4 Boys to Watch
Here are four players expected to have big impacts on their teams:
Here are four players expected to have big impacts on their teams:
Rakeem Brookins, Roman Catholic, 5-foot-11 senior guard
Averaging 19.6 points per game last season, Brookins helped lead the Cahillites to the Catholic League title game against Neumann-Goretti. The combo guard produced 24 points, including a pair of treys, in the loss to the Saints. Brookins also averaged 3.5 steals and 3.1 assists per game. He is committed to Tulane.
C.J. Aiken, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 6-9 senior forward
While sparking the Colonials to the PIAA Class AAAA state semifinals last season, Aiken averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game. Aiken, one of four starters back for PW, will play for Phil Martelli at St. Joseph's. He chose the Hawks over fellow Big Five schools Temple and La Salle.
Dominic Morris, Friends' Central, 6-7 senior forward
One of a handful of Division I recruits for coach Jason Polykoff, Morris averaged about 12 points and eight rebounds per game last season as the Phoenix went 29-2 and finished second to the Academy of the New Church in the Friends Schools League. Morris will be joined at Boston University by classmates Travis Robinson, a 6-4 guard, and H.J. Gaskins, a 5-9 point guard.
D.J. Irving, Archbishop Carroll, 5-11, senior, guard
The savvy and quick-footed point guard averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game for the PIAA Class AAA state champions. Bound for Boston University, he earned first-team all-Catholic League Blue Division honors last season. As a sophomore, with the Patriots playing in the old Southern Division, he was a third-team pick.