2028 Sneak Peek: Jr All-City Classic, part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The organizers of the All City Classic gathered some of the top rising freshmen from across the Philadelphia basketball footprint, plus a handful of kids from neighboring areas to put on two games that each featured 20 players. Not only were the games entertaining, they also provided the atmosphere to get a good first look at the incoming 9th graders. Here is part 1 of my player recap from the event:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450772' first='Pryce' last='Alston'] | 6'5 C</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In terms of quantity, Alston mostly crashed the boards and contested shots. But, there were also nuances of traditional big man skills in the way he carved out space on the block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450752' first='Larry' last='Brown Jr'] | 6'4 F/C</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though he filled up the stat sheet, Brown Jr's best trait is his mentality. He was determined to grab every rebound, contest every shot, and finish through contact, no matter who was on him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450750' first='Jayden' last='Carr'] | 6'2 G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carr touching every category of the box score illustrates how active he was all over the court.&nbsp; He was a pest on defense, he cleaned the glass, he moved the ball, and he hit spot-up threes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450763' first='Braden' last='Glann'] | 6'5 W</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His combination of size and athleticism on the wing was impressive. Glann got a lay-up and a three by himself off-the-dribble, in addition to causing havoc as a team defender.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450749' first='Carmelo' last='Harper'] | 5'9 G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard for bonafide point guards to stand out in showcases, but Harper did with his well-rounded skill set. He drove to make plays, getting two feet in the paint before deciding to facilitate or score.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450768' first='Duke' last='Jackson'] | 6'4 W</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson looked intriguing handling the ball at his size. He got to his spots at the second level, on top of playing solid help defense and forcing turnovers on the other end.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450662' first='Ernest' last='Stanton Jr'] | 5'8 G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the smallest prospects participating, Stanton Jr was fearless with his two-way playmaking. The future Saint scored on fastbreaks, hit a couple jumpers, and came up with some clutch takeaways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2450679' first='Kyiien' last='Strong'] | 5'11 G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Strong was a nightmare in transition and showed unbelievably polished finishing craft. He spun or decelerated as needed and layered the ball over or around defenders with his touch to lead both teams in scoring.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For more hoops coverage follow me on the socials @ CGraham_Sports</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->