ANC forwards Ryan Warren, Cameron Smith thriving after transferring from La Salle

Ryan Warren and Cameron Smith weren’t a package deal this summer.

The former members of the La Salle College High School boys’ basketball team, however, soon found out they were both considering a move to the Academy of the New Church.

After a season battling each other in practice with the Explorers, a potential frontcourt pairing with the Lions was exciting.

“We didn’t know at first, but we both heard about each other looking to come here and we talked to each other and decided it would be a good move for both of us to play together,” Smith said.

The Lions didn’t have a true post presence last season. At 6-foot-4, wing Dior Carter had to play out of position at times along with 6-5 guard Bahsil Laster and 6-2 guard Deywilk Tavarez (now at Delaware State).

Carter, now a sophomore; Laster, a senior; and 6-foot senior Nolan Waldon are all back on the perimeter, along with the addition of sophomore guard Tobe Nwobu from Camden Catholic. The presence of the 6-6 Warren and 6-7 Smith, as well as 6-5 junior forward Caleb Alston-Nelson, has given the team frontcourt depth it didn’t have a year ago.

That’s important, with the likes of George School and 6-9 forward Tristen Guillouette on the schedule, along with Penn Charter and 6-10 forward Matt Gilhool.

“It’s a pleasure to have some guys who can go in there and be enforcers,” said ANC coach Kevin Givens. “You just can’t find that all the time anymore.

“Eventually, I know we have to move them out of the post and get them to work on their perimeter game, but right now we feel lucky that they’re humble enough to go inside, post up, and help us out that way. And they’re doing a great job rebounding and everything, too.”

Warren and Smith crossed paths in the basketball world in middle school, but they didn’t know each other before arriving at La Salle together in 2021-22.

Smith was on the freshman team, then the JV squad as a sophomore. He thought he was ready to play varsity last season. Instead, he had a breakout summer with the Philly Revolution 16U squad on the Hoop Group circuit.

Warren played JV as a freshman at La Salle and then varsity last season, putting up 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 20 games (17 starts) before spending the summer on Philly Pride’s UAA 15U team.

They both decided to reclassify to the Class of 2026 when they arrived at ANC, repeating their sophomore seasons.

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“Last year wasn’t really great for either of us, so getting that year back can really help us in the future,” Warren said.

“That’s the biggest thing, getting that year back that we both felt like we lost last year,” Smith added. “It’s just an extra year to get better for me and him together.”

Through 15 games at ANC, Warren is averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Smith is averaging 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.

“Ryan’s always running the floor,” Smith said. “He always has a big momentum dunk running the lane. That’s really the biggest thing. He plays good defense, he rebounds, he’s strong as hell. … Once he gets in the air, it’s really hard to stop him.”

Warren also knows how tough Smith can be to stop after going up against him in practice for the last two years.

“His post hook is pretty hard to guard,” Warren said. “No matter how high you jump, it’s unguardable.”

The Lions are the only unbeaten team in the Friends School League after league wins over Friends’ Central and Friends Select last week. They are chasing their first FSL title since 2009 and have the pieces to do some damage beyond that.

Warren and Smith are embracing the opportunity to contribute to a winning team, after La Salle went 9-13 overall and 2-11 in the Catholic League in 2022-23.

“It’s really exciting,” Warren said. “I always wished to play at the Palestra, but I’m really excited that I’m on a team that has a chance of doing something bigger.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.