Philly vs Everybody Showcase: Recap

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All City Classic successfully completed their second showcase event of the season. Philly went 2-1 on the evening versus teams from NY, NJ, and MD respectively. Some of the usual suspects stood out but some underclassmen flashed too when they had opportunities.</span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archbishop Wood 72, Upper Room Christian 44</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="991202" first="Justin" last="Moore"] (6’2 G 2022) won MVP of the game, leading all scorers with 25 points. Moore is heralded for his abilities to make plays on-ball, but lately he’s been getting some usage off-ball. When Coach Mosco leveraged his scoring gravity and got him touches against pre-rotated defenses, the Drexel signee was able to connect to open shooters or finish plays himself. His 3-point shooting and ability to play above the rim in the half-court as primary initiator or attacking the second-side give Wood versatility on offense. Justin also went 8/8 from the charity stripe (FT).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="991325" first="Tyson" last="Allen"] (6’3 G 2022) was one of the beneficiaries of the attention Moore drew on offense, scoring 7 points. He’s mainly a connector on that end, making the extra pass and smart decisions with the ball. A guard-sized player with wing skills, Allen blocked shots, deflected passes, guarded up against Upper Room Christian’s big man. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Josh Reed (6’2 G 2024) is the backup point guard for Wood yet he made his minutes count. He finished with 11 points by getting two feet in the paint where he showed touch around the basket. Josh also knocked down a catch-and-shoot three. Jalil Betha had 13 points with 2 made threes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1195592" first="Dante" last="Green"] (6’4 G 2024) carried the load for URC. He shot the ball well from mid-range and got to the line (12 attempts) for a total of 12 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1204356" first="Youssouf" last="Singare"] (6’11 C 2023) scored 5 points and anchored the defense, altering several shots around the rim. Eric Perez (6’3 W 2023) and Jean Aranquren (6’3 G 2023) tied for second on the team with 8 points a piece.</span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">West Catholic 78, League Bound Academy 44</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Burrs got up early and never looked back as they spread the ball around. Four players scored in double digits and a total of 10 players got on the scoreboard. [player_tooltip player_id="1122111" first="Kaseem" last="Watson"] (6’6 W 2022) scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half on drives to the hoop and on fastbreaks. Game MVP, “Whop” aka [player_tooltip player_id="991381" first="Shemar" last="Wilbank-Acqui"] put up 14 points and led the second unit which featured a lot of young talent. [player_tooltip player_id="1121735" first="Adam" last=""Budd" Clark"] (5’9 G 2023) pushed in transition and had 11 points himself. [player_tooltip player_id="991210" first="Nasir" last="Griffin"] (6’7 F 2022) had 11 points as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">League Bound Academy showed a lot of heart, as they were a late addition to the event and battled hard the entire game. Jamiere Acrey led the team with 15 points. Torrey Brooks Jr (G 2026) showed a lot of poise. He’s under-sized, but occasionally got in the paint and knocked down 2 threes. Prince Johnson had 10 points and Nasir Watson chipped in another 8.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rock Creek Christian (MD) 68, Father Judge 48</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Eagles of RCC had a dominant performance against the hometown favorites. MVP [player_tooltip player_id="904650" first="Willie" last="Rivera"] (6’1 G 2022) got wherever he wanted versus zone and man defenses. And when he got to the rim, he seemingly couldn’t miss. He proceeded to cash in 2 threes for a total of 19 points. In addition, Rivera forced rotations to get open looks for his teammates. Kevon Corley (6’6 W 2023) looked really good handling the ball as he scored 11 points. Jason Clarke (6’1 G 2024) scored 11 points too and was effective at the point of attack on defense, forcing errors by ball-handlers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After knocking down 2 threes in the first quarter, Kyle Jones Jr made a living driving to the hoop. Though the defense tried to pressure him by picking him up full-court, Jones Jr. held his own and played through contact. He led Judge with 19 points prior to exiting the game mid-way through the 4th. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1197608" first="Kevair" last="Kennedy"] (6’0 G 2025) was fearless. He only played about 9 minutes but scored 7 points by willing his way to the basket and cleaning the glass. The best part of his game was on the defensive end. Rivera tried to go at him a few times yet Kevair slid his feet and stayed in his man’s hip pocket and made him give up the ball. It was teach-tape.</span></p>