We live in trying times…

Damn near every day… young men are pumping 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 or even as many as 20 bullets into the bodies of fellow Philadelphians. Damn near every day… unsuspecting and innocent drivers are forced to surrender vehicles to murderous carjackers wielding semiautomatic pistols… Shit is bad ’round the way… real bad…

It’s even worse at the international level… after seven decades of relative peace, the European continent is dealing with murderous, naked aggression and a resurgence of Russian imperialist ambitions. A modern day Czar, Russian self-appointed “President for life” Vladimir Putin has decided that he and he alone should determine who gets what, when, where and how in neighboring Ukraine… Fuck democracy! Dis muthafucka…

At the national level, many disaffected, angry and anxious white American men line up with #45 and Fucker Carlson of Fox News. Apparently, their position holds that abandoning America’s longstanding commitment to expansion of democratic forms of government across the globe is the proper policy shift. The former president of the United States of America described Putin’s brutal incursion into Ukraine as “genius.”

Carlson initially described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a “border dispute.” He asked, “Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine?” A recent American president and the most popular American news/opinion personality openly praising, and expressing admiration for a Russian autocrat bent on reclaiming the Russian empire…

How? When did this shit become acceptable in the United States? What the fuck is goin’ on?

If only for a few hours, I need an escape… You need an escape… We all need an escape…

Last night for a few hours, the Philadelphia Catholic League provided the City of Brotherly Love and it’s residents a much needed respite…

The storyline was familiar.

A tough, gritty, well-coached and ultra-competitive group of Saints left South Philly and came marching into the fabled Palestra. Last week, Carl Arrigale coached Neumann-Goretti to victory over a very talented Roman Catholic team to reach the finals… again.

One thing for sure… One thing for certain…

Arrigale knows what the fuck he’s doing. When he brought his team to the Palestra yesterday, he was seeking his 12th Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 24 years. That’s some prime, on the juice Barry Bonds type shit… That’s some Tiger Woods (2000-2010) type shit… Over the past quarter century, if you bet Arrigale against the field, you would have won 50% of the time… Dominance…

Arrigale and Neumann-Goretti have dominated Big BOY basketball in Philadelphia.

Last night, Joe Zeglinski took his best shot. But he missed… again… This was Zeglinski’s 5th trip to the PCL Final Four in 7 years. It’s pretty clear that Zeglinski also knows what the fuck he’s doing. Last night he came to lay claim to the title. Ryan has been knocking on the door for a while now.

Zeglinski’s program has emerged as one of the finest in the region. He has produced numerous All-Catholic performers that have gone onto college. Most notably, Izaiah Brockington ’17, who may be named Big 12 Player of the Year. Matiss Kulackovskis ‘17 is finishing a fine career at Bowling Green. Ja’ Quill Stone ’19 played at JUCO power Grayson College in Denison, Texas. Gediminas Mokseckas ’20 is at Campbell. Aaron Lemon-Warren ’21 is at Mt. Zion, a powerhouse prep located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. All of these guys played for Zeglinski. All of these guys played in the PCL Final 4 at the Palestra. None of them have cut down the nets.

Like I said earlier… On some Bill Belichick type shit… Carl Arrigale wins this thing half the time.

Half… What Da fuck?

Last night, The question was: Would this year be different?

Zeglinski has a strong 7 man rotation. His centerpiece is 6’9” center Thomas Sorber ’24 from Trenton, New Jersey. Sorber, only 16, is a fundamentally sound and highly skilled big with soft hands. He thinks the game. Last night, Sorber played with great awareness and and utilized his excellent length. He exhibited outstanding footwork and vision. Sorber blocked and contested shots, gathered weak-side boards and shot over opponents for 17 points. He also made clean passes over and around defenders.

Sorber played a cerebral game. He displayed a keen sense of his surroundings on the floor. He understands when plays are developing and knows where his teammates are in relation to the defense. Consequently, he was able to find teammates and convert easy buckets as a cutter.

Right now, Sorber is a good basketball player… As he grows into his body and gains strength, he has an opportunity to play at a high major college level and beyond. But tonight, in the quest for the Catholic League chip, the talented young fella was not enough.

As usual, the Ryan attack also featured Luke Boyd ‘22. Boyd is essentially a shooting specialist in the Ryan scheme. Boyd got most of his touches in catch and shoot situations, with jump shots accounting for the lion’s share of his offensive contributions. He is a very capable shooter when left open from the perimeter. His percentage dips, with a hand in his face. Boyd is always moving around the arc looking for daylight. Neumann-Goretti defenders made sure a hand was in Boyd’s face on every possession. Boyd would accumulate a hard fought 15 points.

But last night… that wasn’t enough.

Jalen Snead ’22 played his role well. He was very good at anticipating and making plays at both ends. Snead displayed strong defensive instincts. He was able guard both wing spots as well as point guard at times. Darren Williams ’24, a very promising young wing exhibited an ability to score from all three levels. He found opportunities from spot ups, fast breaks, and one-on-one situations as well as two missed 3 point shots with seconds remaining in the game.

Michael Paris ’23 has emerged as backcourt stalwart for Zeglinski. Paris displays a lot of confidence, good court vision and the ability to put his teammates in positions to score, especially in transition. He optimizes his quickness by changing speeds effectively which allows him to get around most defenders and attack the paint. David Wise ’22 is a steady veteran that is capable of providing minutes at both the 1 and 2 position. Zeglinski rounded out his rotation with 6’7” Jaden Murray ‘24. Murray was an active interior presence for Ryan. He played with good energy, effort and consistency.

I took the field against Arrigale… I had Ryan winning by 2.

Khaafiq Myers ’24 saw it very differently… The quick and wiry South Philly PG showed off his crafty ball handling and ability get defenders off balance. Myers was in his bag. He displayed a repertoire of crossover moves and pull ups that kept the Ryan defense guessing all night. The latest representative of the both the South Philly point guard tradition and his family’s basketball legacy, Myers is what they call a “dawg” on the court. Last night, he was barking, bitin’ and defending.

Myers displayed outstanding quickness in the open court and the ability to smoothly navigate traffic while going full speed. His most profound impact on the game, however, came at the defensive end. Each and every trip down the floor, Myers put in a good effort defensively. He enjoyed being aggressive and pressuring ball handlers. He disrupted the Ryan guards ability to initiate offense cleanly and comfortably play through Sorber. On several occasions he stole the ball directly. On every defensive possession, Myers forced Ryan to be aware of and account for his presence..

While playing on-ball defense, Myers made Ryan’s guard very uncomfortable.

Myers was the MVP of the game because he controlled the pace most of the night on both ends of the floor.

Robert Wright, III ’24 was Myers running mate. Over the past 2 seasons, Wright has put together a proven track record of being able to put pressure on opposing defenses with his ability to score from all over the court. Last night, Wright displayed the ability to get into the paint using changes of speed and direction. He’s a crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ. Wright shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Saints, nor is he asked to be one. Wright’s current job is to get big buckets… He’s damn good at his job… The Delaware native makes very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a high major point guard in a couple years.

On the wing, Masud Stewart ’22 demonstrated once again that he is an explosive athlete that exerts exceptional effort on the defensive end of the court.

But in this particular game, the Saints were gonna need a strong effort from Sultan Adewale ’23 in the paint. Adewale was able to counter Sorber’s production in the post. Adewale delivered in a big way. In addition to 7 points, he had 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in the first half as the Saints set the tone. Adewale is as a very good athlete and as he demonstrated last night, he isn’t afraid of physical contact. Adewale also can really run the floor and found a few dunks in transition. His help defense on penetrating Ryan guards was impactful.

Led by Myers and Wright, Neumann-Goretti outplayed a tough, smart Archbishop Ryan team. As a result, for the 12th time in the last 24 years, Carl Arrigale and the Neumann-Goretti Saints are champions of the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Same shit, different year… This year, it was much needed…

I believe that sport have the ability to pull people into a hopeful, albeit brief, escape from real world problems. Rather than dealing with the intense struggles prevailing in the real world, people are able to engage in or consume competitive sports in a way that shuts out everything else. The Philadelphia Catholic League championship, for a few hours last night, was all that mattered…

I needed that… You needed that… We all needed that…

It was a wonderful sporting event. Local high school basketball playoffs are an underrated and underappreciated live sporting event. The in-person game experience is in many instances is memorable. For instance, last night’s Catholic League Championship played out in front of about 9,000 passionate basketball fans in the cozy confines of the the historic Palestra. It was a great night of basketball. Two evenly matched, well coached and fiercely competitive high school programs met in one of the great basketball venues to determine a champion.

The battle was intense. Tempers came close to flaring. About half of the crowd left the Palestra disappointed and dejected. These folk from the Northeast came close. Entering the game, they sensed a real opportunity this year.

Zeglinski had a shot… Right?

Archbishop Ryan was battle tested, peaking and hungry.

Maybe…

Naaaaah…

Khaafiq Myers and them boys the from South Philly refused to lose. Within the Neumann-Goretti program, the Philadelphia Catholic League Boys Basketball Championship is a birthright. In 2020, they won… Last night Hakim Byrd ’20, Jordan Hall ‘20 and Hysier Miller ‘21 positioned themselves on the Neumann-Goretti bench as the Saints laid claim to yet another championship.

I’m telling you Carl Arrigale is on some Phil Jackson type shit...

Unfortunately, the respite had to conclude. By ten o’clock I was in my car headed home. By 4:30 am Philadelphia police were investigating a murder in North Philly after finding a woman dead on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the head.

Hello real world…

As the day went on, Russian armed forces continued to bombard civilian sites in Ukraine. A TV tower in the capital was hit. Local media reported that there were several explosions and that Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting shortly afterward. Simultaneously, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other armored military vehicles advanced on Kyiv determined to unseat Ukraine’s democratically elected government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.
Huh? What?

It’s getting dark in Europe… Again.

I truly appreciated the respite the Catholic League provided…

Arrigale… Legendary shit…

I’m 57 years old… I’ve seen some shit… Rarely am I truly surprised.

However, over the past couple of days, I’ve been taken aback by the enormous chasm that exists between the way the Philadelphia Public League and the Philadelphia Catholic League treat their respective players, students, families and fans.

Remember when your Mom would tell you to clean up your room before you go outside? Remember how you would just shove everything under your bed and declare the room spotless… At least, you tried to pretend… Well… The Public League just leaves dirty drawers in the middle of floor… Snickers wrappers on the desk… Half finished bottles of soda on top of the TV…

It’s fair to say, the PUB just doesn’t give a fuck… Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Catholic League consistently provides first class five star service during it’s playoffs.

The game experiences could not possibly be more distinct and different. If I didn’t personally know many of the administrators and coaches in the Philadelphia Public League, I would jump to the sad conclusion that they do not like the kids, students and families that play in and attend Public League games.

Judging by the way they are treated, it feels like they damn near hate their constituents.

I’m befuddled because, like the Catholic League, the Public League produces a solid and marketable product once the playoffs come around, especially the Final 4. The brand of basketball played in the Pub is extremely fast, often chaotic, frequently undisciplined and always entertaining. This year, the final four consisted of a double header featuring perennial powers Math, Civics and Sciences (MCS) and Lincoln in the first game. The second game saw upstart West Philadelphia take on Nationally ranked Imhotep Charter School.

MCS and Lincoln both feature long, talented and athletic scholarship level players at every position. Both programs have been among the best in the city for several years. West Philly was the surprise of the Public League this year. Their best player, Deyishon Miller, is a raw but truly gifted 6’5” athlete capable of play all five positions at the high school level. He shoots, he passes, he rebounds, he passes, he defends… He does it all with a distinct Philly swagger that reminds many of Gratz legend Jarrett Kearse. Imhotep has three top 100 high major prospects on the roster. Justin Edwards is ranked as the 8th best player in the class of 2023 by ESPN. Ahmad Nowell is ranked in the top 30 in the class of 2024 by ESPN. Rahmir Barno is a top 100 player according to 247sports and my eyeballs. Mo Abdullah ’22 has committed to play for Rider University. Beyond the aforementioned, Imhotep has another 4 or 5 young D1 prospects in the oven.

In short… The Pub Final 4 is definitely something you wanna see…

It’s an event deserving of proper planning, organizing, marketing and media coverage.

So… I arrive at the School of the Future (SOTF) about an hour before the scheduled 4 pm start. The SOTF has a nice but relatively small gym and limited parking. The lot is already overflowing when I arrive. I am forced to “create” a spot next to a dumpster in the rear of the building. After grabbing my camera, I walk around the building and as soon as I turn the corner, I see about 50-60 high school age kids pleading their case to an administrator.

“I’m on Ms. So and so’s list…”
“My brother is playing…”
“I know I’m on the list…”

I walk past the kids and identify myself as media. I am allowed to enter… But only after my pockets are emptied, my body subjected to a metal detector wand, my camera bags thoroughly searched and I am patted down.

Now… given the fact that it seems like 10 people are shot every day in Philadelphia, I feel a little better knowing they are making a real effort to keep firearms out of high school gymnasiums.

I walk into the gym and immediately notice that only half of the bleachers are available. There’s seating for maybe 200-250 people… That’s it…

Awwww… Shit… This is gonna be a problem.

Apparently, there’s a process in place. I learn that teams are expected to submit a list and only those on the list are allowed to enter the gymnasium, I didn’t know this… Thankfully, the Pub respects media outlets.

It’s the PUB Final 4, that is not gonna work!

I decide to sit along the far baseline. I wanted to be as far away from the entrance as possible. I thought the exuberant youngsters clamoring to gain entrance might try to “bum rush the show” and I’m too old for that shit.

I posted my chair next to the exit doors. Within minutes, despite the so-called “attendance limitations” the crowd began to swell. It was at capacity before tip off. The available bleachers were filled and folk were standing shoulder to shoulder along both baselines.

There remained a substantial contingent of anxious young people outside… Students of the respective schools, hoopheads eager to watch the games and frustrated family members that weren’t on the list.

Desperate to gain entrance, they started to intensely bang on the doors… BOOM!.. BOOM!… BOOM!

It felt and sounded like the Minneapolis, Minnesota police armed with 37 arrest warrants for unarmed Black men… BOOM!.. BOOM!… BOOM!

Damn… I felt their pain…

They just wanted to see the game… Alas, it was not going to happen.

Then I got a text from a coach that drove from Baltimore, Maryland to see one of the MCS kids play. He was sure his name was on the list… He said they told him they couldn’t allow him in because they were over the capacity limit. This after he drove over an hour and half to evaluate a kid in a playoff game. He was never able to see the kid.

That reminded me of the time I went to with two D1 college coaches to watch Miller and West Philadelphia play at Overbrook. We were met at the door by the athletic director and told we were not allowed to watch the game. After explaining that we were there to evaluate kids for scholarships that would allow them to attend college for free, the Overbrook AD said “I’m not letting you in.”

After voices were raised and several minutes of back and forth bickering, the AD reluctantly relented and allowed the coaches to watch and evaluate the kids. He made sure to tell us NOT to come back because next time we won’t get in.

Is this real? I gotta pay $3.00 for a soda so a disgruntled athletic director can deny kids life changing opportunities?

Seriously, it feels like the people running the Pub hate the kids… Fuck that soda tax!

So… then I had to take a leak… After the first game was completed, I walked across the court toward the bathroom. A security guard told me to turn back around.

I said “My man… I have to piss.”

“That’s not my problem… You can’t go past this door.”

“I’m 57 years old and I have to go to the bathroom.”

“You need to go somewhere else.”

“Well… I’m gonna go outside and piss on school grounds, is that what you want me to do? The bathroom is right there on the other side of that door.”

“Do what you have to do.”

So I did what I had to do… I went outside and took a leak…

I was thirsty… There were no concessions available… No water… No juice… No soda…
I was hungry… No soft pretzels… No hot dogs… No pizza… No chips…

They just don’t give a fuck…

Now I imagine some will rationalize such minimalistic treatment by citing the wanton violence and mayhem gripping our region.

“We don’t want large gatherings of young Black kids, especially males”, they might say.

“These are the kids leaving 20, 30, 40 or even 50 shell casings at crime scenes on a daily basis” one could argue.

They would NOT be wrong… Truth be told… My head is on a swivel each and every time I traverse the city of Philadelphia.

There are young brothers out here fucking it up for everyone.

But, isn’t that also the case in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Newark and Atlanta?

District administrators in those cities somehow manage to treat players, students, fans and families with a modicum of respect. Grandmom and Grandpop can come watch junior play in those towns.

They aren’t welcome in the Philadelphia Public League. And, if they do decide to venture out and try their luck, they better wear some Depends adult underwear.

When they decide to transfer grandsons to Catholic, Friends or Inter-Ac league schools… I understand.

The PUB has stopped giving a fuck…

There’s a lineage of unappreciated, underfunded and unrecognized basketball savants in the City of Brotherly Love. As often described by first ballot Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Famer, Claude Gross, these guys consistently made “chicken salad out of chicken shit.”

To those truly familiar with Philadelphia’s grassroots basketball, the names are as recognizable as Calipari, Krzyzewski, Calhoun, Hurley and Wooten.

Gross, John Hardnett, Paul Gripper and the recently deceased Darryl Schofield are basketball giants in the Delaware Valley. If you played at the highest level in high school, if you competed in college, if you recruited Philly players for a Division 1 program you knew exactly who these guys were.

Gross along with Sonny Hill, Tee Shields and the rest of the Baker League brain trust ruled Philadelphia summers in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Hardnett formed a basketball laboratory at Gustine Lake Rec Center that was a crucible from which countless high major college and NBA players were forged. Gripper cajoled, motivated and passionately pushed a generation of middle school kids to heights they couldn’t even imagine.

Schofield, armed with little more than grit and determination, took on the establishment and whupped dey muthafuckin’ asses up and down the east coast.

In the late ‘90s, Schofield began to gather a group of “no stars” from the Philadelphia Public League and take them on the road to compete in AAU and grassroots basketball events. Many of these kids came from single parents homes, some had no home at all. More than few literally came to Schofield straight from the corner where they had been engaged in hand-to-hand pharmaceutical marketing. Several had open juvenile cases. Posession with intent to sell, assault and battery, robbery… Shit like that…

These were the kids that nobody wanted… Schofield’s gift was his ability to transform these castoffs into high powered, fiercely competitive and dominant prep school teams.

It all started with a program called Philadelphia Christian. Scho was still learning the ropes with this crew. Administrative functions were never his strong suit. There were times when opposing players and coaches would speculate as to whether Philadelphia Christian would show up for their scheduled games. But when the van pulled up, the outcome was predictable. Philadelphia Christian relying on exceptional athleticism and a straight “dog” mentality would just whup dey muthafuckin’ asses.

Eventually, Philadelphia Christian was disbanded. Scho was refining his model. A new and improved program would emerge in its place.

The result was Philadelphia Lutheran… Scho had it figured out… Philadelphia Lutheran and subsequently Lutheran Christian Academy beat the shit down the legs of the established New England Prep Schools on a regular and consistent basis.

Along the way, Scho took on the kids that had been overlooked and forsaken by Division programs 1 up and down the east coast and provided them with an opportunity to prove themselves on the court and and become academically eligible for Division I scholarships.

Plainly stated, Scho was the muthafuckin man!

Over a five year period spanning 2003 to 2007, Schofield sent scores of previously overlooked and academically unqualified student-athletes to mid and high major D1 programs across the country. Scho’s guys landed at places like UTEP, East Carolina, Xavier, Temple, La Salle and Mississippi State. Fresh off breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s high school scoring record, Maureece Rice, played for Scho. Stefon Jackson, left Lutheran and went on to become the second all-time leading scorer in the history of CUSA at UTEP.

Try to wrap your mind around this fact… in 2004–05, twenty-seven kids who played at Lutheran that year alone, spread across A and B teams, moved on to D1 schools. Twenty-seven poor, academically struggling, largely ignored young men from one program went D1.

Legendary shit!

Indeed, Scho was TOO good… The New England Blue Bloods grew increasingly tired of scrubbing and washing off the shit that Scho beat down their legs. They were envious of this little broke program attracting 30, 40 or even 50 college coaches to every practice.

They eventually got him… His naysayers and haters organized and supported a New York Times investigation and concurrent NCAA colonoscopy. Determined to isolate and marginalize Scho and Lutheran, they steadfastly clung to a few minor violations and ended the program. After they were done, Scho was left with no program, no players, and a highly prominent role as a scapegoat for a fucked up NCAA eligibility system.

Looking back on his experience with the NCAA, Scho lamented, “That’s how it goes… If you don’t play the political game or do favors for certain people, all of the sudden they’re at your doorstep to shut you down.”

Fuck the NCAA and Fuck those bull shit eligibility rules. Most of which, have since been cast aside anyway. Scho breathed life into basketball careers that were considered dead.

For a decade or so, Scho determined who got a shot at a better life, not the NCAA. For that, he had to be shut down…

But not before he BEAT THE SHIT DOWN DEY MUTHAFUCKIN’ LEGS!

I respected School more than just about anyone else I have encountered in 30+ plus years of dealing with scholastic and collegiate basketball… Real shit.

Trenton Catholic Academy lost a tough game tonight. After being down double figures, they surged to take a seven point lead in the 4th quarter only to watch it dissipate as the George School won a fiercely contested battle. First year Head Coach, Mark Bass, has won a few big games this year. Trenton Catholic defeated The Patrick School and Olympus Prep in back to back games last week. Once they closed the gap and took the lead it appeared another scalp was about to be taken.

But it was not to be… Trenton Catholic Academy lost. Ben Luber’s team showed some real intestinal fortitude.

Coach Bass is one of my very best friends. I met him as incoming St. Joseph’s University freshman in August 1992. I can count on two hands the number of days we have NOT spoken since his freshman year in college. I watched damn near every game he played on Hawk Hill. Then I watched damn near every game in which he served as an assistant coach over a 20 year span. He watched my daughter grow up. I was at his wedding. His Mom is my Ol’ Head. His wife is my sister. His sons are my nephews. Mark Bass is my brother.

Mark Bass and his Trenton Catholic team LOST a basketball game. I write this knowing he will read it, knowing his wife will read it… Shit… His oldest son might read it…

Trenton Catholic lost a game against the George School. Black Cager Sports is reporting that simple straightforward fact. Tomorrow, Black Cager Sports will do a live remote sports talk show from the Bass home. His son’s will be happy to see the “Professor.” I will be happy to see them.

Call me crazy, but I actually think this how the interaction between AAU/Grassroots/high school basketball coaches/directors and media outlets are suppose occur.

I never received the memo explaining that sharing final scores and boxscores were personal attacks. I must’ve been absent from the office that day.

I’m pretty sure some of the guys coaching/directing HS/AAU programs stop speaking to the weatherman when he reports frigid temperature and icy rain. The weatherman doesn’t know he’s only supposed to report 80 degrees and sunny… every fuckin’ day.

I’m truly elated that there are guys like Mark Bass and the George School coach Ben Luber involved in the game. They understand that it rains sometimes.

As for the game itself… Trenton Catholic’s Deuce Jones ‘24 and George School’s Onyekacki Nzeh ’23 scored 32 and 34 points respectively. The manner in which they accumulated the points was far more impressive than the actual totals themselves. These young men demonstrated why they are at or very near the top of their respective recruiting classes.

Nzeh is a high energy four with great length (7-foot-plus wingspan) and solid all around skill set. His ball-handling and perimeter shooting have improved immensely over the past year. Coach Luber and his staff have done an outstanding job preparing Nzeh for the next level. He has always exhibited tremendous defensive ability, utilizing his huge wingspan and quickness. Nzeh, literally, came to the game of basketball as a world class athlete.

As a 14 year old, he ran a 400 meter race in 51.93 seconds in the AAU Mid Season Invitational Championship. Remember… He is 6’9” tall… Huh… Fuck you gonna do with that?

To say that he is very fast in the open floor is a huge understatement… More importantly he demonstrates a desire and will to outwork his opponent, hustling down the floor on every possession. In addition to being an elite level run jump athlete, Nzeh shows improving lateral speed. He projects as a big that will be very effective guarding both on the perimeter and in the post. With increased experience, he will be able to legitimately stay in front of guards out on the perimeter, which is highly unusaual for a 6-9 forward.

He appears to have great focus and energy on the defensive end and causes havoc for offensive schemes with his great length. Nzeh is a high level rebounder who goes hard for every ball and utilizes his big hands and long arms to secure rebounds in and out of his area at the HS level. Offensive game has shown significant improvement over the past year. He’s comfortable creating shots on the block and has an effective jump hook shot. He also shows the ability to attack the basket and surprisingly good ball handling ability.

He has developed a smooth and repeatable shooting stroke. He made some clutch free throws to secure the win for the George School. He also made several 3-point shots when his team desperately needed offensive production showing that his game is not solely predicated on getting to the rim as is the case with some 4s. Right now, with full 17U schedule with the NY Rens and his senior season at the George School remaining, Nzeh projects as a high major energy four providing immediate defense and rebounding while he continues to polish his offensive skills.

Any serious discussion of the top high school players in the mid-Atlantic region, must include Onyekacki Nzeh and Deuce Jones… Period.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.“
US Constition, 1st Amendment

The support and encouragement I receive from fans of high school and college basketball can be overwhelming sometimes. Walking into gyms in places like Reading, PA, Severna Park, MD and Piscataway, NJ, I am often greeted by people that find Black Cager Sports content informative and entertaining.

Just last week, one white woman who appeared to be in her 60s came up to me and said, “You’re Black Cager…”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“I read all of your stuff. It’s really good.”

“Thank you Ma’am. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my writing.”

“Your language can be a little ‘spicy’ sometimes, but I enjoy your stuff.”

“My Mom also tells me to cut back on the ‘spicy’ language… But I just write what I really feel at the time… I really do appreciate you.”

Over and over again, I meet and engage people that know of me as a result of reading or watching Black Cager Sports Media content.

For example, while covering the Wood game at Devon Prep, one of the Devon Prep students approached me and said, “Black Cager… you gotta show my man Lucas Orchard some love.”

You know what, he’s right… One of the top scorers in the Catholic League, Orchard deserves some coverage… It’s coming…

This happens almost every time I step into a gym. It’s really inspiring to know that people actually consume and place value on the content produced under the Black Cager banner.

Then there’s the other side…

On several occasions, some dear friends of mine have relayed concerning messages to me. On other occasions, people I considered friends have publicly attacked me.

It seems that some adult Black males are deeply offended and feel personally attacked when Black Cager Sports posts a final score, shares a boxscore or writes a recap about a game in which their team was on the losing end.

“Tell your man to stop coming after Player A.”
“Why your man gotta post the boxscore when Player A had a bad game?”

“Something’s gonna happen to your man, if he keep writing about High School A.”

“AAU coach A don’t fuck with you because you posted when they lost.”

These are all very real instances… I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to.

Each and every time, it’s Black men directing their ire at Black Cager Sports. I often wonder if Adam Zagoria, Paul Biancardi, Jeff Goodman, Dave Telep, Steve Keller and all the other white guys covering the high school basketball receive similar messages. But… we all know they don’t.

On a political level, freedom of speech and freedom of the press were core rights granted to white male Americans when this nation was founded. These rights and a host of other civil and human rights were fought for by Blacks for nearly two centuries. Eventually, about 50 years ago these rights were formally extended to Black Americans.

In many ways, things have gotten worse since then…

Today, we are witnessing to dissolution of the very fabric that has held urban Black communities together. Black boys and young men have literally embarked on a genocidal campaign against the Black community. Everyday the bodies pile up in the morgue… the blood of Black people endlessly streams down the streets of cities like Philadelphia, Chicago and Baltimore.

Less than 5% of students attending many urban public schools are able to perform at proficient levels on reading, math and science exams. There is an organized effort to suppress the right to vote in many predominantly Black districts. Laws are being passed that will allow right wing whites to toss aside electoral outcomes that do not go their way.

Black people in America are losing… across the board.

It is within this context that some Black men seek to control or even silence the reporting of basketball game results. Small minded, petty and woefully insecure men seeking to exert power they do not possess. Please stop! Cut it out… We need more independent Black media voices in sports and beyond. Even those saying and writing things you don’t agree with.

On a personal level, I say to these men… “FUCK YOU… Lots of AAU, high school and college basketball scores, boxscores and game results coming!” Black Cager Sports is not now, nor will it ever be, in the ass kissing business.

A masterpiece… How do we know when we witness one? Who determines? Who knows? Merrian-Webster defines a masterpiece as follows:

1 : a work done with extraordinary skill especially : a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. 2 : a piece of work presented to a medieval guild as evidence of qualification for the rank of master.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is widely considered a masterpiece. I learned this primarily from cartoons where the painting would frequently be depicted and popular music references. I’ve never actually seen the Mona Lisa and I certainly wasn’t around in 1506 when da Vinci actually put oil to canvas. I guess it’s a masterpiece because everyone says so. Same thing with Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night… Although I do have a print of this van Gogh masterpiece framed and hung in my kitchen, I have never seen the original and certainly wasn’t around in 1889 when this work was created. I would give anything to have been able to read the notes and have access to drafts of The Souls of Black Folk as W.E.B. DuBois crafted this masterpiece in 1903.

To be in the room when a masterpiece is created… A true privilege…

I often imagine what it must’ve been like to be on the set of the classic film Stormy Weather in 1943 when the Nicholas Brothers performed the greatest dance sequence ever captured on film. How cool would it have been to sit in the editing room with Francis Ford Coppola as he put the finishing touches on The Godfather in 1972? Suppose Stevie Wonder was my homie and I had advance copies of Songs in the Key of Life in 1976…

Imagine that shit…

Back in 1994, I was still wasting thousands of dollars on car stereos… What if I had access to demos of Illmatic before Nas released his masterpiece it to the general public?

Wouldn’t heave been able to tell me shit down the plateau!

Unfortunately, I missed every opportunity to witness the creation of the aforementioned masterpieces. However, I did have the good fortune of witnessing one particular masterpiece come to fruition on a cold Thursday evening in January 2017. That night, in a virtuoso performance, Collin Gillespie scored 42 points grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists to lead Archbishop Wood to a an 82-73 victory over Neumann-Goretti in a highly anticipated battle for 1st place in the Philadelphia Catholic League. It was a magnificent performance featuring shot-making, play-making and decision-making of the highest order.

Simply stated… “GILLESPIE TRULY BUSSED DEY ASS!”

That game has since been etched in stone as a masterpiece. Ask anyone that was there…

It happened again yesterday… On Martin L. King, Jr. Day at Archbishop Spalding High School, I had the distinct pleasure watching and recording Imhotep junior forward Justin Edwards’ masterful performance against St. Frances Academy (MD). Edwards scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, had 3 key steals and blocked a shot while willing Imhotep to a tough victory. St. Frances entered the game ranked 20th in the nation by ESPN. Imhotep was unranked.

But… Imhotep had Edwards…

On this night, Edwards lived up to… No… FUCK THAT… He exceeded his #16 ranking in the class of 2023. His performance against a tenacious St. Frances squad in their backyard certified Edwards status as one to the top high major prospects in the mid-Atlantic region for 2023.

Shit… He may very well be the best prospect.

Edwards high major potential begins with his prototypical physical profile for an elite high major/NBA wing player. He comes in at 6-8, with a wingspan that appears to be 6-10 or more. While he is slender, he has an excellent frame that will fill out over time with broad shoulders and great hip mobility for his size.

As you will see in the highlight video, Edwards is a graceful and fluid athlete with long strides in the open court and the ability to cover a lot of ground. He gives Imhotep an exceptional advantage with his ability to grab defensive rebounds and push the ball up the court effortlessly in transition. He is also very effective on the fast break off the ball, as he understands how to fill lanes correctly and get himself an easy finish at the rim.

Edwards’ most appealing selling point, at this stage in his development, is his highly advanced offensive skill set in the half court, and his high major ready scoring ability. He is an exceptionally polished scorer for a high school junior. Edwards consistently exhibits an ability to operate from all three levels. He is at his best in the mid-range area where he can create space and shoot over the top of the defense with a high release point on his jumper. He also has very precise footwork and is never too sped up by the defense.

Edwards is especially effective working out of the mid-post area where he has a variety of moves in his arsenal to beat his man. He is a capable threat from deep, especially off the drive and kick. He has steady and repeatable shooting stroke and should be a terrific free-throw shooter. At the high school level, he is also a good pick and pop threat when needed to play the four. He does a tremendous job of attacking hard closeouts with superb footwork. Edwards is undoubtedly the best isolation scorer in the mid-Atlantic region.

He has a lot of tools in his bag. Edwards utilizes a variety of hesitation pull-ups, jab steps, step backs, crossovers, spins, etc., and he can stop on a dime with ease to get into his shot. He was an absolute nightmare for the St. Frances defenders.

Keeping it all the way real, EDWARDS BUSSED DEY ASS!

He also has the tools to hold his own on the defensive end at the high major level, in large part due to his size and length. When motivated, he slides his feet very well and can cover a lot of ground when closing out on shooters. Against St. Frances, he repeatedly demonstrated the ability to stay calm in pressure situations and come up big in crunch time. His game will fit well a the high major level, and he should be an immediate impact scorer in a league like the Big East for example.

On the defensive end, at times, he seems to just go through the motions. This was the case in a game against Reading High School earlier in the season. He didn’t demonstrate the competitive desire to lock his man down. Currently, he is not physical enough to handle bigger players down low, and he needs to add some muscle, especially if he’s considering SEC and Big 10 college destinations.

At his best, I haven’t seen a better player in the class of 2023. It was truly a pleasure watching Edwards play against St. Frances. I was in the room as he delivered a masterpiece performance against a tough nationally ranked opponent on their home turf.

Edwards, like Gillespie, is a BAD muthafucka!

Rahsool Diggins is gone… He’s on the UConn roster. Marcus Randolph is gone… He’s on the Richmond roster… Daeshon Shepherd is gone… He’s on the La Salle roster… Jaylen Stinson is gone… He’s on the James Madison roster…

These guys formed the core of the Archbishop Wood basketball program over the past three years. Diggins had one of the all-time great Philadelphia schoolboy careers. He ended up a consensus top 100 prospect and landed in the highly regarded Big East Conference, Randolph, a southpaw sniper, could always be counted on for a big bucket in a crucial moment. A big shooting guard, he plies his trade in the Atlantic 10. Shepherd was one of the most explosive leapers in recent years. He seemed to effortlessly sail through the air in Wood’s Warminster gym and violently deposit the ball through the rim. Like Randolph, he now competes in the Atlantic 10. Stinson was a defensive stopper. A tenacious on ball defender, he took great pleasure in disrupting the best laid game plans of opposing coaches and point guards. He’s continuing his career in Colonial Athletic Association.

All of those guys, four (4) NCAA Division 1 scholarship recipients, played for John Mosco’s Catholic League Champion Vikings last season. All of them are gone…

But wait… There’s more…

The consulate glue guy, Muneer Newton, is contributing to the success of the William Penn University NAIA basketball program. William Penn is currently 15-1 and ranked 2nd in the latest National NAIA poll. Newton has played in all 16 games.

Rob Jackson, another stalwart for Mosco’s program over the past few years accepted a football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. The Bearcats won the American Athletic Conference championship while going undefeated through the regular season. Jackson and the Bearcats lost to top-ranked Alabama 27-6 in the College Football Playoff.

I say all of that to say two things… One, Mosco and his staff have done an amazing job developing young men into college ready student-athletes. Many of the the young men coming through the Wood program, since Mosco became coach, have gone on to college. More importantly, for the most part, the parents have not received a single bill for room, board, tuition, fees and books.

That’s just GOOD SHIT!

The other reason, I outlined all of that recent success was because I thought Mosco and Wood would fall off.

What program could lose 4,000+ points all at once and remain at the top of the heap? Surely, this would be a rebuilding year at Wood… Right?

Further complicating things for the Vikings was the departure of Mosco’s long-time consigliere, Chris Roantree. Roantree served as an assistant Mosco for the eight seasons. He helped lead the Vikings to the 2017 & 2021 PCL titles, the 2017 PIAA Championship and state runner-up finishes in both 2019 & 2021. 

Six full scholarship athletes and his top assistant… Gone… all at once.

Mosco is vulnerable… This is the year the tables will turn and he’s gonna take his lumps in th Catholic League… Right?

Wrong… I was fuckin’ wrong!

I failed to adequately account for the impact of Justin Moore’s arrival in Warminster. After McDevitt joined St. James, North Catholic, Cardinal Dougherty and Hallahan on scrap heap of Catholic League history, Philly’s finest point guard became an unrestricted free agent. Committed to play for Zach Spiker and his McDevitt Head Coach Will Chavis at Drexel University, Moore decided spend his senior season playing point guard for the Vikings.

Following in the footsteps of Tommy Funk, Collin Gillespie and Rahsool Diggins, Moore is vying for a seat in the BIG chair. He may very well be the best Philly guard this year.

Deploying a different cast of characters, while reading from the same script it looks John Mosco may be headed toward a familiar ending. Moore may lead Wood to yet another Palestra appearance in pursuit of third Catholic League title and a subsequent deep run in the state playoffs.

Tonight, I ventured out to the Main Line to watch Mosco and the Vikings take on Devon Prep led by Head Coach Jason Fisher. Now in their fourth season as a member of the Catholic League, Devon Prep has established itself as a formidable and highly competitive basketball program.

The tiny Devon Prep gym looks like it holds maybe 300-400 people, if the fire Marshall looks the other way. It’s about the size of the Roman Catholic gym with an actual regulation high school basketball court in place.

This was my initial visit to Devon Prep, it quickly became apparent that they have a very real home court advantage. The game was completely sold-out. Their relatively small student section competed well above it’s weight class. Maybe 100 or so students were EXTREMELY loud, energetic, boisterous and fully engaged to the final buzzer.

I was impressed.

As I watched the teams warm-up, I noticed that Wood looked like a really good high school team. They were long, lean and athletic. Junior PF Carson Howard stands about 6’8.” Senior wing Mike Knouse comes in at about 6’4” and a sturdy 210 lbs. Junior PG Bahsil Laster is a lean and athletic 6’4”. Super smooth sophomore SG Jahlil Bethea is also 6’4”. Senior wing Tyson Allen is a powerfully built 6’3”. The smallest of the bunch is yet another NCAA Division 1 scholarship recipient. The aforementioned Moore is 6’2”, super quick and very athletic.

Devon Prep, on the other hand, looked like a group of high school students that happened to be playing basketball. They aren’t very long… They aren’t extraordinarily athletic…

But… I’ve come to learn that looks can be very deceiving. I’ve seen Jason Fisher’s team rout Archbishop Ryan in Ryan’s gym. I’ve also witnessed their takedown of a nationally ranked St. Frances (MD) program during a fall event.

Devon Prep can play and they have some very good players. Junior forward Lucas Orchard (19.3 ppg) is one of the leading scorers in the Catholic League. Senior guard IV Petit (13.2 ppg) is a skilled and tough competitor. Senior point guard Allen Cieslak (13.3) is hard-nosed and Junior forward Jacen Holloway (12.1) is strong rebounder capable to stepping out and knocking down 3-point shots with ease.

They are a tough out…

Devon Prep runs an offense that appears to have no set “pattern” per se (such as the flex offense). Instead, Coach Fisher’s way of playing offense uses principles that require offensive players to read the defense. For the most part, Devon Prep runs an unstructured free-lance offense that uses screens and cuts, with players reading and reacting to the defense.

The Devon Prep offense is very deliberate and patient, often featuring many passes each possession. This tends to slow the game down, controlling the tempo, usually resulting in lower game scores. Opponents have to be committed to staying attached to their man. Devon Prep thrives on mental lapses and over aggression.

John Mosco had his Wood Vikings ready for this challenge.

Wood jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with 5:03 left in the first quarter. At the 2:25 mark Wood was up 10-2. After one quarter of play, Wood held a 15-2 lead. They extended that lead to 20-2 with 5:19 left in the first half. At halftime Wood was up 12, 27-15.

The lead would hover around the 8-12 point range for the remainder of the game until Devon Prep was able to close the gap to 4, 59-63 with 1:04 remaining in the game. From there, Devon Prep was forced to foul to stop the clock and extend the game. Wood players calmly converted the free throws and escaped with a 10 point, 71-61 road victory.

Justin Moore demonstrated why he is considered the best point guard in the city by many observers. He did an outstanding job defending IV Petit while picking spots to assert himself offensively. Carson Howard was dominant on the boards finishing with 16 rebounds. Senior forward Mike Knouse was a steadying force throughout the contest.

Wood is still Wood… Johnny Mosco hasn’t fallen off.

As of January 15, Wood sits atop the Catholic League Standings, along with West Catholic. The Vikings have 3 league wins and 0 losses. Roman Catholic, Archbishop Ryan and Devon Prep each have 1 loss. Neumann-Goretti has only played 1 league game.

Faced with the challenge of replacing over 90% of the production from last years team without his top lieutenant, Mosco has Wood right where they were last year… At the top of the standings…

Maybe… Just maybe… John Mosco actually knows what hell he is doing.

Camden, NJ (January 13, 2022) For the past three years, Camden High has dominated the local scholastic hoops basketball scene. The Panthers had lost exactly one (1) game in three seasons. Since the start of this season, Camden had beaten nationally ranked Roselle Catholic (67-64) in a tough season opener in the new Camden High gymnasium, blown out the reigning Philly Catholic League Champions Archbishop Wood (73-41) on a neutral court and knocked off South Jersey contender Lenape (76-64) at home. On paper, these were three tough local opponents. Once they got their legs under them, the Panthers started to consistently open up BIG CANS of “whoop ass” on regional opponents.

Bishop Eustace fell by 19 (66-47), then they slaughtered Winslow Township by 54 and in their most recent game the Panthers decimated Eastern by 61 points. Camden High is by far the best and most dominant local team. Every local ranking has Camden sitting in the #1 spot and it has been that way for quite a while. Indeed, Camden entered their game tonight riding the crest of a 44 game winning streak.

Simply stated, since DJ Wagner arrived and Rick Brunson assumed the reins, none of the locals can fuck with Camden.

Well… almost none of them…

There was that one December night in 2019 at Cherry Hill East HS when Roman Catholic, featuring 2022 NBA lottery Pick Jalen Duren, current LSU Tiger Justice Williams, recent St. Joseph’s transfer Lynn Greer and current Cahillite star Xzayvier Brown came across the Ben Franklin bridge and knocked off the Panthers 70-59 in front of an overflowing, boisterous, raucous and decidedly Camden crowd.

Other than that one night, Brunson and the Panthers have run the table.

Indeed, the Panthers have been so dominant that it’s difficult to imagine a local high school basketball team beating them for the remainder of this year and through next year. Unquestionably, Camden High is head and shoulders above the local competition.

The problem is… Montverde ain’t from ‘round here…

Those boys are different.

While Camden has at least 8 eight Division 1 basketball prospects, including 2 high major targets (Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw), Montverde’s roster is filled with high major prospects top to bottom.

Take a moment and think about the fact that Kwame Evans, ESPN #3 in the class of 2023, and Derek Queen, ESPN #2 in the class of 2024, do NOT start and play sparingly for this Montverde team.

Dariq Whitehead, ESPN #5 in the Class of 2022 (Duke Commit) is the leader of this talented bunch. He finished with an exhilarating 18 points in front of about 30 of his supporters who drove down from Newark to see his matchup with Wagner, ESPN #1 in the class of 2023. Whitehead did not disappoint… He dunked, made threes and even did a little Globetrotter inspired behind the back euro-step layup.

Dariq Whitehead came back to Jersey and led Montverde to a win over Camden, ending their 44-game win streak! @MVABasketball @dariq_whitehead pic.twitter.com/yTkUyukRMS

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) January 14, 2022

Dillon Mitchell, ESPN #18 in the Class of 2022 (Texas Commit) chipped in with 13 points. For Camden, Aaron Bradshaw, ESPN #22 in the Class of 2023, showed why he is so highly ranked. He was the lone Panther able to match the length and explosiveness of Montverde. He was aggressive attacking the basket and made several spectacular blocks. Bradshaw led Camden with 17 points and Wagner chipped in 4.

Those of us of a certain age will remember the tremendous anticipation accompanying the build up to an early Mike Tyson defense of his heavyweight title. That’s what this week was like… How would Camden fare against national competition? Some openly wondered if Montverde could hang with the Panthers.

Then… the bell rung… And, Montverde landed a hard right cross squarely on Camden’s jaw… For all intents and purposes, the fight was over in the first round.

Montverde jumped out to a quick 14-2 lead with 5 thunderous dunks. By the end of the first quarter, the score was 22-4 Montverde.

Camden needed a standing 8 count. For the uninitiated, A standing eight count, also known as a protection count, is a boxing judgment call made by a referee during a bout. When invoked, the referee stops the action and counts to eight. … Standing eight counts by the referee are scored the same as a knockdown, whether the boxer was knocked down or not…

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… Okay… Let me wipe your gloves…

Eventually, Brunson went into a 2-3 zone and forced Montverde to shoot from the perimeter. This lessened the frequency of the aggravated assaults on the rim.

As the game progressed through the second, third and fourth quarters, Brunson was essentially a “cut man.” He liberally applied grease to his players eye area, ears and forehead to prevent Montverde’s leather boxing gloves from tearing and cutting the skin. When it looked like their eyes were getting puffy, Brunson applied an ice-cold steel bar to the skin to prevent swelling. The Camden coaches used a cotton swab to push clotting powder into the cut that did appear. In this way, they were able to stop further bleeding that might have deterred their player’s attention and focus during the game.

Camden lost a decisive unanimous decision. They did not win a round… 120-108 on all three cards…

But Camden did live to fight another day… Four of their next seven games are against more teams that ain’t from ‘round here. Hopefully, tonight’s loss will serve an learning opportunity. Camden may want to study that Floyd Mayweather shoulder roll tomorrow. Money Mayweather always protects his chin AND gets that bag.