15 Central League Rising Seniors In The Class of 2021 to Follow This Season

The Central League is a high school basketball conference comprised of twelve high schools located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this article, we discuss fifteen rising seniors in the Class of 2021, that are set to have a major impact in the 2020-2021 Central League high school basketball season. (Players Listed In Alphabetical Order of Last Name) 1. [player_tooltip player_id="991009" first="Denzel" last="Atkinson-Boyer"] (6’7”) (Forward/Center) (Penncrest High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="991009" first="Denzel" last="Atkinson-Boyer"] is an extremely athletic forward/center that can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he has a good touch around the basket. He can beat opposing forwards and centers down the floor with his speed. Atkinson-Boyer is a relentless rebounder as he finds ways to stay involved around the glass. He can play above the rim and keep plays alive by creating second chance opportunities with his ability to get off the ground quickly. Defensively, his athleticism and size forces opponents to alter their shots around the rim.   2. Phil Cook (6’1”) (Forward) (Lower Merion High School) - Phil Cook is a physical forward who plays much bigger than his size. He has the ability to move defenders with his strength. Cook can guard bigger defenders and create second chance scoring opportunities by crashing the offensive glass. He has the ability to finish through contact around the rim. Cook has a high motor and a lot of energy. He doesn’t give up on plays on either end of the floor and shows an urgency to rebound the basketball.   3. Christopher “C.J” Dabbs (6’0”) (Guard) (Upper Darby High School) - Christopher “C.J” Dabbs is an explosive guard with scoring and playmaking ability. He has a great basketball IQ and a strong handle with exceptional court awareness. Dabbs changes direction well in the open floor and has the ability to see plays develop before they happen. He can stop on a dime to shoot pull up jump shots both in transition and in the half court setting. His athleticism allows him to elevate over defenders when shooting pull up jump shots and he is a capable of finishing in traffic. Dabbs also has the ability to shoot off of the catch. Defensively he uses his speed and length to pressure opponents and his overall athleticism to grab rebounds.   4. [player_tooltip player_id="991049" first="Luke" last="Edwards"] (Strath Haven High School) (6’2) (Shooting Guard) - [player_tooltip player_id="991049" first="Luke" last="Edwards"] is a talented offensive player that has the ability to run off screens at full speed while being able to square his body up and shoot from well beyond the perimeter. He has great range which forces defenders to try and stay in an arms reach. Edwards is able to use a combination of moves including crossovers, step backs, and hesitation moves to create space between him and his defender. He can finish at the rim as well as shoot off the dribble. Defensively, Edwards is active and can be disruptive for opponents. He shows good instincts and plays the passing lanes well.   5. [player_tooltip player_id="991053" first="Austin" last="Fontaine"] (Guard) (6’0”) (Conestoga High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="991053" first="Austin" last="Fontaine"] is an athletic point guard that can score both inside and outside the perimeter. He has deep range and and can shoot off the dribble. Fontaine has the quickness to get by his defender. He can finish well around the rim in transition and in the half court setting. He has a high basketball IQ and can create for his teammates. Defensively, Fontaine is a pest for opponents. He has great anticipation skills and quick hands that enable him to pressure ball handlers and disrupt passing lanes. He is able to use his length and quick feet to contest and block shots.   6. Andrew Fox (6’8”) (Center) (Conestoga High School) - Andrew Fox is a long and athletic center who establishes a presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. His athleticism allows him to sprint down the floor and establish early post position. Fox uses his size and strength to shoot over defenders in the lane. He has a solid drop step and the strength to finish through contact. Fox plays very controlled and keeps the ball up high protecting the rock from smaller opponents. Defensively, his size and length forces opponents to alter their shots when driving to the rim. His ability to move laterally allows him to contain guards in pick and roll situations.   7. [player_tooltip player_id="991156" first="Shareef" last="Jones Jr."] (5’11) (Guard) (Upper Darby High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="991156" first="Shareef" last="Jones Jr."] is a scoring guard with a high basketball IQ. He is able to break zones with his deep range. Jones Jr. shows poise and patience when working with ball screens. He possesses the skill to shoot relocation threes and has an advanced understanding of floor spacing. Jones Jr. effectively locates the three point line and does a good job of showing his hands to create a target for his teammates. Jones Jr. has a good handle and can play both the point guard and shooting guard position. He is able to utilize the back dribble well and can create for others.   8. Hunter Kraiza (6’6”) (Forward) (Haverford High School) - Hunter Kraiza is a versatile player that can impact the game in a variety of different ways. Offensively, he can score in the paint using his physicality and strength. Kraiza also has the ability to step out and make threes from beyond the perimeter. At 6’6" he can create mismatch problems for opponents when he steps outside the paint, forcing bigger forwards and centers to guard him on the perimeter. In last year’s Central League championship game, Kraiza scored twenty points and made six threes, leading Haverford High School to victory. He is able to use his physicality and athleticism to grab rebounds on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.   9. [player_tooltip player_id="991163" first="Jack" last="Liedtka"] (6’3”) (Guard) (Conestoga High School) -[player_tooltip player_id="991163" first="Jack" last="Liedtka"] is an exceptional shooter with deep range. He has the ability to shoot off the catch and get to the rim when defenders crowd him. Liedtka doesn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off and has a quick shooting release. He moves well without the basketball and can relocate to free himself up by losing his man as well as finding holes in the defense. He has ability to be a constant threat from deep opens up the floor for his teammates. Defensively, he can apply ball pressure, making it difficult for opposing guards to run the offense.   10. Gannon McKee (6’4”) (Guard/Forward) (Garnet Valley High School) - Gannon McKee is a phenomenal shooter. He has a pure and quick shooting release that allows him to get his shot off quickly. At 6’4” McKee is a tough matchup for opponents. He has the size and strength to physically score in the lane and the shooting ability to play beyond the perimeter. McKee is especially hard to guard in pick and roll situations. He can either roll to the rim or use the pick and pop option to shoot from deep. He also excels with the pick and pop option as the screener in off ball screen situations. Defensively, McKee can guard a variety of positions including guards, forwards, and centers. He is also an active rebounder on both ends of the floor.   11. Cole Rhodes (6’1”) (Guard/Forward) (Springfield High School) - Cole Rhodes is an athletic guard/forward that can score in different ways. He moves well without the basketball and will use back door cuts and face cuts to put himself in a position to score. His athleticism and strength allows him to finish through contact at the rim. Rhodes is a good shooter off of the catch and can shoot beyond the arc. He is able to effectively gain ground by jump stopping in the lane, where he uses upfakes to get defenders in the air. Rhodes has the ability to finish with both hands and can take off with either foot on both sides of the rim. He plays much bigger than his size and can post up smaller guards.   12. [player_tooltip player_id="990987" first="Lewis" last="Robinson"] (5’11”) (Guard) (Radnor High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="990987" first="Lewis" last="Robinson"] is an athletic guard with great court awareness. His ability to slash to the rim creates opportunities for himself and his teammates. Offensively, he can shoot off of the catch and dribble. Robinson is able to get into the lane effectively by ripping through with a quick jab or reverse jab off of the catch. He is a versatile scorer that uses a combination of floaters and various layup finishes which he uses to shoot over and around taller defenders. Additionally, he can hang in the air and finish through contact. Defensively, Robinson possesses the athletic tools to pressure opposing guards.   13. [player_tooltip player_id="990991" first="Carl" last="Schaller"] (5’11”) (Guard) (Garnet Valley High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="990991" first="Carl" last="Schaller"] was selected as the MVP of the Central League during the 2019-2020 high school basketball season. He is an extremely skilled point guard with a high basketball IQ. Schaller is an elite scorer and can attack off the dribble as well as catch and shoot. He also possesses the ability to penetrate the lane with his quick first step enabling him to create for both himself and others. He utilizes various moves to create space and can score both outride and inside the perimeter. Schaller has a high basketball IQ and his craftiness makes him a tough matchup for any defender.   14. [player_tooltip player_id="990994" first="John" last="Seidman"] (6’3”) (Guard) (Haverford High School) - [player_tooltip player_id="990994" first="John" last="Seidman"] is a crafty guard who can score the basketball in different ways. He is able to change speeds and directions effectively in the open floor, enabling him to get to spots where he utilizes his stop and pop pull-up jump shot. At 6’3” with great poise and patience with the basketball he is a tough matchup for opposing guards. Seidman can score off of the catch as well as get to the rim. His long strides combined with his ability to effectively jump stop in the lane enables him to quickly cover a lot of ground with few dribbles. Once in the paint he has the ability to elevate over small guards and the shooting touch to make floaters over taller defenders.   15. AJ Tucker (6’2”) (Guard/Forward) (Upper Darby High School) - AJ Tucker is an explosive and athletic guard/forward. He plays much bigger than his actual size. Tucker can post up smaller guards and finish well in the lane. He’s a versatile player that on the perimeter as well as in the paint. Defensively he has the ability to guard his man 94 feet. Tucker is able to pressure opposing ball handlers by turning them and beating them to spots on the floor. He uses his length and speed to disrupt offenses by playing the passing lanes and helping out as a help side defender.