Here's what you already knew: Raheem Harvey is pretty darned good. Here's what you probably didn't know: The Glen Mills senior is getting Division I recruiting interest.

Harvey, a 6-9 forward/center, and Glen Mills coach Tony Bacon told me Tuesday night that the senior is receiving recruiting interest from Temple, as well as Division II programs West Chester, Kutztown and Lincoln.

While that might seem like quite a spread, it isn't. Why, you ask? Well, a guy like Harvey is absolutely a Division I recruit, and a program like Temple's can see that.

Bacon said Temple coach Fran Dunphy has attended Glen Mills' practices to see what Harvey can bring to the table: An athletic, well-conditioned body in the post and a player with a nose for rebounding and playing defense. If you look a little further, there's no doubt you'll see that Harvey needs polish on the offensive end. But while he's working on developing slicker, low-block moves, and working his way up the depth chart, he can bring a toughness to the post players at Temple.

If anybody knows a thing or two about toughness, it's Harvey. He's a kid who's rebounded from a devastating car crash, which resulted in a month-long coma, only to return to the floor last season and this season.

Oh, by the way...Harvey totaled 13 points, 22 rebounds (seven offensive) and three blocked shots. One of those rejections, Harvey ricocheted off the South wall of Chichester's gym. For the season, Harvey averages a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. He also owns a triple-double.

(Photo: Courtesy Glen Mills Schools)

Let's be honest: There was way too much going on Sunday to squeeze into one story.

That's the reality of any Chester High game, but when it's nationally ranked Chester against New York City's Christ the King, which opened the year ranked nationally ... well, there's a bounty of tidbits from the game. (And, oh by the way, Chester won 65-53 in the Villa Classic.)

Here's further coverage of the game:
OBSERVATIONS
****Here's how you know Chester coach Larry Yarbray is doing something right. The Clippers, who have won 34 games in a row, sold out Widener University's Schwartz Center for an 8 p.m. tipoff ... on New Year's Day ... with ticket prices at $20 a head for all fans, regardless of age. Quite a feat.
****Chester's Kareem Robinson is usually cool, calm and collect ... but not to the point where he's chatting with his coach while maintaining a dribble ... while the game is ongoing, with a defender on his hip. It was a savvy play only the veteran point guard could have pulled off.
****After the game, Chester assistant coach Keddy Harris marched up the tunnel toward the Clippers' locker room, shouting, "19? 19?" Clearly, Harris was bewildered by the 19 free throws the Clippers missed. Had they shot better than 20-for-39 from the foul line, they could have used the fourth quarter to coast rather than play high-tempo ball.
****Elsewhere at the Villa Classic, one-time Villanova commit Savon Goodman (from Constitution High, of the Philadelphia Public League) dropped 46 points in an 80-72 win over Cardoza (N.Y.)

QUOTABLE
“He just started talking to me, and usually I’m the one to start the talking. But it was the New Year. I was tired, so maybe I was quiet a little bit. I was just chilling, but I guess I was locking him up so he started talking. He made that one shot and he got in my face."
--Chester's Kareem Robinson (13 points, two steals, two assists), of Christ the King's Isaiah Lewis. Robinson drew an offensive foul against Lewis on one possession and, on CTK's next trip up the floor, Lewis clapped in Robinson's face after making a bucket and got a technical foul.

FACES IN THE CROWD
****Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson: 2009 Chester All-Delco, a Temple junior forward and the brother of Rondae Jefferson.
****Fran Dunphy: Temple coach who likely was scouting Rondae Jefferson and, in the earlier game at Widener, Amile Jefferson of Friends Central.
****Ronell Williams (linebacker at West Chester) and Laquan Robinson (defensive back at Widener), who graduated from Chester in 2010.
****Hajj Turner: George Washington University assistant coach.
****Maurice Nelson (Harcum) and Lamon Church (Kutztown): Chester All-Delcos from the 2011 PIAA Class AAAA title team.

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Be sure to check out YesgodTV's highlights from Chester's game, which can be seen here.

One final note: if you like the photos above, it was taken by a member of the New York Post staff. Be sure to check out their photo page from Sunday's game.

Twice, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson was at the scoring end of a tip-in Saturday. Both buckets ended Villanova spurts. Both buckets bolstered Temple's advantage over the Wildcats in the Owls' 78-67 Big 5 win.

'Big' doesn't do Hollis-Jefferson justice. The Chester All-Delco has played bigger than his 6-6 frame for Temple (6-2 overall, 2-0 Big 5), which is missing 6-10 center Micheal Eric due to injury.

"Since Rahlir has been here, he's played the four man (position)," said Temple's Ramone Moore, who had 32 points. "...On any type of big man, he does a good job."

“He had two great tip-ins and they were critical tip-ins at the right time for us," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy of Hollis-Jefferson. "If there's a finer human being than Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, I haven't met him anyway. Any time you can see that kind of performance by him, it adds to his way. He's a tremendous guy and he could care less about himself. It's all about the team and it's delightful to watch him succeed.

After scoring 11 points (on 5-for-8 shooting) with 14 rebounds and three assists, Hollis-Jefferson spent some time catching up with me on a variety of topics ... including his alma mater, Chester High:

Q: Ramone talked about your team needing you to play bigger than you are. Is that OK with you?
A: I play with my heart, so my heart makes up for my size. When I play, I'm not 6-6. I'm bigger than that.

Q: Everyone always called you Rah-long back in Chester, right?
A: Oh, wow. I haven't heard that in a while. I still hear it when I go home, but … wow. It don't really mean anything to me anymore because I have a lot of big guys around me now.

Q: Where do you see this team a month from now?
A: If we keep working hard, I see us going far. That's about it, really.

Q: You played for a state champion (in 2007-08), what some people call the best Chester team ever. Some people said that about last year's (state championship) team. Where does this year's team rank with those two?
A: I mean, last year's Chester team was good. Now they have almost all of their players back. They're more mature, so they should be able to handle things much better than they did last year. They should be able to do some damage this year.

Q: Is there anybody in the state that can beat them?
A: Anybody on any given night. That's how it is. We didn't feel like we could lose, so we came to play every night.

Q: How do you like how your brother (Rondae Jefferson, a Chester junior getting solid Division I looks) is progressing?
A: I like the way he's coming along. He's still got a lot more room to grow, and he's going to continue to do so. He's going to keep working hard at his craft.

Q: Have you tried to convince him to come to Temple?
A: No, I can't do that. Wherever he wants to go, I'll support him. That's how it is.

(Photos courtesy Associated Press/H RUMPH JR.)

Now, it's official.

A couple days after a premature report hit the Web, announcing his college destination, Penn Wood's Aaron Brown has his mind made up: He's headed to West Virginia University.

Brown had kicked around a number of notable Division I offers, before the Daily Times' reigning Player of the Year decided upon the Mountaineers. His second choice: Temple. The other schools that had a shot to land the rising senior: Saint Joseph's, Florida and Rutgers.

When asked about West Virginia's recent pedigree of landing the nation's best players, Brown said it meant "a lot to me."

"It means that if they're the best, you're going to have to be the best to play with them," said Brown, a 6-5, 205-pound guard-forward (who plays like he's at least three inches taller.) "It means that I'm going to have to be at my best to play there."

Brown said he thinks he's one of "Coach Huggy's type of players," referring to West Virginia coach Bobby Huggins.

The decision wasn't without strife, however. Brown said he really considered Temple before choosing WVU. Temple coach Fran Dunphy was a fixture at Penn Wood's games throughout the District One and PIAA Class AAAA playoffs. Huggins - by this reporter's count - was seen at only one.

"It was a toss-up," said Clyde Jones, Brown's coach at Penn Wood. "I think the challenge of being away from home and playing in the Big East Conference did it for him. He wanted to be close to home because of the support of his family and playing for one of the best coaches (Dunphy) in the area, but I think the personal challenge Coach Huggins' extended to Aaron outweighed all of that."

For more on Brown's college choice, pick up Tuesday's edition of the Daily Times.

It's getting tougher to argue with the sheer numbers … and Juan'ya Green is putting up big ones.

The junior guard/forward scored 21 points, had five rebounds and handed out four assists in Archbishop Carroll's 64-51 PIAA Class AAA second-round victory Tuesday over Danville.

Temple assistant coach Matt Langel was spotted outside Carroll's locker room after the game.

When asked what that meant to him, Green had this to say:
“It's exciting, but I can't give it too much thought right now. I guess it's the way I play that people like. And I think I'm getting better every day, in practice and in games. I'm just playing hard.”

It's worth noting two additional things, for those Temple fans out there: Green, who lives in Conshohocken, grew up in North Philly. The other is that Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk played for Temple coach Fran Dunphy while both were at Penn.

Green said he has offers from Temple, Saint Joseph's, Maryland, George Mason and Boston University. He has gotten interest, as well, from Georgetown, Marquette and Providence.

As for Ben Mingledough, the Patriots' 6-4 senior forward ... If I had to take a guess, I'd say he's headed to St. Peter's (N.J.) The Peacocks' assistant coach, John Morton, made the trek to CD East from their New Jersey campus to see Mingledough. Does that mean a commitment is imminent?

“I haven't made a decision," said Mingledough, who also has an offer from St. Francis (Pa.) "You could say I'm close.” How close? “I don't know," he added. "I can't tell you yet.”

Oh, the intrigue of college recruiting...

For those counting at home, that would bring Carroll's Division I count to three. Senior guard D.J. Irving is headed to Boston University. And, if we're talking total D-I kids from last year's state-title team, the Patriots have four: Kasheef Festus is a freshman at Coppin State.

NOTE: The fifth and final starter from that 08-09 title team - the only one yet to be mentioned in this long, long blog post - was in attendance at Tuesday night's game. Andre Wilburn, who plays at Delaware State, joined the team in the locker room during postgame.

Despite winning a state title a year ago, fan turnout at Archbishop Carroll's home gym hasn't been exactly what Juan'ya Green expected. But Sunday, there was one member of the crowd who was most noticeable.

Temple coach Fran Dunphy was there, watching Green and the Patriots fall, 66-58, to Neumann-Goretti. Dunphy is one of many coaches volleying for Green's services.

“I see the coaches in the stands,” said Green, a junior, “but I try to just go about my business.”

Once considered the darling of Jay Wright's 2011recruiting class at Villanova, Green has dropped off the Wildcats' radar (probably because the No. 3 team in the country figures it can do better). In any case, Green is an incredibly skilled guard/forward that any Division I school would be willing to have.

Need evidence of that? Green has offers from Maryland, Temple, Saint Joseph's, George Mason and Boston University – where his Carroll teammate D.J. Irving is headed next fall. Green also has recruiting interest from Georgetown and Providence – Villanova's rivals in the Big East.

Should be an interesting decision for Green.

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ALL-CATHOLIC TEAMS ANNOUNCED
Speaking of Green, he was Delco's lone representative on the All-Catholic League Blue Division team. The All-Catholic teams, decided upon by the league's coaches, were unveiled Wednesday.

In the Blue Division, Green made the first team along with three members of Neumann-Goretti's division-championship squad – including MVP Tony Chennault. Also for Carroll, senior point guard DJ Irving and senior forward Ben Mingledough made the Second Team.

In the Red Division, Monsignor Bonner had three players earn all-league honors. Senior point guard Jamal Melvin was a Second-Team pick while senior forwards Kiefer Francis and Scott Slade were chosen to the Third Team.

Roman Catholic's Rakeem Brookins was the Red's MVP.

For you Delco basketball fans out there looking to get caught up on some of the county's finest who have moved onto college, this semi-regular feature is for you. Today, we take a peak at Rahlir Jefferson:


It's not often that a freshman on Temple coach Fran Dunphy's squad gets minutes. But in Rahlir Jefferson's situation, he isn't just playing; he's making a difference.

The 2009 Chester graduate and All-Delco forward, Jefferson averages 16 minutes a game for the 16th-ranked Owls. He's become a defensive specialist, checking into the game late to lock down on the opposition's best scorer. Despite playing only 300 minutes, Jefferson is second on the team with 13 steals, and also fills out the stat sheet with 3.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.

Who knows? With the way he and the Owls (16-3) are playing, we might be talking about Jefferson deep into March.

But, hey -- this post isn't just about the past. Here's a closer look at some of the action from Wednesday night:

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It may be a couple months - and with less on the line - but Chester got some revenge on Williamsport.

The Clippers (8-3) easily handled the Millionaires in a game on a neutral court, at Coatesville High, as part of the Mid-Atlantic Shootout. Chester lost to Williamsport last winter in the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs.

Erikk Wright, a sophomore, continues to impress. He had 12 points and 15 boards. Tavaune Griffin had seven rebounds and three blocks and Mo Nelson led the way with 15 points

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EXTRA BOUNCES
---Five of Upper Darby's eight losses have come by two possessions or fewer. Count the Royals' 44-43 loss to Springfield tonight among them. The Cougars' Adam Washington had 15 for the victors.
---Radnor, which scored 12 points in the first quarter, scored only 11 in the second half of its 37-29 loss to Ridley.
---Marple Newtown's Soutiri Sapnas, already the leading scorer in Delco, filled up the rim with 46 points in an 80-74 loss to Conestoga. Sapnas, the Tigers' all-time and single-season scoring champ, fell short of his 49-point career high, however.