Boys Basketball: Sans Casanova, Penncrest leading on veteran guards

The plan for Penncrest was about a decade in the making.

Since the current crop of seniors was in elementary school, their chemistry on the court was building toward what they hoped would be a senior-year culmination. That plan changed this summer, though, with the transfer of forward Ben Casanova out of state, forcing coach Mike Doyle and a loaded senior backcourt to cobble together a new plan of attack. The guard corps was always going to be strong, thanks to classmates Mike Doyle, Nolan Carroll and Drew Hanna. A big part of compensating for the loss of last year’s leading scorer, Rahmi Halaby, in the low post was going to be the 6-5 Casanova, who averaged 13.5 points per game last season.

But when Casanova bid an emotional farewell for Southview High School near Toledo, a quick reshuffling was required. The spotlight will be on A.J. Taylor, Chandler Henry and John Nicholas, who scored a combined eight varsity points last season, to provide the presence in the low blocks.

Coming off the program’s first PIAA Tournament berth in decades, Haverford will have to reload with just three significant contributors returning: Point guard Jack Donaghy, last year’s sixth-man Jim Roe and forward Ryan Brown. Those three players averaged just a hair over 10 ppg, meaning someone will have to step up offensively to fill the void left by the graduation of the team’s top three scorers, including Tom Leibig, the only double-figures point producer at 12.2 ppg. Sean Kauffman, Joe Ghisu and Sean McClatchy, all of whom got limited varsity minutes last year, appear poised to step forward, while coach Keith Heinerichs has a few youngsters he’s eager to see in action.

Ridley is among the teams with a strong returning contingent. Guard Brett Foster, the only double-digits scorer on Mike Snyder’s team, returns as just a junior, looking to grow alongside backcourt mate Julian Wing, who also saw significant minutes later in the year. Their ability to improve the team’s perimeter shooting and playmaking could prove vital in taking a step forward from last season’s 13-9 campaign. Senior forward Ameer Staggs will anchor the low post, while both Justin Dawson and Nick Czechowicz return with experience as the Green Raiders chase a third straight District One playoff bid.

Upper Darby doesn’t return a single starter and has just one returning varsity contributor in 6-2 Isheem Adams, but coach Bob Miller has reason to hope. The team has a little size thanks to promising sophomore Bayir Hodges. Guards Kahleel Henry, Quadir Turner, Jaris Fisher and Juwan May-Craddle provide a boost in the backcourt.

Springfield returns just two starters from last year, but they have a bevy of players with varsity experience, among them leading scorer Kevin McCormick (11.6 ppg). Matt Conran, Brian McCloskey, Jack Schott, Chris Abbonizio and Dan Wasson fill out the backcourt. Jordan Collins and Quideer Wimes should give the Cougars, who boast eight players standing 6-3 or 6-4, an inside presence. Wimes, who only played six games last season, finished the year with two double-figure scoring games and is coming off a stellar season as a tight end for the football team.

The last two seasons, Garnet Valley has forced its way into the District One Tournament conversation without making the field. Coach Mike Brown is hopeful that he has a team capable of bucking the second part of that trend. Three starters return from last season, including second-leading scorer Austin Klenotiz (9.5 ppg). Point guard Steve Palis and Jack Diggory are also back after successful football seasons. Added to the ranks is Cardinal O’Hara transfer Andrew Louden, who was the Lions second-leading scorer at 12.4 ppg, including 45 made 3-pointers. Freshmen Austin Laughlin and Danny Guy, members of the St. Thomas the Apostle CYO team that won a state championship in the spring, will also push for minutes.

Among the returnees for Marple Newtown is Nick Giordano, the second-leading scorer in Delco last season with 19.4 ppg. The shifty senior will be part of a guard-oriented approach for a short Tigers squad with plenty of backcourt experience. Also returning is Jake McGee, the team’s other double-digit scorer at 13.3 ppg, as well as guards Nick DiCamillo, Jordan Womack and Matt Hahn. Mike Rutecki and Marcus Weathers will provide depth.

It’s just about back to a blank slate for Radnor, with all five starters and nine seniors departing from last year’s monumental trip to the program’s first ever District One Class AAAA Tournament. Coach Chris Monaghan has confidence in the mentality of the group he has returning, among them junior Vinnie Kelly and senior Jake Schug, but replicating last winter’s dream season will require a lot of work.

A 2-20 season wasn’t exactly an enjoyable experience for Strath Haven, but coach Tom Dougherty believes the players that return will be better off for the newfound toughness the struggles bred. Guard Kyree Fuller, who averaged a team-high 12 ppg, returns, as does fellow double-figure scorer Nick Fender. Big man Alex Ischiropoulos and guard/forward Anthony Myers will also figure significantly into the mix.