First all-state boys team announced

Posted: May 02, 2022

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a daily series of seven all-state boys basketball teams.

By Mike Gross, LNP Media Group

It was late in a quarterfinal game of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs, and tournament favorite Westtown was in trouble.

Trouble from which seniors Dereck Lively, Jameel Brown and Quin Berger – all of whom have been chosen to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Non-PIAA All-State boys team – were about to lead an escape.

Malvern Prep led Westtown 48-43, with the ball, with 2:43 left. Berger scored eight straight points for the Chargers, who went into the final half-minute trailing by two.

Berger found Brown on a baseline in-bounds play to tie it. Lively, who’s 7-1, blocked a shot at the other end, and the ball found Berger, who rushed to the other end and got it to Lively on a pick-and-pop for a 3-pointer.

Swish. Westtown 54, Malvern Prep 51. The Moose went on to their fourth PISAA title.

“I told our kids how lucky we were,’’ Westtown coach Seth Berger said, “to have three seniors who only cared about winning. Especially when one of them is going to be a (college) one-and-done going to the NBA, one is a high major recruit and the other one was looking for his first D-I offer.’’

The one-and-done, Lively, is the No. 1-ranked senior in the country, and the Non-PIAA Player of the Year, an honor that goes to the highest vote-getter in voting by a media panel from throughout the state.

Lively, who grew up in Bellefonte, Pa., arrived at Westtown, a boarding school near West Chester, as a 6-foot-9 freshman. He will attend Duke, and likely join Westtown alums Mo Bomba and Cam Reddish in the NBA.

Lively, whom Berger called, “a modern-day center,’’ scores and defends inside and out. He averaged 14 points, 14 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots per game.

Brown, a 6-4 guard, joined Lively on the first team for the second straight year. A Penn State recruit, he transferred from Haverford for his senior season and averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds and a steal.

Berger, the coach’s son, made the third team this year, and the second team in 2021. He led the team in scoring at 16 points along with 5 assists and 4 rebounds per game.

He will attend St. Joseph’s.

An emerging star on the first team is Kachi Nzeh, a 6-8 junior from the George School in Newtown, who averaged 19.5 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. His scholarship offers include Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Miami and Virginia Commonwealth.

Also jumping from the first team a year ago: Muhsin Muhammad, a 6-3 junior from Germantown Friends who averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Rounding out the first team is Elmarko Jackson, a 6-3 junior from Academy of the New Church. Jackson fills out a box score, averaging 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.0 steals. His offers include Syracuse, Penn State, LaSalle, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Seton Hall, Mississippi, Rider, Virginia Commonwealth, Drake, Siena, and Bryant.

Second-team selection Xavian Lee led Perkiomen School to the PISAA championship game and a berth in the National Prep Championship tournament. He averaged 17 points and 4.5 assists, and will attend Princeton.

The lone sophomore on the second team 6-4 Christian Bliss of the George School, has already scored 916 career points. He averaged 19, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists for a 15-5 team that reached the PISAA semifinals.

He has offers from St. Peter’s, Drexel, Siena, Loyola Chicago, Bryant, and other Division 1 schools.

Seth Berger, whose team was 31-7 and won the Friends Schools League championship for the eighth straight year, shared Coach of the Year with Ben Luber, a former Penn State guard who has built a power in three seasons at the George School.

2021-22 Class Non-PIAA All-State Teams

1st Team

Dereck Lively II, 7' 1", senior, Westtown (Player of the Year)

Kachi Nzeh, 6' 8", junior, George

Elmarko Jackson, 6' 3", junior, Academy of the New Church

Jameel Brown, 6' 4", senior, Westtown

Muhsin Muhammad, 6' 3", junior, Germantown Friends

2nd Team

Christian Bliss, 6' 4", sophomore, George

Christian Kirkland, 6' 6", junior, Friends Select

Anthony McCall, 6' 4", senior, Academy of the New Church

Xavian Lee, 6' 2", senior, Perkiomen