Chris Clover was shocked when his roommate at Philadelphia University told him where he came from to attend this week’s Reebok Classic Breakout.
“I’m rooming with a guy from Seattle,” said Clover, a Philly resident and a rising junior at Saint Joseph’s Prep. “I’m like, ‘Seattle? That’s a far commute!’”
Indeed it is. But, if nothing else, it shows the scope of the three-day event at Philadelphia University, which features 100 of the best high school prospects from across the country, playing in front of scores of big-time college coaches.
“This is very cool for me,” Clover said on Thursday -- the second day of the Reebok Classic Breakout -- just after he led his team to its third straight win. “This is my first time playing in a big camp like with a lot of college coaches from all over. It’s a great experience -- especially because it’s in Philly.”
Clover, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, is already in a good position recruiting-wise as he prepares to enter his junior year at The Prep under famed head coach Speedy Morris. The West Philly resident said he has offers from three local schools: Villanova, Temple and Drexel.
“That makes me feel like I’m doing something right,” Clover said. “The hard work is paying off.”
But even though he loves Philly so much that he quoted Will Smith when asked what he does in the city -- “The playground is where we spend most our days,” he laughed -- he’s not sure if it’s where he wants to play his college ball.
“That’s a tough question,” he said. “It depends on what other college offers I get. I’m not really sure yet. I’m not thinking that far ahead yet.”
If he continues to play well at the Reebok Classic Breakout -- which concludes Friday evening -- and at other summer camps, he certainly could start to get more offers rolling in. For proof, he just needs to look to one of his Philadelphia Catholic League rivals, Archbishop Carroll rising senior Derrick Jones.
Jones, who’s playing on the same team as Clover this week, added an offer from Kentucky on Wednesday -- which goes nicely with his other offers from Kansas, Syracuse and more of the nation’s premier programs.
“During the school year, we’re rivals,” Clover said. “But right now, we’re great teammates. We talk to each other a lot and share the ball with each other.”
“And I love looking at him dunk every single time. I wish I could be like that.”
Cain is able to turn heads
Just after Clover left the court, another player with offers from Philly colleges -- Eli Cain -- stepped onto it.
But because Cain is a rising senior -- at Medford Tech in New Jersey -- his situation is even more pressing. Currently holding offers from Temple, Saint Joseph’s, Drexel, Binghamton and Robert Morris, he said that he’ll probably make his decision in the next month.
“It’s kind of hard to say where I’ll go,” said Cain, a 6-foot-5 combo guard. “I don’t know if I want to stay local or go away.”
The local colleges certainly seem to be making a big push for him. Cain said he recently visited both Temple and St. Joe’s and “really liked” both coaching staffs.
But like Clover, he hopes a strong outing at the Reebok Breakout Classic could push his stock even higher and give him more offers from high-major schools.
“I’ve been doing pretty good here,” he said. “Yesterday I had a feel-out game getting to know my teammates. I didn’t think I played as good as I could. I definitely think I picked it up this last game.”
Cain scored 14 points in the game he was referring to, shooting 5 for 8 from the floor and showing off a nice slashing ability in an easy 76-64 win for his squad.
The New Jersey native admitted he was nervous at first to play in front of so many coaches and scouts but eventually settled down.
“This is what basketball players live for,” he said. “All of these camps, all of these top-ranked people, the coaches out here, the opportunity to showcase your talent -- it’s all great.”
Big-name coaches arrive in Philly
Many of the nation’s most recognizable coaches were in the gym at Philadelphia University on Wednesday night, including Kentucky’s John Calipari and SMU’s Larry Brown.
And then some more came out on Thursday. Among them were Tom Crean (Indiana), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Mick Cronin (Cincinnati), Matt Brady (James Madison), John Giannini (La Salle) and Fran Dunphy (Temple).
Orlando Magic guard and former St. Joe’s star Jameer Nelson and Penn graduate Zack Rosen were among the Big 5 alums in the house.