Providing this blog post is my colleague, Matt DeGeorge, who covered St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.) vs. Penn Wood Wednesday at the Jameer Nelson Classic:

St. Joseph’s (N.J.) got quite a scare from Penn Wood Wednesday night in the Jameer/Pete Nelson Holiday Classic at Widener University, eking out a 58-57 win.

But for Temple signee Quenton DeCosey, it was an introduction to the Philadelphia basketball season that the 6-5 guard/forward cherished.

DeCosey, a native of Metuchen, N.J., who said he had only played in the Philadelphia area “once or twice” in AAU ball, enjoyed the atmosphere.

“I wanted to try to show Philly what it’s going to be like next year,” he said. “It’s a great atmosphere, it was really exciting.”

DeCosey’s game got off to a slow start, as he picked up two fouls in the game’s first 90 seconds and sat for the rest of the first half, a somewhat surprising hiatus given that the Falcons only use around six players in their regular rotation. He finished with 13 points thanks to a strong second half in which he was a calming influence on the Falcons in withstanding the Patriots' late charge.

In the third quarter, when Penn Wood cut the lead to five, it was a spinning, off-balance jumper by DeCosey that briefly stemmed the tide of the Patriots’ run. He had three baskets in the final six minutes of the game, including a three that stretched the lead to nine with 2:01 to play.

And on the Falcons’ final possesson, it was DeCosey’s hands in which head coach Dave Turco placed the ball, allowing him to create his own shot and draw a foul from Quardiar Sewell. He made one of two from the line, enough for the win.

“I just tried to come out in the second half and be aggressive,” DeCosey said. “I wasn’t able to help my teammates in the first half, so I was just trying to get good shots.”

“Q’s a gamer,” Turco said. “He knows that for us to win, he has to do the little things. He’s getting better at trusting his teammates and getting them the ball in the right positions, and he knows not to force it.”

(Photos: By The Star-Ledger)

Here's one thing Jameer Nelson knows about Chester High basketball: This year's team is more talented than his state-title team in 2000.

Here's another thing Nelson knows: Nelson - the Orlando Magic's starting point guard, an NBA all-star, a consensus Player of the Year at Saint Joseph's, a 2000 PIAA Class AAAA state champ at Chester - would NOT include his name among Chester's five-best all-time players.

"I can't put myself in it," said Nelson, who spoke to me in advance of the three-day holiday tournament bearing his and his father's name, the Jameer Nelson/Pete Nelson Classic. "I'm behind those guys from when I played at Chester. There were a lot of great players at Chester, before me and after me."

So who would Nelson include? Some of the names may surprise you.

"My all-time starting five? Wow," Nelson said. "I'd go with Zain Shaw, Eric Evans, Ray Carroll, Granny Lash and Rondae Jefferson (pictured, right)."

Zain Shaw, a 1991 grad and the program's all-time leading scorer, had 1,993 points and won a state title as a sophomore. ... Eric "Pooh" Evans, a 1994 state champ and the brother of NBA star Tyreke Evans, shared the same backcourt as Ray Carroll. Speaking of him ... Ray Carroll, a 1995 grad, an all-American and a 1994 state champ, had 1,401 points. ... Granny Lash, twice a state runner-up, averaged 21 points as a junior but is not among the school's 1,000-point scorers. ... Rondae Jefferson, a state champ last year as a sophomore, is regarded nationally as one of the top recruits from the Class of 2013.

"Rondae's definitely up there all-time," Nelson said. "They probably have more talent (this year and last year) than we had. I still like my team in 2000. There were some tough teams before and after, so it's tough to compare, to say who would win. All I know is if you've played at Chester, you've got to be a good player."

Nelsom omitted guys like Emerson Baynard (10th-leading scorer, a first-team all-American), Nasir Robinson (stud at Pitt, 2nd-leading scorer, 2008 state champ), and Horace Walker (9th-leading scorer who had an NBA career).

But hey, everyone's got their opinions. Who would make the cut for you?

Here's more from my interview with Jameer Nelson.

(Daily Times staff photo / ERIC HARTLINE)

Chester alumnus Nasir Robinson milled about Widener's Schwartz Gymnasium last Thursday, looking around as he heard his name pouring down from the grandstands.

Admittedly, Robinson hadn't attended a high school basketball game since he last played in one - in March 2008, when Chester won the PIAA Class AAAA championship.

"This is my first time back," said Robinson, a junior at Pittsburgh, where he's averaging 7.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. "It feels good to be home."

Robinson was on hand for the Clippers' loss to Sanford (Del.), part of the Jameer Nelson/Pete Nelson Classic. His younger brothers, Kareem Robinson and Darius Robinson, are members of the team.

"I talk to them a lot," the elder Robinson said. "I try to give them some advice when I can. They like to talk about the team.

"From what I hear," Robinson added, "they have some good players, some guys who can help them get over the hump."

The hump, to which Robinson was referring, is the PIAA playoffs ... where the Clippers have won only one game in the last two seasons. In other words, it's been very un-Chester-like in Chester.

"They're going to have a good team," Robinson said, pontificating. "At least I hope they do."

Welcome to Schwartz Gymnasium at Widener University, the site of Monday's installment of the Jameer Nelson Classic.

I'll be on hand for a couple of the games. Stay close to Gettin' Schooled for odds and ends on each of them and check back regularly for results.

NESHAMINY 63, LOWER MERION 58: Without leading scorer Alon Seltzer, the Aces did everything they could do to stay competitive, before suffering their first loss. Lower Merion, on first glance, has a really well-balanced team. But the Redskins' Ryan Arcidiacano is better. The sophomore guard had a game-best 21 points and could be on his way to reaching 1,000 points before his junior year. Seltzer has been out since dislocating his knee cap in a game against Upper Darby.

ST. JOSEPH'S PREP 62, MARPLE NEWTOWN 42: Defending the 3 isn't a recommendation. In this game, it was. The Hawks made 2 of 19 3-point attempts before giving way to their bench. Senior Joe Nardi knocked down seven of them on his way to 23 points. For Marple Ryan Hanley and Soutiri Sapnas had 15 and 11 points, respectively. Check out Tuesday's Daily Times for a full report.

ALSO ON THE SCENE: Archbishop Carroll All-Delco D.J. Irving, wearing a red Boston University hat ... Penncrest senior guard Rodney Duncan ... Ridley coach Keith Heinerichs, doing some advanced scouting, as were dozens of other District One coaches ... Widener guard Chris White. A member of Penn Wood's state-title team a year ago, White was wearing his letter jacket - and getting hassled by Widener athletic personnel for doing so. "Don't you have any Widener gear?" one asked.