starting minutes in high flier Deuce Maxey (offers to St. Joe’s and Lafayette), sharpshooting Mike Green and the always tenacious Ihsan Beyah. Bethea’s true partner in crime the past three seasons has been 2024 specimen Josh Reed, a muscular guard that does his damage within 10 feet of the basket and on the defensive end. The last piece is 2025 Mir Dean who has taken his game to a new level, surpassing his previous distinction as an athlete to become a true all-around player that can hit threes, work the elbows, drive to the bucket and defend at a high level. One thing this group lacks is elite size so watch out for a pair of 2025s, 6’5 Grady Burt, a guy who saw limited action last season after he transferred from Council Rock North, but made the 2022 Pangos Philadelphia Camp All-Star game in September, and 6’5 newcomer JJ Levasseur formerly of Abington High.

To start the weekend, Wood gets a matchup with St. Ignatius out of Ohio, who are coming off a 19-8 season as one of the top teams in the Buckeye state. For them, it starts with senior guard Ace Buckner, who holds scholarships to a few low majors like Duquesne, Albany, Cleveland State, while Kent State and George Mason are two of his higher profile suitors. Joining Buckner are a pair of high profile bigs, senior Reece Robinson, a 6’8 forward and Damon Friery, a 6’10 2025 that projects as a high major D1 talent. To add more height to the mix, they’ll throw in another big man Sam Springer, a senior 6’7 post who plays on the Adidas 3 Stripes Circuit with Midwest Basketball Club. Another returning senior leader is Carter Jackson, a 6’5 wing that brings additional scoring and toughness to the lineup. It’ll be interesting to see how Wood handles the abundance of height Ignatius is bringing to the City of Brotherly Love and what lineups they’ll use to combat three guys over 6 foot 7.

Their second contest is Saturday vs. Immaculate Conception of Jersey, a team that fell just short of an absolutely loaded Roselle Catholic squad in the North Jersey Non-Public B championship. Montclair Immaculate returns their most important piece, 2024 Louisville Commit TJ Robinson, who many recruiting services have on the cusp of his fourth star. Robinson is a menace when attacking the glass, and feeding his teammates with easy looks. Robinson runs with the NJ Scholars of the EYBL and is one of their most important pieces that led to an upcoming Peach Jam birth this July. Another important piece for IC will be 2025 guard Myles Blackley, who is attracting significant D1 attention from the likes of Seton Hall, Radford, UPenn and App State so far.

The final game of Wood’s weekend will pit them against Camden, a common theme of Philly Live has always been matchups between Philly’s best and our rival across the bridge. This Camden team will be the first since 2019 without the Fab Five, with Wagner and Bradshaw off to Kentucky, Cian Medley at St. Louis, DaSear Haskins to Hawk Hill and Boog Robinson at Monmouth. This Camden team will be drastically different in Roman Catholic Alum Maalik “Smack” Wayn’s second year as Head Coach. The Panthers return 4☆ senior Billy Richmond, a high flying guard whose recruitment skyrocketed during his first season at Camden, picking up major scholarships like Kentucky, Alabama, Louisville, Miami, Villanova and Kansas State. The Panthers also return talented guys who saw limited action last year like 6’5 senior Teron Murray, who plays with Richmond on the NJ Scholars EYBL team, and 2025 Sitafa Hall. A new face for the Panthers is 2025 combo guard Manny Joe-Samuel of the NJ Scholars program, who played last season for Paul VI (NJ). Manny Joe-Samuel is no stranger to PCL competition as last season against St. Joe’s Prep he scored 35 points in a tightly contested game to get his team the win, one of the most impressive performances from non-league players I saw all year.

Bonner-Prendergast

Excitement is palpable in the Bonner-Prendie camp as the Friars return their most complete team since the Isaiah Wong years. This year’s squad will feature five seniors, all with heavy varsity experience. Starting in the backcourt Bonner added 2024 guard Kyree Womack from Chester High after the basketball season ended, with the intent to preserve his PIAA playoff eligibility this season, and they also return Reggie Selden, who averaged just under nine points a game last season. Bonner has a truly impressive tandem on the wings with two Division 1 prospects in 6’5 Kevin “Pop” Rucker Jr. (offers to Drexel and Rider) and 6’6 Deuce Ketner, a four year guy with the program that has scholarships to Drexel, Albany and Robert Morris. Both averaged north of 13 a game last season and are more than capable defenders. We finish at the frontcourt with big man 6’7 Nelson Lamizana, who loves to play at the rim, block shots, and throw down thunderous dunks to energize the team. Off the bench the Friars are very young, as most of the spark plug duties will fall on three freshmen, 2027’s Korey Francis, Kenjai Gatling and Kam Jackson. By now it should be clear why they’re excited on Drexel Hill, the lineup has all the measurables it needs to compete in the Catholic League and beyond, but more importantly every position is filled with experience.

Bonner’s first game of the weekend is Saturday vs. Central Dauphin, a squad that finished 8-14 last season, but has their sights set higher for this year. They’re bringing some decent size to Jefferson with 6’5 Jelani Easter (2026), whose size, length and raw skill allow him to be effective at both guard and forward. The Rams also feature 6’4 Shawn Wright (2024), along with senior guards 6’3 Lleyton Fried and 6’0 Malachi Cofield, all returners from last year. I’ve also been told to keep an eye on 2027 Shakur Starling, son of Michael Starling aka RawSportsFilms, and 6’3 junior Wayne Fletcher II.

After a night of rest, Bonner starts Sunday off against Atlantic City, who are coming off a 13-13 season in New Jersey. AC returns juniors Chris Fink, and Nasheem Gordy-Harris, as well as seniors Mikel Jones and Nas Turner.

A few hours later the Friars will play Rutgers Prep, a program that has been a thorn in the side of the Catholic League in recent iterations of Philly Live. Last season, Rutgers Prep finished 23-8 and 1-2 vs. the PCL in the regular season, with losses to Devon Prep and Cardinal O’Hara, followed by a surprising win over then undefeated and top 25 in the country Neumann-Goretti. This year's RPS team will be slightly different, but tough nonetheless. They feature senior guards Jayden Jenkins, and John Kelly, and 2025 guards Donovan Pigeé, younger brother of NJIT freshman Cameron, and Myles Parker. 2026’s Matt Ghaim, Nic Nysenkyrie and Jaden Teyan are all expected to take a step up this year. Some unfamiliar faces are 2025 Aiden Ur, a guard who played at St. John Vianney last year, 2026 6’10 Logan Franz, a transfer from Gill St. Bernards, and a pair of star freshmen 2027’s Jacob Canton (who has already received the Dave’s Joint seal of approval) and Andrew Kretkowski.

Cardinal O’Hara

Cardinal O’Hara is in the middle of one of the stranger offseasons in recent memory, as newly appointed head coach Mike Richards decided to step down to begin the month of June. Fret not O’Hara faithful, as Fran O’Hanlon, living legend and former head coach of Lafayette College, will take the reins of the program for the Live Period. O’Hara will field a competitive roster to enter the live period, led by a pair of 2024 D1 prospects with Flash Burton, and 6’7 stretch 4 Pearse McGuinn. Flash holds offers to Rider, Drexel, Sacred Heart, and UTEP, while McGuinn can count NJIT and Lafayette as his suitors so far. Joining them in the starting lineup are Anthony Hobbs and Miles Johnson, two guys who will see expanded roles with the graduation of longtime staples Izaiah Pasha and Josh Coulanges.

O’Hara gets Camden Eastside as their first opponent on Friday in the 3:30 PM slot. Eastside High always fields a gritty, competitive roster every season, regardless of who puts on the uniform. The 2022 NJ Public State Champs return some nice height to the team in a group of 2024s, 6’7 Daiysaan Trusty, 6’5 Yasir Dickerson, 6’5 Jahaan Green and 6’4 Willy Love, who’s also a 4☆ football prospect.

To wrap a short weekend, they’ll play Spring-Ford, an upstart District 1 team that turned heads in the 6A State Playoffs this past year. The Rams are led by two D1 prospects in 2024 guard EJ Campbell, who recently picked up his first offer to Rider, and 2025 Jake Nguyen, who also recently picked up his first several offers to Drexel, Albany, and Bryant. Nguyen is a smooth operator with a consistent and accurate stroke from deep, while Campbell averaged 15 points, 5 assists and 2 steals a game last year and is the guy who gets it done. Look for the Rams to be very competitive this weekend and this upcoming season with former La Salle College High School HC Joe Dempsey in charge.

Conwell-Egan

Egan comes into the Live Period with a rejuvenated roster from last year's 7-15 team that finished 2nd to last in the Catholic League. The Eagles return team MVP junior guard Antwone George, who had an impressive sophomore campaign that saw him come in 13th place in PCL points, 4th in steals, and 8th in total rebounds. George’s development will be key to see how far Egan can climb the PCL ladder in head coach Tyrone Lewis’ second year in charge. Also returning is senior sharpshooter Aidan Mondragon, who finished 8th in PCL three pointers last season and will lend veteran leadership and Catholic League experience to a younger roster. Two new faces to the starting lineup are 6’6 Justin Bobb, who should thrive on the wings after spending his freshman season at Academy of the New Church, and 5’9 senior Franz Fabian, a scrappy guard from Truman High that sat out last season due to PIAA transfer rules. Bobb is particularly intriguing, because his development as a player and prospect over the next few years could set Egan up for some nice teams in the future. Rounding out the starting lineup is 6’2 junior guard Isaiah Johnson, but keep eyes out for 6’4 sophomore Tristan Gangs, 6’3 sophomore Chaston Gabriel and 6’4 senior Mohammad Gaga off the bench as they compete with taller teams in the Catholic League and beyond.

Egan has two games this Live Period, the first against Octarara, who are coming off a 17-10 season that saw them get bounced in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A bracket. This season they return athletes like 6’3 senior Brandon Althouse that should make this contest competitive for a would-be upstart Conwell-Egan squad.

A few hours later on Sunday afternoon, they play Freedom High out of Virginia. Freedom went 13-10 last year, but should be improved this season with the return of several key players. Leading the charge is 5’10 senior Shamar Sisco, a returning captain from last years team, and fellow senior guards Tavarres Riley Jr. and EJ Reid. To add a little height to the mix, they’ll deploy 6’4 junior Inbrahim Kanu and 6’5 senior Aaron Duncan down low.

These first two contests of the Live Period will give a good indication of where Egan can expect itself on the Catholic League food chain this upcoming season and if changing their reputation as a perennial under .500 squad is possible this year.

Devon Prep

Devon comes into Philly Live after losing Jacen Holloway and Lucas Orchard to graduation, the program's first two D1 scholarship hopefuls in their PCL era. The Tide will trot out a lineup of familiar faces like 5’10 four year starter Ty Mishock of K-Low Elite, one of the premier point guards in the league. Joining Mishock are fellow seniors 6’5 Ben Costello and Greg Perullo, while the junior class boasts 6’7 Reece Craft, 6’2 returning starter Shane Doyle, and 6’4 Zane Conlon, another multi-year starter. The sophomore and freshman classes are a bit light for Devon, but 2027 Jaden Craft (younger brother of Reece) impressed some reliable media outlets at earlier events this summer.

Devon’s first game will be at Jefferson on Friday, 2:20 PM on Court 3 where they’ll play Central York, a team that features 6’7 senior wing Greg Guidinger, who has offers from Toledo, Robert Morris, Drexel, Mount St. Mary’s and Lafayette, and looking to add more, while 2025’s Ben Rill, a 6’8 forward and Ben Natal add more firepower to Central York’s lineup. Last season at the Diane Mosco shootout, Central York got a taste of the Catholic League when they lost to Father Judge 60-59 on a miraculous shot from Judge rising junior Kevair Kennedy.

Their second game will come Saturday at 9:00 AM against St. Georges of Delaware, also at Jefferson University. St. Georges is fresh off a 16-6 campaign and looking to build after a few impressive out-of-state wins last season.

Father Judge

Judge is perhaps the most intriguing PCL team heading into Philly Live 1. They have a competitive roster that features multiple Division 1 prospects, the first of the Chris Roantree era in Mayfair. They return 2024 guard LaQuan Byrd, an absolute bulldog on the court who loves to outmuscle defenders and get to the rim for easy looks. Two pieces of interest will be the development of 2025 Kevair Kennedy and 2026 DJ Morton-Rivera, two athletic guards that look much improved in the early part of the summer, both will garner D1 interest during the Live Period. Judge has a nice group of wing and frontcourt pieces like 6’8 sophomore Winner Lasso, who saw limited action last season, 6’5 sophomore Max Moshinski, and 6’7 senior Anthony Lilly, who has been an FJ staple during his HS career. A new face for the Crusaders is 6’9 junior center Everett Barnes from the Philly Pride program and formerly of Burlington City High. Barnes adds a new dynamic to the Judge team that they haven’t had before, elite height, and will allow Lilly to transition to the four spot, where he projects to play in college. Barnes’ recruitment is still early, but he’s so far collected an offer to Robert Morris.

Their first test as a serious Catholic League contender is against NJ State Champ Roselle Catholic, whose Head Coach, Dave Boff just left the program for a new job at College Achieve Asbury Park. It remains to be seen what this squad will look like coming into the Live Period, so I’ll hold the speculation, but they should return a pair of talented 6’8 bigs in Rich Brisco and Tarik Watson, both have high level offers like Creighton, Georgetown and St. Johns for Watson and TCU, Nebraska and FIU for Brisco. As for the rest of the roster, Roselle’s status as a North Jersey powerhouse should help them field a competitive team for the Live Period.

After a few hours rest, Judge then plays Manasquan NJ, a team that features top 25 rising junior Darius Adams. Fresh off an impressive outing at the Nike Elite 100 camp, Adams’ game has shades of Lamelo Ball, a quick combo guard that has no issues getting to the bucket, creating his own shot with a stepback, and causing havoc for defenses with timely passes to set up teammates with great looks. Adams also has an enviable three point shot and colleges are taking notice. The local HM’s like Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. Johns have all offered, so have Florida State, Providence, and Syracuse, but it's still very early. Expect a lot of eyes to be on this game between the high profile nature of Adams’ recruitment and the LM-MM recruits on Father Judge.

To wrap up the weekend Father Judge has a matchup against Kings Fork out of Virginia on Sunday morning. King’s Fork finished 22-4 last season and is no stranger to Catholic League competition, as they played a competitive game vs. Judge archrival Archbishop Ryan, a game that Ryan won 50-45. King’s Fork returns several experienced athletes from last year's team like All-League selections 6’3 junior Adarius Boston and 6’5 senior Zekhi Darden. They also return 6’7 Jeremiah Lucas and 6’4 wings Dashawn Lucas and Kairan Holliman, it’ll be a battle of size as Judge and KF both have excellent crops of forwards and wings.

La Salle

After parting ways with HC Mike McKee, the Explorers brass took a gamble on the youth movement with new hire Ryan Ansel. Ansel is fortunate enough to inherit some key pieces from last year’s team, like 6’4 senior Joe Shields, who has been a key role player for a number of years, and is now ready to lead his own team of explorers in his final year wearing the blue and gold. Joining Shields are holdovers Nick Parisi and Hayes Altomare, a pair of 6’3 junior wing guards that saw extended playing time last year. Also watch out for D3 prospects at the guard positions like seniors Lukas Hudock, Liam Hawley and Zahir Coleman. Most intriguing, however, is that sources around the program are very high on 6’8 stretch forward Grayson McKeogh, a guy who is knockdown from range and brings solid height to an otherwise smaller roster. Ansel will have his hands full during his first season in the Catholic League, but he’ll start his tenure off with two games during the High School Live period.

The first is the Friday night cap vs. the Maret School from Washington DC. Maret is fresh off a 19-11 season and brings elite height to match up with 6’8 McKeogh. This elite height takes the form of 6’9 senior Malchiah Marable, a bigman that led the team in rebounds last year and plays AAU ball with DC Premier on the Under Armour Circuit. Also watch out for 6’5 Alex Mostashari and rising junior Conner Lawrence, both are returning pieces with extensive varsity experience. Maret also has a nice pair of 2026 guards with DJ Hill and Nick Parris. Hill, who was 2nd on the team in assists per game last season and plays for Team Takeover 15u, is a little more seasoned than his classmate Parris, but that shouldn’t stop them from being a dynamic tandem for years to come.

The Explorers finish a short weekend with a matchup vs. Conestoga on Sunday. ‘Stoga is coming off a down 10-12 season, but have bolstered the roster with 2026 Malvern Prep transfer Rowan Miller. Back from last year’s team is impressive senior guard Brendan Styer, and 2025 Ben Robinson, who were both All-Central League. With Lower Merion grad Sam Brown off to UPenn and the dominant Radnor senior class led by Jackson Hicke off the college, the Central League is wide open this season and Conestoga is looking to compete.

Neumann-Goretti

In the post Rob Wright III era, Neumann needs to find new guys to fill the statistical and leadership void on the team. Fortunately for the Saints, they still have three Division 1 offered players on the roster to chip in. The Saints MVP this season is 2024 guard Khaafiq Myers, who will not play basketball during the summer due to a ligament tear that doesn’t require surgery. The Saints will look toward the youth on their squad to supplement the loss of the Saints long term backcourt with Myers out and Wright gone. Wright's younger brother Stephon Ashely-Wright looks to be the man for the Saints summer roster, he’s a bit taller and has more bounce than his brother, and has an offer to St. Joe’s University already, which is impressive considering he’s a member of the class of 2026 and didn’t see a tremendous amount of action last season. NG will also depend on the senior wing trio of 6’5 Amir Williams (offers to Binghamton and Wichita State), 6’3 sharpshooter Matt Guokas and 6’7 Larenzo Jerkins, who, by all accounts, has turned heads this summer after sitting out last season due to PIAA transfer rules. Some more youth in the Saints locker room will have to step up like 2026 Deshawn Yates and 2027 Nazir Tyler, both have impressed early on in their varsity careers.

The first opponent of the Saints’ weekend is Largo High out of Maryland. The Largo Lions finished 21-7 last season and return their most important piece from last year's team, 4☆ wing Cam Ward. Ward is a 6’6 athlete who most recruiting services have inside the top 50 for his class. He holds offers to the local Maryland high majors like Georgetown and Maryland, but Arkansas, Iowa, Syracuse and West Virginia have all thrown their hat in the ring for the talented wing. Ward averages an impressive 19.5 points per contest for Team Durant on the Nike E16 circuit. It will be interesting to see who matches up with Ward for Neumann, as Amir Williams has plenty of experience guarding high level wings, and if he does well against Ward, he might earn himself some more scholarships.

Next the Saints get Hudson Catholic out of Jersey, who feature one of the most dynamic guard duos on the East Coast, with 4☆ Auburn commit Tahaad Pettiford and top 75 junior Omari Moore, who holds early offers to St. Johns, La Salle, Drake, Fordham and Albany. Pettiford is an early candidate for a McDonald’s All-American bid, and most services have him in the top 25 of the senior class, before he committed to Auburn, Kansas, Kentucky and UConn were after him too. On the EYBL he plays with the New Heights Lightning program and has led them to an outstanding 13-4 record on 17 points a game. Pettiford is explosive at the point of attack, efficient from beyond the arc (38% 3P% in EYBL play) and also chips in over three assists a game.

The Saints final foe of the weekend is Elizabeth High from New Jersey. Elizabeth returns a lot of pieces from a successful 15-8 squad that took a majority of their lumps early into the season. In ascending order by grade, sophomore Kareem Anthony Jr., juniors Cam McRae and Jordan Torres and seniors Jaden Barnett and team MVP London Carson. All are returning impact players, and all should be improved from last year, so don’t be surprised if this one turns out closer than expected.

Roman Catholic

After a heartbreaking overtime loss in the 6A State Championship, Roman Catholic is officially on a revenge tour. The only problem is that they graduated the most complete and dynamic senior class in the area, led by 3☆ duo and St. Joe’s University freshmen Xzayvier Brown (4 Year Starter) and Anthony Finkley, along with D1 wing prospects Erik Oliver-Bush and Jermai Stewart-Herring. This year’s team will be a lot younger than the usual teams fielded on Broad and Vine, but still just as talented. It starts with 2025 big man Shareef Jackson (offers to SJU and LaSalle), a 6’8 crafty post player that dominates the glass and is one of the most efficient scorers on the east coast, he averages 14.9 points a game for the NJ Scholars on 1.14 points per possession. On the Nike E16 circuit that puts him as the 4th most efficient scorer in the most competitive 16u league in the nation. Joining Jackson is his younger brother Sammy, who didn’t see much time last year, but has all the tools to be one of the top wing forward prospects in 2026. His 6’6 frame oozes potential and I’m excited to see how Roman utilizes his talents this season. At guard, RC brought in 5’9 senior Kabe Goss out of Trenton High (NJ). Goss averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists last year and should be an immediate plug and play at PG. Also returning from last year's team are senior guard Bob Cottrell, who hit some key shots at the Palestra to send them to the Catholic League final, sophomore Bryce Hillman from the K-Low Elite program, junior Will Felder, a priority football recruit, and another junior Sebastian “Bash” Edwards, who sources around the program are predicting will have a breakout season. As always, Roman tends to do things on the quiet side, so the roster may change before next weekend, and probably will change before September, so this is probably not the final iteration of the 23-24 Cahilite Squad.

Roman matches up with St. Ignatius out of Ohio first, and they are coming off a 19-8 season as one of the top teams in the Buckeye state. For them, it starts with senior guard Ace Buckner, who holds scholarships to a few low majors like Duquesne, Albany, Cleveland State, while Kent State and George Mason are two of his higher profile suitors. Joining Buckner are a pair of high profile bigs, senior Reece Robinson, a 6’8 forward and Damon Friery, a 6’10 2025 that projects as a high major D1 talent. To add more height to the mix, they’ll throw in another big man Sam Springer, a senior 6’7 post who plays on the Adidas 3 Stripes Circuit with Midwest Basketball Club. Another returning senior leader is Carter Jackson, a 6’5 wing that brings additional scoring and toughness to the lineup.

Elizabeth, out of New Jersey, is the next game for RC and they return a lot of pieces from a successful 15-8 squad that took a majority of their lumps early into the season. In ascending order by grade, sophomore Kareem Anthony Jr., juniors Cam McRae and Jordan Torres and seniors Jaden Barnett and team MVP London Carson. All are returning impact players, and all should be improved from last year's versions of themselves. If Roman doesn’t have the roster perfected by this time, don’t be surprised if this turns out to be a close game.

St. Johns College, the reigning WCAC Champion, is by far the toughest duel of the Roman Catholic Live Period schedule. This will be a high intensity game featuring the two reigning champs of the most competitive prep leagues in the Mid-Atlantic. For St. John’s, they start and end with Syracuse commit 6’9 Donnie Freeman, a physical specimen that dominates all over the floor. Swatting shots, working the elbows, the pick and roll, and high intensity defense are all marquee aspects of the 4☆, top 40 senior’s game. His partner in the PnR is another high priority senior recruit, Daquan Davis, a dynamic lead guard who recently trimmed his college list to Maryland, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Providence. Davis impressed scouts at last year’s Philly Live event, and is in it for another go-around against the toughest teams from Philly.

St. Joe’s Prep

The Hawks on 17th and Girard are running it back with pretty much the exact same roster as last year’s team. Development is the name of the game, and seeing how the Prep ‘25 class has progressed, Head Coach Jason Harrigan has to be pleased. Prep’s trio of 2025 guards Jaron McKie (offers to St. Louis, UPenn and Temple), Olin Chamberlain and Jordan Ellerbee (offer to Albany) hold the keys to the offense and are all slightly specialized in some ways. McKie projects as a 4☆ prospect and possesses a lethal jumpshot from beyond the arc, while his 6’3 frame and wiry build allow for excellent on ball defense. Chamberlain (with McKie), is now a three year starter in the Catholic League and is a veteran pass first guard that likes to utilize the midrange, but has added a more consistent three point stroke from what I’ve seen in the early stages of the summer. Lastly is Ellerbee, who was the unofficial 6th man of the year last season, primarily serving as a microwave scorer off the bench, but Ellerbee is ready for a bigger role. He’s an athlete through and through, shown by the impressive dunks he threw down in their PCL Playoff game vs. Archbishop Wood last season, but Ellerbee isn’t afraid to attack the basket or create his own shot with some clever dribble moves, he’s definitely one to monitor during the weekend in terms of who coaches will have their eyes on. Prep’s two biggest players are the senior tandem of 6’3 wing Matt Gorman and 6’9 big man Tristen Guillouette (offers to Seton Hall, Hofstra, Drexel and St. Joes). Gorman is a perfect compliment to the guard trio on kick outs, as his near 45% from 3-Point Land led the Catholic League last season, a guy that could definitely earn a spot at a local D2/PSAC. The big fella Tristen is a point guard's best friend, active in the PnR, a constant defensive presence in the lane to erase defensive breakdowns, and finishes at the rim at a high rate (55% FG% last season). The true workhorse of the roster has to be wing/guard 2024 Jalen Harper (offers to Albany and Drexel), a true grit and grind guy, loves to compete and has all the physical tools D1 schools desire. This Prep roster has them as a way-too-early top 3 team in the Catholic League and their Philly Live 1 matchups expect them to be one of the top teams in the area.

All of Prep’s games this weekend are on their home floor, a comfort no other team shares, so factor that into their performance this weekend. Firstly, they match up with St. Ignatius on Saturday. St. Ignatius is coming off a 19-8 season as one of the top teams in the Buckeye state. For them, it starts with senior guard Ace Buckner, who holds scholarships to a few low majors like Duquesne, Albany, Cleveland State, while Kent State and George Mason are two of his higher profile suitors. Joining Buckner are a pair of high profile bigs, senior Reece Robinson, a 6’8 forward and Damon Friery, a 6’10 2025 that projects as a high major D1 talent. To add more height to the mix, they’ll throw in another big man Sam Springer, a senior 6’7 post who plays on the Adidas 3 Stripes Circuit with Midwest Basketball Club. Another returning senior leader is Carter Jackson, a 6’5 wing that brings additional scoring and toughness to the lineup.

Shortly after they battle Ignatius, they get Gonzaga College out of DC and the vaunted WCAC. Gonzaga features four outstanding 2025 prospects in Nyk Lewis, Will Harper, Christian Gurdak and Derek Dixon, three are 4☆ prospects and all have an abundance of options concerning college opportunities. Dixon holds offers to Kansas State, Pitt, Fordham and a few other low majors, while Lewis can claim Georgetown, Maryland, LSU, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, and more as his suitors. Gurdak, a 6’10 newcomer from WCAC rival Paul VI (VA) has offers to Maryland, Iowa, and Penn State, and the final piece in that class is Will Harper, who just earned an offer to Harvard, but has interest from the rest of the Ivy League, Air Force and Delaware. Last year the WCAC champ, St. John’s College, bested the Prep 71-50 in a holiday tournament. Games between the WCAC and PCL are always hotly contested, something to keep in mind when deciding what games to attend.

On Sunday, the Hawks will play against Imani Christian Academy, the reigning PIAA Class 1A champion out of the WPIAL (District 7). Imani brings elite size to the table with 5☆ junior Alier Maluk, a unicorn of a prospect that has an elite game around the rim with a 6’10 frame, and has a reliable stroke beyond the three point line. Suitors for Maluk’s talents are abundant, but Seton Hall, LSU, Texas A&M, and Pitt were the earliest, while Florida State is the most recent. Also in the front court is 6’8 senior Virgil Hall, who claims offers to South Florida, Wichita State, Robert Morris and Youngstown State, but recruiting has been relatively quiet in the past few months. Aside from the two towers, Imani returns a lot of other production from their 22-5 state championship team like junior guard tandem RJ Sledge and Dame Givner, both were fantastic in their run through the PIAA bracket and both should be viewed as serious D1 targets, as well as senior guard Avery Wesley. Also keep eyes out for 6’3 wings Kylan Holmes (‘24) and Markus Williams (‘25). The last PCL team to face this Imani Christian squad was Devon Prep in December, Devon handled business in a 58-52 win.

West Catholic

Coach Boc graduated his first class of four year seniors this past season and thus, this is his youngest team since 2021 in terms of seniority and varsity experience. Young, but talented is an oft used term to describe teams like West Catholic this year, but I prefer young AND talented, more, as youth is not the plague some make it out to be. WC still returns ultra athletic 6’6 senior wing prospect Tariq Jennings, who will catch the eye of D1s, and a plethora of pipeline prospects like juniors Jaden Banner (6’5), Micah Waters Jr. (5’10), and Isaiah Muhammad (6’3), as well as 5’10 newcomer Saaid Lee, formerly of Math, Civics & Sciences and Bonner-Prendergast. Sophomore wing Kingston Wheatley should be ready to take a step into stardom this year as he has all the tools to become a D1 player. I’ve also been told to look out for freshmen Xavier Fauntroy and Myles Moore as potential lead guards of the future. The Burrs have the size and speed to play with anybody and they are playing a tough Live Period schedule to prove it.

First on their docket is Bergen Catholic on Friday the 16th at 7 PM on Jefferson University’s campus, Bergen, one of the usual contenders in the always competitive New Jersey State Association playoffs, features the senior duo of 6’7 Brandon Benjamin and 6'9 Terry Copeland. Both are 3☆ prospects according to 24/7 Sports and both hold Division 1 Scholarships. Another two to look out for are 6'5 junior Declan Wucherpfennig, who has an offer to Siena and interest from the high academics, as well as, Austin Spencer, who could draw D1 interest as well. However, the real star of Bergen Catholic is 2026 superstar Chidi Nwigwe, a 6’6 wing who is well on his way to 5☆ status and holds a multitude of D1 offers like Illinois, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Texas A&M, St. Bonaventure, LSU, Rutgers, and others.

Next the Burrs play Taylor Allderdice in the Friday nightcap. Allderdice is the reigning champ of Pittsburgh’s City League (District 8) and they finished last season at 22-4 before falling in the 6A State Playoffs. The Dragons are expected to return some of last year's team, like 6’4 senior Major Rainey and 6’2 senior Logan Golle, both were major parts of Allderdice’s success last season, they also return 6’2 Azerick Jetter, another piece to look out for this season.

Salesianum is West Catholic’s final opponent of the first session; they're the reigning Delaware State Champs and bring a competitive roster every year. This team is led by senior guard Isaiah Hynson, who has been a multi-year starter and standout for the Sallies program. Hyson is a shifty CG that holds an offer to Rider. The Sallies are also returning several more talented 2024s in 6’8 Luke Brown, 6’6 Justin Hinds, and 6’4 Kareem Thomas, all will attract scholarship attention before their senior season ends. Some more intriguing names on the roster are 2025 RJ Johnson, a football-basketball multi-sport athlete that plays for WeR1 16u and has several D1 football scholarships and 2026 Anthony “Tookie” Smith, a lead guard and one who should have an increased role this season, has impressed on the Team Final Red E15 team.