Photos: Lou Rabito, Lennie Malmgren, Mike Nance, Zamani Feelings, Ryan Nix & James Quinn
By: Rich Flanagan
PHILADELPHIA – Brandon Williams has garnered a reputation for being one of the more successful coaches in the area in molding and developing players for the next level.
Even more impressive, Williams has been a southeastern Pa. lifer having played at Abington Friends and Chestnut Hill College, and he turned an accomplished playing career into a coaching trajectory with a philosophy that went far beyond team building and culture.
Williams led Abington Friends to the 2006 Friends Schools League title as a junior where he scored 19 points in a 64-55 win over Academy of the New Church then averaged 12.1 points per game as a senior at Abington Friends, which was in the midst of a run where it appeared in 20 out of the 26 title games to that point. Williams was sensational at Chestnut Hill College from day one and finished his career with 1,179 points, 358 rebounds, 324 assists, 173 steals and 128 three-pointers in 112 games (84 starts).
Upon graduation, he immediately dove into coaching and reached out to his cousin Howard Hudson, the director for Middle Atlantic District AAU Boys Basketball. While Williams had tremendous success through the organized game, AAU is where he felt he could make the most impact and mentor players into college basketball recruits. He wanted to help push them to achieve their potential and see how far they were willing to go to reach that point.
Penn Charter head basketball coach Brandon Williams - Photo Courtesy of Penn Charter Athletics
He took over a sixth-grade team, which would become the class of 2019 first with Team Nelson then Philly Triple Threat, that included Donta Scott (Maryland), Jamil Riggins (Quinnipiac), Hakim Hart (Villanova), Jamir Reed (University of Northwestern Ohio), Ray Somerville (Delaware State), Chris Arcidiacono (Villanova), and Jameen Nelson Jr. (TCU). Additional players during that time included Asim Richards, now an offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, Tyree Corbett, who played at three Division I schools including the University of Denver in 2022-23, Fah'Mir Ali and Seth Lundy, now with the Atlanta Hawks. He coached the 2019 class up until taking a two-year break to return to Chestnut Hill College as an assistant then came back to the sideline to coach that same team with Philly Triple Threat, which had merged with Philly Pride as the program is now called, as sophomores through their graduation.
While it was his first stint as a head coach at any level, Williams clearly had a knack for player development and even more than that, he worked with each one on finding their niche and making them attractive prospects to college coaches. He is credited with establishing Philly Pride as a program that rivaled Team Final, even though Pride is an Under Armour program and Final is Nike EYBL, and he did it with a simple mantra that has put him in this position.
“Ultimately, everything leans toward development for the next level,” Williams said. “Every team that I’ve coached and every situation I’ve been in has always been about getting guys recruited. High school takes on a different hue in that you want to maintain the ability to be competitive with a team to achieve team success. We are going to make sure that development comes hand in hand with winning, but the ultimate goal is development.”
After the 2019 class had moved on, he took over the 2021 class as 10th graders and the corps of Stevie Mitchell (Marquette), Ed Holland III (University of Pennsylvania), Zach Hicks (Penn State), Rahdir Hicks (Towson) and Mark Butler (Lafayette) won the 2019 Under Armour Association (UAA) 16U National Championship.
Penn Charter head basketball coach Brandon Williams - Photo Courtesy of Penn Charter Athletics
His most recent Philly Pride squad consisted of Ryan Williams (Northeastern), Matt Gilhool, Greg Guidinger, Toby Ojukwu, Luke Bevilacqua, Jake Warren, Nelson Lamizana, and Nasir Washington.
Following unprecedented success at the AAU level, Williams is making the jump to high school basketball at a program that has not won an outright Inter-Ac League title since 2004 when the legendary Jim Phillips capped the program’s second straight. Williams takes over as head coach at Penn Charter and is hoping to get the school located just across the street from Jefferson University, where Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Herb Magee roamed the sidelines for decades, back to a place it has long been absent.
First under John Owens, who left after four seasons to join the UMass Lowell women’s program as an assistant, then interim coach David Bass, the Quakers won a share of the Inter-Ac title in each of the last two seasons with Butler, Keith Gee (Widener), Trey Shinholster, Scott Doran, Isaiah Grimes (Georgetown football), and Colin Schumm (Ithaca College football) leading the way. Butler was a member of the rotation since eighth grade and finished 6th on the all-time scoring list (1,281 career points). Furthermore, Penn Charter compiled a 44-8 record (16-4 Inter-Ac League) during the last two seasons.
Williams brings a new methodology to School House Lane and some reinforcements to aid in the transition to his style of play.
“If you’re constantly on your heels and weren’t dictating pace, the level of competition that we play is going to eat us alive,” Williams said. “If you let guys get comfortable and dictate pace, it will cause an enormous problem when it comes down to being competitive. The defensive philosophy will always be to dictate pace and apply pressure.”
Gilhool is the biggest addition both in terms of size (6-foot-11) and national acclaim with offers from Temple, Syracuse, Maryland, Penn State, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Miami (Fla.). The junior forward began his career at Elizabethtown then played last year at Westtown School, where he avg. 10.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 block per game and made 13 three-pointers while shooting 43.3% from the field. He is the tallest player the Inter-Ac has seen in years and Williams will run his offense through the big man, whether in the high or low post, or even out on the perimeter.
“He’s an extremely talented and skilled player at 6-11 but at the end of the day, I tell him that he’s only versatile if he does inside-out things,” Williams said. “As we’ve seen his game grow and mature, he’s gotten a little biased to playing on the perimeter than inside. We need him to be 6-11.”
Williams got a boost on the outside with the addition of 6-3 junior guard Jake West who comes over from Archbishop Carroll where he avg. 13.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals with a team-high 47 three-pointers. He’s still growing, and his length and athleticism gives the Quakers one of the more evolving players in the area. “He’s a ball-handler, playmaker and shot maker, but with Jake it’s about ensuring teams see that he has a voice on the floor. Jake’s play speaks very loudly but anyone who watches basketball knows that the lead guard needs to have their voice heard. That’s his next maturation,” according to Williams.
Former Archbishop Carroll guard Jake West will grace Penn Charter's roster this season - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
The final addition is 6-2 junior guard Jamal Hicks, who reclassified to the class of 2025 following his transfer from Bonner-Prendergast. He avg. 5.0 ppg and drilled 26 three-pointers, and now finds himself as the primary shooter in an offense with a multitude of options. Williams noted, “He’s going to be one of the best fourth options in the state because he will do what he needs to do but he’s ok with starring in his role.”
Penn Charter junior guard Kai Shinholster #1 - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
Even with all the new pieces, Kai Shinholster is going to be the stabilizing force in Penn Charter’s pursuit for an Inter-Ac and PAISAA title. The 6-5 junior guard - with offers from Temple, St. Louis, Mississippi State, St. Joe’s, Radford, Drexel, Hofstra, UTEP, University of Pennsylvania and Robert Morris - will be facilitating the offense at times and also play off the ball in a lineup robust with skilled ball handlers. He avg. 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and led the team with 51 three-pointers made. He scored in double figures in 18 games and while he may see that number dip a bit this season, “we’ll play through him, and he needs to not only score but make plays with the ball in his hands. Getting Kai ready for the next level is making sure he can do both,” as Williams described.
Another holdover is 6-4 senior guard Kevin Cotton (4.0 ppg), who is the only senior on the team. Williams stated that “I want his voice to be heard. You’re our only guy who knows what a four-year career looks like here.” Jayden Driver, a 6-foot sophomore guard who saw time as a freshman, and T.J. Bryson Jr., a 6-2 junior guard who had 11 points in a win over Germantown Academy last year and someone who Williams feels “is going to surprise a lot of people,” will see their fair share of starts and play extended minutes. Carter Smith, a 6-3 eighth grader, will be in the mix for minutes in year one. “He’ll be one of our seven or eight guys in the rotation. What has made him more notable as an eighth grader is his offensive ability and skillset.”
Malvern Prep (18-9, 8-2) has shared the Inter-Ac title with Penn Charter the last two years and it will begin life without 2023 Inter-Ac MVP Andrew Phillips, who is now playing at Lafayette after being one of the most versatile forwards in the league as a junior and senior. Head coach Paul Romanczuk begins his third season at the helm of the Friars and the transition back into coaching has been both a smooth and successful one.
“I didn’t have any real expectations of myself or the players the first couple of years, but we were going to be the hardest working team out there or one of the toughest,” Romanczuk said. “I wanted to build a culture of being great teammates and through that we could also be competitive and win some basketball games. We had some talent in the pipeline and had great leadership from guys.”
Luckily, Romanczuk will have a guard that has helped ease his transition back into coaching in Williams, the electric 6-3 senior headed to Northeastern next season. The two-time First Team All Inter-Ac selection avg. 17.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while making a team-high 50 three-pointers. He had 10 games where he scored 20 points or more and may need to increase that total with the loss of Phillips. “Now, we will have to look for who will be that second and third scorer, but we know Ryan will always be at the top of the scouting report for every team we face. We will have to figure out how to get him shots and put him in scoring position,” according to Romanczuk.
Hayden Pegg (UConn football) is also gone from last year’s team but his brother, Ryan remains and will be a player called upon to produce more than he did a season ago. The 6-3 senior guard avg. 5.1 ppg but did have his moments like his 13-point game at Episcopal Academy.
Malvern Prep head coach Paul Romanczuk - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
Romanczuk noted, “he’s going to make a big leap as someone who we can rely on making shots and create for us. Also, he’s made strides defensively and we’ll look for a lot from him.” Also look for 6-foot senior guard Achilles Tucker-Turner to have an expanded role in his final year.
The departure of Phillips and Charlie Oschell (Virginia baseball) leaves gaping holes in the front court, and 6-3 junior Andrew Davis and 6-6 Junior McFadden will step into those spots. McFadden, a junior himself, has a chance to be an X-factor as “he can help us control the paint a little but he’s skilled enough where he can step outside and make a jumper,” as Romanczuk described. Taig McErlane, a 6-foot lefty junior guard who transferred in from St. Joe’s Prep last year but missed the entire season with an injury, is healthy and should contribute as a knockdown shooter.
Malvern Prep senior guard Achilles Tucker-Turner - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
Two of the breakout freshmen in the league will suit up for the Friars in 5-10 point guard Marvin Reed and 6-3 guard Nick Harken. Reed brings the same intrigue Williams did when he burst onto the scene and “he showed a lot of promise over the summer and has a chance to compete for minutes right away.” Harken “has made quite an impression on playing hard and with toughness. He has athleticism to his game and can be crafty around the hoop. He can make a mid-range jumper and has an improving three-point shot. He has an exciting future at Malvern.”
Romanczuk may be without one of his key pieces in Tague Davis, the 6-4 senior who is the son of former San Diego Padres catcher and Phillies TV color analyst Ben Davis. He is a highly regarded baseball prospect and has a legitimate shot at being selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Romanczuk understands that “baseball is his future” but seeing games like his 10-point outing against Abington Friends last season shows the type of multi-sport athlete he is. Davis batted .350 with 28 hits, 21 walks, seven home runs and 25 runs batted in to help Malvern Prep win a share of the 2023 Inter-Ac title and the PAISAA crown.
Julian McFadden begins year eight at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (17-9, 6-4) after losing to eventual champion Perkiomen School in the PAISAA Tournament quarterfinals. He will be without his two starting forwards, both of whom are playing Division I basketball in Alassane Amadou (Marquette) and Jaren Morton (VMI).
Amadou was the league’s best shot blocker, avg. 3.9 rejections while recording at least three blocks in 17 games a year ago. With those two gone, McFadden will deploy a five-guard lineup in hopes of creating mismatches and allowing for greater freedom in a wide-open offense.
“That’s what we’re trying to do and it’s our best course to be successful,” McFadden said. “We’re in a unique position because we have five guys who can all dribble and get to their spots. They’re unselfish and that has been refreshing to watch. This group gets it, and we’ve had success with it. We’re in search of the mismatch every time down.”
Camden Burns brings everything together and has flourished in two seasons with the Blue Devils.
Springside Chestnut Hill senior guard Camden Burns #2 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
The 6-1 senior guard has made the All Inter-Ac team each season and avg. 14.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a junior. He shot 43% from the field and made a team-high 48 three-pointers while dishing out 90 assists. “He’s a great shooter and has become a terrific ball-handler. He’s a quieter kid and we’ll be pushing him to use his voice and impact he has with the younger guys,” according to McFadden.
A quartet of guards around Burns gives the Blue Devils the versatility McFadden has long craved in his program. Keni Williams will be a starter after the 6-1 junior avg. 9.6 ppg last season. He scored 21 points against Academy of the New Church and led the team with 119 assists.
Williams, who boasts offers from Albany and Robert Morris, only sank 15 three-pointers, and will need to be more of an outside presence. “He’s continually improving,” as McFadden notes. Kam Waters broke his ankle early in the year and missed his entire sophomore season. The 6-3 junior is healthy and “it will be a breakout year for him and his first chance to show people what he can do.”
Ron Brown III has been in the rotation for four seasons and the 6-2 senior guard is coming off a year where he avg. 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds with 18 three-pointers. He was tied for the team lead with 33 steals and McFadden emphasizes that he will “take on the matchup of the best guy or biggest player on the other team.” Ryan Kull, a 5-11 senior guard who is receiving interest from Arcadia, University of Valley Forge and Washington College, will occasionally start but also see extended minutes off the bench. “He’s a strong guard who can handle and score it. He’s maximizing where he is.”
Owen Kelly will be called upon to take on the role vacated by Amadou and Morton. That means the 6-4 sophomore lefty will have to control the glass and be comfortable posting up at times, despite his skill on the perimeter.
Springside Chestnut Hill senior guard Ron Brown III #3 (Photo by James Quinn)
Springside Chestnut Hill senior guard Ryan Kull #10 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
He came on late in the season and scored 12 points at Haverford School. “He’s not as big as those guys but he will step in as one of our bigger wings. He got enough playing time last year that he’ll come in confident. He’ll give us some size,” per McFadden.
Matt Dolan feels Germantown Academy (11-16, 3-7) is back in a position it long held while under the late Jim Fenerty, and Dolan’s fifth year should be his best. The Patriots were looking for a player to present the type of scoring prowess and offensive versatility Jordan Longino – the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,759 career points who is playing at Villanova – did for years and they feel they have it in Bryce Rollerson.
The 6-foot junior exploded as a sophomore by avg. 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He drilled 31 three-pointers and recorded 38 steals. He tallied 18 games with 20 or more points with a career-high 35 points coming against Germantown Friends School in the Commonwealth Cup. Dolan understands that the Patriots will go as Rollerson takes them.
“He was able to see a lot of minutes in his first two years and we relied on him a lot as a sophomore, especially from a scoring standpoint,” Rollerson said. “Now that he’s a junior, that leadership component is going to be important, and he’s excited about that opportunity. He has a well-balanced and multidimensional game.”
Germantown Academy head coach Matt Dolan - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
Germantown Academy junior Bryce Rollerson #11 - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
Rollerson will be joined by fellow juniors Flinn Brooks and Tyler Nolan, both of whom have been rotational players for two seasons. Brooks, a 6-foot guard, played in every game last season and had 19 points versus George Washington Carver Engineering & Science. “He has played varsity for two years and can really shoot the basketball,” according to Dolan. Nolan, a 6-5 wing, avg. 7.0 ppg and is looking to put together more consistency this season. He drilled five three-pointers on his way to 17 points against Frankford. Dolan noted “he started last year as a sophomore, and he has gotten bigger and stronger. He can play inside and out, and he’s a coach on the floor.”
Ellis Johnson, a 6-4 junior, is an “inside-out presence.” He avg. 7.6 ppg after coming over from Upper Dublin last season and should be primed for a big year with a full season of experience in the Patriots’ system. A.J. Towsen, a 6-2 junior guard who is a starting wide receiver on the football team, is back in the rotation. Towsen had eight catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against Haverford School. After being one of the first guys off the bench last season, Dolan called him “a playmaker.”
Bryce Presley was terrific as a freshman. The 6-5 sophomore guard avg. 9.5 ppg and scored in double figures in 14 games. His best performance of the season came against the Academy at Palumbo with 17 points.
Germantown Academy junior guard Ellis Johnson #34 - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
Dolan stressed “he earned the right to start right away and got better over the course of the year. He’s no longer a freshman and we have big expectations for him.” Anthony Hall, a 6-4 junior wing, and Tommy Rush, a 6-foot sophomore guard, will see time as will 6-2 sophomore guard Timmy Ginter, another football player.
Dolan welcomes two new additions in 6-3 sophomore guard Mick McKee and 6-4 junior wing Will Kirkpatrick. McKee, who reclassified to the class of 2025, comes over from La Salle where he played for his dad, Mike who led the Explorers to the 2019 Philadelphia Catholic League title game and PIAA Class 6A semifinals. Kirkpatrick comes over from Wissahickon and should break into the rotation.
Haverford School (13-13, 4-6) boasts a lineup that Bernie Rogers has been waiting to have again since the trio of Nelson, Christian Ray (Delaware) and Jameel Brown (Penn State) led the Fords to an undefeated 28-0 record and the Inter-Ac and PAISAA titles. Rogers is in his ninth season with the Fords and must replace leading scorer Luke Rasmussen (Lafayette) and Brendan Leary (lacrosse at Penn State) from a team that nearly upset George School in the opening round of the PAISAA Tournament.
Haverford School head coach Bernie Rogers - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
The Fords recently suffered a major loss after Emmanuel “Manny” Butts tore his ACL and will miss the entire season. The 6-7, 200-pound sophomore forward avg. 8.1 ppg in 14 games as a freshman, which included a 12-point game against Malvern Prep to open Inter-Ac play. Butts will certainly be a player to watch when he returns next season.
Silas Graham, the 6-2 freshman guard who avg. 11.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 steals, isn’t a hidden gem as he was last season. The son of Penn assistant Nate Graham scored a career-high 30 points against Cristo Rey and showcased his rebounding ability in his 19 point- 12-rebound performance against Academy of the New Church. Rogers notes “he does a lot of things that help you win. He rebounds and gets a lot of tips on defense. He guards the team’s best player.”
Billy Rayer (7.4 ppg) shot 35% from the three-point line last season and the 6-foot senior guard will be one of the Fords top threats from deep once again. “He has started for the last few years and been in the mix. He gives us that veteran leadership with a lot of games under his belt.”
KJ Carson, the 6-foot junior guard, missed the final two games of the season with an eye injury but is back healthy. He avg. 9.6 ppg and Rogers is hoping he can put together more performances like his 24-point night versus Perkiomen School where he hit five three-pointers. “He makes open threes and has some playing time that we can hopefully build off,” per Rogers.
Connor Scanlan - a 6-foot senior guard and Fairfield baseball commit who scored 10 points against Academy of the New Church in the regular season - is back in the mix but the Fords will be without junior guard Duke Cloran, who tore his ACL in football camp and will miss the season. Evan Large, a 5-10 junior guard and Air Force lacrosse commit who had 16 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore, will see more minutes this year.
Haverford School senior guard Billy Rayer #5 - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
The Fords added 6-4 senior wing brothers in Jacob and Leo Becker. Their family moved into the King of Prussia area after last season where they played at Pioneer Academy (N.J.). Rogers feels “they add some size and strength and can do a little bit of everything.”
A season after becoming the interim coach, Taylor Wright – son of former Villanova head man and two-time national champion Jay Wright – begins his first season as permanent head coach at Episcopal Academy. The Churchmen (10-15, 1-9) only secured one league victory but ended up winning the Commonwealth Cup to close out the season.
Wright is more than prepared for this role and feels that while the league has changed since his playing days, his coaching style will continue to resonate with the current group.
Episcopal Academy head coach Taylor Wright - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
“We, as a staff, weren’t taking it as our only year with the team,” Wright said. “We were trying to instill our culture and way to play. A lot of it is reestablishing a lot of that stuff and have extension from last year, which isn’t too different.”
Kevin McCarthy is headed to play basketball at Army West Point and the 6-3 guard still has one more season to play with 1,037 career points already to his name.
He avg. 18.2 points and six rebounds as a junior while hitting 64 three-pointers.
“He’s really trying to take the next steps as an Episcopal player but also get ready to go be a successful college player and compete with that next level of guys,” according to Wright.
Episcopal Academy senior guard Kevin McCarthy #22 - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
Timmy Dennis made his presence known from the beginning as a freshman by scoring 22 points against The Park School (Md.) in his sixth varsity game. The 6-7 sophomore forward is receiving interest from Delaware, Lafayette, and Mount St. Mary’s, in addition to his strong play on the baseball diamond and should see his 6.6 ppg skyrocket in year two. Wright emphasizes that “he had a great experience learning what it was like to be a good varsity player in both baseball and basketball. That comfortability will allow him to settle into more detailed stuff. We’ve talked a lot about that, and while he’s only a sophomore, we’re going to rely on him as a guy with experience.”
Tyler Beaulieu, a 6-2 senior guard and Cornell baseball commit, avg. 6.7 ppg and scored 11 of his 21 points in the second half against John Bartram. He will be crucial to the Churchmen’s success this season. Also look for 6-6, 235-pound senior forward Calvin Szoradi to hold things down in the paint. He was a member of the football team and will play in college, but for now, he is the man in the middle for Episcopal Academy. “He’s a big body to help with interior defense but he’s athletic and can do everything from a basketball standpoint,” as Wright illustrates.
Episcopal Academy senior guard Tyler Beaulieu #1 - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
Wright adds a few new faces to the rotation starting with 6-3 guard Matt McCarthy, who transferred in from Archmere Academy (Del.) and reclassified to the class of 2025. He poured in 23 points in a game against Bishop Shanahan last season. Langston Foster, a 6-3 guard who played at Lower Merion a year ago, has reclassified to the class of 2026 and “fits what we want to do,” per Wright.
Look for 5-7 freshman guard Keron Booth Jr. – a Haverford School transfer – to have an impact. He can find ways to get into the lane and distribute the ball to the Churchmen’s shooters. Gage Cunningham, a 6-3 freshman guard, will compete for minutes in his first varsity season. “He’s a super athletic and talented young guy. We’re really lucky to have him,” as Wright described.
This is the deepest the Inter-Ac has been in years and after Penn Charter and Malvern Prep shared the title in each of the last two years, there will definitely be some fluctuation at the top. The question is how much fluctuation will there be and who will be left standing once the dust settles. There is an excess of talent and star power in the league and that will make for plenty of intrigue as the season gets underway.