5 SEPA Games To Watch This Week

[caption id="attachment_1151230" align="alignleft" width="245"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Darrien-Grady-Shipley-1-e1645453013607.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1151230" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Darrien-Grady-Shipley-1-e1645453013607-300x288.jpg" alt="" width="245" height="235" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="933733" first="Darrien" last="Grady"] (C/O 2023) from Shipley School. Photo: Shipley School Athletics[/caption] <p>Below is a preview of five southeastern Pennsylvania games we are looking forward to watching the week of February 20th, 2022. This week’s slate features several district playoff tilts as well as a Philadelphia Catholic Semifinal game.</p> <p><strong>Tue., Feb. 22nd…Shipley School at Episcopal Academy: </strong>Episcopal Academy (Inter-Ac) will host this PAISAA Tournament “Play-In” game. Shipley (Friends School League) boasts floor general [player_tooltip player_id="933733" first="Darrien" last="Grady"] (16.7 ppg.) who is one of the top 2023 backcourt prospects in southeastern Pennsylvania. 6’7” forward [player_tooltip player_id="1119155" first="Raijon" last="DiSpensa"] (13 ppg.) provides high-level wing scoring for Shipley and is a monster on the glass. EA’s [player_tooltip player_id="1188249" first="Kevin" last="McCarthy"] has established himself as a lethal perimeter threat by posting numerous games this season of 5+ made threes. TJ Lamb and Jake Jaszcz are two other EA prospects to watch.</p> <p><strong>Tue., Feb. 22nd…Norristown at Haverford: </strong>In this District 1-6A second round game [player_tooltip player_id="1382950" first="Zaki" last="Gomez"] (11.3 ppg.) will lead Norristown (#12 seed; PAC) to take on a Haverford squad (#5 seed; Central League) that loves to shoot from downtown. Gomez is a high energy prospect who can score in bunches via draining threes or his floater game. Gomez will have help from fellow seniors DJ Johnson and John DiNolfi. Headlining the 3-ball happy Fords lineup are snipers [player_tooltip player_id="1379477" first="Nick" last="Colucci"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1382973" first="Alex" last="Seidman"]. Haverford will also get significant contributions from wing prospect JR Newman.</p> <p><strong>Wed., Feb. 23rd…Bishop Shanahan at Phoenixville:</strong> Shanahan (#6 seed; Ches-Mont) won their District 1-5A opening round game vs. Upper Merion and their reward is a 2^nd round away game against an extremely talented Phoenixville team (#3 seed; PAC). Shanahan will rely on a pair of seniors in Zane Domsohn and Will O’Loughlin. Domsohn averages 16 ppg. and was the Ches-Mont Player of the Year in 2020-21. O’Loughlin is a long (6’4”), versatile, high IQ athlete who can play any position on the court. He posted 20 points in Shanahan’s 1^st round win. Phoenixville will counter with their trio of college prospects – [player_tooltip player_id="1275989" first="Zavier" last="Mayo"], [player_tooltip player_id="1275990" first="Gabe" last="Massenburg"] and Jackson Kuranda. Mayo averages 14.5 ppg. and his recruiting stock has been on the rise since July. Massenburg will give Shanahan all they can handle on the interior.</p> [caption id="attachment_1352715" align="alignleft" width="196"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_20211223_151612531_HDR.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1352715" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/IMG_20211223_151612531_HDR-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="196" height="262" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="991324" first="Luke" last="Boyd"] (C/O 2022) from Archbishop Ryan.[/caption] <p><strong>Wed., Feb. 23rd…West Catholic vs. Archbishop Ryan: </strong>The Palestra will be the site of this Philly Catholic League playoff semifinal game and it will be a thrilling contest filled with college prospects. West Catholic’s [player_tooltip player_id="1121734" first="Zion" last="Stanford"] (6’5”; 14 ppg. &amp; 5 rpg.) is an extremely underrated wing prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="991381" first="Shemar" last="Wilbanks-Acqui"] (12 ppg.) has emerged as a tremendous scoring option for WC. Adam “Budd” Clark is an ultra-quick point guard who can get to the rim at will. Of course, West Catholic also has the Watson twins who are committed Cal State-Bakersfield. Ryan will counter with big fella [player_tooltip player_id="1213553" first="Thomas" last="Sorber"] as well as perimeter threats [player_tooltip player_id="991324" first="Luke" last="Boyd"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1192641" first="Darren" last="Williams"]. Sorber averaged a double-double (16.5 pts &amp; 10 rebs per) during the regular season and was a 1^stTeam All-PCL selection. Both Boyd (15.3 ppg.) and Williams (13 ppg.) shot over 34% from three this season.</p> <p><strong>Sat., Feb. 26^th…Collegium Charter vs. Pope John Paul II: </strong>We predict that the 1-seed (Collegium Charter) and 2-seed (PJP form the Pioneer Athletic Conference) will meet in the District 1-4A championship game. If both teams make it to that title game, fans will be treated to an entertaining matchup featuring two elite backcourt prospects. Collegium Charter’s [player_tooltip player_id="991223" first="Dinero" last="Washington"] (19 ppg.; 4 rpg.; 3.8 apg.; 3 spg.) owns electric handles and is a knock down 3-point shooter. He is a 1,000-point scorer who recently posted 42 points (6 threes) in a game. Meanwhile [player_tooltip player_id="1116044" first="JP" last="Baron"] of PJP recorded a school single game scoring record of 37 points back in early January. Additionally, he hit 42 triples on the season and was the leading scorer in the PAC at 17.8 ppg. These two players will guard each other so this game will be a true mono-y-mono battle.</p>