Check out the preview capsules for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action in the District One Tournament.
Class 6A
#16 METHACTON at #1 CHELTENHAM (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
CHELTENHAM
- 13-1 overall
- 9-1 SOL Freedom Division champions
- Rebounded from its first loss of the season against Class 5A #1 Upper Moreland with a 60-32 rout of Wissahickon and 54-43 win over rival Abington.
- After heavy losses to graduation from last season’s run to the league title and District One final, rebuilt quickly led by 5-foot-10 junior guard Saleem Payne, 6-foot senior guard Brandon Hawkins and 6-4 senior forward Mike McClain. Others to watch include junior Ife West-Ingram and Justin Savage.
- Top wins this season including over Class 5A #1 Upper Moreland (66-47), #14 Abington (54-43) and two wins over William Tennent. Only loss was to Upper Moreland (46-38) on Feb. 27.
How they got here: Opening round bye.
METHACTON
- 17-6
- 5-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference
- After winning the District One title last year, the Warriors had a rebuilding job to undertake, and had do to do so playing a very good nonleague schedule against the likes of #14 Abington (51-41 loss), #9 Lower Merion (45-43 loss) and Abraham Lincoln (66-56 win). They also own a win over #11 Boyertown.
- A pair of juniors have led the team this year, including 3-point specialist, 6-foot guard Brett Byrne (14.7 ppg) and 6-7 forward Colin Hargrove (12.0). Also keep an eye on 6-2 guard Steven Penjuke.
How they got here: Methacton defeated #17 Central Bucks South 46-38 in an opening round game. Cole Hargrove’s 21 points led Methacton. Brett Byrne added 13.
#14 ABINGTON at #3 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH
- 14-3 overall
- 9-1 SOL Liberty Division champions
- After starting its season with 12 straight wins, lost three of its last five games to close the season, including to Wissahickon (57-54) on Feb. 11 and then to District 12 power Imhotep Charter (67-45) and District Three power Central Dauphin (83-62). Closed the season with 70-60 win over Chichester.
- Showed a lot of depth in 12-0 start, led by senior big men Luke DiCianno and Zuri Jerman, and junior Zende Hubbard. Emerging underclassmen, freshman Jaden Colzie and sophomore Quidire Bennett added talent to an already talented roster.
- Own impressive wins this season over #20 Upper Dublin (57-51 and 68-31), #18 North Penn (90-44), #14 Abington (62-50 and 73-44), and #17 Central Bucks South (70-47).
How they got here: Opening round bye
ABINGTON
- 10-5 overall
- 6-4 SOL Liberty Division
- A delayed started to the season and then up-and-downs throughout plagued the Galloping Ghosts, who have some good wins over the likes of #16 Methacton (51-41), #20 Upper Dublin twice (52-42 and 47-33) and a split with Wissahickon. It also was swept by #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh and lost to #1 Cheltenham, and a shocking loss on the road against Quakertown.
- Senior guard Rob Bell makes things go as he leads the team at 16.7 points per game and has the ability to get to the basket. In the lane, 6-4 senior forward Oreck Frazier (9.3 ppg), a Harvard football recruit, is very strong and dangerous. Others to watch include forward Caleb Baker, guard Sam McFarlane, as well as Connor Fields and Antoine Ellis.
How they got here: Abington defeated #19 Kennett 39-36. Derrius Lucas came off the bench to score 12 points while Oreck Frazier had 10.
#10 BOYERTOWN at #7 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST
- 12-3 overall
- 6-2 SOL Colonial Division champions
- With less than two weeks remaining in the season, Patriots looked to be in good position at securing the No. 1 seed, but a five-game in seven days stretch saw them lose on back-to-back days to New Hope Solebury (55-53) and #17 Central Bucks South (59-43), before closing the season with wins over Souderton (62-39) and Central Bucks West (74-50).
- A long COVID-19 related shutdown and then multiple weather postponements interrupted a red-hot start to the season, but it’s difficult to slow down a lineup that can shoot from 3-point range as the Patriots, led by senior guard Joe Jackman (15.1 points per-game, 26 3-pointers) and freshman point guard Jacob Cummiskey (12.4 ppg). Others to watch include 6-8 senior center Jack Hamilton (7.9 ppg), a shot-block presence on defense, senior guard Brendan Harte (8.4 ppg) and junior guard Brett Young (6 ppg).
- Have quality wins over some of the top teams in the SOL, including #12 Pennridge (62-48 and 60-47), #17 Central Bucks South (61-45), #20 Upper Dublin (62-50), #18 North Penn (57-46), and #11 Neshaminy (66-42)
BOYERTOWN
- 10-5 overall
- 3-5 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division
- The Bears closed the season with three straight wins, including a 58-55 upset of Class 4A #1 Pope John Paul II on Wednesday. Top players include 6-foot-4 forward Tre DiGugliemo, 5-11 guard Christian Renninger and 6-6 center David Leh, all seniors.
- Other top wins this season included over Perkiomen Valley (52-44), Spring-Ford (56-45 and 57-46) and Phoenixville (67-49). Lost twice to #16 Methacton (53-39 and 49-33).
How they got here: Opening round bye
#11 NESHAMINY at #6 WEST CHESTER EAST (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
NESHAMINY
- 11-5 overall
- 8-2 SOL Patriot Division champions
- After clinching the first league title in two decades early, Neshaminy struggled down the stretch, losing four of its last five games to close the season, including season-finale to Council Rock North (55-48) on Monday. As a result, Neshaminy slipped from as high as a No. 3 seed and a home game, down to No. 11.
- The team’s strength all season was its experience, with eight seniors and a ton of starters with two or three years of quality varsity minutes. Its leading scorer and rebounder is 6-foot-7 center Mike Murray (12.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg), while 5-11 point guard Matt Drapkin also averages in double figures at 11.1 points a game as well as 2.9 assists per-game. Others to watch include 6-4 forward Jimmy McDonald (9.1 ppg), 5-10 guard Jake McGinty (6.2 ppg), and 6-0 sophomore guard Sean Curley (4.9 ppg, 21 3-pointers).
- Its best win of the season was out of the division, a 49-42 victory over Class 5A #1 Upper Moreland back on Jan. 23. Other wins included two over Pennsbury (61-55 and 48-44), Bensalem (51-48), Council Rock North (58-36) and out of the league against Class 5A #2 Holy Ghost Prep (57-44).
How they got here: Opening round bye
WEST CHESTER EAST
- 12-3, Ches-Mont League champions
- Owns three wins over Bayard Rustin (56-51, 58-54 and 62-57), including in the league championship game on Monday. Also has wins over traditional Ches-Mont powers Coatesville (52-46), #8 Downingtown West (41-34 and 61-56) and Downingtown East (62-46 and 61-58). Losses were to Coatesville, Bishop Shanahan and Unionville.
- After heavy losses to graduation from a year ago, the Vikings rebuilt and have a well-blanced scoring attack led by sophomore Jack Kushner, seniors Mike Dedda, Kieran Hefferan and Jackson Kulp, as well as a freshman, Ryan Price.
How they got here: Opening round bye
#12 PENNRIDGE at #5 PERKIOMEN VALLEY (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
PENNRIDGE
- 13-5 overall
- 6-4 SOL Colonial
- After three straight league titles and back-to-back state playoff berths the Rams relinquished that honor, but played very well down the stretch, with five straight wins to close the season, and have to be considered dangerous, even on the road.
- Three seniors lead the way for the Rams, guards Luke Yoder, Colin Post, and Colin Monahan. Yoder carries on the family tradition following brothers Kyle and Sean, and emerged as a key scoring threat at 14.9 points per-game. Post (10.2) and Monahan (9.5) have also had big scoring games too, and all three are asked to do a lot more than score. Others to watch include sophomore Matt Campione and junior TJ Grenda and Justin Nichols.
- The team’s biggest wins are over Class 5A #3 Holy Ghost Prep (55-54), #11 Neshaminy (69-46) and Pennsbury (61-58), while in the league it defeated #18 North Penn twice (63-59 and 64-56) and #17 Central Bucks South (48-43).
How they got here: Opening round bye
PERKIOMEN VALLEY
- 11-3 overall
- 7-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division
- Emerged as one of the top teams in the PAC-10, winning eight straight games to end the regular season, including a pair of wins over #10 Boyertown (52-44 and 55-46) and #16 Methacton (38-35 and 61-45) as well Spring-Ford (76-49).
- Perk Valley can shoot the basketball led by senior guards Tyler Lepetina (18.5 ppg) and Dominic Milici (10.5 ppg) and senior forward Kameron Parks (8.9)
How they got here: Opening round bye
#18 NORTH PENN at #2 CONESTOGA (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
NORTH PENN
- 11-6 overall
- 6-4 SOL Colonial
- One thing was apparent early about the Knights and that was that multi-sport standout Josh Jones, a Louisville soccer commit, was going to be difficult to stop every time this team took the floor and that’s played out. Jones, a 6-4 senior, averaged 21 points per game and was one of the SOL’s dominant players.
- To win this postseason, he’ll need help. Senior Billy Coley has been an outside threat at 11 ppg, while senior Joey Larkins makes things go at the point, and sophomore Ryan Zeltt helps in the paint.
- Wins over playoff teams this season include over CB East (72-66), CB South (42-35) and out of the league against Neshaminy (52-48). It also has impressive wins over the likes of Pennsbury, Wissahickon and Bensalem, and lost big when it took on Plymouth Whitemarsh.
How they got here: North Penn upended #15 Strath Haven 68-62. Josh Jones (24 points) and Billy Coley (16 points) led the Knights.
CONESTOGA
- 7-2 overall
- 7-1 Central League regular season champions
- Fell to Garnet Valley 52-39 in the Central League championship game
- Led by 6-10 forward and Division 1 recruit Michael Walz as well as 6-8 forward Andrew Fox.
- Regular season wins over #4 Garnet Valley (60-52) & #15 Strath Haven (63-40)
- Only loss of regular season came at the hands of #13 Haverford (55-43)
How they got here: Opening round bye
#20 UPPER DUBLIN at #4 GARNET VALLEY (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
UPPER DUBLIN
- 12-9 overall
- 5-5 SOL Liberty
- It wasn’t easy down the stretch for the Flying Cardinals, who closed the season losing four of their last six games, but those two wins, over #18 North Penn (73-67) and Chester Charter (70-55), a late addition to close the regular season, were what got them into the playoffs. During the season, they also own wins against Wissahickon twice (59-45 and 52-41), #12 Pennridge (46-43), Penn Wood (62-56) and Pennsbury (53-49).
- Everyone knows when it comes to UD, it’s about 6-7 center Drew Stover, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau and averaged over 25 points per game. He was the best player in the entire Suburban One League, and makes UD, the last team to qualify for the playoffs, a legit threat every time he steps on the court.
- He’ll need help if the team is to win in this tournament, from the likes of senior guard Noah Lee or sophomores Colin O’Sullivan and D.J. Cerisier.
How they got here: Upped Dublin upset #13 Haverford 48-46. Sophomore Colin O’Sullivan torched the Fords for 24 points, and Drew Stover added 16.
GARNET VALLEY
- 10-3 overall
- 5-2 Central League second place regular season
- Defeated Conestoga 52-39 to capture the program’s first Central League title
- Led by last year’s Central League MVP point guard Carl Schaller, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone this year.
- Split regular season series with #9 Lower Merion (68-52, 64-73)
- Wins over #13 Haverford (54-44, 52-47) and 5A #7 Marple Newtown (52-43, 47-45, 44-35)
How they got here: Opening round bye.
Class 5A
#8 UNIONVILLE at #1 UPPER MORELAND (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
UPPER MORELAND
- 13-3
- 8-2 SOL
- Over the second half the season, there’s been no better team in the SOL than the Golden Bears, highlighted by a 46-38 win over Class 6A #1 Cheltenham a week ago. After four games, they were 2-2, and then went 11-1 to close the season. UM also has wins over #20 Upper Dublin (63-37), and twice over both New Hope-Solebury and William Tennent.
- There’s a lot of experience and talent for coach Dan Heiland’s squad, which uses its defense to ignite its offense. The team is led by 6-2 senior Jourdan Gregg (11.4 ppg) and 6-1 senior Jahaire Johnson (12.7 ppg), on both ends of the floor. Junior point guard Byron Hopkins quarterbacks the offense, and the team also gets solid play on both ends from brothers Matt and Jake Tiernan and McKie Walker.
How they got here: Opening round bye
UNIONVILLE
- 5-5 overall
- Led by 6-3 senior guard Sean Neylon, who will play collegiate basketball at Ursinus
- Season was halted two weeks for COVID-19 cases
- Win over Class 6A #6 West Chester East (38-37)
How they got here: Unionville rolled to a 49-34 win over #9 Upper Merion. Sean Neylon scored 16 first-half points and finished with 22, which included four 3-pointers.
Class 4A
#2 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY at #1 POPE JOHN PAUL II (Wednesday, 7 p.m.)
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY
- 6-13 overall
- 2-8 SOL Freedom Division
- Led by 6-4 senior Alex Walinski, who moved to point after an injury to starter Kyle McLaughlin early this season. He is the team’s leading scorer for the second consecutive season, averaging 18 points a game.
- Also key are 6-3 senior forward Phil Weinseimer, who averages 7.9 points a game. The quarterback for the Lions’ football team, he is a strong inside player. and the team’s leading rebounder Senior Bryan Dougherty, a 6-2 forward, averages 7.0 points a game and one of the team’s top defenders. Senior 5-10 guard Will Albano leads the team in assists-to-turnover ratio.
- In their first year in the SOL Freedom, the Lions twice played the District One 6A top seed, Cheltenham, as well as the 5A number one seed, Upper Moreland.
- Impressive 61-56 win over District One 6A #7 Central Bucks East, the SOL Colonial Division champion, in the final week of the season.
- Twelve of Lions’ games were against 6A schools and included wins over Council Rock North (46-37), Quakertown (59-43) & Central Bucks West (44-32).
POPE JOHN PAUL II
- 14-1 overall
- 10-0 PAC Frontier Division champions
- Defeated Phoenixville 46-35 to capture the school’s first league title since 2010-11
- Only loss was to District One 6A #10 Boyertown (58-55) in the final week of the season.
- Strong nucleus includes 6-0 senior point guard Luke McCarthy, 6-5 senior forward Justin Green, 6-2 junior guard JP Baron and 6-0 junior guard Kevin Green.
- Wins over District One 5A #6 Phoenixville (59-45 & 46-35), 6A #5 Perkiomen Valley (76-52) and 6A #16 Methacton 41-38)
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