BOYS BASKETBALL: Key Victories, Noteworthy Numbers & Power Players Highlight This Week’s PCL Round-Up (Jan. 23)

Photos/Videos: Erin Carty, Donna Eckert, Rachel Macauley, Lennie Malmgren, Tommy Muir, Ryan Nix, Lou Rabito, James Williamson & Mark Zimmaro

By: Rich Flanagan

Philadelphia Catholic League Round-Up (Through Jan. 23)

Roman Catholic still showing it’s the class of the Philadelphia Catholic League:

Aside from its loss to Archbishop Wood, Roman Catholic has been pushing toward a return to the Palestra and its first league crown since 2019. That team boasted Hakim Hart (Maryland), Seth Lundy (Penn State), Jalen Duren (Memphis), Justice Williams (LSU) and Lynn Greer III (St. Joe’s) and led the Cahillites to their second consecutive title. That team was one of the most star-studded in recent memory and only three years later, the new group is ready to seize its moment.

The Cahillites are coming off a 70-63 win over upstart West Catholic on Sunday and giving them their fourth straight win in the process. Senior Daniel Skillings Jr. has averaged 19.5 points in that span and the University of Cincinnati signee poured in 25 points against the Burrs. Teammate and Hofstra signee Khalil Farmer has avg. 17.5 ppg during this run, which included two 20-point games. He has hit seven three-pointers as well.

While Farmer is one of the premiere shooters in the area, he has found much of his success this season operating at the high post and hitting jumpers in the lane. It has paid dividends for him and the Cahillites.

“[My coaches] have been working with me to expand my game,” Farmer said following Sunday’s victory. “Early on, my shots were falling but my teammates and my coaching staff told me to keep shooting because I’ve been putting in the work and eventually, they would fall.”

That loss to the Vikings is the only blemish for Roman Catholic so far and both programs have looked like the class of the Philadelphia Catholic League at the midway point of the season. They met in last year's title game with Archbishop Wood taking home its second-ever league championship but don’t be surprised if they see each other in that environment again.

Roman Catholic Senior Day Photos - by Tommy Muir

Roman (61) vs. Lansdale Catholic (25) Game Highlights 1/21 by James Williamson

The last time two programs played each other in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game in consecutive seasons was Roman Catholic and Neumann-Goretti in 2015 and 2016. Roman Catholic head coach Chris McNesby was the head coach of those two title teams championed by Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick, Paul Newman and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens.

Sunday’s game was a major test where the Cahillites showed exactly what veteran leadership can do for a team and where it can take them. McNesby has mentored outstanding upperclassmen in the past and he has another solid group this season.

“We knew West was going to bring a lot of pressure,” McNesby said. “They come at you in waves and pick their spots on when to pressure. We had to execute against that, and our older, experienced guys did a good job cutting hard to the ball and making good plays.”

Post Game Interview with Daniel Skillings Jr. after Roman Catholic's 82-49 Victory vs. CEC - Video/Tommy Muir

Roman Catholic head coach Chris McNesby was impressed with his teams' defensive play in final home game vs. CEC - Video/Tommy Muir

Junior Xzayvier Brown is avg. 16.5 ppg in this four-game stand and is playing his best basketball following a nagging ankle injury. The 6-foot-1 combo guard had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the win over the Raiders then added 14 points and three steals versus the Crusaders. McNesby feels Brown’s presence has been a major reason the Cahillites have taken off as of late.

“He really controls us and he’s our guy who gets us into stuff,” McNesby said. “He thinks about the game like I would. He’s our point guard and when he has it, there’s a good chance something good is going to happen.”

While Skillings, Farmer and Brown have controlled things offensively, the emergence of 6-7 freshman forward Shareef Jackson has helped immensely on the glass. He had 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks followed by 12 boards in the wins over Conwell-Egan and Lansdale Catholic, respectively.

The Cahillites have their sights set on a deep run in the postseason but there are still decisive matchups with Devon Prep, Neumann-Goretti and La Salle remaining before the real test begins.

Big men on campus:

For the first time since Jalen Duren opted to transfer to Montverde Academy (Fla.), the Philadelphia Catholic League may be decided in the post rather than on the perimeter. The 2020 Neumann-Goretti team and the 2021 Archbishop Wood squad claimed titles with vaunted backcourts but, for the first time in a long time that has seen big men showcase versatility, there are many forwards and centers who may dictate where teams fall heading down the stretch.

St. Joe’s Prep sophomore Tristen Guillouette is avg. 12.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game this season. The 6-9 Life Center Academy (N.J.) transfer has been the anchor in the middle for the Hawks while the freshman backcourt duo of Olin Chamberlain Jr. and Jaron McKie continue to develop. While he missed four games with an injury, he returned on Sunday to help down Lansdale Catholic and finished with 16 points, five boards and two rejections. He has four double-doubles on the season and should be the centerpiece for the future of head coach Jason Harrigan’s team.

Archbishop Ryan has a big man with a nose for finding the ball on the glass and a polished post game in 6-9 sophomore Thomas Sorber. The Trenton Catholic (N.J.) transfer is avg. 16 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game to go along with seven double-doubles. He had 24 points, 16 boards and three rejections in a 59-58 win over Cardinal O’Hara. Similar to how the offense ran through forwards like Matiss Kulackovskis and Aaron Lemon-Warren in the past, Sorber is the next successful big in the Raiders starting lineup.

Carson Howard, another impact transfer who hails from Lacey Township (N.J.), has been inserted in Archbishop Wood’s lineup and has immediately made a difference. The 6-7 junior forward is avg. 10 points and 9.5 rebounds this season. In a guard-oriented offense, Howard is thriving in the pick-and-roll and dump offs underneath the basket. He had 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against Archbishop Carroll then 11 points and 15 boards vs. Father Judge.

Junior Brady Eagan has been a pleasant surprise for Bonner-Prendergast. The 6-5 forward is avg. 9.4 ppg and he has been on fire over the last two games. He poured in 17 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Archbishop Ryan followed by 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, four boards and four assists vs. Cardinal O’Hara. While he may not have the defensive prowess of Ajiri Johnson (Rider) or Tariq Ingraham, head coach Kevin Funston uses him all over the court with his versatility, shooting and ball-handling ability.

Father Judge head coach Chris Roantree was instrumental in developing Duren with Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit and he has two evolving forwards in 6-7 sophomore Anthony Lilley and 6-5 junior Tearran Peete. Lilley scored 16 points vs. Lansdale Catholic and 20 points against Conwell-Egan earlier this season. He can influence the game with his scoring ability and he’s an above average rim protector.

St. Joseph's Prep vs. Lansdale Catholic - PSD Photos by Donna Eckert

Archbishop Ryan senior Jalen Snead talks about their key 60-47 victory vs. Bonner-Prendergast - Video/Erin Carty

MBAP freshman Saaid Lee talks about key takeaways in game vs. Ryan - Video/Erin Carty

Father Judge junior Ernest Shelton notes personal improvements this season - Video/Rachel Macauley

Peete, a Bishop McDevitt transfer, is a strong rebounder and shot blocker. He had six boards and two blocks against the Vikings on Sunday. He’s been a serviceable post defender for the Crusaders in his first season in the program.

Neumann-Goretti preparing for nonstop play:

After dealing with COVID-19 contact tracing while following the appropriate protocols, the Saints begin a gauntlet of a league slate upcoming. They will play 12 games in 19 days, which began with a matchup against Father Judge on Monday.

With only one league game under their belts, a 75-57 win over Bonner-Prendergast on Jan. 5, Neumann-Goretti will feel the full force of the league in its pursuit of returning to the league semifinals for the first time in two years.

They have matches up with West Catholic and St. Joe’s Prep this week followed by games against Archbishop Carroll, La Salle and Roman Catholic next week. They will play a plethora of contenders along the way but the corps of Robert Wright III (18.3 ppg), Masud Stewart (15.0) and Sultan Adewale (11.2) are rested and ready to play. It’s an onslaught to close out the regular season but don’t count the Saints out. They are young and deep, two aspects that will help with a multitude of games over three weeks.

Neumann-Goretti's Robert Wright III & Khaafig Meyers talk about returning to the court & securing their second PCL win vs. Judge - Video/Mark Zimmaro:

Noteworthy Numbers:

Izaiah Pasha, Cardinal O’Hara: The 6-5 junior guard leads the Lions at 16.1 ppg and put together the best individual performance of the year with a triple-double against Archbishop Ryan: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists. He also added two steals and two blocks in the process. Whether it’s out on the perimeter or in the paint, Pasha has changed the dynamic of the Lions offense and could be the reason they return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

Jackson Gaffney, St. Joe’s Prep: The 6-6 junior forward and Haverford School transfer stepped up while Guillouette was out. He poured in 25 points, including three three-pointers in a loss to West Catholic. He shot 7-for-14 from the floor and found his spots in the offense. He added four treys over the next two games against Devon Prep and Lansdale Catholic.

Justin Moore, Archbishop Wood: The 6-2 Drexel commit has captained the Vikings to an impressive start to the league season, avg. a team-leading 16.1 ppg. He had 15 points, seven assists, three steals and three blocks in a victory over the Patriots. He then added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with eight assists and four steals against Father Judge.

Horace Simmons, La Salle: While Rutgers football commit Sam Brown (17.1 ppg) has been huge this season, Simmons has been phenomenal in several statistical categories. The 6-6 junior forward is avg. 11.6 ppg and is doing a bit of everything. He had 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in a loss to Cardinal O’Hara then hit four three-pointers on his way to 16 points in a victory over the Eagles. He may have had his best game of the season in a 69-65 overtime win over Devon Prep with 13 points, with five of those coming in the extra period, and 12 rebounds.

Niame Scott, Conwell-Egan: The Eagles have had a tough go of it so far but the 6-1 junior and Boys’ Latin transfer has been fantastic through it all. He leads Conwell-Egan at 17.7 ppg and has hit nine three-pointers over the last four games. He capped off the weekend with 25 points against the Lions.

Moses Hipps, Archbishop Carroll: The 6-4 sophomore guard remains one of the most electric scorers in the Philadelphia Catholic League with 15.9 ppg and he has scored in double figures in only one game he has played this season. He had 19 points, five rebounds and three assists against the Lions then 16 points, five boards and two assists in the loss to the Vikings. Hipps has been a matchup nightmare since entering the league and continues to carry the Patriots offense.