Philadelphia Catholic League 2021 Rising Stars: Wings and Bigs

Jared Nelson May 28, 2020 @ 02:46 PM

This is the second part of the series on Philadelphia Catholic League Rising Stars in the 2021 class. Below is a diverse group of Wings and Bigmen who we expect to get some attention in recruiting and have an even bigger impact on the court next season. [player_tooltip player_id="990944" first="Marcus" last="Randolph"] - 6’4 SG - Archbishop Wood/Team Final The 6’4 two-guard transferred from Willingboro, bringing his 3-level scoring ability to the now PCL runner-ups (14.1 p/g). His most prized skill is his 3-pt shooting, with 51 makes this season. Marcus is so effective because he can shoot in a variety of ways. He plays on a perimeter heavy team but the answer for how good he can be at the next level stems from the impact he can have on defense and how capable he is of being a secondary play-maker. [player_tooltip player_id="990952" first="Aaron" last="Lemon-Warren"] - 6’4 SF - Archbishop Ryan/K-Low Elite Lemon-Warren is an off-ball wing who certainly does show play-making upside, hitting open teammates in the open-floor and half-court. He’s primarily a skilled swingman, averaging 24.4 p/g. With great feel for the game, he constantly finds openings in the opponent’s defenses for catch & shoot 3’s and lay-ups. Additionally, Lemon-Warren attacks close-outs and uses his body to rebound (7.7 r/g) & score in the post. He’s not the best athlete for his skill set. So his overall game will benefit as he works on his body. [player_tooltip player_id="990940" first="Daeshon" last="Shepherd"] - 6’5 SF - Archbishop Wood/Team Final Daeshon is best known for his defensive prowess and the explosive dunks he brings to Archbishop Wood. Every game, he typically matches up against the opposing team’s best Wing and sometimes defends bigs. As a bonus, he blocks shots (33 total). Shepherd often scores off scores off of lobs and put-backs but he can space the floor too (32% from 3). Daeshon occasionally attacks the basket with his limited touches. Yet, rounding out his game with increased shot-creation capabilities will go a long way for him (12.7 p/g in PCL). [player_tooltip player_id="990938" first="Anquan" last="Hill"] - 6’8 PF - Archbishop Carroll/K-Low Elite Hill is a lanky pogo stick who gets the most out of his physical tools. Offensively, he can rim run and stretch the floor (35 made 3’s). On defense, Anquan is one of the top rim protectors in the Philadelphia area with 2.2 blocks per game. He even has defensive versatility, flashing the ability to switch on to guards & wings. Hill has added 10 lbs each of the last two Summers. So hopefully, he continues that trend because Carroll will need him to improve on his 11.9 p/g and 6.4 r/g in 2020-21. [player_tooltip player_id="991109" first="Jimmy" last="Casey"] - 6’7 PF/C - Lansdale Catholic/East Coast Power Jimmy looks like a plotting big, at first glance but once the game tips-off he shows skill with his power. He makes his physical presence felt on both ends. A tight end on the football team, Casey displays his footwork in his bruising back-to-the-basket game (10.8 p/g in PCL play). Teams have to respect his jumper as well, with mid-range and some 3-pt ability. Jimmy is a solid on-ball post defender and rebounder but he’ll have to work on his lateral quickness if he wants to dominate in the PCL this season.