Photos/Videos: Gracie Cleveland, Peter Delpo, Donna Eckert, Zamani Feelings, Rich Flanagan, John Knebels, Kathy Leister & Mike Nance. 

By: Rich Flanagan

PHILADELPHIA –  At this time last year, only a handful of high school basketball teams were beginning play. Following the opening night of the 2020-21 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf imposed a second shutdown of Pa., forcing a halt to the season before it even truly started. In the midst of the uncertainty and upheaval, the Philadelphia Catholic League had no formal plans to have games, or, even more so, practices.

One program removed from the record books was Bishop McDevitt, which closed its doors for good at the end of the academic year. The Lancers program had been on the rise under Will Chavis, now an assistant at Drexel, but that progress was stymied by the decision passed down in November 2020. Including John W. Hallahan, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has closed five high schools since 2010, making the league much smaller.

Fast forward to the 2021-22 season and a sense of normalcy has returned to the Pa. basketball landscape, particularly in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Diggins, Randolph, Shepherd and Stinson were all named First Team All-Catholic, making Archbishop Wood only the second team all-time to have four players make first team, joining Roman Catholic in 2018-19.

Head coach John Mosco cannot understate what last year’s class did for the program.

“Collin Gillespie’s 2016-17 team was the start and opened everybody’s eyes but this class solidified us as a big-time program,” Mosco said. “They left as one of the winningest classes in school history. They got what they wanted with that Catholic League title.”

Diggins succeeded Gillespie (Villanova) at point guard, became a four-year starter and finished his career at the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,513 points). Shepherd was a three-year starter and scored 1,099 career points. Randolph was a multi-dimensional lefty, Stinson was one of the premiere shooters in Pa. and Newton’s athleticism made him a great complement last season. With all five starters gone, the Vikings lost 92 percent of its scoring output from a year ago but have new options ready to step in and flourish.

Tyson Allen, a 6-3 senior guard, will also start in his final year. He was one of the elite defenders in the league last season and should be once again. Basil Laster, a 6-4 junior who holds an offer from St. Peter’s University and played sparingly last season but has a lot of potential, will be in the starting lineup. Mosco noted that he began his career on the freshman team and “he’s a coach’s dream who plays hard.”

Down low, Carson Howard will provide scoring and rebounding, much like Newton did last year. The 6-7 junior forward, who also boasts an offer from St. Peter’s, transferred over from Lacey (N.J.) and avg. 18.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks last season. “He’s learning to finish better and getting more of an opportunity to play against tougher players in this league,” Mosco states. Sherod Cannedy, a 5-10 senior guard and another McDevitt transfer, “is a solid point guard who can really pass the ball.”

Jalil Bethea, 6-4 sophomore guard who holds offers from Temple, Albany, Jacksonville and Robert Morris, and Josh Reed, a 6-2 sophomore guard, saw limited action as freshmen but should explode on the scene this year. Markus Dixon, a 6-4 forward and Second Team All-Catholic tight end on the football team, will see minutes. He holds football offers from Penn State, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. “They will provide energy and scoring power off the bench,” as Mosco describes. Milan Dean, a 6-2 freshman guard who “will push for minutes and has a real knack for the basketball”, leads an impressive incoming group including Judah Hidalgo and Deuce Maxey.

Bonner-Prendergast (3-4, 3-3) was affected the most by the pandemic last season. While the Friars were limited to seven games and the program was shut down for nearly a month, they nearly snuck into the PIAA 5A Tournament but fell to Archbishop Ryan, 52-50 in overtime. They played three of the four league semifinalists, beating Devon Prep and losing to Archbishop Wood by one. Malik Edwards, the William Penn College commit, is gone after avg. 22.4 ppg last season. Also gone are Nick Marabito (Washington Adventist University) and James Welde (football at Villanova). The Friars lost two players due to transfer in Hadir Boswell (Math, Civics & Sciences) and Elijah Duval (Martin County (Fla.)).

Two seasons ago, the Friars were a Jalen Duren buzzer-beating put-back away from the Palestra and they were primed for a state title before the pandemic ended things. Go back three years to when Isaiah Wong (Miami (Fla.)) and Tariq Ingraham (Rider) were starters and they advanced to the PIAA 4A title game where they fell to Imhotep Charter.

He avg. 10.5 ppg as a sophomore and “he’s the ultimate leader and hardest working kid we have. He never quits and has a high motor to match it,” Funston notes. He suffered a fracture in his foot and only got his cast off on Dec. 1 but should be ready for the start of the season. Baasil Saunders, a 6-4 junior guard, played at Constitution and was a member of the rotation for the 2021 PIAA Class 2A runner-up. He had 12 points against Sankofa Freedom in the regular season.

Lansdale Catholic has not made the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs since 2013 but seventh-year head coach Joe Corbett feels he has the depth in the backcourt to potentially put an end to that.

Corbett recalls having bigs like Luke Godzieba (Ursinus College), Casey and Ward in the post but the perimeter will be the focus now. Liam McDonnell, the 5-10 senior guard and third-year starter and captain, returns to the point. He avg. 5.5 ppg and scored 15 points against La Salle. “He is the leader. We’ve asked him to be more vocal with the guys and he’s excited for the challenge,” according to Corbett. Jake Coonahan, a 5-10 senior guard, and Brandon Thomson, another 5-10 senior guard, will be looked to provide scoring. Thomson poured in 14 points versus Bonner-Prendergast. James Juarez, a 6-1 senior guard, is a projected starter. “He’s a great on-ball defender and can play the opponent’s best scorer,” as Corbett notes.

With the loss of Casey and Ward, 6-3 junior forward Evan Lojewski, who swung JV and varsity as a sophomore, “will get the first shot at playing the five,” per Corbett. He posted seven points against West Catholic. Matt Hopkins, a 6-3 junior wing, will compete for minutes at multiple positions. Dan Curran, a 5-9 sophomore guard who transferred from Archbishop Carroll, and 6-foot sophomore guard Brendan Stewart could see time as well.

Francis Bowe begins year four at Archbishop Carroll (9-7, 7-5) without its dominant big man. Anquan Hill, now a freshman playing at Fairleigh Dickinson, avg. 17.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in leading the Patriots to the District 12-4A title over Martin Luther King before falling to eventual champion, Allentown Central Catholic in the PIAA 4A quarterfinals. Also gone are two starting guards in Tyler Seward and Caleb Carter, who each avg. at least 10 ppg, and Chase Coleman, an impact freshman last season, transferred to Coatesville.

Jake West comes over from Plymouth Whitemarsh after seeing action in his first season at the high-school level. The 5-9 freshman, who holds an offer from St. Francis (N.Y.), “is a spark plug” and “he has a very large basketball IQ,” as Bowe states. He can run the point but has grown more comfortable playing off the ball. Shawnn Smith, a 6-3 senior guard, comes over from McDevitt after avg. 8.1 ppg with five double-figure games. “He does his job every day and “he’s changed the program and puts it all together,” as Bowe emphasizes.

With Hill having moved on, 6-6 senior lefty Harold Ivery, who played in 15 games last year, will man the middle. He’s rangy and can defend multiple positions. Sal Monastero, the 6-4 senior who saw action in seven games as a junior, will also see time down low. He can rebound well and has range out of the three-point line. Blake Deegan, a 6-4 junior, played JV last season but should contribute this year.

Adam Bowen’s fourth season at the helm of Conwell-Egan (2-11, 2-11) will see him welcome seven new players into the fold. The Eagles are searching for their first Philadelphia Catholic League postseason berth in five years but will have to do it without a few key pieces in Donald Imo (Chestnut Hill College), Derrick Dolan (Cairn University), Jalen Cary (Montgomery County Community College) and Andrew Garwo, now playing football at Temple. Imo evolved into an elite big man, avg. 12.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last season.

For Bowen, there is a different feel to this year’s group than in the past and he’s hoping they can take advantage of the depth up and down the roster.

“For the first time, since I’ve been here, we’ve taken an enormous step in the right direction,” Bowen said. “I very much expect us to be competitive and we’re ready to compete for a playoff spot.”

The starting point guard will be newcomer Niame Scott, a 6-1 junior guard who avg. 8.4 ppg at Boys’ Latin a season ago. “He’s going to be our point guard and he’s going to have the ball in his hands,” Bowen described. Two football players will be part of the rotation in 6-3 junior forward Mekhi Harper, who was a starting defensive back and led the Eagles with four interceptions, and 6-4 junior forward Zamire Cottrell, who recorded nine tackles for loss and two sacks on his way to Blue Division First Team All-Catholic.

Two transfers from Father Judge should compete for minutes in 6-4 junior forward Brian Jeter and his cousin, 6-4 junior forward Kevin Conway. Bowen expects big things from 6-foot freshman guard Antwone George, who broke his wrist during tryouts but should be ready to play this month once his cast comes off.

Father Judge (3-13, 2-10) begins a new regime under first-year head coach Chris Roantree. Roantree, a ’99 Judge grad, was an assistant at Archbishop Wood for eight years where he worked under Mosco and helped develop players such as Diggins, Shepherd, Gillespie, Tyree Pickron (Long Island University) and many more. At the AAU level with Team Final 17U squad, he was integral in helping players such as Duren and Emoni Bates, both freshmen playing at Memphis for Penny Hardaway, along with Westtown’s Dereck Lively II (Duke) and former Roman Catholic standout Justice Williams, now playing at LSU, among several others.

He’s a players’ coach and his influence on the growth of some of the top players in the area speaks to that. For a team seeking a return to the postseason for the first time since 2019, Roantree has seen a change in the culture and playing style in this group.

“We’ve adjusted really well to a different style and tempo and they’ve picked things up well,” Roantree said. “Our guys are learning what it takes to compete and win every, single day to be able to play in our league as many don’t have the experience having played in it.”

Mike McCusker, a 5-11 junior guard and member of the Crusaders soccer team, will be a starter as well. He posted 11 points against St. Joe’s Prep and 15 points vs Lansdale Catholic. In the front court, 6-7 sophomore Anthony Lilley, who had 13 points against Neumann-Goretti, should take a major step forward after success in year one.

The biggest addition to the Crusaders may be 6-4 junior guard Kyle Jones Jr., Diggins’ cousin and a transfer from Langston Hughes (Ga.). He had 23 points in a game against Troup County last season and holds offers from DePaul and Virginia Tech. Roantree noted that “he might be one of the better passers that I’ve coached” but also “has the ability to score 25 or 30 points.” Father Judge will welcome several Bishop McDevitt players to its rotation in 6-4 junior guard Paul King, 6-4 junior forward Tearran Peete and 6-foot junior guard Nolan Waldon.

King figures to be in the mix for a starting spot and “I think Paul is going to be one of our top players” and “he’s scratching the surface of what he can do,” as Roantree stressed. Peete will play a role similar to the one former Archbishop Wood forward Rob Jackson, now playing football at Cincinnati, did. Waldon is a “great shooter” and “will give us minutes off the bench.” The final transfer is 6-3 sophomore guard Laquan Byrd, who was part of Constitution’s run to the 2021 PIAA Class 2A title game, and “he’s going to be a big piece of us,” Roantree states.

Jason Fisher and Devon Prep (9-5, 9-4) will no longer be catching an opponent by surprise after making the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals for the first time in school history in only its third year since coming over from the Bicentennial Athletic League. After winning five league games in their first two seasons, the Tide won nine a season ago and have put the other programs on notice.

Lucas Orchard is one of the most versatile players in the Philadelphia Catholic League. The 6-4 junior forward avg. 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.6 steals. He hit 13 three-pointers and his 37 steals were good for third in the league. “He absolutely has the potential to score 20 points a game and he has so many intangibles that make him effective,” as Fisher notes. Another versatile player is 6-4 junior lefty Jacen Holloway, who Fisher stressed “is going to be a tough matchup.” He scored 16 points against Archbishop Wood last year. Fisher is very high on 6-4 freshman forward Zane Conlon, who will compete for minutes down low.

Two seasons ago, Ryan Nemetz led Cardinal O’Hara (3-10, 2-10) to its first winning league record since 2001 with a postseason berth to top it off. With their four-guard offense, the Lions took the league by storm but with some many key players having moved on, they took a step back a season ago. Big man Jax Trickey is playing at Marymount University while Adrian Irving and Trey Roberts also moved on.

Nemetz is overseeing a young but extremely talented group and, if all goes well, they could duplicate the results from 2019.

Other options for Nemetz include 6-foot sophomore guard Zuri Harris, Massai’s younger brother, Christian Cervello, a 6-2 junior guard, Kory Jones, a 5-11 sophomore guard who saw action in six games, and 6-3 freshman guard Brendan Horan, who will see the floor in year one.

Miguel Bocachica enters his fourth season with the freshmen class that came in when he started as seniors. Two years ago, West Catholic (7-5, 6-4) advanced to the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs for the first time since 2014 then last season it finished with a winning record in league play for the first time since 2009. The Burrs lost one starter in Eric Chamberlain, who led the team with 11.7 ppg and is now playing at Albright College. One player who transferred was Anthony Finkley, who is playing at Huntington Prep (W. Va.). Otherwise, everyone else returns on a team loaded with talent and postseason aspirations.

Adam “Budd” Clark, who avg. 4.9 points and 2.4 steals per game, returns at point guard. “He holds the keys for us” and “has made everyone else’s lives easier,” as Bocachica notes. Zion Stanford (7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Marcus Branker Jr. (3.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), both 6-5 junior wings with offers from Bryant University, will be key to the Burrs success. Stanford, who has started in various games since his freshman year, “is starting to put it together as far as what kind of player he is.” He had 11 points against Math, Civics & Sciences in the PIAA District 12-3A title game. Branker scored 10 points vs. the Vikings last year.

A vital addition was Shemar Wilbanks-Acqui, a 6-3 junior guard who transferred in from Sankofa Freedom. He avg. 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals and helped the Sankofa reach the Public League semifinals. Bocachica calls him “a perfect fit” for this team and system. A few freshmen should see time, particularly 6-6 wing Isaac Cole, 5-9 guard Naseem Perez and 6-5 forward Jaden Banner. Cole “has been very impressive since he’s been around” and “he’s in the mold of a lot of the other guys.”

Archbishop Ryan (12-6, 8-4) put together the best season in school history in 2020-21 with its run to the PIAA Class 5A title game, their first state title game in program history, before falling to Cathedral Prep. Add that to the Raiders fourth Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal appearance in six seasons and head coach Joe Zeglinski, in his sixth year, has turned his alma mater into one of the best in the area. Led by Pa. All-State Class 5A Player of the Year Aaron Lemon-Warren, who is doing a prep year at Mt. Zion Prep (Md.), Christian Tomasco (Hofstra University) and Dominic Vazquez (Arcadia University), the Raiders made an incredible run through the state tournament, which included a semifinal victory over Chester at the Clip Joint.

The difference maker for the Raiders may be 6-4 sophomore guard Darren Williams. The lefty appeared in 13 games as a freshman and moves to the starting lineup in year two. He possesses much of the game that Iowa State standout Izaiah Brockington once did. “He plays above his age with a lot of poise,” Zeglinski stressed.

David Wise, a 6-foot senior, is a strong defensive player and will provide depth off the bench. Michael Paris, a 5-11 junior guard, avg. 3.7 ppg last season but “you’re going to see him breakout this year. He’s going to play like a starter and he’s a spark off the bench,” per Zeglinski. Jaden Murray, a 6-6 sophomore forward who had nine points against Cardinal O’Hara, will come in when Archbishop Ryan wants to play with a smaller lineup.

Carl Arrigale, the longest tenured head coach in the Philadelphia Catholic League at 23 seasons, is coming off a season where Neumann-Goretti (4-6, 4-6) missed the league semifinals for the first time since 2018. A talented senior class consisting of Hysier Miller (Temple), Zaakir Williamson (University of Buffalo), Chris Evans (Claflin University), Blaise Vespe, who is doing a prep year at IMG Academy (Fla.), and Solo Bambara, who is playing football at Buffalo, have moved on. Miller, the Pa. All-State Class 3A Player of the Year, avg. 18.4 points, 10 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.9 steals and was a starter of the 2019 Philadelphia Catholic League title team. Evans was one of the most prolific shooters in the area having hit 143 three-pointers in the last three seasons.

The strength of the Saints is in their sophomore class. Robert Wright III, the 6-foot guard, avg. 5.9 ppg and had 13 points against Lansdale Catholic as a freshman. He holds offers from Wichita State, Wake Forest, Seton Hall and La Salle. He has a little Tyreek Duren in him but he’s a better shooter at this stage in his career,” Arrigale said. Backcourt mate Khaafiq Myers, the 5-11 guard who holds offers from Wichita State, Temple, Binghamton and North Texas, is a “great penetrator and distributor as well as a much improved shooter.” Amir Williams, an athletic, 6-5 wing with offers from Wichita State and Binghamton, “can be an outstanding defender” but “we have to unlock his potential,” Arrigale stressed.

Chris McNesby is back for round two at Roman Catholic (10-2, 9-1) after a five-year hiatus. He went 168-56 with two Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA Class 4A titles behind Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick and Lamar Stevens, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers. McNesby takes over for Matt Griffin, who won a pair of league titles and a PIAA 6A crown before taking an assistant coaching position at Albany. The Cahillites, who own the most Philadelphia Catholic League titles all-time with 32, have played in the last four championship games and it’s McNesby’s hope that he can duplicate his success despite a prolonged layoff.

“It’s been a few months since I’ve been back but a lot of former players always come through, watch practice and work out with the guys over the summer,” McNesby said. “This group is starting to get the sense of the tradition and not going off what they’ve heard. Some of the guys from last year’s team didn’t even take a shot in our gym.”

Toby Ojukwu, a 6-foot sophomore guard with an offer from Manhattan, played in 12 games with three starts as a freshman. “He’s physical and he’s going to be a really good guard in our league for the next few years,” McNesby stressed. The Cahillites welcome 6-7 freshman forward Shareef Jackson, the son of former Roman Catholic and Temple standout Marc Jackson who played seven seasons in the NBA, to the mix. McNesby indicated that “he’s as coachable as you would imagine with a great basketball IQ and he’s a truly cerebral player.” Kyree Womack, a 5-8 sophomore guard who transferred in from Chester, will also be part of the rotation. He had seven points in the Clippers District 1-5A title victory over West Chester Rustin then hit three clutch free throws to force overtime against Crestwood in the state quarterfinals.

Mike McKee and La Salle (9-5, 8-5) return almost its entire core group from a team that nearly advanced to the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. McKee led the Explorers to the title game in his first season and has a wealth of talent on his roster back. Charles Ireland is now a walk-on at La Salle University while a pair of guards in Jackson Conroy and Connor Donahue also moved on.

In the front court, 6-8 junior forward Caleb Bryant, who earned his first Division I offer from Delaware State this summer, will start in the middle after a strong season of development followed by an impressive AAU season with Team Final alongside Howard, Imhotep Charter’s Justin Edwards and Rahmir Barno, Reading’s Ruben Rodriguez and George School’s Kachi Nzeh. “It’s about catching, finishing and rebounding for him,” as McKee notes. Anthony Rivers, a 6-6 senior forward, and Tim Jennings, a 6-7 junior forward, “provide good depth and size.” Rivers is “a very good decision maker and gets his teammates involved.”

Jason Harrigan took the job at St. Joe’s Prep (3-11, 3-10) in June 2020 and had to navigate not only a brand-new position but also keep his new roster of players afloat until a season was unveiled. Richard Thomas is playing at Del-Val University, J.P. Egan is playing at Mount Saint Mary College and Jimmy King, who avg. 20.4 ppg in eight games, is playing baseball at Holy Cross. After taking over for legendary coach William “Speedy” Morris, Harrigan, the former head coach at Del-Val Charter and Cardinal O’Hara now has a full offseason of working with the team and that should greatly benefit this crop of Hawks.

Harrigan’s second season begins with a very young team but the talent and untapped potential are there. He’s hoping to unleash that.

Tristen Guillouette comes over from Life Center Academy (N.J.) and immediately fills a void in the middle of the Hawks lineup. The 6-9 sophomore forward had 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Sinai Christian (N.J.) last season and burst onto the scene at Philly Live over the summer. “He’s coming into a space where all eyes are on him and he’s going to get a lot of attention,” Harrigan noted. Luke Brown, a 6-8 sophomore forward who transferred in from Salesianum (Del.), is “going to start at times for us” and “gives us some versatility,” per Harrigan. Jackson Gaffney, a 6-6 junior forward and strong lacrosse player, transferred in from the Haverford School and should be a solid inside-outside threat. Jalen Harper, a 6-3 sophomore guard who played JV last season, should be a key contributor.

The Hawks welcome two players with deep ties to Philadelphia basketball lore. Olin Chamberlain Jr., a 5-11 freshman, will start at point guard. He’s the grandnephew of the late NBA Hall of Famer and 76ers legend Wilt Chamberlain. Harrigan stated that “he’s poised and it feels like he’s been there before. I’m trying to get him to learn the position of point guard and evolve his leadership.” Jaron McKie, a 6-1 freshman, is the son of former NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Temple head coach Aaron McKie. He will start opposite Chamberlain. “He’s going to be a really good player. He’s grown physically and his game has grown. He comes in with a load of talent and can do a lot of different things,” as Harrigan described.

The non-league slate is back and the uncertainty and dread of a monumental 2020-21 season has subsided. The attention of the Philadelphia Catholic League programs shifts to completing a full season and an eventual return to fabled Palestra to crown the next champion. A sense of normalcy has returned and, for a league with as much upside and talent across the board, this may be anything but a normal season.