FSL Boys Basketball Notebook (Results as of 1/19)
Photos: Lennie Malmgren, Ryan Nix & James Quinn
By: Marc Narducci
Westtown’s Rasul has benefited from his many basketball experiences
Malik Rasul has seen a lot and played with and against some of the best competition during his basketball career. He has learned a lot at his different stops and feels he is better off for the players he used to be teammates with and those he is currently competing with at Westtown.
A 6-7 senior, Rasul began his career on one coast, is now on another and will be staying in the East after committing on July 17 to Lafayette. A versatile player who can guard all positions, Rasul should be a welcome addition to Lafayette.
As much as he is impressed by the caliber of competition that Lafayette faces in the Patriot League, Rasul was just as attracted by the school’s high academic reputation.
“I talked to a lot of schools in recruiting, but Lafayette in particular has a great academic reputation and is a really good basketball school and coach (Mike) McGarvey is a great coach,” Rasul said in an interview with Philadelphiasportsdigest.com.
He has high hopes on and off the court at Lafayette.
Rasul plans to major in engineering with a goal of one day becoming an architect.
“I love math and art and engineering classes and anything to do with building,” he said. “I know I will love architecture.”
Before departing for college, he is looking forward to helping Westtown compete for a Friends League title. This year the Friends League has several potential contenders and Westtown is among them.
One thing about Rasul, he won’t be overwhelmed by seeing high level competition. Since his freshman year in high school, he has played with and against some of the best players in the country.
Westtown senior Malik Rasul - PSD Photo by James Quinn
He’s from Tucson, Arizona, and attended Sierra Canyon High School in Southern California during his first two years. As a freshman he saw considerable time, but was limited to just two games during an injury-plagued sophomore season.
During his time at Sierra Canyon, one of his teammates was Bronny James, the son of NBA icon LeBron James and currently a freshman at USC. Rasul not only played with James in high school, but also in AAU. During those two years, he was often in the presence of LeBron James.
“Bronny’s dad is a great guy, a great mentor who loves to help,” Rasul said.
Following his sophomore season, Rasul was looking for a fresh start.
“After my injury, I was out (almost) the whole year and I wanted new scenery,” he said. “I hadn’t played a whole season, and my uncle connected me with coach (Seth) Berger and it felt like a good place for me.”
Last season Rasul averaged nine points and eight rebounds for Westtown. This year, he’s averaging 14 and 10.
“He is playing great, getting better every week in his decision making and continues to expand his game,” Berger said of Rasul. “Plus, he is a great kid.”
Rasul feels that one part of his game that has expanded since coming to Westtown is on the defensive end.
“I feel my defense since I came to Westtown has gone from pretty good to really good,” he said. “I like the challenge of guarding the other team’s top player and offensively, my thinking of the game has gone up, I think the game differently.”
Westtown senior Malik Rasul - PSD Photos by James Quinn
Smart players who think the game well and play tenacious defense, usually find their way on the court at any level. Rasul says he hopes to be able to contribute as a freshman at Lafayette, but more importantly, just looks to keep improving as a player.
He has taken something from each of his basketball stops and added something to his game and that is a pattern that is likely to continue once he embarks on his college career.
In other Westtown news, the Moose earned a convincing win over Barrack Hebrew Academy as freshman Wilson Udo had 20 points. Rasul and Jahmare Memphis each scored 13.
Impressive non-league win for Shipley
Shipley, which had a couple of close losses in its first two Friends League game, earned a 63-49 non-league win over Lansdale Catholic.
Gyasi Miller, a 5-10 guard, who is enjoying a big senior season, had 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Will Littles, a 6-1 senior added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists and 6-2 senior Matt Lange had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Henry Rasmussen, a 6-6 junior, had 7 points, 6 rebounds. As one can see, this is not the tallest of teams. The other starter besides the afore-mentioned players is 6-1 senior Braelin Hardy.
The Gators make up for their lack of height with quickness. Plus everybody in the starting lineup is capable of scoring in double figures.
Shipley School senior Gyasi Miller #0 - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
“We are a guard-oriented team,” said first-year coach T.J. Ferrick, who was an assistant coach on Swarthmore’s Division III Final Four team last year. “We like to push the pace on offense and pressure on defense.”
Doing the most pushing is Miller, who entered the week averaging 15 points per game. He has been running the offense, but also is a defensive catalyst, averaging nearly 2.0 steals per game.
Dill lights it up for Germantown Friends
In an 83-44 win over Martin Luther King, Germantown Friends sophomore guard Jordan Dill scored 33 points. Luke Lendler a 6-1 senior, added 11 and freshman guard Zay Dill added 10.
During a 55-42 win over Frankford, Jordan Dill led the way with 17 points, while 6-0 senior Jesse Mullins added 11 and Lendler contributed 10.
Another big win by Friends Central
Friends Central continued its impressive start with a 74-64 win over defending Friends League champ George School. Muhsin Muhammad, a 6-3 senior, exploded for 30 points. Fazl Oshodi, a 6-1 senior, contributed 16 and 5-11 senior Reid Belcher added 15.
“Muhammad was great, she shot the ball well, got in transition, got downhill and it was a great performance in a time we needed him,” Friends Central first-year coach Devin Coleman said. “That is what seniors do, make plays in big moments when the team needs them.”
Academy of the New Church wins close one
Academy of New Church trailed by a point at halftime against Friends Select, but took control with a 22-9 third quarter during a 76-72 victory. Bahsil Laster, the 6-5 senior and one of the top players in the Friends League, led the winning Lions with 23 points. He shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range.
Friends Central senior Muhsin Muhammad #4 - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
Laster also made 11-of-12 free throws and added six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Sophomores Tobe Nwobu and Ryan Warren each scored 13 points. The 6-6 Warren shot 6-of-7 from the field and had five rebounds.
George School update
George School 6-9 senior Tristen Guillouette continues to do well in his first year with the team. A transfer from St. Joseph’s Prep, Guillouette had 21 points on 10-for-14 shooting in a 74-64 loss to Friends Central. Luke Melniczak, a 6-3 junior, added 15 points, while freshman guard Tyler Sutton added 12. Kasey Fleming, a 6-3 sophomore scored eight points and dealt a team-high seven assists.
George School bounced back with a 73-60 win over Rocktop Academy as Guillouette had 29 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 9-for-13 from the field and 10-for-12 from the foul line. Fleming had 11 points and four assists.
Big game in defeat for Chiles
Friends Select suffered a close 76-72 loss to Academy of New Church, but 5-10 junior Jay Chiles starred in defeat. Chiles had 33 points and four assists. Isaiah Marshall, a 6-1 junior added 15 points and five rebounds, while 6-7 junior Owen Coughlin added 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Love these guys for life https://t.co/VaW7rrDdCQ
— Tristen Guillouette (@TGuillouette) January 13, 2024
Tough non-league loss for Abington Friends
Three juniors were double-figure scorers as Abington Friends lost an 81-67 non-league game to Germantown Academy. Zamir Parker Barnes, a 6-5 junior, led the way for Abington Friends with 19 points. Classmates Kamani Healey and Ethan Hodnett Bell added 15 and 13 respectively.