Josh Verlin
@jmverlin
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EIC @hooplove215, covering Philly-area HS + college hoops. (Nov. 2024 Update): This account is mostly inactive. Follow me on BlueSky (link below) for coverage.
Joined March 2010
After some hemming and hawing -- yeah, BlueSky is the superior option. Hoping many of you move over there ASAP. That'll be my primary outlet moving forward.
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Paschall, DiVincenzo, Spellman, Gillespie, Booth, Cosby-Roundtree plus Jahvon Quinerly, Cole Swider, Brandon Slater, Jermaine Samuels? Yeah, Nova is still gonna be pretty damn good next year.
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Pretty cool to see @notthefakeSVP use our videos tonight on SportsCenter. (Less cool that there’s no credit up on screen, but it is what it is).
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@amberddodd We're a small organization, but your rates are definitely in line with what we pay. Shoot me a DM if you'd be interested in covering some Philly-area teams when they come to Maryland/DC.
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Three years ago, Collin Gillespie (@Colling1021) was a kid playing for a 'B' team AAU squad in little tournaments, totally under the radar. Now, national champion @NovaMBB.
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Ryan Everett puts Ryan ahead. Kabe Goss wins it for Roman. Oh my god. Final score: @RomanAthletics 46, @ARyanbasketball 45
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You haven’t really lived in Philly if you don’t know where this is:
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@acharlowmedia @Nicole8151 @xodanix3 Absolutely. In Jewish tradition we do something called “shiva” where it’s seven days of basically an open house at the family’s place. It’s super-comforting and really helps the bereaved. Family and friends stop by, bring food, celebrate the life, offer kind words.
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For the rehearsal dinner my parents got me a cake topper…of my wife dunking on me 😂😂😂
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@giselefetterman @Sta7ic @ProfJSCarberry @monicabyrne13 Your security guy looks a little ruff. But a good boy.
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Happy to officially announce I've been hired by @FCSphoenix to serve as the Sports Information Coordinator for the Upper School's sports teams! I'll be over at @friendscentral (or wherever their teams are playing) several times a week, writing about their student-athletes.
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One day after one of their teammates was shot and killed, Chester basketball does this to advance to the state quarterfinals.
FINAL | Chester 63, Simon Gratz 62. ZAHMIR CARROLL AT THE BUZZER WITH THE TRIPLE FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!
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I love watching football, but I wonder how much youth participation will drop/what future of the sport is. Would never let my kid play.
In a study of 111 brains of NFL players, 110 had CTE, the degenerative disease caused by repeated blows to the head
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Malcolm's been missing since mid-August. Really hope he's okay out there. If anybody's seen him, please report it, it could help save his life.
Philadelphia PD put out a report yesterday about @malcolmanders8 Hope this can help in finding Malcolm and bringing him home! 🙏🏼
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AJIRI JOHNSON WINS IT AT THE BUZZER WITH A PUT-BACK SLAM! Bonner 63, Prep 61.
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BREAKING: CoBL + @PhillyInquirer . We're teaming up with @phillysport to make sure the Philly-area gets the best high school and college basketball coverage possible. Thanks to @michaelhuang55 for making this happen.
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Forgot how much fun D3 games are to cover. College ball without media timeouts? Yes, please and thank you. Talent level is so much higher than most people think. And keeps getting better.
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The Philadelphia basketball community lost a treasure, a gentleman, an educator, a humble human being, a friend. Going to miss you @n_eavenson. We’ll have a blue chair courtside waiting for you. RIP.
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Grad School: 100% complete. Done, with an expected GPA of 3.97 assuming this last project gets graded as well as I think it will. Thank you, @NewhouseSU. What a wild 16 months. Can't wait to walk the stage in a couple weeks.
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That trainer who saved Solomon's life is a hero. Hopefully we find out his name soon because he deserves recognition.
A silent gym as EMTs revive SC State basketball player, Ty Solomon. Thoughts and prayers to him, his family and teammates 💪🏾
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Archbishop Wood takes it 82-73 behind a 42-point performance from Villanova commit Collin Gillespie. Lived up to its billing.
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Less than two years ago (18 months or so), Collin Gillespie was one of the hottest Division II prospects in Philly. He just buried a triple in the Final Four. I still can't get my head around that.
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De’Andre Hunter missed his whole sophomore season in HS with a major leg injury. I remember he was worried it would be a huge setback in recruiting and hoops in general. I guess things turned out alright.
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For comparison, Obama spent $97 million. In eight years. Which is still far too much, but it's dwarfed by what Trump is doing -- and doing at HIS OWN BUSINESSES.
Today when Trump arrives at Mar-a-Lago, he will have officially spent over 20% of his presidency at his golf courses, wasting $91,655,424 in taxpayer dollars on his travels to them. Playing golf, drinking a dozen or more diet cokes a day, lounging around like he’s in retirement.
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Per a source, @SJUHawks_MBB landed a transfer portal commitment from former Rutgers guard Derek Simpson. Lenape (N.J.) product will have two years of eligibility remaining. Started 31 of 66 games at Rutgers the last two years.
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Spent the weekend working on this -- on CoBL, moving on, and what's next:
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Palestra: 1.
College basketball venues by name. Centers: 146.Arenas: 101.Coliseums: 25.Gym/Gymnasiums: 19.Pavilions: 14.Halls: 11.Fieldhouses: 10.Domes: 6.Complexes: 6.Courts: 4.Forums: 3.Stadiums: 2.Spectrums: 2.
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City of Basketball Love has dissolved as an LLC and reformed as a nonprofit corporation covering high school and college hoops -- boys, girls, men and women:
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I vote Roman’s gym.
Sources: The NCAA is believed to be having discussions regarding shifting to smaller venues for both the Final Four and the Elite Eight.
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Turns out $65 million gets you a pretty nice upgrade. The new Finneran Pavilion arena:
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Thank you to everybody who reached out with kind words yesterday. Obviously I’ve been struggling with things. I suck at taking compliments but they do mean a lot. Thank you.
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In addition to being two of the best coaches in Philly, @WOODHOOPS and @BroAndre78 work so hard every year to put on one of the best live period events you’ll see. Another outstanding @PhillyHSLive in the books. Major thanks for accommodating the @hooplove215 crew.
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Thanks so much to @JSantoliquito for writing this:. “For Philly's Josh Verlin, loving basketball is a way of life | PhillyVoice”
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RIP Ted Silary. Ted set the standard for high school sports coverage not just in Philadelphia but nationwide. I know I (and all of CoBL) will forever be inspired by his devotion to his craft and to the high school athletes of the city of Philadelphia. Gone far too soon.
I am sad to pass word that Ted Silary, a great friend to many, has passed at 72. I owe my career to him. I strongly believe to no one anywhere, at any time, covered high school sports better than Ted. (1 of 2).
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To all the freshmen starting college this week -- deep breaths, relax. Syllabus week isn't that bad. Your professors are generally rational, understanding human beings. Get to know them a little bit. Go to office hours, because nobody does. If you get overwhelmed, GET HELP.
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RIP Paul Gripper. Sad day in the Philadelphia hoops community; Paul was a local force, you couldn’t be around long without running into Paul & his kids on the summer scene. Going to miss chatting about players (current and former) with him. My thoughts with his friends & family.
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So, uh, I went to a basketball event today. And I kept score. And took notes. And. wrote a thing. link's free.
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Minor(ish) personal news: . Starting this fall, I'll be (adjunct) Professor Verlin at @RosemontCollege, teaching a course on principles of journalism in the digital age in the fall, and sports writing in the spring. So excited to be getting back into the classroom!.
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Please spare a thought (or a prayer) for longtime Cabrini assistant Bill Wiley. Bill’s currently in a coma after suffering a heart attack yesterday. Bill’s been a local small-college coach for more than 30 years. One of the nicest guys around.
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Without revealing too much, I've dealt with chronic depression most of my adult life. The last month or so has been a real struggle. I'm not going to do anything harmful, but I need to step back a bit. This is not easy to admit.
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It's football signing day, so a good time to remind people if you Tweet angrily at an 18-year-old for his college decision, you're a moron.
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Done. With. School. Forever. Thank you @NewhouseSU for an incredible experience and making even us online MS students feel welcome. Congrats to all my fellow graduates this weekend, no matter where you are. You’ve accomplished something great.
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Temple games this weekend postponed. Penn State postponed. Drexel postponed. Villanova postponed. Yet we’re going to start high school hoops season in a week or so, with less testing and less oversight? What are we doing??.
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Find me a single other hoops outlet in the country that watched more than 25 games today, wrote more than 6000 words of content and had it all published by 1 AM.
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Per a source, Bobby Jordan is stepping down as AD/basketball coach at Girard College and will become the head basketball coach at IMG Academy (Fla.).
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Jerome J. Verlin, my grandfather, passed away tonight at 88 years old. Two months after my grandmother. He taught me to fish, to golf, to drive a boat. A Temple grad, he took me to my first game at the Palestra. He was an impatient asshole at times and I love him so much.
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ESPN just contacted me for permission to use the video so we’ll see where that goes @friarshoops
AJIRI JOHNSON WINS IT AT THE BUZZER WITH A PUT-BACK SLAM! Bonner 63, Prep 61.
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One year ago I said “I do,” and it’s been the best year of my life. Happy first anniversary @auroraverlin!
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This is so pathetic. What an awful example to set for the kids. And I know covering these tournaments is part of my job but we need to remember we are talking about youth sports. I can’t imagine what would ever lead to this.
Today at my son’s AAU game at Spookynook. The opposing team coach swung at the ref. Coach was thrown out.
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Cody Parkey might be the best kicker in NFL history. Do you know how tough it is to hit that skinny pole over and over?.
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One year ago today, I convinced this cute girl from OK Cupid to come over and help me put together some furniture for our first date. What a year it’s been. Love you so much @auroracrew. Can’t wait to marry you next year!
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It was over 14 years ago that @jameernelson last tore up the courts at @SJUHawks_MBB. In two years, a legacy will be fulfilled. @FordsBasketball senior Jameer Nelson Jr. will be a Hawk:
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This shot was incredible. NBA range for Boccella. Shivers watching the replay.
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CADE BRENNAN FOR 3. At the buzzer! Garnet Valley wins and is headed to the Central League playoffs!
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To be featured on @phillysport is incredibly special. To have @jensenoffcampus write it is beyond words.
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Lafayette's Justin Jaworski (@JustinJaworski3) tells me he is signing with an agent and forgoing his extra year of NCAA eligibility. Jaworski, a 6-3 G who starred at @ValleyBoysBBall, avg. 21.5 ppg as a senior, finishes at @LafayetteMBB with 1,484 pts (46.3 FG%/ 42.2 3PT%).
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That Villanova even made it to the Final Four without a true ‘5’ man and their shortened rotation and the injuries, what an achievement.
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After four years of taking a break and then coming back part-time and then relaunching CoBL but dealing with grad school and a pandemic (and a pandemic wedding), it feels so good to be back covering hoops full-time again.
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A note to parents: getting in a courtside screaming match over your kids’ AAU game does not, in fact, help your kids get recruited. Asking if another parent wants to “take this outside” also doesn’t help.
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More people attended the Catholic League final than all but eight D-I conference tournament finals:
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Villanova offered Abington (Pa.) 2019 PF Eric Dixon, per a source.
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Penncrest's Tyler Norwood (@tylernorwood0) named Central League MVP. Joining him on the first team are Austin Laughlin (Garnet Valley), Jack Forrest/Steve Payne (Lower Merion), Magd Abdelwahab (Upper Darby), Michael May (Marple Newtown).
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What. An. Ending. @fjhoops 60, @CYPanthersBball 59 as Kevair Kennedy plays hero. Here’s how it ended:
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Trevor. Keels. Overtime at Archbishop Wood thanks to this buzzer-beater.
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Absolutely incredible outpouring of love and support for Jim Fenerty today at his funeral ceremony. So easy to see the impact the longtime @GAPatriots coach had on so many. Beautiful speech by @TU_CoachFen as well. Rest In Peace, Jim.
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Three years after proposing, I finally get to celebrate my wedding this weekend. All it took was a pandemic….
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If you want to see a gym come to life, the Palestra for the Catholic League championship is as good as it gets. @friarshoops and @romanbasketball fans corners deep in the Cathedral of College Hoops.
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Penncrest head coach Mike Doyle tells me he'll be spending this season as a "virtual assistant coach," watching practice/games via livestream. Billy Cassidy Jr. (@CassidyTw03_BTK) will serve as interim head coach this year.
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I missed the basketball world. I missed the basketball world so much. What the heck was I thinking three years ago. Today was awesome. Can't wait to see where CoBL goes from here.
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Final score: @woodboysbball 65, @neumanngoretti 58. Archbishop Wood wins its first-ever PCL title. Collin Gillespie finishes with 24p/7a.
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I also wanted to thank Quade Green for being a jack-of-all trades today. Pretty amazing for someone getting ready for the NBA to help out, keep score, even jump in to ref a few games. Was a lifesaver today and did it with a smile.
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Just got news that @GAPatriots coach/AD Jim Fenerty is retiring at the end of the season. His 30th as GA’s head coach. Not to play favorites, but he has been a tremendous person to know/cover. Great family man. Great coach. A gaping hole will be left in the Inter-Ac.
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FINAL: Paul VI (Va.) 130, @WoodBoysBball 128. 7OT. Just insanity. Thanks everybody for following along.
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It's always cool when kids we've watched burn up the Philly courts the last four years introduce themselves to a national audience. Meet Daron "Fatts" Russell. He's a ball of talent and confidence.
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I say this every year: if you're from Philly, like sports and haven't been to the Palestra for a PCL championship -- what are you doing??.
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So today, I'm sad. I'm sad for Phil, who loved Saint Joseph's and his players and the everyday workings of being a basketball coach. I'm sad for the Big 5, which loses both Dunphy and Martelli from its sidelines in the same summer. Two huge advocates for Philadelphia basketball.
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Breaking News: Philadelphia coaching legend William "Speedy" Morris, currently the head coach at St. Joe's Prep, will retire after this season, a source confirms. S/O to @richflanagan33 noticing an IG post congratulating him on his career. Been told a press release is coming.
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Thanks everybody for the response for getting back out there. Feels really good. I’ll have something else for consumption, something personal, early next week.
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@JohnFetterman Anybody who uses "virtue signaling" seriously in an editorial headline is themselves "virtue signaling" to a certain group of people that they're too cool to have things like empathy or caring about other groups of people.
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For personal reasons, I'm headed back to Philadelphia tonight. Appreciate all of you for following this season (and the last six). Going to be light on Twitter for a few days. And no, this isn't an April Fools' joke. We all have our issues. Thanks for understanding.
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