10 Philadelphia Catholic 2021 Impact Players

The Philadelphia Catholic is always loaded with talent. These 10 players made their presence felt on the court in 2019-2020. Going in to their senior seasons, expect them to make even more noise. [player_tooltip player_id="990975" first="Solo" last="Bambara"] - 6’6 PF - Cardinal O’Hara Solo brings energy and skill as a Big for O’Hara. He’s a tenacious rebounder, routinely extending offensive and ending defensive possessions. His face-up game makes him a threat to score from different spots. Defensively, he contributes as a weak side shot-blocker. Getting stronger to defend Centers full-tie will be major for him. [player_tooltip player_id="991125" first="Chris" last="Evans"] - 6'2 SG - Neumann Goretti/K-Low Elite He’s the best shooter in the PCL, and maybe even all of Philadelphia. Chris shot 40% from 3 with 61 makes. He’s also a competitive defender and moves the ball well when he’s not shooting. Going into his final season, I expect Chris to grow his game with pull-up 3s and as a relocator off-ball. [player_tooltip player_id="990965" first="Donald" last="Imo"] - 6’7 PF - Conwell-Egan Imo certainly profiles as a raw athlete with elite physical tools & defensive versatility. But after a closer look, you see some skill, IQ and touch. He projects as more of a post player, but Donald can play on the perimeter if he simply gets more in-game reps to tighten his handle and execute his reads as a passer. [player_tooltip player_id="990990" first="Nahseer" last="Johnson"] - 5’11 CG - Father Judge/WeR1 & East Side Spurs Small but mighty, Nahseer with the ball on offense is like letting a pitbull off the leash. He eats up defenders’ ankles using his dynamic ball-handling. With his package of moves, he comfortably gets to his spots on the perimeter and at the basket (17.1 pts/g). Look for him to improve as an all-around playmaker as a senior. [player_tooltip player_id="990968" first="Muneer" last="Newton"] - 6’5 PF - Archbishop Wood/K-Low Elite This young man does all of Wood’s dirty work. Most of his buckets come from cleaning up the glass, but he also gets his rim-running. Muneer has a strong frame and is explosive. This allows him to match up against anyone in the post and switch on to wings. He’ll be dangerous once he can stretch the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="991126" first="Chris" last="Patton"] - 6'2 CG - Devon Prep/East Coast Power Chris isn’t the most athletic but he’s ultra skilled. He commands attention because of how well he shoots off the dribble and pull-ups, scoring 11.5 pts/g. Using the gravity from his scoring ability, he then finds his teammates for open looks. Chris will do more once he works on his body and his dribbling. [player_tooltip player_id="991038" first="Anthony" last="Purnell"] - 6’0 PG - Cardinal O’Hara It’s hard to stand out on a squad full of quality guards but AP excels with his vision and quickness. He can use his suddenness to get into the lane or hit open teammates. Anthony is slight yet crafty when he gets to the rim, too. Everyone around him will benefit as he steps into facilitating more regularly this season. [player_tooltip player_id="991181" first="Rymir" last="Shaw"] - 6’9 C - Father Judge/WeR1 & East Side Spurs With nimble feet and a progressing low post game, Rymir plays to his size. He uses drop steps and fakes to get easy baskets, in addition to his put-backs. His defensive impact goes without stating (2 blocks/g). The Father Judge Center even shows the potential to make plays on the block. He’s going to be a problem once his body fills out. [player_tooltip player_id="990949" first="Blaise" last="Vespe"] - 6’7 SF - Neumann-Goretti Blaise is a tough, two-way player for the Saints. He has the physicality to defend, 25 charges taken, 20 steals & 25 blocks) and rebound (4.6/g) against players in the low post. On offense, he hits contested 3s off-movement and attacks closeouts when his shot isn’t there. [player_tooltip player_id="991135" first="Eamonn" last="Walsh"] - 6'3 SG - Devon Prep/ East Coast Power Walsh is no doubt one of the better off-ball shooters in the Cathlic League. His smooth release allows him to get the ball off quickly on contested looks. Eamonn’s passing and IQ are underrated. As he gets more comfortable putting the ball on the floor, he’ll be able to showcase his secondary playmaking ability more often.