The Roman Report: Cahillites Favored in Gonzaga DC Classic

We haven't had a Committany Nation feature here for hoops, but we do our best from time-to-time to check in with the high school hoops scene during the season. That can prove to be a difficult task during the hectic basketball calendar with so many players and teams playing so many games across the country. Typically with Penn State recruiting, we've had to scour through numerous google searches in hopes of tracking down a box score or local game story just to catch up with a certain recruit's season.

That hasn't been the case in recent times since Pat Chambers elevated Penn State's recruiting to unimaginable heights.

Last year, we got to follow along with Josh Reaves and Joe Hampton as Oak Hill Academy made a valiant run at a national championship. They fell just short of a 48-0 season after losing to ESPN's prodigy, Ben Simmons, and Monteverde Academy in the finals. This year was suppose to be another exciting one for the Warriors, but with Hampton tearing his ACL before this season, the PSU interest in their season has faded.

But fortunately we still have the Roman Catholic Cahillites, so welcome to our first weekly installment of "The Roman Report". Penn State's Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens, and Nazeer Bostick lead the way for head coach Chris Nesby's  team as they try to defend their quad-A state championship. Currently ranked #9 in the nation, Roman tipped off their season last weekend with a 70-38 victory over a very good, but short-handed Parkland team. Due to PIAA football playoffs, Parkland was without their two best players. Lamar Stevens was the game's MVP.

This weekend, Roman heads down to Washington, DC for their first tournament of the season, the Gonzaga DC Classic. The 26th annual event will feature eight teams over three days at Gonzaga College High School and American University. The Cahillites are the favorites in the field that also features the home team that's currently ranked #19 by USA Today. If you've followed our recruiting coverage over the years, you should be familiar with the Gonzaga Purple Eagles. Keith Urgo used to coach at the school prior to becoming a college coach, and the Nittany Lions have recruited past Gonzaga players like Nate Britt, Kris Jenkins, Bryant Crawford, and Sam Miller.

Roman and Gonzaga are on different sides of the bracket, so they could potentially meet in Sunday's championship game if both squads avoid an upset in the first two rounds. If they were to face each other, Penn State has already offered Gonzaga sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb, so it's not just the Roman trio you should keep an eye on. You can expect the PSU staff to be present on Sunday after tomorrow's game against Louisiana-Monroe.

Good news, you can catch all of the action this weekend! Each game from the DC Classic will be streamed live on the event's official website. Roman opens its tourney against Calvin Coolidge tonight at 6:45 pm. Plenty of national gurus will be in attendance, including Scout's Evan Daniels and Rival's Eric Bossi, so it will be another great opportunity for Penn State's future to be at the forefront of the high school/grassroots scene.