Now tasked with resurrecting a program that has not won a league title since 2017, when it shared it with Germantown Academy, Wright wants to ensure the current crop of players is aware of those who came before them and donned the name Episcopal Academy across their chests.

“Gerald and Wayne were superstars and for me I always cherished the opportunity to play for the same coach in the same program,” Wright said. “That was always something I wanted to do growing up. The other thing growing up, when I went to the Merion campus, you look around and see the remnants of great Episcopal basketball. I would love to get that more to the forefront for these kids. After we moved campuses, there’s kids who aren’t as familiar with the Merion campus and the great teams that we had there.”

Wright took over as head coach in June when Brian Shanahan stepped down after three seasons at the helm, and his success at his alma mater made him an ideal candidate. He played three seasons under Dougherty and one under former head man Craig Conlin, who was the head coach the last time the Churchmen won the title six seasons ago.

“The difference for me is coaching basketball is more rewarding,” Wright said. “The difference is that baseball has so much more one-on-one stuff and I’m the pitching coach at Episcopal, so I still get to coach and teach it. The idea of a team culture and a group of five guys going out there to be greater than the sum of their parts is much more present in basketball and that’s what I find really motivating. You can accomplish so much playing for each other.”

Wright will look to 6-foot-3 junior guard Kevin McCarthy, a 2021-22 Pa. All-State Non-PIAA Third Team selection, to help him get off and running. He avg. 16.0 ppg and drilled 79 three-pointers as a sophomore and holds an offer from Florida Gulf Coast. He has also received interest from Princeton, Lehigh, Lafayette, and Quinnipiac. He scored a season-high 31 points in wins over Springside Chestnut Hill and Audubon (N.J.), respectively. According to Wright, “He’s shown a commitment to trying to learn a new system and wants to be the example for the other guys.”

TJ Lamb, the 6-4 senior forward and Cornell lacrosse commit, will man the middle for the Churchmen. He was terrific on the gridiron accumulating 31 receptions for 530 yards and seven touchdowns as Episcopal Academy was one win away from a league title. He avg. 10.6 ppg as a junior and had several strong performances which included scoring 20 points on the road at Malvern Prep.

“He’s the quintessential Episcopal athlete. He plays multiple sports and has been a part of successful teams,” as Wright states.

Eddie Jones, the 6-5 senior forward who is committed to play lacrosse at Villanova, will be an option down low. He poured in 19 points in a win over Interboro last season.

Another player returning from injury, Calvin Szoradi, will also provide depth. The 6-6 junior forward broke his wrist last season, causing him to miss a large portion of it, but he’s back after being a key member of the football team.

“I’ve already said to the boys that I’m here to guide them through their senior year, but I’m going to need them more than they will need me,” Bass said. “I want to keep a lot of things consistent to what John did while providing wrinkles with what I believe.”

Bass will lean heavily on 6-foot senior point guard Mark Butler, the 2022 Inter-Ac MVP. The Lafayette signee avg. 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.4 steals, and exploded for a career-high 30 points versus Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in the final game of the regular season. He has shown the ability to score at will and find teammates in positions they’re comfortable as he did with 6-3 senior guard Isaiah Grimes for the game winner to beat Germantown Academy last season. “Mark leads by example and his efficiency with the ball makes him great. I want to work with him on playing off the ball this year. He’ll have major on-the-ball responsibilities, but I think that he can add to his game by being able to score off the ball and defend,” according to Bass.

Grimes, the starting tight end, led the Quakers football team with 33 receptions for 605 yards and eight touchdowns. He avg. 10.4 ppg last season and Bass is hoping games like that 20-point outing against the Patriots will be in greater abundance as a senior. He caught most of his passes from 6-5 senior forward Colin Schumm, who threw for 941 yards and seven scores this season. Schumm avg. 5.7 ppg as a junior and performances like his 14-point, 12-rebound game against Friends’ Central should increase.

The Quakers may be the deepest team in the Inter-Ac this season with the likes of 6-2 senior guard Trey Shinholster and 5-11 senior guard Keith Gee supporting Butler. Shinholster was second on the team at 11.8 ppg and has also tallied 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. He was a terrific complement to Butler as he accrued 15 games with 10 or more points as a junior.  As Bass described, “Trey is a really good leader and as he builds off his own confidence, his success on the court will rise. He can become a more consistent shooter and he’ll have the ball in his hands a lot also.” Gee (7.4 points, 5.0 assists) improved over the course of last season.

Kai Shinholster, Trey’s brother, burst onto the scene as a freshman. The 6-4 sophomore guard scored 12 points against Abington Friends in his debut and avg. 6.3 ppg for the season. He already holds offers from UTEP, Robert Morris and Hofstra. “His athleticism has gone up a lot and he’s gotten stronger. At his size, being able to do what he does shooting the ball makes him tough to defend,” per Bass.

It's been a few years since the trio of Jameer Nelson Jr., Christian Ray and Jameel Brown led the Fords to an undefeated season, and Inter-Ac and PAISAA title, but longtime head coach Bernie Rogers, who led Archbishop Ryan for 15 seasons which included two appearances in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game, believes this current group has the makings of one that can return to those heights.

“What you put into the offseason has an effect on what you do during the regular season,” Rogers said. “These guys are starting to understand that. I tell them that you need to value making your teammates better on the court. Once everybody starts thinking like that, the entire group gets better.”

Billy Rayer, a 6-foot junior guard, and 5-11 sophomore guard KJ Carson will start in the backcourt. Rayer avg. 7.4 ppg for the season and performed well during the PAISAA Tournament avg. 16.5 ppg in two games. Carson saw time as a freshman and comes in fresh off the 2022 Inter-Ac title with the football team. Duke Cloran, a 6-1 sophomore guard, is “pretty talented and I think he will surprise some people,” as Rogers described.

Brendan Leary, a 6-4 senior forward, will provide experience and strength inside, and Rogers is hoping he will help transition Luke Rasmussen, a 6-7 senior forward who played the last two seasons at Hill School after beginning his career at The Haverford School, into the rotation. He avg. 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in helping Hill reach the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title game. In a loaded lineup there, he did not find a lot of opportunities but should be one of the Fords focal options on the offensive end. As Rogers noted, “he’s a wing who can do a little bit of everything.”

It was a year where talent was evident, but McFadden knew there were going to be growing pains and the roster had very little experience across the board.

“We had a lot of dudes who didn’t play a lot of varsity basketball leading up to last year,” McFadden said. “It was great for us in terms of game reps, especially when Inter-Ac play came around because most of the guys didn’t even know there weren’t any league playoffs. Leadership is one of the things, specifically for Alassane Amadou and Jaren Morton, that was big because they were able to watch Darius and Ivan lead and be able to experience that as the next guys in line.”

Amadou, the 6-9 senior forward signed with Marquette, is as versatile as any player in the Inter-Ac. He avg. 10.7 points, 7.7 rebounds & 3.2 blocks while shooting 45 percent from the field. He also hit 12 three-pointers as his range has continued to expand and his comfort out on the perimeter has grown.

Camden Burns was sensational in his first season at Springside Chestnut Hill earning First Team All Inter-Ac honors. The 6-1 junior guard transferred over from Martin Luther King and avg. a team-high 14.0 ppg while drilling 50 three-pointers on the year. Explosive performances like his 21-point outburst against Penn Charter in the opening round of the PAISAA Tournament showcased why he was a welcomed addition to the Blue Devils lineup. While he’s a terrific scorer, McFadden stresses that “his next progression is becoming more of a lead guard and a guy who can run the show.”

“We had eight great seniors last year and they will be missed,” Dolan said. “Each season brings this new energy and we’re excited to get on the court with this new group. It’s about motivating them and setting goals. We’re going to have moments of adversity and with such a young group, we try to model what it takes to work hard every day and have a next-play mentality.”

The success of the Patriots will begin and end with the backcourt tandem of 6-foot sophomores Flinn Brooks and Bryce Rollerson. The two went to grade school together and have re-established that bond at Germantown Academy. 

Paul Romanczuk had an extremely prosperous return to the sideline by leading Malvern Prep (16-9, 8-2) to a share of the Inter-Ac title and an appearance in the PAISAA Tournament. The former Archbishop Carroll head coach had not coached since 2018 but brought a wealth of success with 283 career wins and the 2009 PIAA Class 3A title to his name.

The Friars will be without guards Chase Reardon and Joey Vandergeest as well as 6-7 forward Tyler Lauder, who avg. 8.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, and is now playing at Babson College. 

Romanczuk returns his two leading scorers in Pa. All-State Third Team selection Ryan Williams and First Team All Inter-Ac pick Andrew Phillips. Williams, the 6-3 junior guard who holds offers from Temple, Penn, Drexel, Albany, Fairfield and Towson, avg. 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals while hitting 37 three-pointers. He became the first sophomore to lead Malvern Prep in scoring since Deuce Turner (University of San Diego) in 2018. “He’s a talented young man and he’s going to be looked at to provide us with scoring punch but also leadership and the ability to create for others,” according to Romanczuk.

Phillips, the 6-4 versatile forward, avg. 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 48% from the floor. He also made 23 three-pointers and exhibited his inside-outside skillset. Romanczuk noted that “I want him to grow as a leader and I want him to provide that” and “he can continue to expand his game and take care of the ball. He’s one of those guys that has versatility and can create a mismatch. I’m excited for a big year from him.”

Charlie Oschell, the 6-5 senior forward and brother of former standout, Fran Oschell, should provide stability down low. Hayden Pegg, a 6-4, 190-pound senior who flourished at linebacker on the Friars football team, is looking to contribute more, much like he did in scoring 11 points against Cardinal O'Hara last season. Hayden’s younger brother, Ryan is a 6-3 junior guard and should see extended minutes.

Tague Davis, a 6-4 junior lefty and standout on the baseball diamond, will be part of the rotation. There is also Achilles Tucker-Turner, a 6-foot junior guard who played sparingly as a sophomore but Romanczuk is high on him.