It’s always the same… Dashiki-clad young people looking you in the eyes and greeting you, “How are you… Sir?” Each time, I make a mental note… “This school is a little different…”

This is truly a place that builds champions!

I make my way up the stairs and through the glass doors…  Now there are four doors and each and every time ONLY one is open… I swear it’s never the same door… No matter where I start, it’s always the 4th door I pull that allows me to enter…

Once in, a quick wave and “How you doing?” to the security staff to your immediate left… Then a leisurely stroll about 40 feet straight ahead to the “House that Bro. Andre Noble built.”

The small Imhotep Charter High School gym has become one of the most rigorous basketball training facilities in the nation. Year after year, Head Coach Andre Noble has produced Division 1 basketball players by the boatload!

As I tugged on the finicky gym door, I could see about 12-14 college coaches sitting in the one set of bleachers pulled out for their convenience… Their eyes were glued to the floor where, at least, 6 Division 1 players were competing in an intense series of scrimmages.

As usual, the kids were getting it in!

Last year’s team finished ranked in the Top 5 in the United States of America!

This year’s team might be better…

Overbrook in the mid 1950’s, West Philly in the mid 1970’s, Overbrook in the late 1970’s, Gratz in the early 1990’s… These may be the appropriate comparisons for this Philadelphia Public League juggernaut…

Head Coach, Andre Noble addresses the Imhotep Varsity Basketball Team

Yeah… yeah… yeah… they lost David Beatty (South Carolina/SEC), Daron “Fatts” Russell (Rhode Island/A10) and Kobe Thomas (Robert Morris/NEC). For an ordinary program, those would be debilitating losses…

Not at Imhotep… Brother Andre’s bullpen is ALWAYS fully stocked… The next man up in the backcourt, junior Dhamir Bishop already has 10 scholarship offers before he has ever started a varsity basketball game. Penn State, St. Joseph’s, VCU, La Salle, Temple, Rutgers and several others really, really want Beatty and Fatt’s backup. For those old enough to remember, Bishop looks like La Salle great Steve Black reincarnated. He is wiry, yet strong, quick, explosive with excellent range.

Junior Forward/Guard Donta Scott

Veteran leadership will be provided by, 3rd year starter, Donta Scott. A junior, Scott (UConn, St. Joseph’s, Temple, La Salle, Penn State) has been an integral component on the last two Imhotep squads. Capable of playing ALL five positions at the high school level, Scott will likely assume increased ball-handling and decision-making responsibilities with the departure of Russell and Beatty. A willing distributor, Scott is a true stat -sheet stuffer… Should average at least 15 ppg, 10 rpg, 5 apg, 3 bpg and 2 spg…

Running alongside, Scott and Bishop will be Chereef Knox, Jamil Riggins and Bernard Lightsey. Knox (Rider) is talented forward capable of playing with his back to the basket and facing up on the wing. Riggins (Central Connecticut State, Rider, Coppin State, Sacred Heart) is a powerfully built stretch 4 with a real nasty streak. He rebounds relentlessly and is very tough to move once he establishes position in the low post. Lightsey (low-major/high Division 2) is a combo guard with a very quick release and range that extends well beyond the collegiate 3 point line. He’s a capable ball handler and able to create space for his shot off the dribble using crossovers and in and out moves.

Senior Combo-Guard, Bernard Lightsey

Once Noble goes to the bench, there will be very little if any fall off… Karam Cummings (St. Francis, PA) may be the most athletic player in the Imhotep program. He aggressively attacks the rim and finishes through contact… He will BANG on ya Head! He also exhibits excellent lateral quickness and a willingness to defend the most talented opposing wings. Fatayn Wesley is a quick, heady scoring point guard. He has a very good jump shot and makes good decisions in transition. A good athlete, Wesley is capable of emerging as an elite full court defender.

Sophomore Elijah Taylor is currently ranked #74 in the Class of 2020 by Future 150. Powerfully built and standing 6’7″ Taylor is an already elite scholastic Big. He will pound the boards and block shots at a high clip when called upon. Another sophomore, Sami Wylie, Jr is a rapidly improving sophomore point guard. He returns to school bigger, stronger, faster and more confident. He will compete for back court minutes off the bench. Senior, Amear Johnson returns as an experienced “glue guy” for this uber-talented group. He will provide a calming influence when called upon.

So the summer is winding down… With it, another fantastic year of summer hoops is behind us…

The older Boys have left home and begun their journey toward manhood… Izaiah “IZB” Brockington (below) is at St Bonaventure. Youngfella… It gets EXTRA cold in Olean youngin… That ain’t the place for fly, fresh super-clean Timbs! Boots are for protection up there… Not fashion! The temps are frigid and the snow is deep… Can’t wait to see you come back through City Ave and 20th and Olney.

Collin Gillespie (below) is on the Mainline… Once again… People will underestimate his abilities… He’s too slow… He’s not explosive… He’s not ready for the Big East… That’s what they’re gonna say… Til’ Jay calls his name! Then they’re gonna say “Ooooooh… did you see that!” The boy can play basketball… He’s gonna contribute right away… Brunson is one of the very best point guards in the nation and every day Collin is gonna try to come at his neck… Nova’s backcourt is in good hands thanks to the keen evaluation skills of Coach Ash…

Daron “Fatts” Russell (below) is in Kingston, R.I… He will bring a fierce competitiveness to the A10… Undersized and OVERLY athletic he’s gonna be a problem for that league. Watch yo head… Fatts is gonna try to bang it on you…

Right now in Columbus, South Carolina Frank Martin is in Dave Beatty’s (below) ass… ALL DAY, EVERY DAY… Next time we see Dave, he’s gonna be on the court playing a brand of defense he could only imagine a few months ago… Gamecocks get after it… They get in your face for the whole game… Dave has the size, the lateral quickness, the strength and the toughness to be an elite defender right out of the box…

In Happy Valley, Pat Chambers is smiling from ear to ear… We all know Penn State is a football school and Chambers may have the best football recruit on his roster… Big John Harrar is 6’9” and comes in at about 255 lbs. He loves to bang and never backs down from a challenge… He will provide a much needed hockey “tough guy” presence for Tony Carr, Shep Garner and Lamar Stevens. He’s more than ready help Mike Watkins give Penn State a true Big10 front line for the first time in recent memory.

Cheesing, perhaps, more than any of the other coaches in the area is Doug Overton. He’s got Jordan Camper (below) strolling across the bucolic Chester County campus of America First Historically Black college, Lincoln University. At 6’7” Camper is an exceedingly quick and explosive leaper. He should immediately be among the rebounding and shot blocking leaders in the ultra-tough CIAA.

Those guys are ALL High School graduates and NCAA Eligible!

They are gone from Philadelphia’s scholastic hoops scene… Their achievements recorded for the archives… But, as we all know, there are always new hitters on deck. Black Cager Sports Media spent time at two of the finest camps this week checking out some they guys that are next up. Fortunately, the talented was concentrated in two wonderfully different camp settings.

The AAU/grassroots season is done… WeRone Hoops, led by Coach James Johns, won the Under Armour National 17U Championship for the 3rd time in 4 years. Locally, Skip Robinson assumed the helm as WeRone took the hardware in the Chosen League and the King of Philly Tournament. They are loaded… Eric Dixon, Eric Ayala and Isaiah Wong are all consensus top 100 players in their respective classes.

From time to time, I hear the arguments that other area programs are better… None of these argument are persuasive…

Now, as the kids prepare to return to school, they are honing their skills in camps across the country. Two of the very best camps were held in Philadelphia this week. Jameer Nelson’s Lead Guard Camp was a small, intimate camp focused on identifying weakness and providing instruction in ways to address those weaknesses. Lewis Leonard’s Elite Camp is throwback old-school summer basketball camp experience where high level competition is the focus.

Both were excellent!

Nelson, a former National College Player of the Year at St. Joseph’s and 13 year NBA veteran identified 12 of the better guards and wings to participate in his camp. Every morning in the spacious gym on the beautiful Girard College campus, they began with boxing instruction. After that, they received lectures on topics such as NCAA eligibility and life after basketball. But, the central feature of this camp was intense small group instruction from the likes of Drew Hanlen, NBA Strategic Skills Coach, Monte Ross, NCAA D1 Head Coach and Nelson himself. The impressive participant list included AJ Hoggard (Archbishop Carroll/Team Final), Chris Ings (Neumann-Gorreti/NJ Playaz), Lynn Greer (Roman Catholic/Team Final), Jameer Nelson, Jr. (Haverford School/Jersey Shore), Mikeal Jones (Girard College/Team Final), Donta Scott (Imhotep/Philly Pride), Michael Smith (Chester/Philly Pride), Isaiah Wong (Bonner/WeRone Hoops), Rasheen Caulk, Jr. (Salesianum) and Jhamir Brickus (Coatesville/Rip City).

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Lewis identified some of the very best players in the mid-Atlantic region and had them go at it in a small hot recreation center gym and outside on painted black top surface with the sun beaming down on their backs. Ohhhhh… Lewis had the dudes in attendance… Sam Sessoms (Shipley/Team Final), Eric Dixon (Abington/WeRone Hoops), Julius Phillips (Archbishop Wood/Team Final), Elijah Taylor (Imhotep/WeRone Hoops), Dahmir Bishop (Imhotep/K-Low Elite), Jon Bol Ajok (Church Farm/Team Final), Chereef Knox (Imhotep/WeRone Hoops) and Fatayn Wesley (Imhotep) were all in the building.

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In Nelson’s camp, the player changed uniforms several times a day… They were each given new sneakers and the lunch was catered… At Leaonard’s camp it was “shirts and
skins,” play in the shoes you came with and the girl out front was selling snacks…

One guy is a multi-millionaire NBA veteran, the other is an overseas professional working hard for his next contract…

The common denominator? Both guys give 100% of themselves! Both guys LOVE the kids in their camps… Both guys LOVE the game of basketball…

Both guys have so much knowledge and expertise to share with the kids… One thing is certain, every kid in both of those camps got better… Every kid in both camps NOW know that the man sponsoring the respective camps truly LOVES them and wants to see them use basketball to improve themselves and access high education…

If you ever, feel the urge to be critical of either camp? Don’t…

If you find yourself pitting one camp against the other? Stop…

Lewis Leonard and Jameer Nelson are teammates, they share common goals and purposes…

Summer’s winding down… Most of your guys are home getting ready to return to campus…

You have two things on your mind coach… One, winning the games on your recently released schedule… Although I wish you luck, I really can’t help you with that one Bro…

However, the other BIG thing on your mind is recruiting. I believe Black Cager Scouting Services can be of assistance with that one. As you try to determine which kids fit your needs for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes, we can help you sort a few things out.

After watching scores, perhaps even hundreds, of AAU/grassroots games over the past 4 months, you have to shift your analytical focus to the scholastic game. High School is hoops is a much different animal… Unlike AAU tournaments featuring some of the very best players in the nations, in many cases the kids you come to see will be playing against far weaker teams. Your target will frequently be the best kid on the court… BY FAR… Many times, when you walk into a HS gym there may be 1, 2 or maybe 3 D1 or D2 level prospects. The Black Cager Fall Classic give you an opportunity to observe and evaluate ELITE high school players competing against one another for their HS teams.

Coach… What if I told you we have arranged for 44 very good high school teams from the mid-Atlantic region to play in one gym over 2 days in the middle of October?

Coach… Not just good teams, but some really GREAT programs… Legendary programs like Imhotep, Archbishop Wood, Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti, Chester, Harrisburg and Camden will participate. The Washington, D.C. Public League Champion Woodrow Wilson, the Delaware State Champion Smyrna will be there. Teams with multiple ESPN Top 100 players like John Carroll (MD) and Immaculate Conception (NJ) will be playing.

Here is list of confirmed teams for the 2nd Annual Black Cager Fall Classic…

Each of these programs will play two (2) highly competitive games.

Looking for a BIG? Naheem McCloud (7’1″ Junior, Center – Plymouth-Whitemarsh) will face Azubuike Nwankwo (7’2″ Junior, Center – Smyrna) and Wil McNair (6’10” Senior, Center – MLK Jr). These are the types of sturdy tests these guys need. These are match-ups that facilitate solid evaluation of these college prospects.

Looking for a point guard this year or next year? Well… We are gonna have highly ranked sophomores AJ Hoggard (Archbishop Carroll – UConn offer) and Lynn Greer (Roman Catholic – Penn State, Temple offers) go head-to-head with Immanuel Quickley, ESPN #13 (John Carroll – Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona and UConn offers)…

Over and over and over… Tough matchups ALL DAY for 2 days!

These guys will be playing within the structure of their scholastic teams.

D1 coaches, I know you wanna be there… I really wish you could be there… But the NCAA forbids it… For you, we are gonna film each game… The videos will be available to all subscribers of the NCAA-Approve Black Cager Scouting Service… We will also make available complete evaluation of each players. And coach… we have some really good players coming out!

Below is a partial listing of some of the HIGH MAJOR players that will compete in the Fall Classic.

Small college coaches… PLEASE come out and enjoy this weekend of high level hoops with us! Division 2, Division 3, NAIA and JUCO coaches are cordially invited to come and watch these programs go at it up close. We will have designated seating areas for college coaches. We want you to be able to watch and evaluate the talent on display without interruption. While we have some high powered teams with high major talent, this event is intended, primarily, to give small colleges and small college prospects a jump on the recruiting process.

We all know the Top 100 prospects will be alright… We are trying to facilitate the recruitment of ALL the kids in these wonderful high school programs.

Below is a partial listing of some of the D1 and small college prospects that will be competing.

Coach… We will make you and your staff comfortable. We will make available all the necessary contact information for the coaches and players in the Fall Classic.

We are gonna get it in ALL DAY for 2 day coach… If you D1, I’ll have to get you the reports and videos… If you D2, D3, NAIA or JUCO… Bring YO ASS!

See you there coach!

Delgreco K. Wilson

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This time of year is angst filled for many… College coaches grab a bag and veer from city to city in search of that missing piece. Some need that stretch 4 to balance the floor. Some need that tough, hard-nosed point guard to control the flow of the game. Some need a rim protector, they are tired of watching teams lay the rock in the basket unchallenged. Whatever the case, these coaches are out here shopping…

For many, they have to make a tough decision when developing their recruiting strategy. Do they shop at the “Poppi Corner Store” or do the go to Coscos?

High School basketball is like the Dominican/Korean store found on every corner in mid-Atlantic cities. You go there, you know what they have. You know the people running the place. You are able to get in, get what you came for and get out. There are days when that’s what you need.

The HUGE AAU events with scores of teams playing on 8, 10 or even 20 courts is like Coscos. You walk up and down the isle in amazement at the selection. Sometimes, however, it’s a bit crowded and uncomfortable… The service can be a lil’ slow because of the sheer size of the operation. But when you want to see the widest range of prospects… Coscos it is!

More than most basketball guys, Jimmy Salmon, is uniquely positioned to understand the position college coaches find themselves in. A former college coach, Salmon is one of the top AAU guys in America. Indeed, his NJ Playaz program won the prestigious Nike Peach Jam a few years ago with Isaiah Briscoe at the helm. He is also the Head Coach of one of the best High School programs in the insanely competitive Northern New Jersey/New York City region. In just two years, Salmon has led Immaculate Conception to the brink of prominence.

In an effort to facilitate evaluation for college coaches and increase exposure for high school players, Salmon came up with the “Weekend” concept. In this NCAA approved live period event, elite High School teams will compete in front of college coaches.

Players play different roles on AAU/Grassroots teams than they do on their high school teams. College coaches will have an opportunity to see younger 15, 16 year old kids compete with some of the best high school programs in the nation. The lineup is incredible: Archbishop Wood (PA), Pope John Sparta (NJ), Iona Prep (NY), St. Raymond’s (NY), Rutger’s Prep (NJ), Our Savior New American (NY), Hudson Catholic (NJ), Roselle Catholic (NJ), West Catholic (PA), The Patrick School (NJ), Seton Hall Prep (NJ), Bergen Catholic (NJ) and Immaculate Conception (NJ) are some of the best high school programs around.

The “Weekend” will feature high level, intense high school competition in a modern, collegiate facility on the campus of Montclair State University!

It’s like the best of both worlds, a combination of a Poppi Store and Coscos!

Black Cager Sports Media will provide live game action, interviews and highlights via Facebook Live (Delgreco Wilson’s Account) and BlackCagerSports.com.