Philly Catholic League All-Sophomore (2027) Team

Easily the best league in the state and one of the best high school leagues across the country, the Philly Catholic League (PCL) isn't a kind place for underclassmen looking to compete among the big boys. Annually a few sophomores may be in All-Catholic conversations, but production and accolades within the league typically skew toward older, more experienced players. With that said, there were a solid handful of 2027 prospects who made an impact throughout the league season. We'll highlight some of them here, headlined by All-Catholic honorees [player_tooltip player_id='2195052' first='Tyler' last='Sutton'] & [player_tooltip player_id='2398422' first='Korey' last='Francis'] (first team), [player_tooltip player_id='2206834' first='Caleb' last='Lundy'] (second team), and [player_tooltip player_id='2424028' first='Jayvon' last='Byrd'] (third team).    A newcomer to the PCL after transferring from George School, the nationally-regarded Sutton quickly established himself as a consistent force at the helm of Roman's attack. His natural creativity as a ballhandler, passer, and finisher melded nicely with the structure of Roman's offense as he made great strides in learning to manage a game and run a team. Sutton also showed progress throughout the year on his perimeter jumper, highlighted by a 29-point late-season effort vs. Archbishop Wood in which he knocked down five 3's. He also remained a consistent pest on the defensive end, racking up steals and deflections. The future is bright for the young floor general who already holds a handful of high major offers.     Already a key contributor as a freshman, Francis made a notable jump this year while stepping into a featured role in the Bonner offense. He shows impressive poise and polish for a young guard along with blossoming physicality that makes him really tough to handle as he navigates downhill. Francis has already proven himself as a dangerous threat from deep both off the catch and pulling up. Primarily just a scorer last year and in AAU, his progress as a lead guard has been perhaps most notable this season as he's entered into conversations amongst high-major coaches.     Perhaps nobody in the PCL improved more over the course of the season than Lundy, another newcomer to the league who took on a role as Wood's lead guard after coming off the bench in South Jersey last year as primarily just a floor-spacer. He took his lumps early with the jump in competition and responsibility, all while adjusting to a quickly-developing frame, but really hit his stride once the calendar turned. With a slick handle, an extensive finishing package, and an increasingly consistent jumper, there aren't many holes in Lundy's offensive package. He looks to be next in line in a lineage of mid-to-high major guards coming out of Wood in the past decade.     The last All-Catholic honoree from the 2027 class, Byrd makes his mark primarily as a long-range shooter, where he put together some really prolific performances across the year. He shoots a textbook ball from deep with pristine footwork getting into a number of catch-and-shoot and pullup maneuvers. Where he also showed nice progress this year was as a ballhandler and decisionmaker at the lead guard position. Byrd looks to have established himself as a D1 prospect, with his ultimate level to be determined in large part by where his body settles in as he looks to be in the early stages of physical development.     Another newcomer to make an immediate splash in the PCL, Robertson's explosive athleticism and scoring ability translated over quickly after transferring over the bridge from Life Center. He played a background role alongside a senior-laden group, but consistently made his presence felt whether as a cutter, rebounder, defensive presence, or opportunistically creating shots for himself. Robertson showed real growth in terms of his feel and ability to play within structure. You won't find many prospects his age with his athletic ability and motor who also possess the level of polish that he has as a scorer. It's easy to see why high-major coaches have already come calling.     There may not have been a bigger jump from freshman to sophomore year than that made by Jenkins, who added several inches to his frame and went from seldom-used reserve and JV player to a consistent two-way presence in the PCL. His biggest contributions came on defense, where he put a lid on the rim for opponents while averaging over four blocks and a handful of deflections. Jenkins was a steady threat as a finisher off dumpoffs and rolls to the rim, and started showing progress in incorporating a standstill jumper as well as some go-to offensive moves. He'll require some patience as he adjusts to higher-level physicality, but there may not be many better 2027 frontcourt prospects in the country by the time all is said and done.     The most physically advanced of the PCL sophomores, Greig was routinely a force to be reckoned with using his blend of athleticism and on-ball skill to get to the front of the rim. He really stands out in transition where he's a consistent threat to play above the rim. In the halfcourt, the strides he started to make as a spotup shooter will be key moving forward as he translates up to higher levels. The defensive flashes from Greig can also be very high-level, and we'd just like to see those become a bit more consistent as he matures moving forward.     It was largely more of the same for Tyler, who returned alongside the entire rest of Judge's starting lineup after a rock-solid freshman season. Frequently a double-figure scorer for one of the PCL's top teams, he excels in his primary role as a floor-spacer off the catch. Tyler shows an advanced IQ for his age, consistently impacting the floor game with his instincts and physical strength. It'll be interesting to see him in a different role heading into AAU season, but there's a solid track record of production here already that's sure to attract coaches' eyes in time.

Easily the best league in the state and one of the best high school leagues across the country, the Philly Catholic League (PCL) isn't a kind place for underclassmen looking to compete among the big boys. Annually a few sophomores may be in All-Catholic conversations, but production and accolades within the league typically skew toward older, more experienced players. With that said, there were a solid handful of 2027 prospects who made an impact throughout the league season. We'll highlight some of them here, headlined by All-Catholic honorees Tyler Sutton Tyler Sutton 6'1" | PG Overtime Elite (Cold Hearts) | 2027 State PA & Korey Francis Korey Francis 6'2" | CG Bonner-Prendie | 2027 State PA (first team), Caleb Lundy Caleb Lundy 6'3" | CG Archbishop Wood | 2027 State PA (second team), and Jayvon Byrd Jayvon Byrd 6'3" | PG/CG Cristo Rey | 2027 State PA (third team).