Sizing up the top Philly area high school boys’ basketball teams

High school basketball playoffs are nearly upon us.

Most schools have started or will begin league playoffs in the coming weeks, with the hopes of making a state final appearance. Some unexpected teams are on the rise, while others remain at the top.

Here’s a look at some of the area’s top boys’ squads with the playoffs looming.

St. Joseph’s Prep clinched the No. 1 seed in the Philadelphia Catholic League. The 16-4 Hawks remain unbeaten in the PCL, winning all 11 games, which included tough matchups against a dominant Roman Catholic and Devon Prep.

The Hawks haven’t made an appearance in the finals since 2013 or the semifinals since 2018. But this could be their year, as the roster is filled with talent in Jaron McKie (committed to Dayton), who surpassed 1,000 points, Olin Chamberlain, and Jordan Ellerbee (committed to Florida Gulf Coast).

The first round of the PCL playoffs begins on Feb. 12. Semifinals will take place on Feb. 19, with finals slated on Feb. 23 at the Palestra.

Roman Catholic (16-4) is another top contender to make its return to the Palestra. The defending PCL champions are third in league play. The Cahillites are led by Lafayette-bound Shareef Jackson and his younger brother, Sammy, but have a number of contributors as coach Chris McNesby uses a variety of rotations.

» READ MORE: Roman Catholic’s Semaj Robinson ‘doesn’t shy away’ from big moments

Guard Tyler Sutton has been an impactful addition. The sophomore transferred in this offseason from George School and is considered one of the top prospects in the class of 2027. If Roman gets back to the final, the Cahillites have the chance to win their third consecutive title.

Father Judge (14-6) has emerged as one of the area’s top teams. Last year, the Crusaders made a PCL semifinal appearance for the first time since 1999.

They entered this season with loads of talent, including point guard Kevair Kennedy, who’s committed to Merrimack and Loyola-bound Everett Barnes, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound center.

The Crusaders knocked off powerhouse Imhotep Charter, 53-51, earlier in the season and were recently riding a five-game winning streak before falling to Archbishop Carroll on Monday. Father Judge also picked up notable wins against Camden and Roman Catholic.

» READ MORE: Father Judge has become a top basketball team in the area and looks ‘to win everything’

Devon Prep (14-4) sits in second place in the PCL. Last year, the Tide won their second state title in three years in the PIAA Class 3A championship. They were the No. 1 seed out of District 12, but finished 5-8 in the Catholic League. This year, they moved up to the Class 4A and returned most of their starters while having some depth on the bench.

Seniors Zane Conlon (16.4 points per game) and Shane Doyle have been with the program since their freshman year. Mason Thear and Reece Craft, both seniors, joined the program late. Thear came from Perkiomen Valley last season and Craft transferred from Malvern Prep as a sophomore.

The four have been a veteran force that could help Devon Prep make some noise in the PCL playoffs.

Bonner-Prendergast (15-5) opened its season with a five-game winning streak and suffered its first loss on Dec. 27 in a tournament against Charlotte Catholic of North Carolina. However, the Friars bounced back, winning their next six.

The PCL is certainly wide-open this season. Bonner, which sits in fifth place, has been led by senior Tysicere Jackson and sophomore Korey Francis. The two combined for 51 points in the team’s Catholic League opener on Jan. 3 against Archbishop Wood.

» READ MORE: Inside Bonner-Prendie’s dramatic win over Father Judge

In the regular season, the Friars beat Father Judge in a buzzer-beater but fell to Roman Catholic and Devon Prep. They’ll have a tough test at home against St. Joe’s Prep on Friday.

Upper Dublin (21-1) had success last season, winning the Suburban One League Liberty Division championship outright, marking the program’s first since 2002. The Cardinals also won their first SOL Tournament title and made a PIAA Class 5A playoff appearance for the first time in two decades.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals wrapped up their regular season with a win over Plymouth Whitemarsh and extended their winning streak to 21 games. They won the SOL Liberty title outright again after they topped Hatboro-Horsham on Jan. 30.

Upper Dublin is led by seniors Ryan Mulroy and Idris Rines, while sophomore Justin Ragsdale also has been a critical piece to the lineup, especially down the stretch.

The No. 1-seeded Cardinals will look to repeat last year’s success and more. The SOL Tournament will begin on Friday.

Penn Charter (17-3) won back-to-back Inter-AC championships outright after the Haverford School beat Malvern Prep on Tuesday. The Quakers went undefeated in league play and have a roster of college-bound stars.

» READ MORE: Penn Charter’s Jake West relishes his role as a clutch shooter: ‘I know how confident I am’

Matt Gilhool, a 6-10 big man, is committed to LSU, point guard Jake West is heading to Northwestern, and combo guard Kai Shinholster made his pledge to Minnesota. They’re also ranked among the top players in the state by 247Sports.

Imhotep Charter, which has won 10 consecutive state titles and 12 Philadelphia Public League championships, is 10-0 this season in the Public League A Division. It will play Central in the first round of the PPL playoffs.

The Panthers (17-5) graduated a strong 2024 class led by UConn freshman Ahmad Nowell. This year’s group has still found ways to win. Early in the season, Imhotep beat St. Joe’s Prep and capped it off with a win over West Catholic.

Senior Carnell Henderson, and juniors Latief Lorenzano-White, Zaahir Muhammad-Gray (who has been sidelined with an injury), and RJ Smith are the main returners from last year’s rotation.

» READ MORE: Marc Jackson and Aaron McKie were Sixers teammates. Now their sons are thriving in the Catholic League.

After Springside Chestnut Hill (19-6) fell to Penn Charter on Tuesday, it finished second in the Inter-Ac with two regular-season games remaining.

Senior Keni Williams has been the leader of the group. The guard surpassed 1,000 points and dropped a career-high 33 points against the Haverford School on Jan. 24, which marked the most points scored by a Springside Chestnut Hill player since 2023.

The Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association Play-in begins on Feb. 18, with the first round starting on Feb. 21.