Photos: Kathy Leister, Mike Nance, Donna Eckert, Krystal Williams, Dan Hilferty & Jack Verdeur

By: Rich Flanagan

PHILADELPHIA – Philly Live was once again the marquee live period event not only in the area but perhaps on the east coast over the course of two consecutive weekends in

June. The event was played at both Jefferson University and St. Joe’s Prep with teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware competing against each other but teams from Florida, Virginia, Connecticut, Ohio, and Washington D.C. also made the trip.

Playing against some of the best teams at this point in the summer is vital, but the allure is competing in these contests as NCAA head and assistant coaches look on only feet away. Temple head coach Adam Fisher was there for his first live period at the helm of the Owls as was Florida Gulf Coast head man Pat Chambers. Coaches from across the country flocked to this event and school logos from Alabama, UConn, Syracuse, Fairleigh Dickinson, Iona, Villanova, George Washington, Kentucky, Bucknell, Rider, St. Joe’s, Drexel, Albany, Seton Hall, La Salle, Buffalo, Michigan, LSU, Kansas, Merrimack, Miami (Fla.), Xavier, Lehigh, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, Penn State and more were donned during the six days the high-level event was played.

A multitude of local programs impressed at Philly Live and showcased some exciting prospects heading into next season. Let’s take a look at some of them:

The Hawks advanced to the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals before falling to Archbishop Wood on the road. The corps of Tristen Guillouette, Jalen Harper, Matt Gorman, Jaron McKie, Olin Chamberlain Jr., and Jordan Ellerbee got their first taste of postseason play and nearly made the league semifinals for the first time since 2018. St. Joe’s Prep was thrust into many high-profile games at Philly Live and came away with a 5-1 record.

Chamberlain looked great in that same game going for 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Harper chipped in 10 points in the win.

St. Joe’s Prep may have been a year ahead of schedule with last season’s playoff berth, but this will be one of the better programs in the Philadelphia Catholic League with outstanding guard play and a dominant big man in the middle.

Chris Roantree always had an expedited plan when he returned to coach at his alma mater. The Father Judge Crusaders advanced to the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs before falling to Archbishop Carroll in the opening round, but what it showed – similar to St. Joe’s Prep – is the program in the midst of a rebirth.

The pieces are there for the Crusaders’ deepest run since Marc Rodriguez - the first 1,000-point scorer in program history who played at East Stroudsburg - graced the floor in 2017. Roantree believes this group can do it but more importantly, his players do even more so.

Kennedy showed flashes as a freshman then came on strong as a sophomore and this is the year he really shows the league who he is. He turns defense into offense with ease, both in converting steals into layups at the other end or finding the plethora of shooters Father Judge boasts in 6-4 rising junior Kevin Beck, 6-foot rising sophomore Rocco Westfield, 6-6 rising senior Anthony Lilley and 6-3 rising sophomore Derrick Morton-Rivera.

“One is consistency, particularly on the defensive end which has allowed him to get out on what we call ‘Road Running’ where we run our break,” Roantree said. “He makes the right plays out of that break and that allows him to get downhill. We keep talking about how to slow him down because he’s an improving shooter but shot 40 percent from three on 80 attempts last year. He’s trusting his shot more and hoping to get those attempts up to 110 to 120.”

“Road Running,” as Roantree calls it, should give the opposition fits this season as Kennedy and Byrd can facilitate the break but even more so, they can shoot when the opportunity presents itself. The Crusaders understand how to attack the paint to draw the defense in then their shooters find space on the wings and in the corners. It’s a recipe for success that benefits Morton-Rivera, who had 11 points and drilled three treys against Roselle Catholic. “Derrick is maturing and stepping into that next role of being more than a shooter,” according to Roantree.

Father Judge has ample shooting and more size upfront next to Lilley with the addition of 6-9 rising junior Everett Barnes, who comes over from Burlington City (N.J.) where he avg. 9.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. He already boasts an offer from Robert Morris and his role as a rim protector will be vital to the Crusaders’ success this season.

When a spectator, college assistant or even a veteran head coach walks into a gym, they’re immediately drawn to whatever Jalil Bethea is doing. To think the 6-4 Archbishop Wood rising senior didn’t score a single point as a freshman is mind-boggling to most but he has more than made up for lost time in his two full seasons as a starter. He showed out at Philly Live in front of several programs vying for his services, particularly Syracuse which had new head man Adrian Autry and associate head coach Gerry McNamara on hand.

Add in his long arms for extension and finishing and rebounding ability, and Bethea has officially become the face of the league as he moves into his senior season.

This is the year where Collin Gillespie and Rahsool Diggins – the latter player who won consecutive league MVPs including during Bethea’s freshman season – made a name for themselves and captured Philadelphia Catholic League titles. Bethea wants nothing more than that but first he wanted to showcase what he could do for a future program at the next level.

He went for 30 points, six rebounds and five assists in an 84-68 win over Tunstall (Va.) then recorded a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds in a 73-65 victory over St. Rose (N.J.). Lastly, he shot 9-for-17 from the floor on his way to 24 points in a win over East Catholic (Conn.) in another sensational performance.

Everyone knows his name but more importantly they know his game. With one more year to play in Warminster, he’s hoping they will remember his name.

When watching Cardinal O’Hara face off against Camden Eastside (N.J.), a familiar face has returned to the sideline. Former Lafayette head coach Fran O’Hanlon was directing this current group of Lions that has undergone a major transition over the last few months.

Ryan Nemetz stepped down the day after Cardinal O’Hara lost to Allentown Central Catholic in the PIAA Class 4A Tournament. He took over in 2018 and led the Lions to their first two state playoff appearances in program history.  A month later, former Archbishop Carroll assistant Mike Richards was given the job, but he abruptly stepped down in June. O’Hanlon was brought on to be an assistant by Richards, and he and fellow assistant Matt McGowan decided to stay on for the live period and help the team make this latest transition.

O’Hanlon is the winningest coach in Patriot League history with 361 career wins and led Lafayette to three NCAA Tournament appearances in 27 seasons. He also has had success in the Philadelphia Catholic League winning Coach of the Year twice at Bonner-Prendergast and leading the Friars to the 1988 league title behind Brian Daly and alongside assistant Steve Donahue, now the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania who was present at Philly Live.

Cardinal O’Hara has experience at the helm in O’Hanlon and key pieces in Burton and McGuinn in its starting lineup, but it will need players such as 6-foot rising senior Anthony Hobbs, 6-1 rising junior Dasir Williams-Bey and 6-5 rising senior Miles Johnson to be effective to continue its recent run of success.

Carl Arrigale watched as his Neumann-Goretti team played Largo (Md.). The most successful coach in Philadelphia Catholic League history smiled as he took note of what his new group can do and where they needed help. He has a newfound sense of purpose all these years later, even after losing the Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA state title in the same postseason. Within the first few minutes, he notices a key element that has been missing from his team the past few seasons, one which included Baylor commit Robert Wright III, Iona signee Sultan Adewale and Khaafiq Myers. Wright transferred to Montverde Academy (Fla.) for his final season and Adewale graduated.

Myers was missing this game as he deals with a knee injury, so Arrigale was seeing several new faces become acclimated with his style of play but overall, he was impressed.

Torrey Brooks avg. 16.9 points and 9.5 assists while knocking down 59 three-pointers at League Bound Academy (N.J.) this season and scored 689 points in two seasons there. The 6-foot rising sophomore is crafty when he gets into the paint and the lefty can really shoot it from deep. On the other side of him is Keon Long-Mtume, a transfer from Martin Luther King who avg. 23.9 ppg last season. Another addition that should complement Myers and Williams is 6-3 rising freshman Nazir Tyler, who avg. 13.3 points and 5 rebounds while making 57 three-pointers as an eighth grader at Germantown Friends School.

Options abound for Arrigale and the Saints and the return of 6-foot rising sophomore Stephon Ashley-Wright, Rob’s younger brother, plus the emergence of 5-9 rising sophomore Deshawn Yates gives Neumann-Goretti one of the deeper backcourts in the league heading into next season. The Philadelphia Catholic League has yet to experience the Saints’ signature point forward in 6-6 rising senior Larenzo Jerkins, who had to sit out all last season due to PIAA transfer rules. The Chester High transfer had 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a win over Ramapo (N.J.) and added 16 points, 14 boards and two blocks in a victory over Hudson Catholic (N.J.).

It cannot be understated what West Catholic accomplished over the last two seasons: two Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal appearances, the first district title in 70 years and the first state championship in program history. It was nothing short of miraculous for a program that had fallen on hard times, but Miguel Bocachica was the man to turn things around after winning two state championships as an assistant under Andre Noble at Imhotep Charter.

Saaid Lee comes to West Catholic after playing last season with Math, Civics & Sciences and having started his career with Bonner-Prendergast. The 6-1 rising junior scored 17 points in a 51-45 win over Bergen Catholic (N.J.) and will be a key member of the rotation. Isaiah Muhammad, a 6-4 rising junior, drilled three three-pointers, and had 11 points in that game and figures to see major minutes after playing sparingly as a sophomore. Another player who showed promise and will be crucial is 6-3 rising junior Micah Waters, who scored 11 points in the state semifinals against Trinity.

Wheatley is adding muscle to his frame and the confidence in his skillset is beginning to pour out. Jasir Tyler, a 5-8 rising sophomore, is also an intriguing prospect as is 6-6 rising junior Isaac Cole, a two-year varsity player who scored 16 points versus Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) and earned an offer from St. Bonaventure in the process.

Bocachica has the luxury of bringing in some impact freshmen starting with Jayvon Byrd, who sank six three-pointers and finished with 20 points in that 67-60 loss to Gill St. Bernard’s. The Burrs are also excited about 6-1 incoming freshman Xavier Fauntroy, who can shoot from the outside and get to the basket in a hurry. It’s a new corps of Burrs but quite possibly the deepest Bocachica has had in his time at West Catholic. The essential difference is that there is no clear No. 1 scoring option, which opens the door for a plethora of players to contribute on the floor.

Never have the prospects been greater than they are on Academy Road right now. The Archbishop Ryan Raiders are coming off a trip to the PIAA Class 5A semifinals where they fell to Justin Edwards (Kentucky) and eventual champion Imhotep Charter. Aside from Michael Paris (Delaware Valley University), head coach Joe Zeglinski returns his entire rotation starting with 6-9 rising senior forward and Georgetown commit Thomas Sorber and 6-3 rising guard and Florida Gulf Coast commit Darren Williams.

There are also multiple guard options in 6-3 rising senior Christian Durham, 6-foot rising junior Mark Gallagher, 6-2 rising senior Gavin Reed, 5-11 rising sophomore Matt Johnson and 6-1 rising senior Ryan Everett, who really came on during the state tournament last season. They will allow Zeglinski to mix up his starting lineup and create mismatches all over the floor. There is also the addition of 6-5 rising junior Brandon Russell, who avg. 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 assists, and made 31 three-pointers at The Pennington School (N.J.) last season and should be a welcomed addition.

The piece that brings it all together is 6-6 rising senior forward Jaden Murray. Murray is a terrific complement to Sorber as he can hit from the elbow and baseline while controlling the tempo at the high post with pinpoint passing and tough finishes inside on quick drives to the rim. He gives the Raiders a dimension that makes them a threat to win double-digit games in the Philadelphia Catholic League once again along with a deep postseason run. 

It’s not farfetched to say the past two seasons have been the best in Devon Prep’s history. The Tide have made the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs twice followed by a pair of PIAA state tournament appearances and most of all, the 2022 PIAA Class 3A title. Four starters are gone from that team in IV Pettit (Chestnut Hill College), Allen Cieslak (Susquehanna University), Jacen Holloway (Army West Point) and Lucas Orchard, who is doing a prep year at Perkiomen School.

Despite the loss of those four heralded players who won the biggest championship in program history, talent is robust at Devon Prep as head coach Jason Fisher is ready to usher in the next skilled set of players in an ever-growing supply line.

Conlon is a tough forward who rebounds with tenacity and has evolved from a back-to-the-basket player to one more than comfortable stretching out to the three-point line. He should flourish this season. Craft is a rangy lefty who does the dirty work inside, but he can lead the break. His shooting range is expanding, and he should be a valuable contributor with Holloway and Lucas Orchard moving on. Jaden Craft, Reece’s brother, has the chance to play in year one due to his deadeye shooting and composure with the basketball.

Looking back on its unprecedented success, Devon Prep is primed to be a force in the present with continued optimism as it moves into the future in the Philadelphia Catholic League.