Philly Live 1 PCL Preview Pt 1.
Philly Live 1 starts in roughly an hour! Dive into this Philadelphia Catholic League preview with Part 1, and stay tuned for more updates throughout the day!
Archbishop Carroll
Team Standouts: Munir Grieg, Nasir Ralls, Christian Matos, Ian Williams
Players to Watch Out For: Drew Corrao, Yasir Turner
Newcomers: Nolan Stock
Matchup: Andrews Osborne (OH, 6’9 2027 Dante Otite, multiple D1 offers, latest from Alcorn St., and 6’7 Victor Oborawa, another 2027 forward D1 offeree), North Mecklenburg (NC, one of the states premier programs, last year sported a 30-3 record and are the reigning NC state champions, featuring Ashton Pierce 3 star 2026 combo guard, recruitment trending high major, Cal and Wake Forest in the mix) John Handley (VA, 25-2 last season)
Goal: Remesh this lineup integrating Corrao and Williams back in, see if this team can handle the physicality that teams with multiple guys with elite height throw at them, see how Matos matches up with other elite combo guards)
The rebound from a forgettable 24-25 campaign starts now for an Archbishop Carroll team that has been referred to as “young” and “a year away” for the past three seasons. The core of this team has been together for the past three years and are now juniors and seniors, if Carroll is going to win big, it has to be this year. My darkhorse Pre-Season PCL MVP is senior combo guard Christian Matos, a lanky playmaker and deadly shooter, who had his first taste of PCL action last season after a transfer from Methacton, earned a spot on the All-Catholic 3rd team amidst a miserable 4-9 regular season, he’s the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging fifteen and a half points per game last year. Right behind Matos in the returning scoring column is the crown jewel of the Philadelphia Area 2027 class, big swing man Munir Grieg, who put together a very respectable 14 and 7 last year, and should expect major improvements to those categories as a junior. From what I’ve seen from Grieg so far this summer between the Pangos All-American camp and his AAU tape with the PSA Cardinals (NY), the top 40 prospect has become more comfortable shooting from range and working off the dribble, expect an uptick from his 27% 3 point shooting last season.
Perhaps the biggest story for this Carroll lineup is the long awaited return of seniors Ian Williams and Drew Corrao, two guys who both missed the majority of last season due to injury and are out to prove to Division One colleges that they still deserve the scholarships they were offered prior to injury. For Williams, he needs to re-establish himself as the vocal leader and floor general of this team, traits they sorely lacked this past year. Williams, who was undoubtedly one of the top 2026 guards prior to his injury, will be a more than welcome addition to this lineup that has missed him since his 2nd Team All-Catholic sophomore campaign. Corrao, on the other hand, is still a developing prospect in the eyes of college coaches, but has always shown the flashes of the coveted stretch four archetype. Able to use his length to alter shots, provide weak-side help, and knock down timely three pointers. We’re approaching make-or-break territory for Corrao’s stock in the eyes of Division One coaches. A couple of young guys to monitor on the roster are sophomore Yasir Turner, who took over lead guard duties last season after the injury to Williams and performed admirably in his stead. His development will be instrumental to the success of this Carroll team moving forward, and Nolan Stock, a 6’6 big bodied freshman coming to Carroll by way of the vaunted Team Final program. One more guy who doesn’t get enough love is unsung hero Nas Ralls, a senior guard who should be on PSAC and MAAC radars, he chipped in 11 points a contest last season on over 40% from long range.
Carroll’s Philly Live 1 schedule starts them off with a test of physicality against Andrews Osborne Academy coming out of Ohio. Carroll’s nice group of forwards, including the 6’7 Greig, 6’9 Corrao and 6’6 Stock, will get an early test against Osborne’s duo of 6 foot 9 juniors Dante Otite and Victor Oborawa, both of whom have received Division One offers from a bevy of low major programs, the latest being Alcorn St.
Next up, Carroll will face one of North Carolina’s premier high school programs, North Mecklenburg High School, the alma mater of Duke sophomore and former 5☆ McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Evans. This is a team coming off of a 30-3 season which saw them crowned North Carolina state champions, they return high major guard Ashton Pierce, who should draw a crowd himself, his recruitment has picked up a little steam recently with Cal and Wake Forest involved. The matchup between big guards Matos and Pierce will be one to monitor, and make no mistake, college coaches will be watching.
To wrap up the weekend, the Patriots get John Handley High School out of Virginia, who are coming off of a very successful 25 win and 2 loss campaign.
This is Carroll’s opportunity to establish the tone for their 25-26 season, a senior led group with incredibly high expectations, the development of one of the most highly sought after players in the entire junior class, and the return of two important players from devastating injuries, I like Carroll’s odds to make a good first impression on this upcoming season.
Archbishop Ryan
Team Standouts: Malik Hughes, Jaylin Avery
Players to Watch Out For: Jack McMullin, Seth Gaye, Keyshawn Franklin
Newcomers: Kaden Brown
Matchup: Upper St Clair (PA, 6A Mettle, competitive 6A semi finalist last year, 6’7 Jr. Ryan Robbins, younger brother of Miami OH freshman Tyler Robbins) Gill St. Bernard’s (NJ, Philly Live Staple, returning competitive team Dorsett Mulcahy (younger brother of Paul Mulcahy Rutgers and Washington Standout) sophomore Connor Junker returning leading scorer, offers from Fairfield and Iona, Jakub Malecki and Jahmal Dixon two more returning impact players, Saint Mary (NJ, great returning 2026 class, Matt Kennedy (almost 500 Point season last year), 6’6 F Merrick Olkowski and Ilan Santos, also watch out for 2027 G Tymir Reeves)
Philly Live 1 has put Archbishop Ryan in a fortunate position, they’re going to play a rigorous schedule in front of a lot of Division One college coaches, these games mean nothing in the grand scheme of the season, we have a lot of time before December people. This is an opportunity for a Ryan team that has experienced some offseason tumult, what that means practically is that this group hasn’t had a ton of time to get acclimated together. From my point of view, they may take some lumps in the early-going, but those lumps are necessary to fulfill the long term vision of the team. What is also true, however, is the fact that Joe Zeglinski is a great basketball coach, and has assembled a team composed of many talented players, a few of whom will play at the Division One level, and all of whom have reasonable expectations to play at the collegiate level. The first of these prospects to catch D1 scouts eyes will be the frontcourt duo of 6 foot 6 senior bruiser Malik Hughes, who put together a very respectable junior campaign for the Raiders, averaging 14 points last season and was on many All-Catholic snub teams. Hughes’ frontcourt mate is the blossoming 6 foot 8 sophomore Jaylin Avery, who chipped in a modest 3.8 points a game last year as he got accustomed to the style and pace of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Bet on that number going up in a big way this season, Avery continuously displays an expanding outside game in various offseason exhibitions and has already proven to be a capable shooter when called for, although he only shot a small-sample size of 6-17 on 3 point attempts last season, the efficiency is there and his number will be called more often this season, especially in the early going as the Raiders establish an identity. Avery has received a few D1 scholarships in the early going, specifically from Cleveland St. and Murray St., and will be a surefire stockriser after the weekend concludes. Based on the early showcases Ryan has played in, it seems transfer guard Kaden Brown will take on the majority of the ball-handling and scoring load for a team that lacks a volume guy. Brown is definitely a volume guy, as he’s coming off a season averaging 19 points a game at Howard High in Delaware last season, and is seeking tougher competition with a transfer into the PCL. The rest of Ryan’s roster is intriguing as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the year over year growth of sophomore wing Jack McMullin, who impressed me in last year’s Philly Live, but saw limited opportunities during the regular season. Two more guards in Ryan’s stable are Seth Gaye and Keyshawn Franklin, whose developments will be a major factor in whether Ryan is competing for a spot at the Palestra come February. Come the regular season, Ryan should have four year contributor Matt Johnson back from injury, until then, lead guard duties fall to the best available. One final guy to mention is senior guard Brett Mariani, an ultimate culture guy and every Ryan team has one, he is this years’.
The first matchup of Ryan’s weekend is a 6A juggernaut battle with Pittsburgh powerhouse Upper St. Clair, who caused many teams a headache at last year’s Philly Live. USC is coming off of a very successful 6A State Semi-Final run where they lost to eventual runner-up Roman Catholic, and return intriguing junior big man Ryan Robbins, a 6’7 forward whose brother Tyler is a freshman at Division One Miami (OH). Robbins and Ryan’s frontcourt will be the draw in this one, as we will get to see how Hughes and Avery perform against another big body in a matchup of 6A teams from the state’s two biggest cities.
Next up, Ryan matches up with Philly Live staple Gill St. Bernard’s out of Jersey. GSB is bringing a stacked and experienced lineup to the Live Period, featuring a few guys that will draw Division One eyes. The first of whom being the teams leading returning scorer, senior big guard Dorsett Mulcahy, the younger brother of former Rutgers and Washington standout Paul Mulcahy. Dorsett stands at 6’6 and can project anywhere from guard to wing at the next level depending on how the skillset develops, the obvious matchup is with Avery, who projects to fill a similar role with a comparable skillset. GSB also returns 6’6 Jakub Malecki and junior guard Jahmal Dixon, who were solid contributors to last years team, but their most intriguing piece on the roster has to be standout sophomore guard Connor Junker, whose excellent AAU play has earned him offers from Iona and Fairfield among others, he is one to watch against Ryan’s stable of upperclass guards. This will be a major barometer for how expectations should be set for Ryan’s backcourt compared to the rest of the PCL.
To draw the weekend to a close, Ryan has another NJ matchup, this time with St. Mary’s. The story with Saint Mary’s is their standout rising senior trio, who are hoping to compete for a state championship this year, they finished 20 and 10 last year, and are hoping to break down the door this upcoming season. For St. Mary’s, the scoring tempo is dictated by 6’3 guard Matt Kennedy, who notched over 500 points last season, his backcourt mate Ilan Santos and 6’6 forward Merrick Olkowski, these 2026s have an abundance of experience and know how to compete at a high level. One more name to watch is 2027 guard Tymir Reeves, who was a contributor last year whose role should expand. It will be curious to see how Ryan fares against a senior-laden, experienced team like St. Mary’s.
Archbishop Wood
Team Standouts: Caleb Lundy, Jaydn Jenkins, Brady MacAdams
Players to Watch Out For: Dylan Powell, Brian Donohue, Kyiien Strong
Matchup: Notre Dame (CT, 27-2 24-25, returning consensus top 30 recruit and reigning Connecticut GPOY Abdou Toure. Cathedral Catholic (CA, San Diego, physicality matchup, size up and down roster, Cali ball, can Wood’s top guys run it) Wilsonville (OR, 27-4, one of the top returning teams in OR, 6 Oregon State Championships, had a streak of 8 consecutive appearances broken last season)
Goal: Brush shoulders with very competitive out of state teams and see how the lineup responds (question of depth)
Last year was an errant blip in an otherwise dominant decade for Coach John Mosco. For the first time in eight years, his Archbishop Wood squad was left off the Maxprep’s Pennsylvania State Top 25, and first time outside the top 6 of the Catholic League standings since 2015-2016. The 24-25 season had to serve as a rebuilding year amidst a dynasty in the making, and rebuild they did. Wood returns a rock solid seven man rotation that is as good as any in the league. Many have them as preseason top 3 and I personally have senior wing Brady MacAdams as the Pre-Season favorite for MVP. Speaking of Brady MacAdams, his development was one of the big stories of last season, going from hesitant sophomore with potential to no doubter 1st Team All-Catholic selection as a junior. If there was a most improved award, he would have won it by a mile. I have MacAdams as a major stock riser this weekend, and have a recurring voice in my head that tells me that he will play college basketball in the Big East. In the meantime, I’m just waiting for the right coaches to put their eyes on him. In addition to MacAdams, Wood boasts the best 2027 class in the PCL for my money, led by D1 offered standouts Caleb Lundy, a 2nd Team All-Catholic selection last year, and 6’9 Jaydn Jenkins, who oozes with potential and is making leaps and bounds of progress athletically and competitively. Jenkins uses every inch of his 7 foot 2 wingspan to alter shots, leading the league in blocks last year by a significant margin, Wood hasn’t had elite height like his since Seth Pinkney graduated in 2018, and Pinkney did not possess the outside shot Jenkins has repeatedly shown. The numbers jump off the page for Jenkins, and national scouts are beginning to notice, the first of whom, On3, put Jenkins at 41st in their recent 2027 class rankings. As for Lundy, who was offered by St. Joseph’s University in the past week, he is as shifty as they come, has the ball on a string, he’s tenacious on defense, put up an impressive 1.51 Assist to Turnover ratio and contributed over 12 points a night to a team that was playing well above its watermark for the second half of the year. One thing I’m monitoring is how his outside shot is developing. He was 35% on the year this past season, which is a respectable number on a somewhat limited volume (18-51 in 24 Games), but to be an elite prospect he will have to shore that facet of his game up. Some names that fans might not know, but will be major contributors to a winning team, are 2027 guard Malakhi Warren, and 2026 wing Brian Donohue, who will be expected to provide energy and shooting respectively. Warren, the energizer bunny off the bench, dives for every loose ball and demands the toughest defensive assignment on the court, Donohue, on the other hand, lives in 3 point land, watch for an uptick in volume and efficiency from him this season. Capping Wood’s lineup off are a duo of sophomore guards that have received major playing time this offseason between showcases and spring league, Dylan Powell and Kyiien Strong, both of whom have impressed in the early goings. Powell, who got his feet wet in limited minutes on the varsity team last year, is, for lack of a better word, a freak athlete at point guard. His bounce, whether it's a chase down block or dunk, is undeniable, Rider noticed it and offered him a scholarship about a month ago, his first D1 offer of many. With regards to Strong, he’s performed well for Wood in the Mayfair Spring Rec League, and will see more and more action as his development continues, but should remain on scouting radars in the meantime. One more guy to mention is 2027 Justin Stanley, a 6’7 big body down low who should expect to receive a ton of dump offs from Lundy and Powell, who each love to take the ball to the basket.
Mosco, who co-runs the whole Philly Live event with Imhotep Charter Head Coach Andre Noble, never fails to challenge his team, and this year is no different. Their first matchup is against reigning Division I Connecticut state champ Notre Dame (West Haven), who are coming off a raging 27-2 campaign and boast one of the top players in the entire event regardless of class. That player, Abdou Toure, is a consensus top 25 senior prospect, and is trending towards a McDonald’s All-American nod. Toure, the 6’6 shooting guard, also won the prestigious Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year award last season. Opposite of Toure on the wing is Sacred Heart commit Landon Krygier, a 6’5 shooter that serves as a complement to Toure’s physicality. This game presents a huge opportunity for Wood’s own star wing, MacAdams, to play in front of every high major coach attending for Toure, to dominate. Expect a crowded sideline for this one.
Next on the docket is a head to head with Cathedral Catholic who come to Philly Live 1 all the way from San Diego, they bring a competitive group to the City of Brotherly Love with size up and down the roster. This game will be a test of Wood’s depth against a southern California ball club, an area known as one of the three major hotbeds of basketball talent in the United States.
Closing out the weekend, Wood gets a huge matchup with Wilsonville (OR) , one of the most consistent and dominant programs in their home state. Wilsonville is coming to Philly Live 1 fresh off a 27-4 season that saw their streak of eight straight state championship game appearances snapped. This is a team that's looking to reignite the competitive fire, and Mosco wants his guys to battle. This is a weekend scheduled very strategically, the main priority is getting his guys in front of as many college coaches as possible, but he has to do it while maintaining that competitive rigor that serves as a temperature check in the short run, and benefits the team in the long run.
Bonner-Prendergast
Team Standouts: Korey Francis, Kam Jackson
Players to Watch Out For: Jakeem Carroll, Peyton McClendon
Newcomers: Dashuan Holden, Tariq Warner
Matchups: St. Ignatius (OH, Winning Program, been to philly live, 2026 RJ Jones lone returner, expect more from fellow senior guard Alex Mack) Union Catholic (‘NJ, feat 28 G Malik Moore, trending 5 star and far and away largest returning contributor) Berks Catholic (PA, PIAA 4/5A Mettle, Kingston McCoy)
Goal: Get Korey Francis on national radars
Bonner-Prendergast basketball’s fate is in one man’s hands this season, and his name is Korey Francis, the junior lead guard is returning for his junior season following a 1st Team All-Catholic selection. Francis is another early favorite for MVP, and made me look like a genius last year when I tabbed him as my breakout player for the 24-25 season after his impressive showing in a PCL playoff game against Archbishop Carroll two seasons ago. My “not-so-bold” prediction is that Korey Francis will be on national scouting radars this time next year. The goal for Philly Live 1 for Billy Cassidy and co. needs to be getting high major D1 eyes on their best player, the way they do that is by playing good basketball against competitive teams with alluring stars of their own. Fortunately for them, they will be doing just that in more than one matchup this weekend. In addition to Francis, Bonner features a number of other talented guards, headlined by 5’10 Kam Jackson, who is often mistakenly (and often detrimentally to his opponents) discounted for his stature. Do not be fooled, Kam Jackson is a legitimate Division One prospect in his own right, it's easy to compare him to similarly sized PCL and D1 standout Budd Clark, but Jackson is a different player altogether. Last season, Jackson launched 93 three pointers in 27 games, cashing in 31 of them, good for a 35% clip, something Clark was not known for in his time at West Catholic. In addition to the outside shot, Jackson is a more efficient passer than Clark was at the same age, Jackson (sharing distribution duties with Francis last season) produced a very encouraging 1.8 Assist to Turnover ratio, showcasing elite ball security and ability to get teammates involved as a lead guard. Aside from Francis and Jackson, the only other returner to average over five points a game is another undersized guard in Jakeem Carroll, whose development this offseason is encouraging, and adds another racehorse to a stable of very good guards who love to run and shoot. New to Bonner this year is yet another standout guard ready to join the pack, 2028 Da’Shaun Holden, who had an impressive freshman year at St. Elizabeth’s in Delaware, and moved to the Catholic League seeking a bump in competition and a chance to play inside the Palestra in front of ten thousand fans come February. Holden provides Bonner with another capable ball handler, something that this team simultaneously has no shortage of, and can never have enough of. Holden should fit right into the Catholic League, and will see his first taste of action at Philly Live 1, in front of college coaches and fans alike. In addition to Holden, 2027 guard Tariq Warner joins the team, hailing from St. Marks (DE), Warner provides a little bit more size to a lineup that will most likely feature three or more guards 5’10 and under, meaning he may be tasked with ball handling and wing duties. A duo of players whose growth needs monitoring are the 2027 tandem of 6’7 Ayden Scott, who will not play in Philly Live 1 due to injury, and 6’8 Peyton McClendon, who should provide and make up for most of the size this lineup lacks. When Scott is healthy again, I expect one or the other to start, and the two to split playing time depending on the foul situation. The stable of guards is the strength of this team and should usually take up the other four lineup spots, but if Scott, McClendon, 6’8 football player Tyrie Winn, or 6’6 freshman Charlie Quackenbush impress in a frontcourt role, expect Cassidy to reevaluate based on matchups and performance.
Returning to Philly Live is St. Ignatius (OH), coming all the way from Cleveland to play a basketball game against the Delco based Friars. St. Ignatius is regularly one of the top five teams in their state, and this year should be no different. Their last season ended in a disappointing overtime loss in the state semi-finals, but they return senior guard RJ Jones, 6’6 center/forward Keith Seide, and expect big things from rising senior guard/wing Alex Mack. For my money though, the best long term prospect on the roster is 6’6 sophomore combo guard Carlos Vaughn Jr., his highlight tape showcases some elite bounce, a certain fearlessness when driving to the rim, and a willingness to push the pace on the fastbreak. It seems Vaughn will be the matchup for Francis. Look for Cassidy to establish his guards early in this one and push the tempo on a relatively inexperienced St. Ignatius team.
Bonner’s second Philly Live matchup is perhaps Cassidy’s best chance to get those high major coaches in front of his star player, as the Friars will play Union Catholic (NJ) on Saturday. Union Catholic features a surefire long term bet in 2028 guard Malik Moore, who is receiving early buzz for 5☆ status, averaged a little over 12.5 points a game last season as a freshman, and is far and away the leading returning scorer from last year’s squad. ESPN has him tabbed at #21 in their way-too-early 2028 Rankings, but it's something to keep eyes on. Union Catholic has a few frontcourt pieces they will use to hunt matchups against the smaller Bonner lineup, the first being 6’5 senior guard Trevor Whitaker, who might find success backing down a Jackson, Carroll, or Holden, while Francis guards Moore. Another frontcourt piece who should be seeing his first extended varsity action is 6’7 sophomore RJ Wicks, if Union can successfully hunt mismatches, Wicks is a candidate primed for a breakout game.
On Sunday afternoon, Bonner gets a PIAA 4A matchup with Berks Catholic, who has given the PCL trouble in recent PIAA tournaments. This upcoming year’s Berk’s team will be their best yet, in large part thanks to senior guard Kingston McCoy, whose stock has steadily risen while playing with Team Final on the Nike AAU Circuit. McCoy, who received a scholarship to Lehigh recently, is another 6’3-6’4 primary ball handling guard for Francis to test his mettle against.
Thanks for reading ! Rosters and schedule for Philly Live can be found HERE