CoBL Tip-off Showcase: Recap

Chad Graham December 13, 2021 @ 09:22 PM

Friday, December 10th, the City of Basketball Love opened the 2021-22 high school season with a bang, as their Tip-Off Showcase at Archbishop Ryan High School featured teams from Philadelphia’s Public & Catholic Leagues. There were similar events going on through the area but this one arguably featured the best game of the day. Father Judge 72, Carver E&S 64 The new-look Judge team with Coach Roantree at the helm can scrap. They aren’t the biggest, but they’re tough on the defensive end and have multiple shotmakers. After falling down by 8 in the third quarter, Jalen Flowers (6’1 G 2022) stepped up big in their Crusaders’ comeback effort. Flowers nabbed 3 steals and drained a couple threes in the fourth quarter that swung the momentum in FJ’s favor, on his way to 24 total points. points and the win. Kyle Jones Jr. chipped in 11 points in his PCL debut. Carver E&S brought the fight to Father Judge on Friday night. Their rebounding and high-percentage shots kept them in the game early as [player_tooltip player_id="1200787" first="Denzel" last="Figueroa"] (6’5 F 2022) finished with 20 points and 14 boards through 3 quarters (Left the game due to cramps). More known for his interior scoring, Denzel showed improvements attacking from the perimeter and was awarded Most Outstanding Player. Taimar Stubbs (5’11 G 2022) took over the game at one point in the 3rd quarter, knocking down shot after shot to put the team up by 8. Had 21 points total. West Catholic 72, Lincoln 62 This was by far the best game on Friday. The Burrs of West Catholic were down two key players, but it didn’t matter. [player_tooltip player_id="1121735" first="Adam" last=""Budd" Clark"] (5’9 G 2023), the general, scored 19 points but it was his ball-handling against Lincoln’s full court press that did it. His ability to take care of the ball and play at his own pace, even when they were behind on the scoreboard was impressive. East Stroudsburg has to be on fire about landing [player_tooltip player_id="991210" first="Nasir" last="Griffin"]’s (6’7 F 2022) signature, especially after how he opened the season. Griffin protected the rim and defended on the perimeter, plus he hit three treys on his way to 17 points and game MVP. Freshman Isaac Cole aka “Ice” (6’6 F 2025) hit 3 threes and scored 9 points off the bench. If anyone in the city can keep up with West Catholic and match their style of play, it’s the Railsplitters from Lincoln High School, and they did just that. Lincoln was also without a couple impact players, yet they traded body blows and runs with the Burrs, with the help of [player_tooltip player_id="991205" first="Aymere" last="Thomas"] (6’7 F 2022) and Jameer Trout (6’3 G 2023). Aymere (17 points) was above the break and above the rim with it all game. His rebounding, shot-blocking, and dunks were almost knock-out shots. Jameer (18 points) made the defense pay for leaving him open with multiple threes. Lincoln may not have won the game, but they better have the attention of everyone else they face this season. Each opponent is in for a dog fight. Archbishop Ryan 69, Downingtown West 43 You couldn’t tell that Ryan graduated their top 3 contributors from last season with the way they opened the season. Players 1 through 8 in their rotation made positive impacts in the framework of their scheme - the mark of excellent coaching. [player_tooltip player_id="991311" first="Jalen" last="Snead"] (6’2 G 2022) was back to his pick-pocketing ways. I turned to the person beside me and said “That boy will steal the coat off your back!” And still, it was their trio of sophomores who stood out the most in this team effort. [player_tooltip player_id="1192641" first="Darren" last="Williams"] (6’4 G 2024) won MVP honors by scoring (16 points) at all three levels and playing stout defense at the point of attack (3 steals). [player_tooltip player_id="1213553" first="Thomas" last="Sorber"] (6’9 C 2024) only had 12 points but it felt like twice that amount because of how he punished the defense down in the paint. Thomas should be an immediate priority for Mid & High major programs. [player_tooltip player_id="1173991" first="Jaden" last="Murray"] (6’6 F 2024) flashed his athleticism with his cutting and defense as he added another 9 points. Despite Archbishop Ryan getting out to an early lead, Downingtown West never let up. They kept fighting and cut Ryan’s lead down to the low teens during one stretch. [player_tooltip player_id="1116019" first="Dylan" last="Blair"] (5’9 G 2023) led his squad with 9 points, including an amazing block to halt a fastbreak. Dylan’s partner in crime [player_tooltip player_id="1279644" first="Jake" last="Warren"] (6’10 F/C 2023) cashed in a triple early and finished with 6 points and a handful of rebounds. Aidan Primanti brought energy off the bench, contributing 9 points as well. For more basketball coverage, follow me on twitter @CGraham_Sports.