Donofrio Recap: Part Two

Yesterday I gave you part one of my recap of Wednesday night's Donofrio game between I-3 and Players Teaching Players, looking at the I-3 roster. Today we will look at a couple players from the PTP team, including Vaux sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan, Math, Civics, and Sciences sophomore wing Jeremiah Worthem, WVU-bound senior wing Aaron Brown, Roman Catholic freshman Shep Garner, Chester sophomore Rondae Jefferson, and Penn Wood senior forward Darian Barnes.

Wednesday night was my first time seeing Vaux sophomore Rysheed Jordan, who I had been hearing great things about all winter. Well, he certainly met, and even surpassed, my expectations. Jordan plays a very composed, smooth game for a sophomore. Standing right around 6'4, with great length, Jordan looked to me like someone who projects as a point guard with size and shooting ability at the college level. Jordan is already getting significant college interest from Philadelphia colleges Temple, Saint Joseph's, Drexel, and others. On Wednesday, Jordan showed off a smooth stroke from downtown, connecting on at least four 3-pointers. He was able to get into the paint with relative ease and handle the ball against I-3's pressure. Jordan played an unselfish game as well, at one point dishing the ball off to a teammate on a break where he could have easily taken it himself for a slam. From my seat, Jordan was one of the stand-out performers in the gym Wednesday, and that is saying something considering the talent level there.

For a little over three quarters, Shep Garner, a freshman at Roman Catholic, played a relatively non-descript game. However, during the fourth quarter, he stepped up and showed why, even as only a freshman, he is building quite a reputation for himself. During the final stretch, Garner buried NBA three after NBA three. Most came from the same spot on the left wing about four or five feet behind the three-point line. Shep's late-game flurry closed a sizable I-3 lead down to a one-possession game. When the final buzzer sounded, Shep found himself PTP's second-leading scorer, behind Jordan, with 17 points.

Rondae Jefferson, a sophomore wing out of Chester high, has seen his stock shoot through the roof in just the past week alone. After turning in an impressive performance at last weekend's EYBL Hampton AAU event, Jefferson caught the eye of nearly all the major recruiting sites in attendance. ESPN already has Jefferson ranked in the top 100 in his class, and that ranking is sure to go nowhere but up. Jefferson, like Rysheed Jordan, did not disappoint. He showed an ability, as he has all year long, to be a versatile, multiple-position player. He can handle the ball and play some point, play off the ball on the wing, and even play rock-solid defense in the post. For much of the night, he was matched up again Amile Jefferson, and really held his own against the highly-regarded Friends' Central forward. One of the night's highlight's came when Rondae blocked an Amile dunk attempt. Although he is earning a national reputation and some hype, Rondae did not let that affect his play. He played an intense, defensive-minded, clean game on Wednesday. Look for Rondae to be just another in a long line of Chester players making noise in college basketball in just a few years.

6'8 Penn Wood senior Darian Barnes did what he does best on Wednesday. He blocked shots, altered shots, scored around the basket, and showed that he can shoot the ball a bit from the wing. Barnes is still very lean, but has a ridiculous wingspan and a versatile game, being able to play both forward spots. Despite lacking some of the muscle of guys he was going against like Jaylen Bond, he competed relentlessly on the boards. I'll be very interested in seeing what path Barnes takes next year, whether it's college or a prep year. His upside is still very high.

Neither Aaron Brown or Jeremiah Worthem played their best on Wednesday. Worthem, coming off a fantsastic PIAA playoff run that earned him scholarship offers from Saint Joseph's, Temple, Drexel, and interest from Pitt and some others, struggled on Wednesday. As terrific as he was in the state championship game against Lincoln Park (PA), he was unable to find his jumper Wednesday. The same goes for Penn Wood's Aaron Brown. I have seen Aaron numerous times over the past two years, and he was not his typical self Wednesday. Part of that may have been early foul trouble that didn't allow him to really get into the flow of the game.

Donofrio continues next week with semis on the 18th and the championship game at 7:30 on the 19th.

Hakim Warrick Classic Recap Part Three

Over the course of this week, I have posted recaps of Sunday's Hakim Warrick Classic. If you missed any of those articles, they are linked at the bottom of this. They focus on the Friends' Central-Saint Anthony game.

The day's first game, between Neshaminy and Penn Wood, seemingly had the makings of an entertaining game. Both teams star Big East recruits. Neshaminy junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono has already given a verbal pledge to Jay Wright and Villanova. On the other side of the ball, Penn Wood wing Aaron Brown will be playing for Bob Huggins and West Virginia next year. Unfortunately, Neshaminy was never able to establish themselves on the court, and found themselves trailing 48-27 at the half, and ultimately losing 85-49. Below are player recaps of Arcidiacono, Brown, Sean Oakman, and Darian Barnes.

Ryan Arcidiacono- Neshaminy Junior: Arcidiacono is clearly the key to the success that Neshaminy has found over the past two years. They go as Ryan goes. On Saturday, he was kept in check by Penn Wood's physical defense and held to only 10 points. Penn Wood threw a number of defenses at Neshaminy with the sole intention of stopping Ryan. He was double-teamed nearly every time he touched the ball. Ryan exerted so much energy simply getting the ball, and when he got it, he was trapped, double-teamed, and frustrated. To his credit, Ryan didn't back down at all from Penn Wood's physical play and toughness. Standing 6'3, Ryan is strong and willing to mix it up inside. Unfortunately, on this day, he was unable to get it going offensively. Neshaminy is still one of the better teams in the region, but on this day it was all Penn Wood. Neshaminy had no answer inside for Sean Oakman, Darian Barnes, or Aaron Brown.


Aaron Brown-Penn Wood Senior: This was my first time seeing Aaron since last season's state final contest against Plymouth-Whitemarsh. Right off the bat, it was evident that Aaron has bulked up, adding muscle to an already strong frame. He is a muscular, athletic, 6'5 wing that certainly looks the part. On Saturday, he played the part too, in front of West Virginia assistant coach Billy Hahn. Aaron won MVP honors for Penn Wood with his 29-point, 12-rebound performance. Aaron scored the ball just about every way imaginable. He has always been a tremendous finisher around the basket due to his tenacity and athleticism. On Saturday, he showed some perimeter skills that were still a work in progress last year. Aaron knocked down shots from three and hit perimeter shots off the dribble. Every time I saw Aaron last year, I was impressed by his competitive nature. However, at times he appeared to sulk. That was not an issue on Sunday, as his play and on-court demeanor were both tremendous. Aaron looks like a player that will be able to play the wing at the Big East level next year for West Virginia.

Shawn Oakman-Penn Wood Senior (Pictured Above): The Penn Wood big man was just too much for Neshaminy inside. There are few bigs in the area that can match up well with Oakman, who is headed to Penn State next year to play football for Joe Paterno. While not the most polished player, Shawn would have had himself a nice college basketball career if he had chosen that route. Not only is he an absolute load in the middle, but Shawn has a nice, soft touch from the free throw line and can hit the mid-range jumper. Sean had 15 points in the game, and although I don't have an official rebound total, he certainly had an impact on the boards. The 6'8 250 pound senior is basically a walking double-double. On Sunday, he was just too much for Neshaminy in the paint.

Darian Barnes-Penn Wood Senior: While Aaron Brown and Sean Oakman get the bulk of the press for Penn Wood, senior Darian Barnes also plays a critical role. Barnes impressed me last season every time I saw Penn Wood, and he was no different on Sunday. Currently, Barnes is unsigned, but he certainly looks like a player that could have a nice college career at the right school. When you look at Barnes, the first thing you notice is his ridiculous length. Darian is 6'8, but looks to have a wingspan well over 7 feet. He uses this length and athleticism on both sides of the ball. For Penn Wood, Darian is the finesse to Oakman's brute strength. Although they are roughly the same height, Oakman seems to have an easy 60 or 70 pounds on Barnes. Darian will have to add muscle to his frame in order to really live up to his potential. At the moment, he is a player that contributes by blocking shots, scoring in transition, and getting rebounds. His size, length, and athleticism make him a really interesting prospect. According to ESPN.com, Mount Saint Mary's and Robert Morris are two schools interested in him. Darian is someone that I am hoping to follow up on as the district and state playoffs begin.

Recap Part One

Recap Part Two

Picture of Shawn Oakman above courtesy of the Delco Times.

Saint Anthony, Penn Wood Victorious in Hakim Warrick Classic

I caught two-thirds of today's Hakim Warrick Classic over at Philadelphia University this afternoon. A complete recap of the games will be up here tomorrow. In the day's first contest, Penn Wood ran all over Neshaminy. Penn Wood was led by senior wing Aaron Brown, who had 29 points and 12 rebounds in front of one of his future coaches, West Virginia's Billy Hahn.

In the day's second game, Saint Anthony (NJ) took down Pennsylvania's Friends' Central 59-49. The final score, however, is not indicative of how close the contest was. Friends' Central took a lead into halftime, and expanded it to nearly double digits near the end of the third quarter. Some shaky ball-handling and questionable shot selection allowed Saint Anthony to claw into that lead going into the fourth quarter, before getting an offensive outburst from senior Myles Mack. Mack, who is headed to Rutgers next year, breathed life into a somewhat stagnant Saint Anthony offense on a flurry of drives to the basket.

Friends' Central was led by unsigned senior Devin Coleman. Coleman had 19 points and 15 rebounds, winning MVP honors for the Phoenix. Junior forward Amile Jefferson had a solid outing despite being saddled with foul trouble. Freshman Conrad Chamber and sophomore Karon Davis also played well for Friends' Central.

A number of college coaches were in attendance for the day's triple-header. In addition to Billy Hahn, Saint Joseph's Phil Martelli, Villanova's Jay Wright, Temple's Fran Dunphy, and a member of the Clemson coaching staff were also in attendance. Jay Wright watched his 2012 commit Ryan Arcidiacono in the day's first game. Villanova is also recruiting Saint Anthony's Kyle Anderson and Friends' Central's Amile Jefferson. Clemson and Saint Joseph's are among the schools recruiting Devin Coleman, who played a terrific game in front of some potential suitors.

Again, a complete recap will be up tomorrow.

Enjoy the Super Bowl everyone!

More on Aaron Brown's Commitment

After Dave Telep of Scout.com published an article yesterday that Penn Wood's 6'5 rising senior Aaron Brown officially committed to West Virginia, I put a brief article with a few links up here. Since that point, a number of other media outlets, including ESPN.com, have confirmed the decision. One of the better articles on Brown and his decision is written by Chris Vito of the Delaware County Times. In the article, which is linked below, Brown explains his rationale behind the decision. Ultimately, Brown chose West Virginia over Temple, having narrowed his choices to two. Penn Wood head coach Clyde Jones explained Brown's decision, saying that the challenge of playing in the Big East conference was a major factor.

Brown's commitment to West Virginia shows that there is only so much that local coaches like Temple's Fran Dunphy and Saint Joseph's Phil Martelli can do when Big East and ACC schools come calling. Members of the Temple and SJU staff were fixtures at Penn Wood games throughout this season.

Brown is the third Philadelphia-area 2011 star to make his college decision. John Johnson and Jaylen Bond are both headed to Pitt, choosing the Big East program over serious local A10 interest. Saint Joseph's was heavily involved with Johnson until he made his decision, and Temple was heavily recruiting Bond. Brown is now the third local star to choose the Big East route, picking West Virginia over heavy interest from both Temple and Saint Joseph's. Devin Coleman, Juan'ya Green, and Malcolm Gilbert are three more local 2011 players with serious interest from local A10 schools and Big East, Big Ten, and ACC programs. Will they go the route of Brown, Johnson, and Bond or not? We will find out over the coming months.

Chris Vito Article on Aaron Brown's Commitment to WVU

Aaron Brown to the Big East

Dave Telep of Scout.com is reporting that rising Penn Wood senior Aaron Brown is headed to Morgantown to play for Coach Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Scout is the only site so far breaking the news, which comes only two days after it appeared that Brown initially gave a verbal to the Mountaineers. On Saturday, news broke that Brown made his college choice. Shortly after, Penn Wood head coach Clyde Jones denied the commitment. I am waiting on further confirmation on the news. Once that happens, I will post it here.

In the meantime, here are a number of articles and write-ups I did on the hyper-athletic wing this past season:


Plymouth Whitemarsh Wins State Title

Aaron Brown Leads Penn Wood past Plymouth-Whitemarsh

Penn Wood Narrowly Escapes Early Exit

Penn Wood Pounds Chester

Aaron Brown Lists his Final Four; Decision Coming Soon

For quite some time, Penn Wood rising senior Aaron Brown, a 6'5 wing, was considered to be one of Saint Joseph's primary recruiting targets in the 2011 class. Schools like Saint Joseph's, Rice, Penn State, and a few others were on the rapidly-improving wing guard. Well, as is often the case in the world of recruiting, that list of schools has undergone a dramatic change. On Friday at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, Aaron Brown told Alex Kline of TheRecruitScoop that his list of schools has been trimmed to four. Those four schools are West Virginia, Rutgers, Temple, and Florida.

Brown told Alex Kline that he will be taking his final visit next week, and that his decision will be coming after that. Brown's decision will likely impact a number of other local players, like Juan'ya Green and Devin Coleman, who have a number of similar schools on their lists.

West Virginia first became interested in Brown when assistant coach Billy Hahn saw him play against Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the District 1 Title Game at Villanova. Hahn was there recruiting PW rising senior Jaylen Bond, who has since committed to Pitt.

Temple has been on Brown for quite some time, while Rutgers and Florida appear to have jumped in the mix more recently.

Where does this leave Saint Joseph's in their recruiting efforts in the 2011 class? Players like Andrew Nicholas and Vaughn Gray appear to be in the mix at that position, and it's likely that more names will appear over the live summer months.

Alex Kline's Twitter page with the Brown info is linked below:

TheRecruitScoop

NBA Top 100 Camp Rosters Released

Earlier today, rosters for the annual NBPA Top 100 Camp were released, and the rosters include a number of talented players from the tri-state area. Rising junior Ryan Arcidiacono from Neshamniny High School (PA), who I wrote an article about earlier in the week, is one of several players from Pennsylvania on the invite list.

In addition to Arcidiacono, another name on the invite list should look familiar to Hawk fans, and anyone that pays attention to high school hoops in the Philadelphia area. Penn Wood rising junior Aaron Brown, a 6'5 wing who I have written about extensively on here, is another player to receive an invite to the prestigious camp. Brown is coming off an impressive weekend last weekend in Los Angeles for the EYBL event.

2012 forward Amile Jefferson, from Friends Central in Philadelphia, is another on the invite list. Jefferson is considered by many to be an elite recruit at the forward position in the rising junior class. Jefferson has the attention of nearly every coach in the country, and is being recruited locally by nearly all the Big 5 schools and nationally by powerhouses such as Duke and North Carolina.

Four rising juniors from the Garden State received invites as well, including one post player who has some recruiting interest from the Hawks. That player is Derrick Randall, a 6'9 power forward who played last season at Paterson Catholic. Due to the closing of that school, Randall will be playing his high school ball next season at South Kent Prep in Connecticut. Another player from the Garden State, New Egypt forward Desmond Hubert, got an invite. I saw Hubert play last summer at the Reebok U Camp at Philadelphia University. Hubert is an extremely athletic shot-blocking force in the post with a still-developing offensive game. Like Amile Jefferson, Hubert is receive elite-level interest, from schools all around the nation. Forward Shaquile Thomas, cousin of NBA player Tim Thomas, and guard Tyrone Johnson, also received invitations.

A complete look at the invite list is linked below, from Scout.com

NBA Top 100 Camp Rosters

2011 Target- Aaron Brown

In the first blog entry on Saint Joseph's 2011 recruiting targets, we will take a look at 6'4 Penn Wood (PA) junior Aaron Brown. Why Aaron Brown for the first entry? Over the past winter, he was one of the most talked-about players in the Philadelphia area, and one with definite interest from many of the local schools. Saint Joseph's and Temple are two of the local colleges paying especially close attention to the 6'4 wing. In addition to Temple and SJU, West Virginia, Rice, and Richmond are among the other schools recruiting Brown heavily.

Over this past season, I was able to watch Brown a number of times. Brown's best game came in the District 1 Finals at Villanova, when Brown led Penn Wood past CJ Aiken and the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Colonials. A link to that game recap, and a number of others, is below.

Aaron is an exceptionally athletic player on the wing. Each time I saw Aaron this winter, he had at least one eye-popping dunk or acrobatic finish in the lane. Due to his athleticism, quickness, and strength, he is a solid rebounder from the wing, and also has the makings of a very good college defender. Over the course of the season, one of the biggest improvements in Aaron's game was his jumper. What was once a weakness in his game has become a valuable weapon. While Aaron may not be a true shooting guard, he is a more-than-capable shooter from the wing. He is best off the dribble, getting into the lane and finishing at, or above, the rim.

Where do the Hawks stand with Brown? The coaching staff was a presence at nearly every game that Aaron played this season. Assistant coach Geoff Arnold in particular has been tracking Brown. Since the high school season ended, the Hawks did receive a commitment from 2010 recruit Pat Swilling Jr, who will also play in the backcourt. Aaron Brown does things on the court that every team needs. His competitive spirit, athleticism, and continued improvement as a player, will likely make him a hot commodity over the coming AAU season. While Aaron is one of the more recognizable names when it comes to 2011 SJU recruiting, there are a number of others. I will look into more of those names in the coming week.

PW beats Penn Wood in State Finals

Aaron Brown Leads Penn Wood to District One Title

Penn Wood Defeats Bensalem in District One Playoffs

Penn Wood Rolls Over Chester

Image Above from MaxPreps.com

Donofrio Classic Gets Underway

Now that the high school seasons in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have come to an end, the time for Spring showcase and AAU competition has begun. One of the most well-known, well-respected, and well-liked events in the Philadelphia area is the annual Donofrio Classic held at Fellowship House in Conshohocken. I have not made it to any of the games thus far, but will be there in the coming weeks. Most of the Philadelphia area's best will be competing in the event. I have a few articles worth checking out linked below. In the first article linked below, Mainstreet, featuring four Penn Wood players, blew out the Del Val VC team behind 20 points from Aaron Brown. The article also includes video. The second article linked below is from RecruitRecon and has player write-ups on Friends Central's Amile Jefferson and Devin Coleman, along with Liberty High's Darrun Hilliard and Neshaminy's Ryan Arcidiacono. Both articles are well worth a look.

Times Herald Article on Donofrio

RecruitRecon Article on Day One at Donofrio

Plymouth-Whitemarsh Takes State Title

Last night, at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State, the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Colonials defeated the Penn Wood Patriots 58-51 to take home the Pennsylvania AAAA title. The win avenged an overtime loss to Penn Wood in the District 1 Final at Villanova. The Colonials were led by senior forward CJ Aiken's 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Senior guard Whis Grant had yet another strong performance as well, dropping 17 points and really controlling the game's tempo. On the other side, Penn Wood got 15 points from both Aaron Brown and Tyree Johnson. Shawn Oakman, the junior center for Penn Wood, was held to only 4 points. He was not nearly the factor that he was when the teams met in the district final.

CJ Aiken's last high school game of his career was certainly one to remember. Plymouth-Whitemarsh trailed by 4 at the half and Aiken was kept relatively in check. He had the Colonials' first 4 points in the game on dunks, but was quiet after that, only hitting a pair of free throws. CJ was a force in the second half though, providing a number of highlight-reel plays. He had two blocks on Penn Wood's Aaron Brown as well as a put-back one-handed dunk that had the Plymouth-Whitemarsh faithful happy they traveled west to Happy Valley.

The first time the teams met, in the district final, the turning point was Aaron Brown's dunk that had Aiken running for cover. In this game, the turning point was a rejection of Brown by Aiken. Aaron's dunk attempt was swatted away by Aiken this time, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh didn't look back from there.

Brown did have a solid game for the Patriots still, especially in the first half. Aaron and Tyree Johnson sparked Penn Wood to an early lead, but it was closed to 30-26 at the half.

Saint Joseph's coaches Phil Martelli and Geoff Arnold were on hand for the game, as was Temple's Fran Dunphy. Both schools are recruiting Penn Wood's Aaron Brown. During the TV telecast, the announcers stated that Shawn Oakman was at Penn State a day early, on a visit for the Nittany Lions football team. Temple is also heavily recruiting Plymouth-Whitemarsh's junior forward Jaylen Bond, who was limited to only 5 points in this game after having a career game in the semi-finals with Pitt coach Jaime Dixon in the house.

A number of links to recaps, video, and pictures from the game are below:

Inquirer Article by Rick O'Brien

Times Herald Article and Video from State Final

Chris Vito Article from Delco Times

The picture above of CJ Aiken's block on Aaron Brown is from the Times Herald article linked above.

Darrun Hilliard Picks up SJU Offer

I was on hand for Wednesday night's Penn Wood-Liberty game, won easily by the Patriots of Penn Wood. Two names on Penn Wood, Shawn Oakman and Aaron Brown, have long been on the radar of the Saint Joseph's coaches and fans. Liberty High, out of Bethlehem, PA, has a star of their own in 6'5 junior guard Darrun Hilliard. Following his 26-point outburst in the game, Hilliard picked up an offer from the Hawks according to the article linked below. Darrun was on Hawk Hill, and seated behind the SJU bench, for the Dayton game earlier this year. Coincidentally, Neshaminy sophomore guard Ryan Arcidiacono was also at the Dayton game. Ryan was also in the stands at Council Rock, as a spectator, on Wednesday night.

In the game on Wednesday, Darrun got off to a slow start before really taking the game over in the third quarter. Darrun showed an ability to shoot the ball from deep, burying a few shots from well beyond the 3-point line. He also took the ball strong to the basket, finishing at the rim with both hands. In this particular game, Darrun was the best player on the court for either team. It will be interesting to follow Darrun's recruitment over the coming months.

Philly.com Article on Hilliard Offer

Image of Hilliard above from acrylicsports.com

Penn Wood and Plymouth-Whitemarsh Roll On

On Saturday afternoon, both Penn Wood and Plymouth-Whitemarsh won their respective games in the PIAA state playoffs, setting up a potential rematch of the Distict Finals.

Penn Wood defeated Scranton 66-55 in a 2:30 tilt in Bethlehem, PA. In attendance were Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli as well as Temple head man Fran Dunphy. Both coaches were there to watch Penn Wood junior Aaron Brown, who did not disappoint in the winning effort. According to the article by Chris Vito linked below, Brown had 22 points and 9 rebounds. Scranton features a talented sophomore, Terry Turner, who was limited to only 9 points in the game, roughly 10 below his season average.

Also linked below is an article on the game by Pat Leonard. In the article, Leonard mentions that Martelli was there scouting the Scranton sophomore.

At Villanova, Plymouth-Whitemarsh got 22 points from CJ Aiken in a 54-46 win over Roman Catholic High School. Roman Catholic got 22 points from Roc Brookins, a senior guard headed to Tulane next year. An article on the game by Rick O'Brien is linked below.

With the wins, both teams advance to the state semi-finals. Penn Wood will play Liberty and Plymouth-Whitemarsh will take on North Allegheny, with both games taking place on Wednesday. With a win Wednesday, Penn Wood will get a chance to repeat as state champs. With a win, Plymouth-Whitemarsh will have a chance to redeem themselves for their district finals loss to Penn Wood.

Rick O'Brien Article on Plymouth-Whitemarsh Win

Chris Vito Article on Penn Wood Win

Pat Leonard Article on Penn Wood Win

Penn Wood- Plymouth Whitemarsh Recap

Friday night, for the second time in four days, I went over to Villanova to watch both Penn Wood and Plymouth-Whitemarsh, arguably the two best teams in all of Pennsylvania. Friday night's game, for the district title, is the game that people, myself included, have been waiting for all season long. There were stars on the court and a number of coaches in the stands. Saint Joseph's was represented with both Phil Martelli and Geoff Arnold in the stands. Temple's Fran Dunphy, Penn State's Ed DeChellis, and West Virginia assistant coach Billy Hahn were all among the nearly sell-out crowd.

The game, eventually won 54-49 in overtime by Penn Wood, was a tale of two halves, a number of sub-plots, and a great atmosphere. Going into the game, I was really interested in how the match-up down low between SJU commit CJ Aiken and Penn Wood junior center Shawn Oakman would go. In the first half, we saw very little of that match-up since Oakman went to the bench with two fouls only a few minutes into the first quarter. He sat out the rest of the half, which opened things up in the middle. At the half, CJ was well on his way to a double-double. On one particular sequence, he made a perfectly timed block on the defensive end, sprinted the court, and had an alley-oop way above the rim. It was my fourth time this season seeing Aiken play, and each time out, I am more and more impressed by his timing on the defensive end and his ability to catch anything thrown in his direction on the offensive side of the ball. Despite Oakman's benching, Plymouth-Whitemarsh only held a 5 point lead going into the break. Aiken had a great first half for PW and Tyree Johnson played very well for Penn Wood in half one. The play of the half, and probably the game came in the second quarter. With Penn Wood down just about double digits, Penn Wood junior wing Aaron Brown received the ball on the left elbow and took it hard to the rim, jamming it with home left-handed. After the jam, Brown ran down the court, arms motioning for the Penn Wood faithful to make some noise. They did, Brown took his game to another level, and Penn Wood went to the locker room only down 5.

While CJ Aiken was the most impressive player on the court in the first half, that award easily goes to Aaron Brown for the second half and over-time. Most of that is due to Aaron's great play, but it's also due to Plymouth-Whitemarsh's inability to get the ball to Aiken in the second half. I counted only two or three occasions all half where Aiken got a touch. Part of that is due to Oakman's presence, but it was almost like there was a reluctance by PW's guards to get the ball to their big-man. Jaylen Bond, the junior PW forward, really struggled in the second half, especially from the free throw line. I lost track, but according to the Philly.com article linked below, Bond shot 3-12 from the line, with the bulk of that coming in the second half. Aside from the momentum-changing dunk in the first half, Aaron Brown was quiet up until intermission. That changed in the fourth quarter, when he demanded the ball every time down the court. On one particular play, Brown took the ball hard to the basket and was fouled by Jaylen Bond. After hitting his first free throw, Brown took a step toward Bond and said to him, "You can't guard me. Ever." In this game, that was true. Brown absolutely took over, hitting crucial free throws in overtime for Penn Wood. In this game, he scored on a great variety of dunks, drives, pull-up jumpers, and free throws.

For the game, according to Philly.com, Brown finished with 20 points and 8 rebounds. For Plymouth-Whitemarsh, CJ Aiken had 10 points, 7 boards, and 6 blocks. Those numbers would have probably been a lot higher had CJ gotten more touches on the offensive end.

Both teams now advance to the state playoffs, which begin this coming week.

The day after winning the district title, Aaron Brown took in the Saint Joseph's - La Salle game at SJU along with his father and Penn Wood head coach Clyde Jones. It's clear that Brown is one of SJU's top targets in the junior class, and his performance Friday night should have all SJU fans hoping that he decides to come to Hawk Hill.

The link directly below from the Times Herald, gives a nice recap and video highlights from the game. Aaron Brown's dunk is in the video, and he is number 2 in blue.

The picture above of CJ Aiken is also from the Times Herald article.

Times Herald Video Highlights

Philly.com Recap of PW-PW Game

PIAA Semi-Finals Recap

Last night I made my way over to Villanova for the two 4A district semifinal games. While neither game was especially close or competitive, the stage is now set for a game that many people have been waiting for since December. At 9:00 on Friday night at Nova, Penn Wood and Plymouth-Whitemarsh will take the court for the district title. I have a write-up on some of the standout players in both games below. Keep in mind, while reading, that I don't keep stats myself at games. Some of the numbers may not be perfect, but most are from Philly.com articles that are linked below.

Penn Wood is loaded with Division 1 talent. This was my second time this week seeing them play, and it's amazing how roles on the team can change. When I saw Penn Wood beat Bensalem last Tuesday night, it was the Aaron Brown show. Brown was dominant while senior Hartford-bound guard Tyree Johnson had a rough outing. Last night it was Tyree Johnson and Shawn Oakman with the most impressive performances. Tyree had 15 points and more than half a dozen assists while really controlling the game's tempo. Penn Wood's size was just too much for Souderton. Shawn Oakman played as well as I've ever seen him play. What really impresses you about Oakman is his great feel around the basket and great hands. He is as physically imposing a force as you'll find in high school basketball, but he also possesses great hands that allow him to catch just about any ball in his direction. Shawn also showed good shooting touch on a jumper from the right wing. For the most part, his points will come in the paint, but that's not a bad thing. Someone with his size and feel around the bucket shouldn't worry about spending much time away from it.

When I looked at the box score linked below after the game last night, I shook my head when I saw Aaron Brown's line. He finished the game with 15 points and 9 rebounds, which is very solid. And he did that while playing the least impressive game I've seen from him this year. Early in the game, Aaron's jumper was not falling the way that it was last week. In the first quarter, he went up strong for a two-handed dunk, was hit, but the whistles remained silent. There was definitely some frustration evident in his demeanor the rest of the half. Penn Wood won the game going away and did not need anything more from Aaron last night. Despite it being an off game for Brown, he still showed some real flashes. He displayed his athleticism on a monster fast-break dunk. Aaron also buried a 3 in the 4th quarter from the right wing. Brown is one of SJU's top targets in the 2011 recruiting class. That was evident in assistant coach Geoff Arnold's presence in the crowd at Nova.

Game 2 featured top-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh and a talented West Chester Rustin team. Unfortunately for W.C. Rustin fans, this one was over shortly after it began. PW won the game going away, 79-47. PW's bigmen, senior CJ Aiken and junior Jaylen Bond, were too much for West Chester. Aiken had a triple-double (12 pts, 12 boards, and 12 blocks) in the win while Bond had 17 points and 17 boards. Aiken's uncanny ability to block shots was on full display last night. In the first quarter, West Chester players continued to drive the lane past Aiken, and time and again, their shots were swatted away. CJ's points were almost all right around the bucket on a flurry of acrobatic dunks and layups. On one particular play, Aiken followed up a Jaylen Bond miss and dunked the ball home with both arms elevated way above the rim. He is a human pogo stick around the basket. Aiken has the talent to be a real difference-maker on Hawk Hill. At first, it may be mostly on the defensive side of the ball, but CJ is not nearly as raw offensively as most high school bigs.

This was one of the best outings I've seen from junior Jaylen Bond. Bond has an interesting decision ahead of him. He could be an all-league player for 2 or 3 years in a conference like the A10 or work his way into a rotation on a Big East or ACC school. That is not a knock on Bond. Not in the least. He is an absolute force around the basket. While he is undersized for a college 4, standing around 6'6, he has the strength and athleticism to play that position in college. It would be an adjustment for him to play the 4 in the Big East due to his height. Can Jaylen turn into a college 3? Possibly. What I saw last night, however, was a player who is a force around the basket. Temple is recruiting Bond hard, and he would be a great get for Fran Dunphy. On the flipside, a top program in the A10 is probably a great fit for Bond. He is an incredible talent who impressed me again last night.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh's bigs get all the attention, but, as I've said before on here, Whis Grant is very underrated in the area. Whis, along with the other PW guards, is a terrific on-ball defender. He also plays a terrific floor game, which was evident again last night. I don't know what schools are looking at Grant, but he looks like a player that should have a terrific career at the right program. I'm really interested and curious to see where Whis plays his college ball next year.

I am planning on attending the title game Friday night, so check back here for a recap on Saturday.

Penn Wood Recap from Philly.com

Delco Times Article on Plymouth-Whitemarsh Win

Picture above of Penn Wood's Shawn Oakman from Rick O'Brien's article linked above.

Penn Wood and Plymouth Whitemarsh to Face Off for the District Friday

The match-up that players and fans (Plymouth-Whitemarsh fans last night were chanting "We want Penn Wood" in the first half) have been awaiting all season long will finally take place on Friday night at Villanova. Both Penn Wood and Plymouth-Whitemarsh cruised to easy victories last night in the district semi-finals. There was no drama. No need for a late rally. After giving up some early easy buckets, Penn Wood tightened things up defensively and continued to feed the ball to junior center Shawn Oakman en route to victory over Souderton. In the night's second game, Plymouth-Whitemarsh never allowed West Chester Rustin to even feel like they belonged on the same court. SJU commit CJ Aiken notched a triple-double with 12 points, 12 boards, and 12 blocks while junior forward Jaylen Bond also had a monster game and double-double. Senior guard Whis Grant also had another impressive outing. I will have a more detailed recap up on the site later today.

PIAA 4A Final Four Set

And then there were four. Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Penn Wood, Souderton, and West Chester Rustin all won last night to punch their tickets to the PIAA semi-finals, to be held Tuesday night at Villanova. Plymouth-Whitemarsh defeated Penncrest in a low-scoring affair, 39-22. Senior SJU-bound bigman CJ Aiken was held to 7 points while junior forward Jaylen Bond had ten. The Colonials will face W.C. Rustin on Tuesday night, since they took out Pennsbury last night.

On the other side of the bracket, Penn Wood took a two point halftime lead into the locker room and exploded in the second half to beat Neshaminy 74-52. Sophomore Ryan Arcidiacono led Neshaminy with 19 points, most of which came in the first half. Aaron Brown once again led Penn Wood, scoring 20 of his 26 points in the second half. Penn Wood will take on Souderton Tuesday night. Souderton defeated Chester last night behind 19 points from AJ Picard. Chester got 15 points from talented sophomore Erikk Wright in the losing effort.

I will be on hand on Tuesday for the semi-final games, so check back here Wednesday night for a recap.

Penn Wood - Bensalem Game Notes

As I posted yesterday, I had the chance last night to see the Bensalem game at host Penn Wood. Penn Wood is known for their toughness, and for the vast majority of the game, Bensalem matched that intensity. Until collapsing in the final two minutes, Bensalem played a terrific 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. The evening was also senior night for Penn Wood. Starters Tyree Johnson, Dequan Pelzer, and Will Brown were honored as well as Chris Warner. Johnson is going to Hartford next year, while Pelzer and Brown are still undecided. Both are college-level players with a number of schools involved. Two players for Penn Wood are of interest to Saint Joseph's as well as other programs. Those juniors are wing Aaron Brown and space-eating center Shawn Oakman.

Aaron Brown is a 6'4-6'5, physically imposing wing guard. This was my second time this year seeing Aaron, and he once again put on an impressive performance. Aaron scored 10 points in the game's opening minutes on an array of 3-pointers, drives, and alley-oops. He helped Penn Wood out to their early 16-3 lead. Aaron was in foul trouble during the majority of the game, which certainly played a role in Bensalem getting back in the game, and in fact almost winning it. He finished the game with roughly 20 points and his fair share of rebounds. Aaron's jumper looked significantly better than when I last saw him, and that was less than two months ago. If Aaron's jump-shot continues to improve as it has so far this year, he is a big-time wing guard at the college level. When you watch Aaron play, you see the tools in place to really be a lock-down defender at the college level as well. Aaron is a terrific rebounder from the wing spot due to his athleticism, toughness, and nose for the ball. Saint Joseph's, Temple, Richmond, Penn State, Providence, and Maryland are among the many schools involved with Brown, according to The Delaware County Times' Jack McCaffery. A link to his article on Brown is below.

Shawn Oakman is simply unlike anyone that I've ever seen in person at the high school level. When you look at Shawn you feel like you are watching an NBA or NFL player. His combination of size and strength really is unmatched in the area. Oakman is currently being recruited at a higher level as a football player. When schools like NC State, Penn State, Ohio State, and West Virginia are looking at you, you certainly look back. On the basketball court, Oakman is a space-eater who is a defensive presence and then some. Oakman had 9 points by my count, including two highlight-reel dunks that brought the crowd to their feet. Shawn also blocked a shot that you could hear, even above the raucous crowd. Below I have linked a great interview with Delco Times sports writer Chris Vito and Oakman. You have to scroll about halfway down the page to see the interview. He discusses his thoughts on playing football in college versus football. He lists the Hawks as one of the schools after him for hoops, as well as Miami, Providence, Houston, Marquette, and Pitt. The interest is certainly warranted as Oakman is the type of post presence that every college team could use.

The picture above is of Shawn Oakman from Chris Vito's interview linked below.

Jack McCaffery Article on Aaron Brown

Chris Vito Interview with Shawn Oakman

Penn Wood Defeats Bensalem in a Barn-Burner

I just returned home from tonight's second-round playoff match-up between host Penn Wood and Bensalem. A more complete recap will be up tomorrow, featuring write-ups on Penn Wood juniors Aaron Brown and Shawn Oakman. Penn Wood led 16-3 before Bensalem could catch their breath, with Aaron Brown scoring 10 of Penn Wood's first 11 points. A game that appeared to be a blowout was all knotted up at the half. Bensalem saw a small deficit turn into a ballooning lead as the 4th quarter edged on. With a little over 2 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, Bensalem held a comfortable 10 point lead. Penn Wood head coach Clyde Jones kept his team calm and cool down the stretch, forcing a number of Bensalem turnovers and getting lucky with a number of missed Bensalem free throws. With just under 20 seconds remaining in the game, and down 2, junior Aaron Brown drove down the right baseline and saw him layup bounce off the rim and into the hands of teammate Jeff Kyem. Kyem got the bucket to go, was fouled, and drained the free throw. The free throw put Penn Wood up 56-55 and turned out to be the final score. Again, a more complete recap with some notes on Brown and Oakman will be on the site tomorrow afternoon.

Friday Recap

Plymouth-Whitemarsh's regular season finale against Springfield High School, scheduled for last night, was postponed due to the still snowy conditions. The game, at Springfield, will instead take place tonight at 7. While that game was snowed out, a handful of other games of interest were still played.

Penn Wood improved to 17-3 on the season behind a double-double from junior center Shawn Oakman (14 points, 11 rebounds) and 14 points from Aaron Brown. In scoring 14 points, Brown also scored his 1,000th career point. In addition, the Patriots got another solid outing from senior floor general Tyree Johnson, powering them to a blowout win over visiting Glen Mills.

Senior Saint Joseph's commit Langston Galloway scored 29 points last night to lead Christian Life Academy past West Saint John 75-36. With the win, CLA improved to 29-5.

On the college hardwood, the Penn Quakers shocked a top 25 Cornell team at the Palestra last night. Penn entered last night's contest with a 3-15 record. They faced off against a Cornell team that earlier this season lost at number 1 Kansas only in the game's final seconds. None of that mattered as Penn routed Cornell by 15 points, 79-64.

Week in Review

My last update on here was Saturday, and quite a bit has happened between then and now. This is my effort of getting you (and me) back up to date.

On Sunday, Plymouth-Whitemarsh suffered their first loss of the season, falling to Danny Hurley's Saint Benedict's squad 52-50. Despite the loss, Plymouth-Whitemarsh made their debut in the national top 25, according to Prepnation.com. PW checks in at number 25 on that list, which is quite an accomplishment for Jim Donofrio's team, led by frontcourt stars CJ Aiken and Jaylen Bond. The Colonials bounced back on Tuesday night, defeating Upper Dublin by 13 points. Friday evening, the Colonials have a rematch with Norristown at home.

On Tuesday, Penn Wood got their 13th win in a row, demolishing Chichester 88-49. Penn Wood was, once again, paced by Saint Joseph's recruiting target Aaron Brown and his 22 points. Penn Wood then defeated rival Chester earlier this evening by a final score of 57-40. Aaron Brown had 27 points to once again lead the way for Penn Wood.

UMass picked up an important commitment earlier this week, when Maryland senior point guard Daryl Traynham decided to play his college ball for the Minutemen. Traynham is a quick, tiny (5'8) point guard who is well regarded by the recruiting sites, and ranked 110th in the senior class by Rivals.com. Derek Kellog has done a nice job recruiting at UMass, but that has yet to really translate to wins. Traynham could be a part of that change.

Earlier in the week, I came across this video of current Louisville freshman Mike Marra dunking in a game last year for Northfield Mount Herman. It's a 30 second, slow-mo clip of Marra throwing down an impressive dunk. Well worth the 30 seconds it takes to watch.


Mike Marra Dunk