SOL Boys' Basketball District One Preview (2-16-23)

Check out the comprehensive preview capsules for the SOL boys’ basketball teams in action in the upcoming District One Tournament that begins Thursday.

Class 6A
#3 Plymouth Whitemarsh (opening-round bye)

• 23-3 overall
• 16-0 SOL Liberty Division champion
• SOL Tournament championship
• The Colonials are led by a triple threat scoring trio of 1,000-point scorer, senior 6-foot-4 Qudire Bennett (21.3 ppg) and junior guards Jaden Colzie (13.1) and Chase Coleman (17.0).  Baseball standout Lincoln Sharpe, a 6-6 senior center, is a fierce rebounder down low.
• PW rolled through the regular season and the SOL tourney, with wins over #18 Neshaminy, #6 North Penn and – in Monday’s title game - #4 CB East by a whopping 28 points. It also owns wins over #9 Methacton, #19 Norristown, #20 Abington (twice), Upper Dublin (twice), #12 William Tennent, #23 Cheltenham.

Next up: A second-round game at home against the winner of #14 Penn Wood and Norristown.

#4 Central Bucks East (opening-round bye)

• 21-4 overall
• 14-2 SOL Colonial Division champion
• Key players include 6-3 junior guard Jacob Cummiskey (13.7 ppg), 5-10 senior guard Joey Giordano (11.1), 6-5 senior forward Kyle Berndt (9.7) and 6-1 junior guard Tyler Dandrea (8.6).
• For much of the season, the Patriots rolled and looked to be one of the favorites come the postseason, but they suffered a late-season stumble to Souderton and then a blowout loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the SOL tournament final, which senior leader Giordano missed with an injury. He is expected back for districts.
• East’s top wins include Upper Dublin (twice), #6 North Penn (twice), #12 William Tennent,  #13 Pennsbury, #16 Pennridge (three times), and #18 Neshaminy.

Coach Erik Henrysen says: “(Monday) night (against PW) was a big disappointment. The guys were down after the game, but we need to quickly turn the page. We have the potential to play plenty more basketball. We can learn from the experience. There were only two teams left in the SOL, and we were one of them. Credit to PW for handling the moment and winning the title.
“We will find out who we play (Thursday) night. Abington and Pennsbury are both very good teams with strong basketball traditions. They are dangerous teams. For now, our focus is clearly on ourselves. We needed to shake off last night and we did that today at practice. We played ourselves into a 4 seed and that comes with a bye and home games. We will be ready.”

Next up: CB East will host #20 Abington in a second-round game on Tuesday. The Ghosts defeated #13 Pennsbury 45-42.

#6 North Penn (opening-round bye)

• 18-6 overall
• 12-4 SOL Colonial Division, second place
• Top players all season for North Penn include 6-2 senior guard Ryan Deininger (13.8 ppg), 5-8 junior guard Norm Gee (10.4), 6-5 senior forward Ryan Zeltt (9.1) and 6-0 junior guard Teddy McAllister (11.2)
• A 12-game win streak was the highlight of the Knights’ season and it ended with a regular-season finale loss to division champ CB East with a share of the league title on the line. Bounced back with a road win over Pennsbury and then a hard-fought loss to eventual champ Plymouth Whitemarsh in SOL tourney final.
• Owns wins this season over #13 Pennsbury (twice), #16 Pennridge (twice), #18 Neshaminy, and Class AA Dock Mennonite.

Next up: The Knights will host the winner of #11 Coatesville and #22 Harriton in a second-round game on Tuesday.

#21 Haverford at #12 William Tennent (Friday, 7 p.m.)
William Tennent

• 16-7 overall
• 11-5 SOL Freedom Division champions
• An 8-2 start to the season sent the high-scoring Panthers on their way to the program’s first division title in 18 years and a rare playoff home game.
• Tennent averages 66.6 points a game, led by the potent duo of 6-2 junior guard Kirby Mooney (23.1 ppg) and 6-0 senior point guard George Marion (16.4) Senior guard Isaiah Dawson can also score, while the team also has depth with the likes of seniors Evan Devor and Danny Scheller.
• Its biggest wins this season were over #16 Pennridge, #18 Neshaminy, #20 Abington, #23 Cheltenham and Class 5A qualifiers Holy Ghost Prep and Upper Moreland.

Coach Robert Mulville says: “It was such a satisfying season coaching this team and watching them work hard to achieve goals that we set out in the beginning of the season. I was excited for the team and our fans as we got to play in the SOL Tournament last week in front of a home crowd, and I hope that experience helps us this week as we prepare for the opening round of districts.”

Haverford

• 12-10 overall
• 6-9 Central League
• Don’t let their regular-season record fool you, the Fords have some quality wins and a possession, halfcourt style that can give high-scoring teams’ fits. No more so than in an early season upset of #2 Lower Merion 48-46.
• Players to watch include senior guards Googie Seidman, Gorman Bright, and Brian Schneider.
• Other than the LM win, Haverford has wins over #8 Garnet Valley, #17 West Chester Henderson #20 Abington and #24 Conestoga (twice).

Next up: The Tennent-Haverford winners plays at #5 Downingtown West in a second-round game on Tuesday.

#20 Abington at #13 Pennsbury (Thursday, 7 p.m.)
Abington

• 12-10 overall
• 10-6 SOL Liberty Division, third place
• The Ghosts annual berth into the district playoffs was in doubt before they won four of their last five games to secure the #20 spot. Yes, this hasn’t been a vintage Abington season, but as proven in the past, coach Charles Grasty’s squads can be a tough out come the postseason.
• Top Abington players include 6-3 junior leading scorer Jeremiah Lee (15.2 ppg), 6-5 senior forward Josh Young (4.8), and 6-4 junior forward Kellen Ingram (10.6).
• Top wins for the Ghosts include over #23 Cheltenham and Class 5A’s #4 (West Chester East), #5 Upper Dublin and #10 Upper Moreland.

Pennsbury

• 16-7 overall
• 12-4 SOL Patriot Division champions
• Coach Wes Emme returned to his alma mater and pulled off a complete turnaround as the Falcons ran away with the Patriot Division crown and now host a highly-anticipated first round playoff game.
• A pair of seniors have helped lead the way, including 6-1 guard and leading scorer Ty Kocak (15.3 ppg) and 6-5 forward Ryan Zuckerman (6.0), a baseball standout. Juniors Connor Taddei (9.1) and Teddy Mangan (7.5) are also big factors for this Pennsbury squad.
• Pennsbury’s top Class 6A wins were over #6 North Penn, #16 Pennridge, and #18 Neshaminy, and it also beat Class 4A #2 Pope John Paul II. The Falcons also lost to potential second-round foe CB East by only one point.

Next up: Abington will travel to #4 Central Bucks East for a second round game Tuesday.

#17 West Chester Henderson at #16 Pennridge (Friday, 6 p.m.)
Pennridge

• 15-8 overall
• 10-6 SOL Colonial Division, third place
• After missing out on the playoffs a year ago, the Rams opened more than a few eyes with a huge bounce-back season, which included a 10-1 stretch after opening the season at 3-3. This is a new group, but the program isn’t too far removed from a ton of district and state playoff success under coach Dean Behrens.
• Senior Matt Campione, a 6-2 senior, has stepped up his game in a big way, averaging 16.3 points per game, as has 5-9 sophomore point guard Xavier Peters (12.1) and 6-4 senior forward Tommy Cramer (9.8).
• This season, the Rams own quality wins over the likes of #7 Perkiomen Valley and #18 Neshaminy.

Coach Dean Behrens says: “They made it fun for themselves and they made it fun for the coaches. As a team as a whole, they get along well, they don’t try to do too much; guys play within their realm. We hope that wins on Friday.
“Obviously, we’re excited to host a district playoff game. (Henderson) is a very good basketball team, they play a tough schedule and just had a big win over Coatesville. They have very good guards. We’re going to have our hands full. I’d say it’s a 50-50 game and will come down to who turns the ball over less.”

West Chester Henderson

• 13-9 overall
• 8-4 Ches-Mont National
• Henderson won four of its last five to close the season and climb up the power rankings, including a huge one over #11 Coatesville on Jan. 31, for a team that was just 2-20 a season ago. This one could be fun between two guard-oriented squads that appear evenly matched on paper.
• Players to watch include senior guard Kmari Smith (6-2), and juniors Connor Fleet (6-0) and Nyle Ralph-Beyer (6-1).
• As well as the win over Coatesville, Henderson also beat #5 Downingtown West.

Next up: The Pennridge-Henderson winner earns a date with tournament top seed Spring-Ford on Tuesday.

#18 Neshaminy at #15 Boyertown (Thursday, 7 p.m.)
Neshaminy

• 14-9 overall
• 10-6 SOL Patriot Division, second place
• Neshaminy was in the division title race down the stretch and then was competitive with PW in the first round of the SOL Tournament. It’s been a season of some good highs and some not-so-good lows, but the team does have a lot of experience and excellent guard play.
• Players to watch include 6-1 senior guard Sean Curley (14.0 ppg), a four-year varsity standout, 6-2 junior guard Nate Townsend (15.2 ppg) and 5-8 junior point guard Emeer Coombs (8.2 ppg). In the paint, Neshaminy looks to 6-4 senior forward Joey Zack.
• Top wins for Neshaminy this season were over #4 CB East, #13 Pennsbury, #19 Norristown, and Class 5A #11 Upper Merion.

Boyertown

• 15-7 overall
• 5-6 PAC Liberty
• The Bears, especially playing at home, are going to be a difficult first-round out for Neshaminy. Senior 6-3 forward Jake Kapp is a big-time scorer. Others to watch include 6-4 guard Zach Ward and 6-4 Richard Back.
• This season, Boyertown has wins over #7 Perkiomen Valley, #10 Upper Darby, #19 Norristown, Class 5A West Chester Rustin and Class 4A #2 Pope John Paul II,

Next up: Neshaminy, a 62-48 winner over Boyertown, will travel to #2 Lower Merion for a second round game on Tuesday.

#23 Cheltenham at #10 Upper Darby (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Cheltenham

• 12-10 overall
• 10-6 SOL Freedom
• With a ton of new faces, this was an up-and-down season for the Panthers, but they made a late three-game push to qualify for districts, sealing their fifth berth in five years under coach Patrick Fleury with a huge nonleague win over #14 Penn Wood on Friday night.
• Cheltenham is led at the point by 5-10 sophomore guard Josiah Hutson (14.2 ppg). Others to watch include 6-3 junior Kamani Healey (10.2) , 6-2 senior Yakeen Respes (8.0) and emerging 6-4 freshman Malik Hughes (6.0).
• The team has wins over Penn Wood, #12 William Tenennt, and Class 5A #10 Upper Moreland.

Upper Darby 

• 17-7
• 11-5 Central League
• The Royals can put points on the board and this one could be a shootout. They’re led by guards 6-1 Nadir Myers, 6-1 senior Khysier Slaughter and 6-4 senior forward Niymire Brown.
• Top wins were over #8 Garnet Valley, #9 Methacton, and #21 Haverford (twice).

Next up: The Cheltenham-Upper Darby winner plays at #7 Perkiomen Valley on Tuesday.

Class 5A
#12 West Chester Rustin at #5 Upper Dublin (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Upper Dublin

• 18-6 overall
• 13-3 SOL Liberty, second place
• A football-related slow start in coach Derek Brooks’ first season didn’t deter the Flying Cardinals, who at one point won 13 straight games. Four of UD’s six losses were to Class 6A top seeds PW and CB East. This a team with lofty ambitions in this district tournament.
• Key players include 6-1 senior point guard D.J. Cerisier (8.9 ppg), 6-5 senior forward Seaton Kukla (9.7), junior guard Brady Fogle (11.0) and sophomore guard Ryan Mulroy.
• The team owns wins over #6 Pottstown, #7 Holy Ghost Prep and #10 Upper Moreland as well as Class 6A qualifiers #12 William Tennent (twice), #20 Abington, #23 Cheltenham,

Rustin

• 11-12 overall
• 8-2 Ches-Mont American
• This is a team that got off to a slow start, losing its first three games and five of its first seven games. Then it got hot late in the second half to earn the last spot in districts.
• Players to watch include 6-foot- senior point guard Tyler Giunta, 6-4 senior forward Ian Schlesinger and 6-2 senior forward Sam Sproull and Tyler Giunta
• The Golden Knights own wins over #3 Unionville, #8 Sun Valley, and Class 6A #17 West Chester Henderson,

Next up: A quarterfinal date with #4 West Chester East awaits the winner of Rustin-Upper Dublin.

#10 Upper Moreland at #7 Holy Ghost Prep (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Upper Moreland

• 13-9 overall
• 7-9 SOL Freedom, fourth place
• Two district playoff rivals square off once again in the first round at Firebird Field House on Friday. It’s been an up-and-down season for a young UM squad that at one point was 10-1, only to see it go 3-8 over the season half of the season.
• Key players for the Golden Bears include senior point guard Jon Clark (13.6 ppg), junior guard Alex Best (9.8), and sophomore guard Colson Campbell (11.8).
• Top wins this season including over #11 Upper Merion and Class 6A #23 Cheltenham.

Holy Ghost Prep

• 12-10 overall
• Playing an independent schedule, the Firebirds have played the best of the best, including four Class 6A district qualifiers and in Class 5A #1 Radnor, #3 Unionville, #6 Pottstown and #11 Upper Merion.
• Players to watch for Holy Ghost include 6-2 senior point guard and captain Seamus McDermott, and 6-6 senior forward Mel Lindsey.
• The Firebirds had their share of close losses, but their biggest win was against Class 6A #13 Pennsbury, as well as the likes of MAST Charter, Lower Moreland, Council Rock South and York Catholic.

Next up: The UM-Holy Ghost winner plays at No. 2 Chichester on Wednesday.

Class 4A
#4 Springfield Twp at #1 Collegium Charter (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)

Springfield

• 7-15 overall
• 2-14 SOL Freedom Division
• The Spartans took their lumps in the SOL Freedom and are an underdog going against a very good Collegium Charter squad in one of two Class 4A semifinals.
• Senior Dylan McKenzie (18.3 ppg), a 6-2 guard, is a big-time scorer who is capable of having a big night, which would give the Spartans a chance. Also, watch out for a pair of juniors, 6-4 Miles Goodwin (5.0) and 6-3 Brett Smith (6.9).
• Although it struggled in conference, Springfield does own nonleague wins against Jenkintown, New Foundations Charter, Bristol, Science Leadership Academy and Interboro.

Collegium Charter

• 13-11 overall
• 11-3 BAL, third place
• The defending district champion, Collegium Charter out of Exton, is the clear favorite in Class 4A despite a 2-6 start to the season. It went 7-2 down the stretch, including four straight to end the season before losing to Phil-Mont Christian in the BAL tournament.
• The Cougars have a ton of size, and a big-time scorer and matchup problem in 6-6 senior forward Duce Jackson, who averages over 20 points and 8 rebounds per game. Also watch out for 6-8 senior Travon Mack and 6-5 senior Nick Kiley.
• Its best wins this season were over Class 5A #12 West Chester Rustin, Delco Christian, Phil-Mont Christian and Valley Forge Military Academy.

Next up: The championship game in Class 4A is Feb. 25, and the Springfield-Collegium winner will play the winner of Bishop Shanahan vs. Pope John Paul II.