If you have access to the internet, you will have access to the first HUGE high school basketball game of the 2021-2022 season. You don’t have to wait ’til December either…

Friday night… It goes down at the Philly Live HS Live Period Event, Session 2.

Camden High vs Roman Catholic… Sheeeesh…

This game features the top player in the nation for the class of 2023, Camden’s DJ Wagner ’23. Young Wagner, a third generation national hoops phenom never disappoints. This kid is truly different… Friday night will be no exception. The most impressive aspect of his game is his fierce competitiveness.

His grandfather Milt and his Dad DeJuan scored, what seemed like, a combined, 8,783,873,921 high school points between them to those of us old enough to remember their historic schoolboy performances. Like his Pop and Pop-Pop, Wagner also gets buckets in bunches.

But that’s not what separates him from his peers across the nation. The defining characteristic of young Wagner’s game is his unyielding will to win. You almost feel like he playing for his meals… You wonder if he’ll be allowed in the house if he loses.

He gives his all on both ends of the court. Wagner relentlessly seeks out the best opposing player and makes it his mission to ensure that the top guy will not beat him. His lateral quickness and willingness to play defense with his chest are extremely rare a the high school level. He plays the passing lanes extremely well and when he steals or deflects passes he is now finishing above the rim on a regular basis.

With the exit of Rashool Diggins (UConn), Stevie Mitchell (Marquette) and Hysier Miller (Temple) from the scholastic stage. One is left to wonder, where can we find a good local matchup for Wagner?

Well thanks to Andre Noble (Imhotep Head Coach) and John Mosco (Archbishop Wood Head Coach) hoop heads, sportswriters and, most importantly, High Major D1 college basketball coaches will get to see the best possible matchup.

Roman Catholic’s Xzavier Brown ’23 has emerged as the finest pure point guard in the Greater Philadelphia region. When the coaches last saw Brown in person he stood about 5′ 10″ and weighed, maybe 145 pounds. Sixteen months later, he comes in at 6’2″ and about 170. While he has not received the national attention that Wagner has garnered, high major college coaches have absolutely fallen in love with his cerebral game.

A starter from the moment his parents dropped him off at Broad and Vine, Brown plays with level of maturity and saavy that far exceeds his age. Quite simply, defenses are unable to speed him up. He goes where he wants and does what he wants. Every single time I’ve watched him play, he’s made his teammates and coaches look good.

Brown is an old-school Philly point guard with a modern skill set. He has the floater… He has the handle… He has the vision… He has the knockdown three ball… A complete point guard.

Since he’s donned the Camden uniform, Wagner has lost a grand total of on (1) basketball game. That lost came at the hands of Brown and his Cahillites in one of the most anticipated high school games in recent memory. Muthafuckas literally climbed through windows to get into the extremely overcrowded gym. It was a fire marshall’s worst nightmare.

I know… I know… Some will think to themselves, this game doesn’t really count… It’s just a summer matchup for the HS Live Period…

If that thought crossed you mind, you are FUCKIN’ buggin! Each and every time the kids in these two proud and nationally respected programs put on their jerseys, they play for keeps…

Friday will be no different… Unfortunately, fans will not be allowed in to watch the game. Quite frankly, that’s a good thing. St. Joseph’s Prep, as it will be configured, could NOT begin to accommodate the 1,500 – 2,000 dedicated Camden High basketball fans that would surely converge on the compact Girard Avenue campus for this matchup.

All is not lost… Just click on this link…

http://recruitingaccess.info/phillyliveses2/

…and get your popcorn ready…

I haven’t even mentioned the 9 or 10 other Division 1 players that will be on the floor during this game…

Real rap… This is as good as it gets.

On behalf of all the degenerate hoop heads in the Delaware Valley, I want to publicly say thanks Andre and John!