Photos/Videos: Zamani Feelings, Kathy Leister, Mike Nance, Ryan Nix & Jack Verdeur
By: Rich Flanagan
PHILADELPHIA – What makes the Inter-Ac League regular season so much more crucial than others throughout the area is that after 10 league games, a champion is crowned and while one or multiple teams can share the title, there is a sense of finality when the season comes to a close. Since 2010, there have been 10 outright league winners and two instances where multiple teams shared the title, which included Malvern Prep and Penn Charter last season.
Barring any unforeseen hiccups in the Friars matchup at Germantown Academy and the Quakers game at Episcopal Academy on Friday, the two longtime rivals will meet on Tuesday with one league loss each and first place on the line.
David Bass, who took over when John Owens stepped down and took an assistant coaching job with the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team, has steadied the ship and led the program to 20 wins for the second consecutive season.
Penn Charter head coach David Bass - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
The Quakers have not won an outright title since 2004 when league MVP Sean Singletary – who starred at the University of Virginia – led Penn Charter to its second straight league crown. The entire roster returned from last year’s team and, as Bass notes, one of the primary goals was to stand alone at the top of the standings as the unquestioned league champion.
“They understand the level of importance with these next few games,” Bass said. “We’re in the home stretch and they understand the importance of every Inter-Ac game because they have learned that over the last few years.”
After finishing 1-9 in the Inter-Ac as freshmen, the 2023 class of reigning league MVP Mark Butler, Isaiah Grimes, Keith Gee, Colin Schumm, Trey Shinholster and Scott Doran want nothing more than to win this elusive outright title and bring their rise to summit to a close in their final season. All six seniors are integral members of the rotation and while the aspirations of potentially winning a Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Tournament title are in the cards, the Inter-Ac is first and foremost.
Winning a title of this magnitude was never going to be an easy task and it was going to come with bumps in the road, like last week’s overtime loss to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.
Butler, who will play at Lafayette next season, had nine points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals and Shinholster hit three three-pointers on his way to 15 points.
The Quakers were limited to five points in the extra period and the only other double-digit scorer was Gee (12 points). The 57-52 loss took Penn Charter out of the driver seat after it came in unscathed, but Bass stressed that a major development came about as a result of that drawback, and it occurred due to the combined experience of this group over several years.
“After our two losses, the following practices have been like they didn’t happen,” Bass said. “The losses are behind them and perhaps I hold onto those losses a little bit longer than them. They’ve had the mentality of ‘we can’t change that, so we have to dial in, get ready for the next game and get prepared for the next stage of accomplishing our goals.’”
Penn Charter vs. Haverford School - PSD Gallery by Zamani Feelings
With only three Inter-Ac games left, the Quakers still control their own destiny. Butler - who is second on the team at 12.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in five league games this season - had 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals in the Quakers 55-52 victory over the Friars in the teams’ first meeting back on Jan. 17. In a game without leading scorer Kai Shinholster (12.8 ppg), Trey’s younger brother, Grimes stepped up with 11 points, eight boards and three steals while Trey had nine points and Gee had four of his nine in the fourth quarter. The Friars were led by their dynamic scoring duo of junior guard Ryan Williams (18 points) and senior forward Andrew Phillips (17), but couldn’t make a few key plays down the stretch.
Williams and Phillips are the best inside-outside tandem in the Inter-Ac and while they will find a way to put the ball in the basket, Bass wants the Quakers to limit them with different defensive looks.
“We play a lot of man-to-man but when we change our defense, that can change how teams approach us offensively and we want to ensure the other team is thinking,” Bass said. “We don’t want them to get comfortable with us just playing a certain defense the whole time. We want to mix things up, especially in paying attention to Ryan’s ability. We have to keep their top scorers down and limit their shot attempts.”
Williams and Phillips are tied for third in the league in scoring at 17.6 ppg and have scored in double figures in the same game 17 times this season. More importantly, Malvern Prep is 13-4 in those contests so if they’re able to assert their will on an opposing defense, the Friars are in great shape.
The offense runs through Williams, who can get to the rim and drill it from deep, and makes its way to Phillips, who controls things from the short corner or in the post but also does a terrific job on the glass. Hayden Pegg, 6-foot-4 senior guard who averages 7.5 ppg, has been a nice third option and performances like 11 points against Episcopal Academy are why Paul Romanczuk, who won his 300th career game earlier this season, will look to him when Williams and Phillips are struggling to find their spots. Freshman guard Rowan Miller (5.2 ppg) has been a sparkplug in his first varsity season and scored 10 points versus The Haverford School on Jan. 27.
Malvern Prep vs. Springside Chestnut Hill - PSD Gallery by Jack Verdeur
Whoever wins this big-time matchup will only have to win one more contest to secure the title. Williams, Phillips and the Friars are trying to win their first outright title together and the second outright crown in four years (there was no champion in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Quakers want their first outright title in 18 years. Tuesday’s game will pretty much determine the league champion and that adds so much intrigue to an already vaunted contest.
Amadou’s Block Party at Springside Chestnut Hill
When Kevin Garnett was in his prime, few players possessed the combination of size, versatility, athleticism and ferocity all in one. Garnett was as tenacious and gritty a player as there was in the NBA during his Hall of Fame career that saw him make the All-Star Team 15 times and win an NBA MVP and title. While he could score and rebound, blocking shots and influencing the game at the defensive end is where he made his biggest impact and over on W. Willow Grove Avenue, a player with a similar skillset and length is mirroring what the “Big Ticket” was once known for.
Alassane Amadou’s meteoric rise from rotational player at Quakertown and Bishop McDevitt - which closed its doors in 2021 – to Marquette signee at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy has been nothing short but miraculous. The 6-9 forward came off the bench as a sophomore on a Royal Lancers team consisting of Robert Smith Jr., Jamil Manigo, Glenn Smith, Ahmir Harris, Shamir Mosley, Terell Pitts, Shawnn Smith and Quinn Guilyard that won 12 Philadelphia Catholic League games but fell at home to Archbishop Ryan in the quarterfinals. He joined head coach Julian McFadden’s program with little varsity experience but playing on the AAU circuit with Philly Pride brought on offers from Miami (Fla.), St. John’s and Georgia Tech.
With an expanding yet evolving offensive game, the one area Amadou flourished in was using his size and length to influence a player’s shot and he really brought into what McFadden was preaching.
“He always had the ability to change games in terms of what he could do physically, but his communication defensively has taken it to that next level,” McFadden said. “A couple of our coaches called him “Ticket” in reference to KG and how he was a mastermind pointing everyone in the right direction and in their rotations. He can switch out on smaller guards and keep them out of the lane.”
A year after averaging 10.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, Amadou has become the best shutdown defender in the Inter-Ac at 5.7 blocks per game in his final season before heading to play for Shaka Smart. In a five-point loss to Malvern Prep on Jan. 20, he posted 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks then he hit two clutch free throws and a three-pointer in overtime to beat Penn Charter last week, but his biggest contribution was his seven blocks. Roaming the middle of the Blue Devils zone defense, Amadou sent shot after shot the other way and in some cases he can take the ball out of the air then turn and start the break.
SCHA vs. Penn Charter - Jan. 27 Highlights by Ryan Nix
SCHA senior Alassane Amadou talks about closing out a 57-52 OT win against Penn Charter - PSD Video by Ryan Nix
SCHA vs. Penn Charter - PSD Gallery by Ryan Nix
McFadden feels his defensive prowess spurs the Blue Devils offense and his ability to act almost as a defensive coordinator from his center spot has been a major shift in the dynamic of the team.
“We’re more of a zone team so a lot of the time he’s putting them in their positions that are correct, which allows him to free flow more and block more shots,” McFadden said. “The thing that you’ve seen from him is he’s gotten better at his ability to read defenders and not jump too early and understand. In the past, he was living off pure athleticism and now he’s starting to think through defensive positions more, which in turn makes us a good defensive team around him.”
In Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s 75-60 win over Germantown Academy on Tuesday, Amadou tallied 11 points, five rebounds and seven blocks and continued to showcase the expansive array of facets that made him into such a coveted Division I prospect in such a short time span.
“His game has evolved, and people have learned why his ceiling is so high within the college game and why Shaka Smart was at everything,” McFadden said. “You can see that he really hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can be on the basketball court, and he can be pretty darn impactful right now.”
The Blue Devils will not win the Inter-Ac title this season but their attention has shifted to the PAISAA Tournament, where they took down Penn Charter in the opening round a season ago. With a presence like Amadou peaking at just the right team, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy is not a team many will want to see in the postseason but one many will want to buy a ticket to see the “Ticket” play a few more times.
McCarthy & Rasmussen Performing At A High Level
From the moment he stepped on the floor for the Churchmen, Kevin McCarthy has been a go-to scorer and a player who can fill it from behind the arc. The 6-3 junior guard leads Episcopal Academy at 17.8 ppg and has scored 10-or-more points in 17 games this season. His nine 20-point games this year leads the Inter-Ac and he even had 30 in a game against Germantown Friends School on Dec. 3. He had a recent three-game stretch that saw him average 21.7 points and Episcopal Academy secured wins over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and Delco Christian.
Epsicopal Academy junior Kevin McCarthy #22 - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
McCarthy has been lethal from beyond the arc with 57 three-pointers. He hit six treys against Downingtown East, and his most recent game saw him drill four shots from deep and score 18 points in a loss to Malvern Prep. With an offer from Florida Gulf Coast, McCarthy – who has been a member of the Churchmen rotation since his freshman season – is one of the best kept secrets in a league full of electric scorers and even after making the Pa. All-State Non-PIAA Team as a sophomore, he has been even better this season.
Luke Rasmussen began his prep career at The Haverford School then chose to play two seasons at The Hill School in Pottstown before returning to the Fords where has been sensational. The 6-7 senior forward is avg. 11.0 ppg and has been a major reason behind the Fords resurgence this season. He went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line and scored 18 points in a loss to The Peddie School (N.J.) then posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. Perkiomen School to go along with seven assists. Most recently, he sank five three-pointers and finished with 19 points in a 74-57 loss to Malvern Prep on Jan. 27.
Haverford School Senior Day vs. Malvern Prep - PSD Gallery by Mike Nance
With the size and length to see over smaller defenders and knock down perimeter jumpers and the ability to post up and take forwards of similar height to the rim, Rasmussen is one of the more versatile players the Inter-Ac has to offer. He’s a player more colleges should have their eye on and one who has played himself into the conversation for All Inter-Ac selection.
Inter-Ac League Standings (through Feb. 2)
Penn Charter (6-1)
Malvern Prep (6-1)
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (3-4)
Germantown Academy (3-4)
Haverford School (2-5)
Episcopal Academy (1-6)
Inter-Ac Leading Scorers (through Feb. 2)
Bryce Rollerson, Germantown Academy 21.8 ppg
Kevin McCarthy, Episcopal Academy 17.8 ppg
Ryan Williams, Malvern Prep 17.6 ppg
Andrew Phillips, Malvern Prep 17.6 ppg
Camden Burns, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 13.9 ppg
Kai Shinholster, Penn Charter 12.8 ppg
Mark Butler, Penn Charter 12.0 ppg
Luke Rasmussen, Haverford School 11.0 ppg
Jaren Morton, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 10.9 ppg
Silas Graham, Haverford School 10.7 ppg
Keni Williams, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 10.1 ppg
TJ Lamb, Episcopal Academy 9.7 ppg
Isaiah Grimes, Penn Charter 9.5 ppg
KJ Carson, Haverford School 9.4 ppg
Bryce Presley, Germantown Academy 9.2 ppg