5 SEPA Games to Watch this Week

Carey Smith

January 16, 2022 @ 08:01 AM

[caption id="attachment_1366638" align="alignleft" width="270"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/sam-brown-crop-504x331-1642341052.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1366638" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/sam-brown-crop-504x331-1642341052-300x196.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="177" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] (C/O 2023) from Lower Merion.[/caption] Below is a preview of five southeastern Pennsylvania games we are looking forward to watching the week of January 16th, 2022. Sun., Jan. 16th…Reading vs. Lower Merion: This game was originally scheduled for December 23rd, 2021, but it was postponed because of Covid protocols. Hoops heads rejoice because these two 6A powerhouse programs will finally face each today at 4:00PM at West Chester University. Big fella [player_tooltip player_id="991216" first="Demetrius" last="Lilley"] (Penn State) of LM is a double-double machine. 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] (20 ppg. for LM) has developed into so much more than a spot up 3-point shooter. He recently picked up a couple of DI offers. The defending 6A state champions had some key players out recently, but they will allegedly be at full strength for this contest. Reading superstars [player_tooltip player_id="1279633" first="Ruben" last="Rodriguez"] (1st Team 6A All-State) and [player_tooltip player_id="1116036" first="Daniel" last="Alcantara"] have received significant support from sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1192649" first="Myles" last="Grey"]. That trio has already piloted the Red Knights to a win over the vaunted Imhotep squad that was preseason No. 1 in Philly. Wed., Jan. 19th…Archbishop Wood at Archbishop Carroll: Wood is coming off an upset victory over Roman Catholic and looking to build on that momentum. Elite point guard [player_tooltip player_id="991202" first="Justin" last="Moore"] (17 ppg.; Drexel commit) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1189096" first="Jalil" last="Bethea"] (12 ppg.) have made for a dynamic scoring tandem. Forward [player_tooltip player_id="1013075" first="Carson" last="Howard"] and senior Mike Knouse are next level prospects too. Archbishop Carroll’s superstar guard [player_tooltip player_id="991425" first="Moses" last="Hipps"] (17 ppg.) has returned from his concussion absence and he will push Carroll’s feared transition game. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="991335" first="Dean" last="Coleman-Newsome"] is playing at an elevated level right now. Senior combo-guard [player_tooltip player_id="1281928" first="Shawnn" last="Smith"], junior wing Blake Deegan and freshman shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="1136565" first="Jake" last="West"] are standout players for Carroll too. Thu., Jan. 20th…Academy of New Church at Westtown School: This may be the toughest Friends League game Westtown will face all season. ANC’s backcourts of [player_tooltip player_id="1119147" first="Elmarko" last="Jackson"] (12 DI offers) and [player_tooltip player_id="1119156" first="Deywilk" last="Tavarez"] (Offer from Hofstra.) is filthy, but senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="991213" first="Anthony" last="McCall"] (18 ppg. and 9 rpg.) is dominating opponents this season. Of course, you know the Moose feature big fella [player_tooltip player_id="991185" first="Dereck" last="Lively II"] (Duke) and floor general [player_tooltip player_id="991188" first="Jameel" last="Brown"] (Penn State). But watch for another 2022 in Westtown’s lineup -- high-level backcourt prospect [player_tooltip player_id="1379563" first="Quin" last="Berger"]. Berger is having a monster month scoring the ball. Fri., Jan. 21st…Lower Merion at Radnor: The above-mentioned [player_tooltip player_id="991216" first="Demetrius" last="Lilley"] and [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] travel west on Lancaster Avenue for a game that has first place in the Central League on the line. LM (8-2; 5-0) has faced a brutal schedule, so they are battle tested. But Radnor (12-0; 6-0) is off to the best start in the program’s history. A large part of that success is because of a standout junior class that makes up four of Radnor’s first five. Those Class of 2023 starters -- shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="1119137" first="Jackson" last="Hicke"], wing [player_tooltip player_id="1212678" first="Charlie" last="Thornton"], combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="1200791" first="Cooper" last="Mueller"] and point man [player_tooltip player_id="1200819" first="Danny" last="Rosenblum"] -- are all college prospects. Keep an eye on Radnor senior Pierce Justice as well. Justice has been knocking home threes at a 50% clip and is quietly having an outstanding season. Sat., Jan. 22nd…Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy at George School: This Inter-Ac vs. Friends School League contest will feature an abundance of college prospects. SCHA’s [player_tooltip player_id="1188210" first="Alassane" last="Amadou"] is one of the top 2023 prospects in the region and holds a truck load of DI offers. Junior point man Darius Isaac is an extraordinary lead guard. [player_tooltip player_id="1200762" first="Camden" last="Burns"] is the fantastic mid-range assassin who old hoops heads love. Additionally, three-point ace [player_tooltip player_id="1281996" first="Jaren" last="Morton"] has made significant contributions this season. George School will lean heavily on the inside-outside tandem of post presence [player_tooltip player_id="1119114" first="Onyekachi" last="Nzeh"] (recently posted a 28 & 15 double-double; holds numerous DI offers) and standout scoring point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1285466" first="Christian" last="Bliss"] (holds several DI offers). Both are prospects who have proven they can thrive in primetime. They will have support from [player_tooltip player_id="901991" first="Dante" last="Weise"] (2022), who is an all-around playmaking guard.