Lower Merion at Radnor: Standout Prospects

[caption id="attachment_1370907" align="alignleft" width="228"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Demetrius-Lilley-2022-II-e1642866063899.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1370907" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Demetrius-Lilley-2022-II-e1642866063899-290x300.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="236" /></a> Demtrius Lilley (C/O 2022) from Lower Merion contests a shot. Photo: Bridget Walsh (@bwsportsphoto)[/caption] Friday night the Lower Merion Aces traveled out Lancaster Avenue to take on the undefeated Radnor Raptors . This much anticipated matchup is a potential preview of the championship game for the Central League playoffs. Each of these rosters is boasts several college prospects, especially in the Class of 2023. This intense contest was a game of runs. Radnor quickly jumped out to an early lead. LM battled back and took a double-digit cushion into halftime. Radnor opened the second half with a tremendous push and after three quarters the Raptors had cut LM’s lead to three (39-36). However, LM began the 4th quarter with a 7-0 run. The Aces outscored Radnor 21-14 in the final stanza, won 60-48 and handed Radnor (13-1; 5-1) their first loss of the season. Lower Merion (12-2; 9-1) captured this key Central League win without elite shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] (Holds 3 DI offers). Brown has now missed three straight games with an ankle injury. Below is a review of the host of the college prospects who took the court last night for the Lower Merion vs. Radnor game. Lower Merion: [player_tooltip player_id="991216" first="Demetrius" last="Lilley"] – 6’9” / Senior / Philly Pride National / Center: With [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"] out, Lilley was the focus of Radnor’s defense. On most possessions, Radnor fronted him in the post and brought a second defender from the backside. Radnor’s defensive tactics and foul trouble limited this Penn State commit to 9 points (plus 8 rebounds). However, Lilley showed that he can quickly recognize and pass out of double teams. Additionally, on the rare LM possession where he was single covered, Lilley was able to score the ball on the interior via a couple nice post moves. Justin Poles – 6’1” / Junior / Philly Pride Gold / Combo Guard: In the absence of [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"], the extremely athletic Poles (7 ppg.) has taken his game to another level. He is quick and owns solid basketball instincts, so he excels in LM’s transition game. Poles will also splash home the occasional 3-ball. However last night it was his ability to penetrate and kick to the open shooters that really grabbed our attention. As LM’s primary ball handler, he completely controlled the tempo of this game. He scored 13 points last night and in the three games that Brown has been out, Poles has doubled his scoring average to 15ppg. At the other end of the floor, Poles is a tremendous defender who typically guards one of the opponents’ leading scorers. [player_tooltip player_id="1122122" first="Jaylen" last="Shippen"] – 6’3” / Senior / John Jay Spartans / Combo Guard: This second-year starter is a speedy athlete with a nice three-point stroke. Shippen displays excellent basketball instincts and possesses solid handles. At the other end he is a tremendous team defender. He did not have a big scoring in last night’s win (5 points), but earlier this week in victory over Penncrest, Shippen posted 13 points (3 threes). Peter Gribbin – 6’1” / Senior / John Jay Spartans / Shooting Guard: Gribbin is coming off a career high 19 points in LM’s win over Penncrest, so we had an eye on him last night. This three-point shooter with a quick release continued to play at an elevated level and recorded 11 points (2 threes) vs. Radnor. Gribbin is a high intensity player and the other LM players appear to feed of his energy. Sam Wright – 6’3” / Junior / Philly Pride Gold / Shooting Guard: During LM’s stretch without the injured [player_tooltip player_id="991391" first="Sam" last="Brown"], a different LM player has stepped up in each game. Last night it was Wright’s turn. The solid catch-and shoot player is especially adept at knocking home corner threes. Wright displayed good curt awareness and the ability to find open spaces. He posted a season high 15 points last night and hit a few big shots in this contest. Radnor: [player_tooltip player_id="1119137" first="Jackson" last="Hicke"] – 6’4” / Junior / SJ Hoops Elite-Gray / Shooting Guard: Thanks to LM’s suffocating defense, a couple of questionable calls and a lack of action designed to free up Radnor’s leading scorer, Hicke (17 ppg.) had a slow start in this game. In the second half, Hicke (9 pts & 6 rebs) got going by attacking the basket off the dribble. Hicke’s textbook shooting mechanics and range allow him to be a threat from well behind the arc. [caption id="attachment_1370920" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Pierce-Justice-2022-crop-820x538-1642867463.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1370920 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Pierce-Justice-2022-crop-820x538-1642867463-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Pierce Justice (C/O 2022) from Radnor. Photo: Bridget Walsh (@bwsportsphoto)[/caption] Pierce Justice – 6’0” / Senior / East Coast Power / Shooting Guard: The only senior in Radnor’s starting five continues to make timely 3-point shots. Justice (12 points in this game) drained a triple at the 3rd quarter buzzer that cut LM’s lead to 39-36. On the season Justice is popping threes at a 50% clip. In addition to his three-point shooting, Justice (6.2 ppg.) is a savvy player who is willing to make the extra pass. [player_tooltip player_id="1200791" first="Cooper" last="Mueller"] – 6’1” / Junior / SJ Hoops Elite-Gray / Combo Guard: Mueller (10 ppg) is a 2023 prospect on the rise. This combo guard is crazy athletic and plays with next level intensity. On offense, Mueller uses a smooth head & ball fake or crossover to create scoring opportunities off the dribble. He can finish at the rim with either hand. Additionally, Mueller will drain the open spot up three. At the other end, he is a lockdown defender who also rebounds well for his size. Mueller scored 8 points last night vs. Lower Merion. On Wednesday night he notched 20 points in a win over Upper Darby. [player_tooltip player_id="1200819" first="Danny" last="Rosenblum"] – 5’11’’ / Junior / SJ Hoops Elite-Gray / Point Guard: Rosenblum (6 ppg.) is a solid lead guard who plays within himself. His ability to get Radnor into their half-court sets and initiate the offense is a college coach’s dream. When he is not distributing the rock, Rosenblum (4 pts & 4 dimes vs LM) will score by using the bounce to get to his mid-range game or all the way to the hoop for a lay-in. Rosenblum is a plus defender as well. [player_tooltip player_id="1287326" first="Michael" last="Savadove"] – 6’0” / Sophomore / Philly Pride Select / Combo Guard: This Class of 2024 prospect came of Radnor’s bench last night to supply a much-needed scoring punch as well as his usual suffocating defense. Savadove also rebounds well for a guard and plays with an edge you do not see in many sophomores. The combo-guard posted 7 points in this one including a crowd pleasing And 1. Savadove is a prospect to keep an eye on going forward. [player_tooltip player_id="1212678" first="Charlie" last="Thornton"] – 6’4’’ / Junior / SJ Hoops Elite-Gray / Wing: Thornton (10.6 ppg) is an extraordinary athlete who because of his speed and vertical thrives in transition. In the half court Thornton (8 pts & 5 rebs last night) can use the bounce to get by a defender for a lay-in. He fearlessly attacked the rim on a couple of possessions last night. The junior also has recently developed a dependable three-point shot. Last night Thornton did a tremendous job of guarding LM’s significantly taller and thicker big fella [player_tooltip player_id="991216" first="Demetrius" last="Lilley"].