Top 8 c/o 2023 Forwards & Centers in Southeastern PA

Coming behind an all-time great class - Lively (Duke), Lilley (Penn St), Crawley Jr, Moss (Delaware), Walz (Richmond), and Duren (reclassified/Memphis) - Southeastern PA is blessed with another crop of talented bigs. And even though the area doesn't normally produce a great volume of them, these guys have a great mix of modern big man skills and versatility. [player_tooltip player_id="1279647" first="Sultan" last="Adewale"] | F 6’8 Neumann-Goretti + Mokan Elite UK-born and a transfer from St. Louis Christian, Sultan comes to the city with high major offers. He’s got the build and the vertical pop to rim-run on offense and block shots on defense. When he can’t dunk the ball, his hands are soft enough to lay it up off the glass. That touch he shows is evident in the range on his jumpshot too. Adewale balled out in the Midwest and on the circuit; now he has to prove he can do it in Philly. [player_tooltip player_id="1188210" first="Alassane" last="Amadou"] | F 6’9 Springside Chestnut Hill + Philly Pride If “you are who you guard” rules applied, Al easily could’ve been mentioned with the wings. And what he does with mismatches from the perimeter would justify it too. His footwork and the way he maneuvers with the ball remind you of players 6’3 & below, not 6’9. Based on what he did defensively in the Under Armor Association - being one of the leaders in both blocks and rebounds - Amadou can be deployed to either contain guards and wings 1-on-1 or specialize as a help-side defender. Caleb Bryant | C 6’8 LaSalle + Team Final Expect to see Caleb make a major contributor this year for the Explorers. He saw spot duty in ‘20-21 and was a rotational player this AAU season. But Bryant made the most of his minutes, impacting the game without scoring. He has the potential to be a quality space mover, setting screens and ceiling defenders around the rim. From there, Caleb can feast in the dunker spot. Look out for him as he develops into a star in his role in ‘21-22. [player_tooltip player_id="1119155" first="Raijon" last="DiSpensa"] | F 6’8 Shipley + NJ Scholars Raijon is interesting to watch. He can be considered a wing on defense and a forward/big on offense. Players his size don’t give him problems either, but he looks natural when switched onto perimeter players. You can see the same fluidity in grab-and-go situations and in the halfcourt when he showcases his face up game. His burst with the ball is impressive. And in the low post, DiSpensa uses polished footwork to get to his craft finishes. [player_tooltip player_id="1202023" first="Augustus" last="Gerhart"] | C 6’9 Hill School + Philly Pride His junior season will be his hoops coming out party, after joining loaded a frontcourt that includes Ethan Meuser ('22/Stonehill) and the aforementioned Moss ('22). "Augie" has been making a name for himself, since April, as a blue-collar worker, including a game winning shot against Team Final at Battle for the Bell in July. Setting screens and rolling hard to the rim, it doesn’t take much to get him going. And, of course, he defends down on the block, boxes out, and hustles for rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="1013075" first="Carson" last="Howard"] | F 6’7 Archbishop Wood + Team Final Cleaning the glass is easily Carson’s best skill. He comes to Wood from Lacey (NJ), where he led the Shore Conference last season with 12.7 rebounds per game, to go along with 18.3 points and 2 blocks. Closing out possessions on one end and extending possession on the other, his skillset has translated well against top competition in PA. So has his ability to accumulate second-chance points and hit elbow jumpers. [player_tooltip player_id="1119114" first="Onyekachi" last="Nzeh"] | C 6’8 George + Team Final Kachi exploded onto the scene this year with his outlier athleticism. Few players in the area can prevent him doing damage above the rim, offensively or defensively. Nzeh not needing much time or space to get off the ground make him a quality rebounder. The way he slides his feet while guarding in space and how he handles double teams – splitting or passing out of them – bode well for his development long-term. [player_tooltip player_id="1279644" first="Jake" last="Warren"] | F/C 6’9 Downingtown West + Philly Pride Warren arrived at D-West last season and immediately went to work. A vertical (rim running) and horizontal ( 3 pt shooting) floor spacer, he’s very mobile for his size. Jake is tough for anyone to guard once he gets going. Understanding how difficult he is to match up with one-on-one, he’s able to exploit tilted defenses with crisp passes to open teammates. This combination of skills makes him capable of playing the 4 or the 5 long-term.   For more on Philly basketball, follow me on twitter @CGraham_Sports