5 SEPA Playoff Games to Watch This Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below is a preview of five must-see <em>post-season</em> games taking place this week in southeastern Pennsylvania.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mon., 2/13…Lower Merion vs. Radnor: </strong>Tonight's Central League championship game will give hoop heads the rematch theywanted. Lower Merion defeated Radnor in the 2022 CL ‘chip game. Back in January Radnor (23-0; No. 1 seed) easily won the regular season contest vs. the Aces. Now LM has the chance to spoil Radnor' perfect season. Upset minded LM (20-3; No. 2 seed) will deploy a five-guard lineup that centers around combo guard phenom [player_tooltip player_id='991391' first='Sam' last='Brown'] (18 ppg.; Penn commit). Running with Brown are fellow seniors -- floor general [player_tooltip player_id='1382972' first='Justin' last='Poles'] and shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1472576' first='Sam' last='Wright']. Radnor will rely on Princeton commit [player_tooltip player_id='1119137' first='Jackson' last='Hicke'] (20 ppg.), wing [player_tooltip player_id='1212678' first='Charlie' last='Thornton'] (11 ppg.) and 6'6” shooting guard Jackson Gaffney to bring home the program's first league title since the 1960s. Tip-off is at 7:45PM at Harriton HS.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tue., 2/14…Upper Merion at Spring Ford: </strong>The Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game will see Upper Merion (No. 2 seed) travel to Spring Ford (No. 1 seed). Both teams are coming off thrilling PAC semi-final wins. SF needed over time to down Pottstown and UM required double OT to defeat Perk Valley. Leading SF is a pair of elite backcourt prospects in shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1460771' first='Jacob' last='Nguyen'] (15 ppg.) and floor general [player_tooltip player_id='1281774' first='EJ' last='Campbell'] (12 ppg.). Nguyen (50 3PM) is one of the most feared deep shooters in the region. UM will counter with their own pair of star players in combo guard Devon Nelson (10.5 ppg.) and shooting guard Nick Smiley (8 ppg.). Nelson's mid-range game is filthy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed., 2/15…Father Judge at Archbishop Carroll: </strong>Thisopening round Philly Catholic League playoff contest will feature several of the top uncommitted 2023s in the area. FJ's [player_tooltip player_id='1472593' first='Ernest' last='Shelton'] (11.4 ppg. &amp; 44% on threes) and Kyle Jones (13 ppg. &amp; 39% on triples) are bucket getting 2023s who are being slept on. Running with those two is top junior prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1123891' first='Laquan' last='Byrd'] (15 ppg.) and elusive floor general [player_tooltip player_id='1197608' first='Kevair' last='Kennedy']. Carroll uncommitted seniors – combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='991335' first='Dean' last='Coleman-Newsome'] (16 ppg.) and 6'6” small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1472583' first='Blake' last='Deegan'] (8 ppg. &amp; 7 rpg.) – are solid DI prospects. Carroll's lineup also boasts cold blooded, 2024 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1136565' first='Jake' last='West'] and standout freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1608257' first='Ian' last='Williams'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fri., 2/17…Westtown School at Malvern Prep:</strong> The opening round of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools state tournament has Malvern Prep hosting Westtown. In an interesting plot twist, ‘Town eliminated the Friars from states in 2022. So, MP's electric combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='991421' first='Ryan' last='Williams'] (multiple DI offers) and elite stretch-4 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1379452' first='Andrew' last='Phillips'] will be out for revenge. That incredible scoring duo will get significant help from freshman sensation [player_tooltip player_id='1454262' first='Rowan' last='Miller']. Westtown will be without leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1200771' first='Matt' last='Mayock'] (American Univ commit) because of a wrist injury. However, their roster has the talent to overcome his absence. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1393685' first='Seyphon' last='Triplett'] (Stonehill commit) and power forward [player_tooltip player_id='1173984' first='Matt' last='Gilhool'] (numerous DI offers) are practically unstoppable. Highly ranked ‘Town sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1383005' first='Cameron' last='Wallace'] and Jayden Forsythe are superstars in the making.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fri., 2/17…Cristo Rey at Hill School: </strong>Hill School (No. 4) is the higher seed in this PISAA state tourney game, but do not sleep on Cristo Rey (No. 13 seed). Cristo Rey's Joshua Wyche (Lafayette commit) can torch the nets from all over the floor. Plus, Cristo Rey's lineup has sophomore wing phenom Devon Booker. Booker has posted several 30-spots this season. Wyche and Booker will get support from [player_tooltip player_id='1477746' first='Amir' last='Nelson'] as well as [player_tooltip player_id='1173983' first='Amari' last='Dow']. Hill has a well-balanced offensive attack. On the perimeter is elite shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1119136' first='Trey' last='O'Neil'] (handful of DI offers), crafty point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1196125' first='Jacob' last='Meachem'] and stretch-4 [player_tooltip player_id='1202023' first='Augustus' last='Gerhart'] (Penn commit). In the paint Hill has a trio of college prospects in forwards [player_tooltip player_id='1382971' first='Josh' last='Cameron'], Justin Molen, and Matt Field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->