MaxPreps 2015-16 High School Basketball Early Contenders, presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and Under Armour: Roman Catholic

By Jason Hickman Nov 16, 2015, 12:00am

Trio of Penn State commitments hope to deliver back-to-back state titles to Philadelphia power.

Video: Early Contenders - Roman Catholic

MaxPreps 2015-16 High School Basketball Early Contenders, Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and Under Armour


Head coach: Chris McNesby (140-51 career record)

2014-15 record: 31-2, Class AAAA state champions, No. 18 final national ranking

State association: Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association

Enrollment: 1,000



2015-16 Roman Catholic basketball team
2015-16 Roman Catholic basketball team
Photo by Randy Sartin


Players to Watch

Nazeer Bostick (6-3, Sr., G) … Committed to Penn State

Tony Carr (6-4, Sr., G) … Committed to Penn State

Mikeal Jones (6-6, Fr., F) … Expected to be one of Philly's top frosh

Paul Newman (6-7, Sr., F) … Offer from Towson

Lamar Stevens (6-7, Sr., F) … Committed to Penn State



Mark Tobin (6-2, Sr., G) … Standout goalkeeper on Cahillite soccer team

Guard Tony Carr
Guard Tony Carr
Photo by Randy Sartin


Key Dates

Dec. 11-13 – Gonzaga D.C. Classic

Dec. 18-22 – Chick-fil-A Classic

Dec. 28 – vs. Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) at Slam Dunk to the Beach

Jan. 6 – vs. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia)



Jan. 16 – vs. Montverde Academy (Fla.) at Spalding Hoophall Classic

Guard Nazeer Bostick
Guard Nazeer Bostick
Photo by Randy Sartin


Cahillite Storylines

* McNesby is a 1995 graduate of Roman Catholic. After a number of near-misses, he helped his alma mater break through for its first state title last season.

* Excitement for Penn State basketball is high thanks in part to the pledges of Bostick, Carr and Stevens. A fourth Nittany Lion commitment, 6-foot-6 forward Joe Hampton, plays at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).

* The Jan. 6 meeting between Roman Catholic and Neumann-Goretti should be one of the more highly anticipated Philadelphia Catholic League games in recent years. Neumann-Goretti has owned Philadelphia high school basketball, but the Cahillites flipped the script in 2014-15 by going 2-0 against the Saints — including a 64-59 win in the PCL tournament final.

View gallery of preseason Early Contenders photo shoot with Roman Catholic