Kimble leads N-G over King

With as many scoring weapons as Neumann-Goretti has in its lineup, a selfless distributor is a necessary element. And Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble is more than happy to fill that role.

"My job most games is to spread the ball around, get as many people involved as possible," the 6-foot, 185-pound junior said. "If that's going to make us successful, I'm good with that."

Kimble showed off his floor-general talents Saturday, racking up 10 assists as the Saints, who led by as many as 23 points, eased past Martin Luther King, 85-75, in the Kyle Lowry City Classic boys' basketball showcase at Ben Franklin.

"Sometimes, Fresh is too unselfish," the Saints' Ja'Quan Newton said. "He'll have a layup but pass it up. He's just that kind of player."

With a nifty dish in the second quarter, Kimble, a second-year starter, set up Tony Toplyn for a slam. Newton, who poured in 31 points, and fellow senior guard Troy Harper (20) also benefited from Kimble's feeds.

How did Kimble get his nickname?

"It came from playing basketball when I was younger," the 17-year-old said. "Other kids say I looked 'fresh' on the court."

Against King, which came in ranked No. 5 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, Kimble shot 3 for 10 from the field (1 for 3 on three-pointers) and 5 for 7 from the line for 12 points.

"King is one of the better teams in the Public League," Kimble said. "We saw this game as the Catholic League vs. the Public League. We wanted to play well and prove ourselves."

Newton shot 11 for 15 from the line. The Miami signee added 11 boards and three assists. He is averaging 30 points over the last three games.

"He's been in a zone lately," Kimble said.

The No. 3-ranked Saints (15-4) went 27 for 38 on free throws against the Cougars (17-4). They led, 40-20, at the break.

Kimble has scholarship offers from Drexel, Hofstra, Robert Morris, St. Peter's, and Towson. St. Joseph's and Temple also are keeping tabs.

"I don't worry about the recruiting scene too much," he said. "If I'm playing the right way, my stock will rise."

Neumann-Goretti 16 24 22 23 - 85

Martin L. King 9 12 23 31 - 75

NG: Lamarr Kimble 12, Vaughn Covington 5, Tony Toplyn 12, Troy Harper 20, Ja'Quan Newton 31, Quade Green 3, Zane Martin 2.

MLK: Sammy Foreman 20, Jabri McCall 22, Greg Bennett 4, Chase Rodgers 10, Jahmir Taylor 14, Tyheem Harmon 5.