The Phelps School (Malvern, PA) Reloads

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/2A67BDD9-A199-40A3-BB25-C8DC522237E1.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1008163 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/2A67BDD9-A199-40A3-BB25-C8DC522237E1-300x188.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="188" /></a>At The Phelps School (Malvern, PA), the nationally renowned “prep” basketball team doesn’t rebuild. They simply reload with elite level post graduate year players. The 2020-21 season will not be any different, as Head Coach Trey Morin welcomes eleven extremely skilled new players to the squad. In this post, I will examine the two returning players as well as all the newcomers. In addition to my player breakdowns, Coach Morin was kind enough to provide (via email) a little insider analysis on each of the players he expects to be on the team in 2020-21.   Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="990934" first="Sam" last="Ayomide Onu"] 6’11” Senior Center: An extremely long athlete, Onu does most of his damage around the basket. A good footwork and strong physique (255 lbs.) allow Onu to get to the rim quickly or to play through contact in the paint. He can also provide highlight reel dunks via the secondary break. At the other end, his long arms, quick feet and anticipation skills have made Onu a shot blocking machine. Coach Morin Says: Fastest rising big in the country. Centerpiece of our defense. Rim running, shot blocking type. Hearing from all Power 5 conferences. Isaiah Miranda 6’11” Sophomore Center. Miranda has a 7-foot+ wingspan and is an exceptional athlete who moves very fluidly. Miranda also owns a decent jumper. He did not see much time last season at Phelps but when running with the Rhode Island Elite grassroots program Miranda has shown that he absolutely is a D-I prospect. Received his first college offer in October 2019 (Sienna). Coach Morin Says: Future Power 5 conference big. Great hands. He didn’t play much last year, should move into a bigger role this year. Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id="991172" first="Neel" last="Beniwal"] 6’4” Junior Wing. One of the deadliest three point shooters in all of Delaware County, in 2019-20 Beniwal helped push Garnet Valley (PA) to 23 wins, a 14-1 Central League record and a state tourney appearance. The long and athletic shooter missed a number of games with knee tendinitis last year, but when healthy Beniwal proved he can fill it up -- 21 points (4 threes) vs Penncrest and 25 points in the District 1 playoffs vs North Penn. In addition to transferring, Beniwal will also re-class into the 2022 graduation year. Coach Morin Says: Great shooter. Reclassing to ’22 should help him a ton maturity and growth wise. Hearing from Ivys and Patriot since reclassing. Giovanni Cessel 6’9” Prep Year Forward. Cessel who hails from Siena, Italy starred at Holy Cross Prep Academy (NJ) last season. In 2019-20 Cessel was, statistically speaking, the second best rebounder (10.1 ppg.) and shot blocker (3 bpg.) in the state of New Jersey. But make no mistake, Cessell is more than just a Euro-big who grabs boards and blocks shots. Last season as the third option on offense, he averaged 11 ppg. However, he showed off his offensive potential when he posted 25 points (also had 9 boards) in the Lancers’ win over Gloucester Catholic. Coach Morin Says: Improved a great deal during his three years in the states. Big, skilled 5/4. Can stretch to 3. Looking to improve frame and body during this year. Hearing from America East, Patriot and various levels of D2. Jon Desir 6’2” Prep Year Wing. This lefty from Neshaminy HS (PA) is a very athletic player who can run at SG or SF. Desir can drain the spot up 3-ball or use his decent set of handles to free himself up for a shot. In 2019-20 Desir averaged 7 ppg. He rebounds well for his size and is a good passer. Still, the one thing that grabs your attention the most is the energy and hustle Desir brings to the floor. Coach Morin Says: Intriguing kid. Looks solid on film. Very good athlete. Noah Fox 6’2” Senior Combo Guard. A New Jersey native who played at Tatnall School (DE) two years ago, Fox is a very well rounded baller who can play either guard spot. As a 2-guard, Fox can score off the dribble at the rim or in the mid-range area. He can also handle the ball well enough to run the point spot at a very high level. For his size, Fox is also a solid rebounder. His length, quickness and athleticism allow him to be an absolute nightmare for opponents on the defensive end. Coach Morin Says: Strong guard. Excellent frame. Improving skill set. Should help us in some capacity. Chas Kelley 6’4” Junior Point Guard. In 2019-20 Kelley ran point for Cypress Creek HS in Houston, Texas. He is a long, athletic player with an excellent jump shot. Kelley can create off the dribble to open up mid-range shots. He also can hit the 3-pointer and posted several games on the grassroots circuit in which he drained 5 threes. Last season at Cypress Creek Kelley was a 2nd Team All-District 17-6A (TX) selection. Coach Morin Says: Great feel for the game. Physical guard defensively. Will blow up in ’22. Has offers incl from LA Tech. Caelin Peters 6’2” Prep Year Point Guard. Peters is a scoring point guard with size who owns a lethal jumper. Last season, as the star of Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA) lineup, he scored 33 pts vs. Upper Moreland and notched a 28 point and 11 rebound double-double vs Wissahickon. There is no doubt that his job in life is to get buckets. Peters was a one-man-show at PW but with all the talent at Phelps, one would expect that he will become a better all-around floor general. Coach Morin Says: Big guard. Shifty with the ball. Can really shoot it from anywhere. Can be a good defender. Should be very good with better players around him. Hearing from D1s and D2s. Jackson Piotrowski 6’5” Prep Year Forward. The former Delaware County Christian School (PA) standout is a wing player who can fill it up. In 2019-20 Piotrowski averaged 17.7 points per game and posted four 30 or more point efforts. This smooth shooting and crafty scoring machine ended his career with 1,333 points. A three-year starter at DCC, last season Piotrowski was a 3rd team Class 2A All-State choice and a 2nd team All-Delaware County selection. He also averaged 8.2 rebounds per contest. Coach Morin Says: Improved a ton even since the end of the season. Quarantine helped him put on some muscle and improve his handle. Hearing from NESCAC, Ivy, Patriot, NE10, and PSAC. Other Notables: Sean Hutchinson 6’2” Junior Combo Guard. Hutchinson is a scoring guard who had a good freshman season at St. Elizabeth’s HS in Wilmington, DE. In 2019-20 he played at People for People Charter. Coach Morin Says: Skilled guard. Can really make shots. Good frame. Solid skill set. Myles Mucius 6’2” Freshman Wing. Rising 9th grader out of East Patchogue, NY who can really score. Plays for EYBL summer circuit juggernaut PSA Cardinals (Bronx, NY). Coach Morin Says: Going to be very good. Big wing. Good touch and can handle the ball. Brother (Isaiah) plays at WF. Henry Rovillard 6’4” Prep Year Combo Guard. A physical guard and a lock down defender who played at Holy Spirit HS (Absecon, NJ). Senior season was highlighted by a 17 point (including three 3-pointers) effort vs. Mainland (NJ). Coach Morin Says: Bigger guard. Best defender on the team. Good shooter. More a 2 than 1. Jack Rovillard 6’4” Prep Year Guard / Small Forward. Jack (Yes, they are twins.), experienced an injury plagued high school career at Holy Spirit (NJ). When he was on the court last summer for the Philly Hurricanes, Jack proved he could score in the mid-range and shoot the 3-ball. Coach Morin Says: Bigger guard. Great defender and shooter. Will have a good prep year for sure.