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By Matthew De George

Ajiri Johnson breaks the huddle at Bonner & Prendergast practice, then quietly steers clear of the post-practice frivolity to hoist up his required free throws at a corner basket Wednesday. That huddle, in the forward’s second year at Bonner, bears plenty of contradictions.Last year, Johnson was by far physically the biggest member of a perimeter-oriented Friars team. The rangy center powered a 16-win season, getting within a victory of states and inspiring a return to relevance on the court not seen at Bonner in some years.

This season, Johnson no longer presides as the tallest (that honor goes to Salesianum transfer Tariq Ingraham, who’ll play center with Johnson sliding to the four). He’s not the one garnering the most distinguished college looks; the Rider commit is supplanted in that regard by Notre Dame (N.J.) transfer Isaiah Wong, who counts Villanova, Temple, Connecticut and Miami among 13 offering schools.

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By Jeff Griffith

Things started to unravel for the Haverford School in late January 2017.

The Fords had rattled off five straight wins to start conference play, including defeats of Germantown and Episcopal Academies, the first- and second-place finishers in the Inter-Academic League in each of the past three seasons.

After 52 minutes of basketball in its sixth conference game, Haverford took its first Inter-Ac loss to Germantown in a 100-98 five-overtime thriller. A blowout loss at the hands of Malvern Prep just over a week later doomed any chances of a league for the Fords.

“We went through kind of a meltdown last year near the end of the season,” senior guard Kharon Randolph said. “It’s just about us managing the game — don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”

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By Josh Verlin

As for a quick peek at what to expect in Class 5A, we’re going to pick up where we left off as reigning PIAA champion Archbishop Wood is going to start the season at No. 1 — Wood demolished Meadville 73-40 in March’s title game — especially since five players that were part of the Vikings’ nine-man rotation are back.

What made Wood’s first state title even more satisfying is John Mosco’s program had never been in a state tournament prior to last season. Now they’re looking to repeat.

As for Meadville, the Bulldogs graduated most of their starting lineup and will begin the season among our others to watch grouping.

Brief glimpses of our preseason top 10 appear below, with PIAA district and last season’s final record displayed in parentheses. Only those schools competing for PIAA state championships are eligible for ranking purposes.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Dr. Juan Baughn sits forward in his chair, his erudite cadence acquiring a slight lilt as a smile curls up on the corners of his mouth. In his crisp black suit and orange paisley tie, even the orange crystal on his right ring finger seems to glint a little brighter.

“I think technology has changed,” Baughn was saying from his office in the renovated bowels of Chester High School. “I think America has changed. Even Chester has changed. But Chester basketball, expectations are the same today as when I started in 1970.”

The interim Superintendent of the Chester Upland School District had the occasion to share a conference table with the latest occupant of a Chester throne Baughn knows well — Keith Taylor, hired as the new leader of the Clippers boys basketball program. Many things have changed in Chester since Baughn helmed the Clippers from 1970-74.

But as Taylor assumes one of the most exalted and highest pressure jobs in Pennsylvania basketball, one thing hasn’t changed: What is expected of Chester High’s program.

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By Rich Flanagan

Since returning to the Bonner-Prendergast sideline in 2014, head coach Jack Concannon has put the program back into the thick of the Philadelphia Catholic League race.

That year, his team fell to Father Judge in the first round of the PCL playoffs, but Concannon was beginning to build the program back to where he originally had it when he was previously at the helm of the Upper Darby school from 1992-96. The following year, in 2015-16, his team went on a late run defeating West Catholic in the season finale then upending the Burrs again in a play-in game two days later to clinch a playoff berth.

Last season, his team took another step forward, defeating Conwell-Egan in the opening round, the second straight year they had won a playoff game. The Friars fell to eventual PCL champion Archbishop Wood, 65-43 in the quarterfinals. The season finally ended when they fell to Archbishop Carroll in a PIAA Class 5A play-in game.

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