City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
—

(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2024-25 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 4. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

~~~

As always, Philadelphia basketball is everywhere.

Year after year, well over 100 Philly-area ballplayers are spread around Division I rosters, from East Coast to West Coast, North to South, low-major to high-major and everywhere in between. Each fall, CoBL rounds up all of those local prospects to update you on how their careers are going and what’s expected of them in the year to come.

We’ve split the area’s D-I alumni into a four-part list, the whole thing way too big to run all at once. Here’s Part 1 of our 2024-25 CoBL alumni roundup, featuring more than two dozen players who are on scholarship on a Division I roster this season.

(If we’re missing someone, let us know: cityofbasketballlove@gmail.com)

~~~

2024-25 Men's Alumni Roundup: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

~~~

Alfredo Addesa (Fr. | Lehigh)
Addesa had a quality two years at Perkiomen School after coming over from Italy as a high school sophomore; Lehigh came in late to land the 6-foot-10 forward, who heads up to Bethlehem to begin his college career. 

Sultan Adewale (Soph. | Albany)
Adewale began his college career at Iona, where he got a solid bit of experience: playing in 33 games (15 starts), he averaged 3.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg while hitting 44.2% of his shots. Now the 6-8 forward from England (via Neumann-Goretti) will try to build on a career high of 11 points and also go after his first career double-double. 

Al Amadou (Soph. | Marquette)
The 6-9 forward from SCH Academy didn’t get a ton of run in his first season in Marquette. Making 14 appearances, he played a total of 51 minutes, scoring 17 points on 8-of-12 from the floor, with six rebounds. His best game was a six-point, four-rebound effort in 12 minutes against Southern Univ. (La.) in a non-conference blowout win.

Rahmir Barno (Soph. | Florida Gulf Coast)
Barno jumped right into the rotation at FGCU, the former Imhotep guard averaging 4.7 ppg and 2.5 apg in 31 games, starting 14 for head coach Pat Chambers. The 6-foot-tall lead guard scored in double figures twice, topping out with 17 points against NAIA Florida Memorial; improving his shooting percentages (38.5% overall, 24.2% from 3-point range) will help, and he had a strong 1.65:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

Griffin Barrouk (R-Jr. | Sacred Heart)
Barrouk never quite broke into the rotation in two years at Hofstra following a redshirt injury season, playing a total of 26 games in the last two seasons, mostly in mop-up and spot duty (1.6 ppg). The Rustin grad is hoping for better things ahead at Sacred Heart, where he’ll be one of two Ches-Mont products suiting up for the Pioneers along with Henderson grad Nyle Ralph-Beyer. 

Jacob Beccles (Soph. | Cornell)
Beccles got a helping of Division I experience his freshman year, playing in 25 minutes off the bench for the Big Red (8.9 min/game), averaging 3.2 ppg while hitting 45.% of his shots; he had a season-high 15 points against D-III SUNY-Morrisville, but 10 points in 19 minutes against Siena was perhaps his best individual game. Impressively, Beccles 32 assists to only 11 turnovers, a 2.8:1 ratio. 

Shaquil Bender (Sr. | Lincoln)
Bender’s had a cross-country path since graduating from Philly’s Abraham Lincoln High. He prepped at LA Premier, then did two years at Fullerton College (Cali.), a junior college, before transferring to Manhattan to finish out his college years. The 6-2 guard had a successful first season individually under fellow Philly native John Gallagher, afteraging 13.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.6 apg while hitting 38.1% from the floor and 34.1% from 3-point range; his season high was a 30-point outing against Niagara.

Quin Berger (Jr. | Bucknell)
After spending his freshman year mostly on the bench at St. Joe’s, the younger Berger brother got off it for 24 games in his first year at Bucknell, seeing double-digit minutes in 17 of them. The 6-2 guard averaged 1.8 ppg and 0.9 rpg, topping out with eight points in 19 minutes against Marist.  

T.J. Berger (Sr. | Lafayette)
After starting his college career at Georgetown and then San Diego, Berger had his best season yet two years ago, averaging 7.7 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 25 starts for the Leopards. He then missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a torn ACL, but is back and ready to contribute again for the Leopards. Most important will be improving on his shooting percentage (29.4%) from two years ago.

Christian Bliss (R-Fr. | Virginia)
Bliss had a big-time final year at the George School, leading the Cougars within a couple points of the PAISAA championship, the 6-4 guard proving himself one of the best lead guards in the country before electing to leave George a year early to enroll at Virginia. He spent the last year redshirting for the Cavaliers, and will make his collegiate debut this November.

Jhamir Brickus (Gr. | Villanova)
A four-year starter at La Salle, ‘Jig’ had no doubt his best statistical season as a senior, setting new career marks in scoring (13.9 ppg), assists (4.8 apg) and rebounds (2.8 apg), hitting 40% of his 3-pointers, also a career mark. With one year of eligibility remaining thanks to the COVID waiver his freshman year, the 5-11 point guard from Coatesville hit the transfer portal and jumped across the Big 5 to join the Wildcats’ backcourt. With 119 games (104 starts) and more than 3,753 minutes of Division I experience under his belt, there’s no doubt Brickus is as seasoned a veteran as you’ll see. 

Jameel Brown (Jr. | Temple)
The Owls built up their backcourt through the transfer in a big way this offseason, including a few players on this list. Brown who spent most of his high school years at Haverford School before graduating from Westtown, spent the last two years at Penn State, where he played an average of 8.2 minutes per game over 41 appearances, including 27 this past season (4.0 ppg). A 6-4 combo guard, Brown was noted as a strong outside shooter in high school, but is 31-of-105 (29.5%) from deep thus far in college.

Mikeal Brown-Jones (Gr. | Ole Miss)
A Philadelphia native who played at Roman and Girard College before finishing up at IMG Academy, Brown-Jones is finishing off his college career at Ole Miss after previous stops at VCU (2020-22) and UNC-Greensboro (2022-24). He’s improved statistically each season he’s been in college, putting it together last year, averaging 18.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg in his first year as a full-time starter; the versatile 6-8 wing forward shot .540/.431/.787 and had a pair of 39-point outings. 

Sam Brown (Soph. | Penn)
Brown missed the first few games of his freshman season as he recovered from a preseason injury, but wasted no time getting settled, scoring 17 points and hitt four 3-pointers in his mid-November debut. The 6-3 left-hander from Lower Merion moved into the starting lineup not long after, averaging 10.3 ppg and 1.9 apg while shooting 43.3% overall and from the 3-point arc, topping out with a 26-point game (6-7 3PT) against Dartmouth. Now he’ll be one of the Quakers’ leaders. 

Xzayvier Brown (Soph. | Saint Joseph’s)
What a debut season it was for the Roman Catholic guard, who put himself on a bunch of watch lists with a stellar freshman year — including a few NBA draft board ones. The 6-2 lead guard played in 35 games, starting 13, averaging 12.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.3 apg in 30.8 minutes per contest, shooting .460/.404/.796 from the floor with a 1.75:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. There’s a chance he flirts with a few triple-doubles this season, coming closest last year with a 13-point, 10-assist, six-rebound effort against Seton Hall. 

Aasim ‘Flash’ Burton (Fr. | Rider)
Burton comes to Rider after a strong high school career at Cardinal O’Hara, where he became just the fourth boys player in a Lions uniform to surpass the 1,000-point arc. He’s hoping to become next in a line of Philly guards who have crossed the river to Lawrenceville and done well in a Broncs uniform. 

Mark Butler (Soph. | Lafayette)
Lafayette coach Mike McGarvey certainly thinks he’s got his point guard for the next few years in Butler, who jumped right in as the Leopards’ on-ball starter as a freshman. In 32 games, all starts, he averaged 7.4 ppg and 3.7 apg with a terrific 2.90:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the entire Patriot League and placing second nationally amongst all qualifying freshmen (27th overall). He shot 50% from the floor but is still looking for his first collegiate 3-pointer, going 0-of-17 from deep as a rookie. 

John Camden (Sr. | Delaware)
Camden’s upside on the wing at 6-8 combined with his shooting ability had college coaches drooling when he was at several stops in high school, ending up at Brewster Academy (N.H.), but so far Camden’s yet to make a major impact on the court at the D-I level. He spent one season at Memphis, injuries ending his season after one game, then played in 37 games over two seasons at Virginia Tech the last two years, though only averaging 6.6 minutes. Now at Delaware with two seasons remaining, he’s hoping this is the breakthrough year. 

Andrew Carr (Gr. | Kentucky)
Carr’s stock has been rising for about seven straight years. The 6-10 stretch forward out of West Chester East built on strong junior and senior years of high school with two solid years at Delaware (9.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg) before two even stronger years at Wake Forest, averaging 13.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg as a senior on .526/.371/.781 splits, with six double-doubles. Now he’s joining new Kentucky coach Mark Pope to play in front of one of the biggest fanbases in the sport to potentially springboard him towards a pick in the NBA Draft next June. 

Adam ‘Budd’ Clark (Soph. | Merrimack)
Underrecruited for most of his junior and senior years at West Catholic, Clark proved his value with a standout first year at Merrimack. The Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, Clark averaged 13.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 rpg and 2.5 spg, the latter mark putting him seventh in the country in swipes per game, and he did it while hitting 46.9% of his shots. Clark didn’t need to go anywhere in the offseason to prove himself against a higher level of competition; Merrimack moved to the MAAC for the upcoming season. 

Jack Clark (Gr. | Virginia Commonwealth)
Clark might be the most elder statesman in college basketball this season. The Cheltenham product, now up to a listed height of 6-10 — about four inches taller than his senior year in high school — is in his seventh year on a college roster, having lost multiple seasons to injuries along with the COVID waiver granting him one final go-around. Clark’s now at his fourth school, having played at La Salle (2018-22), NC State (2022-23) and Clemson (2023-24) along the way, averaging 4.7 ppg and 4.9 rpg last season in 23.5 mpg.

Noah Collier (Sr. | William & Mary)
Collier seemed ready for his best collegiate season yet, averaging 13.0 ppg through the first three games of the 2023-24 season before suffering a season-ending injury. The 6-8 swingman from the Westtown School averaged 9.0 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 23 games (23 starts) in 2022-23, his first at William & Mary after two years at Pittsburgh. Thanks to the COVID year, he’s got two seasons of eligibility remaining if he chooses to use them. 

Rahsool Diggins (Sr. | Massachusetts)
A major piece of UMass’ resurgence last season, Diggins had his best college season yet in his second year with the Minutemen. The Archbishop Wood product, who transferred from UConn to UMass after his freshman season, averaged 12.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 2.2 apg in 31 starts, shooting 36.8% from 3-point range on 204 attempts, his 75 triples good for eighth in the Atlantic 10. The 6-2 combo guard scored in double figures 24 times, topped off by a 25-point, five-assist outing against George Washington.

Tre Dinkins (Sr. | Duquesne)
It’s been a long road to Pittsburgh for the Chester native and Cardinal O’Hara grad, who used two years at Harcum College to earn a scholarship at Canisius, where he went from a key reserve as a junior (5.9 ppg) to a big-time scorer as a senior (15.4 ppg) while putting up .410/.365/.786 shooting splits, along with 3.6 apg and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.48:1. He’ll try to help new head coach Dru Joyce maintain momentum from last year’s 25-win season. 

Raijon Dispensa (Fr. | UTEP)
Dispensa played most of his high school years at Shipley School, though he also spent a year in D.C. and did a post-graduate season at South Kent (Conn.), all of which got him to Texas El-Paso as a freshman this winter. The 6-9 wing/forward has always had a D-I frame, but was a late-bloomer in his high school years from a physicality standpoint. 

Eric Dixon (Gr. | Villanova)
After going back and forth about whether to return to Villanova for one sixth and final year of college basketball or turn pro, Dixon ultimately decided he wanted to don the Wildcats uniform one more time (and take advantage of an ever-growing NIL market). The 6-8 forward from Abington has gone from key reserve to solid starter to Big East standout, averaging a career-best 16.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg on .465/.346/.862 splits last year. With 1,499 career points, he’s currently 34th on the program’s all-time scoring list, but another season like the one before would land him inside the top five. 

Caleb Dorsey (Sr. | William & Mary)
Dorsey came to William & Mary last season after three years at Penn State, the 6-7 wing out of the Hill School joining his younger brother to team up once again. Starting a majority of his team’s games (27 of 33) for the first time, Dorsey averaged 7.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 1.7 apg, all career highs, with four double-doubles. His best game against D-I competition was a 14-point, 12-rebound outing against Stony Brook.

Gabe Dorsey (Sr. | William & Mary)
The younger Dorsey brother’s been a standout for W&M each of the last two years, taking a more featured role in the offense as a junior, jumping his scoring average from 10.9 to 14.0 ppg. The 6-6 wing, who like his brother starred at the Hill School, hit the 20-point mark five times, topping out with a career-high 27-point game against UMBC back in November; he also hit eight 3-pointers as part of a 26-point outing against Hofstra in January.