By David Cordova
The Northeast is a huge hotbed for basketball. But there are two places that have a strong love for the game. Those two places are Philadelphia, which is also called the City of Brotherly Love and New York City, which is also called the Big Apple, or in basketball circles, the Mecca of Basketball.
Both cities have had their greats in all levels of the sport, whether it be in high school, college, professional basketball, and on the playground. The best way to determine which city was the best was to have a competition for it. And a competition they did have, on Saturday evening in Philadelphia at Benjamin Franklin High School, as the best players from both cities that are sophomores (2019), juniors (2018) & seniors (2017), took battle to prove which city was more prominent.
It ended up being a rout in favor of New York, as the team from the Big Apple won two out of three games (sophomore & senior games), respectively and Philadelphia ended up with the lone win in the junior game. But one thing was certain, there were plenty of Division I talent in all three games, making it a thrilling event for all who were present.
Outstanding Players in All-City Classic:
Notable Players from the Sophomore Game:
New York
Joe Toussaint, Cardinal Hayes High School (NY), Guard
A point guard that knows how to set up his teammates for baskets & knows how to attach the basket.
Precious Achiuwa, St. Benedict’s Prepatory School (NJ), Forward
Has a lot of versatility in his game. Has a great shooting touch & can handle the ball, as well as take it to the basket.
Bryce Wills, Iona Prepatory School, Guard
A guard that is very athletic on both ends of the court. Is very fierce when going to the basket.
Anderson Mirabeaux, Redemption Christian Academy (NY), Forward
A power forward that has plenty of size but makes great moves to the basket, can rebound and shows a little bit of athleticism.
Aidan Igiehon, Lawrence Woodmere Academy (NY), Forward
A forward that is aggressive when going towards the rim. Is a terror on both ends of the ball. Has a lot of upper-body strength, which shows his toughness and is very dominant on the boards. Also has the ability to step out and shoot.
Philadelphia
Jihad Watson, Del-Val Charter High School (PA), Guard
A flashy guard that has playmaking ability, but can also take over a game with his scoring. Very efficient at getting the ball to teammates.
Eric Dixon, Abington High School (PA), Forward
A forward with a big body that moves solidly and uses his strength to power his way to the rim and also shows plenty of athleticism as well, as shown in the game.
Christian Ings, Neumann-Goretti High School, Guard
A guard that can play both the point and the off-guard positions very well, can either score the ball and/or set up teammates for baskets.
Notable Players for Junior Game:
New York
Markquis Nowell, Bishop Loughlin High School (NY), Guard
A small guard that shows heart and poise and can make highlight-reel plays when in transition, be it scoring or passing.
Mamadou Doucoure, Our Savior New American School (NY), Forward
A forward that possesses a lot of strength in the paint and has a great motor. He is a formidable shot-blocking presence in the lane and is a great rebounder.
Boubacar Diakite, Our Savior New American School (NY), Forward
Diakite is a wing player that runs the floor well and has versatility as well as athleticism. Also has the ability to shoot from mid-range. Committed to St. John’s University.
Philadelphia
Mattheu Cotton, St. Benedict’s Prepatory School (NJ), Forward
Cotton is a wing player that is a potent shooter from the outside that can score in bunches.
Ahmad Williams, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PA), Forward
A guard that has energy and a passion for the game. He showed that he could hit the three and score clutch baskets when needed. Also, a great defensive presence as well.
Notable Players From the Senior Game:
New York
Marion Williams, Our Savior Lutheran School (NY), Guard
A speedy guard that does a lot of the little things right on both ends of the court. Shows plenty of athleticism and scoring ability.
Jose Alvarado, Christ the King High School (NY), Guard
A guard that gets all of his teammates involved, but also gets plenty of baskets and is a dangerous shooter from long-range. Committed to Georgia Tech University.
Isaiah Washington, St. Raymond High School, Guard
A guard that is very electrifying and plays to the crowd. Has shown an improvement in his jump shot and makes plenty of highlight-reel plays, as well as his patented finger roll layup, also known as the “jelly.” Committed to the University of Minnesota.
Philadelphia
Tamir Green, Constitution High School (PA), Guard
A slick and diminutive guard that always looks to score and is fearless when getting into the lane.
Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti High School (PA), Guard
A true point guard that is a pass-first point guard and scorer second. Breaks down defenders with great ball handling skills and can also shoot from long range.
Izaiah Brockington, Archbishop Ryan High School (PA), Guard
A two-guard that can shoot from long-range as well as score in bunches. Always makes great drives to the basket. Committed to NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology).
Koby Thomas, Imhotep Charter High School, (PA), Forward
Three words seem to describe this forward: Human-Highlight-Reel. When he goes into the lane, his mission is to attack the rim. Shows a lot of athleticism on both ends of the court. Committed to Robert Morris University.
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, Neumann-Goretti High School, Forward
A player that can play both the power forward & center position. He powers his way into the lane with force and is a formidable post presence on both ends of the court. Committed to Villanova University.
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