Top Backcourts In The 2020-2021 Central League Conference

The Central League Conference is located just outside the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference is known for producing some of the top players outside the City of Brotherly Love. This year the Central League Conference is loaded with great guards that can impact the game as scorers, playmakers, facilitators, and defenders. In this article, we will look at some of the top backcourts in the Central League Conference. (Teams Listed In Alphabetical Order)   1. Conestoga High School [player_tooltip player_id="991053" first="Austin" last="Fontaine"] (6’0”) (Guard) (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="991163" first="Jack" last="Liedtka"] (6’3”) (Guard) (2021) Ryan Mackey (6’1”) (Guard) (2022) - This backcourt consists of a very talented trio of guards. The two senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="991053" first="Austin" last="Fontaine"] and [player_tooltip player_id="991163" first="Jack" last="Liedtka"] are two of the top rising seniors to watch in the Central League. Additionally, Ryan Mackey is another skilled guard who is a top rising junior to watch in the conference. All three guards are exceptional shooters with high basketball IQ’s and provide offense from beyond the perimeter. Fontaine and Mackey are the predominate ball handlers, while Liedtka can relocate and move very well without the basketball. Fontaine is extremely athletic and can get to the rim as well as shoot off of the dribble. The shooting range of this trio should make it difficult for teams to play help side. Furthermore, Conestoga High School has two retuning forwards/centers (Andrew Fox (6’8”) (Center) (2021) and Michael Walz (6’8”) (Center) (2022)) that will draw a considerable amount of attention from opposing defenses.   2. Garnet Valley High School [player_tooltip player_id="990991" first="Carl" last="Schaller"] (5’11”) (Guard) (2021) Gannon McKee (6’4”) (Guard/Forward) (2021) - Garnet Valley’s backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="990991" first="Carl" last="Schaller"] and Gannon McKee will be tough to stop for opposing teams. Schaller, the reigning MVP of the Central League has the ability to take over basketball games as a scorer and as a playmaker. Schaller is regarded as one of the top players in the state of Pennsylvania. He can create instant offense in the half court and full court settings. Additionally, McKee is a very versatile player that can score the basketball both inside and outside of the perimeter. One offensive option in particular that will be very difficult for teams to defend is the pick and roll between Schaller and McKee. McKee does a great job of reading the pick and roll coverage and can either roll to the rim or pick and pop behind the three point line. At 6’4 McKee is tough to guard as he uses his size to score in the lane over smaller guards and forwards.   3. Harriton High School Joshua Wyche (6’5”) (Guard) (2022) Reid Belcher (5’8”) (Guard) (2023) - The backcourt of Joshua Wyche and Reid Belcher present all sorts of challenges for opposing teams. Defensively, this backcourt duo can create havoc. Wyche, a very athletic and big guard can pressure the basketball and even protect the rim by altering shots around the basket. Reid Belcher, a rising sophomore was able to impact games as a freshman on the defensive end of the floor by pressuring opposing guards. Additionally, Belcher has a great handle and sees the floor well. Wyche is an all around basketball payer that impacts the game by scoring as well as creating for others. Belcher showed last season that he can shoot the basketball well. The drive and kick plays between these two young guards could create problems for opposing defenses. This backcourt will be fun to watch this upcoming season, especially if you enjoy watching great defense.   4. Lower Merion High School Jaylen Shippen (6’0”) (Guard) (2022) [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] (6’1”) (Guard) (2023) - Although this backcourt may appear young, the duo of Jaylen Shippen and [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] already have a full year of experience playing with one another. This will be a very exciting backcourt to watch during this upcoming season. These two talented guards compliment each other well. Shippen is a great playmaker and facilitator who can get by his man forcing opposing help side defenders to leave their man wide open. Unfortunately for opposing teams, Brown is not someone you can leave open. Brown, is a rising star and is one of the best shooters in the Central League. He has great range and a quick shooting release. The court awareness of Shippen combined with Brown’s ability to set his feet quickly in transition, can create instant offense and scoring opportunities in transition for Lower Merion High School. This young duo has the ability to frustrate defenses for the next few years.   5. Penncrest High School [player_tooltip player_id="991320" first="Saahir" last="Lee"] (5’11”) (Guard) (2022) Ben Stanton (6’1”) (Guard) (2022) - A young backcourt that is comprised of two rising juniors, Sahiir Lee and Ben Stanton will have two more years to play with one another. Lee, one of the top guards in the Central League conference has the ability to make plays and score for himself. Lee’s ability to drive by his defender and finish at the rim forces opponents to leave their man that can create opportunities for others. Lee is set to have a great junior season. Additionally, Stanton provides great shooting and can provide scoring opportunities both with and without the basketball. He can also bring the basketball up the floor if needed and is a good decision maker when he has the ball in his hands. Stanton can also create space for Lee as a result of his ability to catch and shoot the basketball from way beyond the three point line.   6. Radnor High School Jahmir Dixon (5’11”) (Guard) (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="990987" first="Lewis" last="Robinson"] (5’11”) (Guard) (2021) Danny Rosenblum (5’11”) (Guard) (2023) - The backcourt trio is made up of the two rising senior guards Jahmir Dixon and [player_tooltip player_id="990987" first="Lewis" last="Robinson"] along with rising sophomore guard Danny Rosenblum. All three guards are playmakers and can create instant offense. Dixon is a pure point guard and can run the show. He has a great crossover that allows him to create space, often resulting in a pull up jump shot or leading to a drive in the lane. Dixon sees the floor well and does a great job of getting into the paint. Once Dixon has his defender on his hip he has the ability to finish at the rim by using the stretch layup with either hand. [player_tooltip player_id="990987" first="Lewis" last="Robinson"] is set to have another big year. Robinson was one of the top players in the conference last year. He has a phenomenal in between game and is a great finisher around the rim. Robinson is hard to defend in transition and can shoot the ball off of the dribble. In addition rising sophomore Danny Rosenblum will heavily contribute as a scorer and as a facilitator. Rosenblum has an advanced skill set for his age and already has a full year of varsity experience. He is a player to keep an eye on for the next few years in the Central League conference.     7. Strath Haven High School [player_tooltip player_id="991049" first="Luke" last="Edwards"] (6’2”) (Shooting Guard) (2021) Matt Shuler (5’9”) (Guard) (2022) - This backcourt duo should be very exciting to watch during the 2020-2021 season. [player_tooltip player_id="991049" first="Luke" last="Edwards"] should be one of the best players in the Central League this season, and Shuler is a rising star who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Shuler, a phenomenal athlete and skilled guard can effectively guard top scorers as well as make plays for himself and others on the offensive end of the floor. Edwards, one of the top players in the conference is a talented scorer that can create offense both with and without the basketball. The combination of Shuler’s ability to get by defenders and Edwards ability to run full speed off screens for catch and shoot opportunities will be tough for opposing teams to guard. Furthermore, both guards are solid defenders that can apply ball pressure and play the passing lanes.   8. Upper Darby High School Christopher “C.J” Dabbs (6’0”) (Guard) (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="991156" first="Shareef" last="Jones Jr."] (5’11”) (Guard) (2021) AJ Tucker (6’2”) (Guard/Forward) (2021) This senior backcourt trio should be one of the top backcourts in the Central League. Christopher C.J. Dabbs, [player_tooltip player_id="991156" first="Shareef" last="Jones Jr."], and AJ Tucker should have great senior seasons. This backcourt is very talented offensively. All three guards can create for themselves and their teammates. Dabbs, who is the primary ball handler of the team is one of the best playmakers in the conference, while Jones is a top scorer and shooter. Both guards show great patience and poise with the basketball and are very tough to guard in pick and roll situations. Tucker can play both the guard and forward position and is very versatile. Tucker has a nice shooting touch around the rim and plays much bigger than his actual size. Tucker also has the ability to post up smaller defenders. This backcourt trio can create problems for defenses as all three guards are tough for defenders to contain.