Delcohoops.com

By Terry Toohey

The crowd in Sections 225 and 226 of the Barclays Center roared its approval as NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Portland Trail Blazers had taken Chester All-Delco and Arizona product Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the 23rd pick in the first round of the NBA Draft Thursday night.

That group, all 54 of them from Chester, were there thanks to Hollis-Jefferson as part of an essay contest he and his family sponsored, and they made sure they showed their appreciation to their native son.

But he wasn’t the property of the Trail Blazers for long. Portland dealt the Chester product to Brooklyn as part of a four-player deal. The Blazers acquired center Mason Plumlee and shooting guard Pat Connaughton in exchange for Hollis-Jefferson and guard Steve Blake. Connaughton was the Nets’ second-round pick, the 41st overall selection.

“Rondae, Rondae,” the group chanted as Hollis-Jefferson headed toward the TV platform to be interviewed. Hollis-Jefferson flashed a smile in return.

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By Matt Smith

That million-dollar smile of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s tells you all you need to know about the pride of Chester High.

The young man is a keeper.

He was born and raised in the high school basketball capital of Pennsylvania, a city too often in the news for the wrong reasons.

But Hollis-Jefferson is a beaming light, a shining star for Chester, Delaware County.

It doesn’t matter what the two-time Daily Times Player of the Year accomplishes in terms of an NBA career. He’s already hit the proverbial jackpot.

Thursday night, he became the first Chester guy to be drafted since Tyreke Evans in 2009, who attended charter school at now defunct American Christian in Brookhaven. Hollis-Jefferson follows in the footsteps of another class act, Jameer Nelson, who has enjoyed a fruitful NBA career that is 10 years running.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Derrick Jones didn’t grow up watching the NBA. He wasn’t caught up in the whirlwind of March Madness.

What Jones knew about the game of basketball was what he saw on the courts of Chester, from the group of acquaintances he kept on the blacktop. From that group, his early role model was profound.

“My brother was the best player to me,’ Jones said last week. “When I started playing, I always had that mindset that I always had to be better than what he was. I wanted to be the best.’

Jones is five years younger than his brother, Lakeem Johnson, a 2010 Chichester grad who played varsity for the Eagles. From the time Jones was a star in the 7/8-year-old Chester Biddy League, Johnson was responsible for furnishing daily challenges away from the realm of organized games. While Jones’ stock shot up on the AAU circuit, the work put in away from the scouts, spectators and sponsors is what truly drove his rise.

“It was kind of blood, sweat and tears, because we had a basketball court out back, I always challenged him to make him better,’ Johnson said. “As he got older, he got better than I am, and I respect that. I always pushed him to the limit to make him better.’

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By Matthew DeGeorge

In addition to Daily Times Player of the Year Derrick Jones, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:

Shawn Alston, Haverford School: The senior guard and two-time selection averaged 19.4 points per game for the Fords, who finished third in the Inter-Ac and advanced to the semifinals of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament. Alston also averaged 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He scored a season-high 30 points in a Dec. 5 win over Imhotep Charter and notched 15 or more points in nine of the Fords’ 10 Inter-Ac games. The All-Inter-Ac selection scored 24 points against Germantown Academy and 25 against Malvern Prep in his final two league games. Alston finishes his high school career with 1,461 points, second in program history. The Temple signee was voted the USA Today high school Player of the Year in Pennsylvania and to the Pennsylvania Sportswriters first team All-State.

(click on this link for the full All-Delco-Team)

First Team

Derrick Jones, Archbishop Carroll Sr. F

Lamar Stevens, Haverford School Jr. F

Nick Alikakos, Episcopal Academy So. F

Malik Jackson, Penn Wood Sr. G

Shawn Alston, Haverford School Sr. G

Brett Foster, Ridley Jr. G

Second Team

Nick Giordano, Marple Newtown Sr. G

Jawan Collins, Academy Park Jr. G

Mike Doyle, Penncrest Sr. G

Josh Sharkey, Archbishop Carroll Jr. G

Kevin McCormick, Springfield Sr. G

Anthony Johnson, Glen Mills Jr. F

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