Over the years, a few basketball players from New York City have come to Pottstown to play for the Hill School boys’ team. The Blues won the Independent Schools state title in 2018 under Chase Audige, who is from Coram on Long Island. Audige then had a great college career at William & Mary and Northwestern. Josh Cameron, who graduated in 2023 and is from the Bronx, made a mark over three seasons.
These days, Ethan Johnston, a junior, looks like the next New Yorker who is ready to be a star for the Blues. After one year at the Dwight School in Manhattan, the girl from Queens moved up to the private school this summer.
He said, “I kind of left because the level of competition isn’t where I wanted it to be.” “I looked at prep schools because I thought it would help me grow as a person and as a basketball player.”
Adam Berkowitz from New Heights, who used to teach Johnston in AAU, has placed players at the Hill School before and has known Blues coach Seth Eilberg for a long time. He set up the meeting between Johnston and Hill.
Johnston is not the only one who is new to living at a private school a few hours away from home. People from New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Tennessee, and California play for The Hill. Aivaras Uosis is a senior and from Ireland. Quadri Bashiru is a youngster and from Nigeria.
Jones said, “It’s been fun.” “People from all over the world become your friends.” It’s almost like having the best of both sports and school.” When it comes to basketball, Johnston is also a good fit with the Blues.
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This season, junior point guard and team leader Jacob Meachem is in charge of a new group. More plays are also being made for Bashiru and young sharpshooter Anderson Brndjar. Along with Johnston, Uosis and senior Nemo Holmes are two of the best recruits. Since there aren’t any known stars, Johnston has had times to shine.
“Our team is pretty young, and we need guys like him to step up and play in big games,” Eilberg said. “We’re happy for him when he’s like that. If the game is tied, we’ll take him with the ball any time. He fits right in. He’s a good kid who wants to do well in school and sports. He’s a good player. He can pass well. … Our team is made up of pretty good guys who are willing to help each other and pass the ball, so Ethan fits right in.
He is a tall, 6-foot-5 guard who can shoot, make plays, and is so fast that he could make a highlight reel out of thin air. He likes to stand up and guard and has long arms for defense. The player said, “I think I can bring everything to the team.” “I’ll bring rebounding.” I pass the ball well. I know how to shoot. I can stand up. There’s no doubt that I can sit down on guards. I enjoy being on defense.
“I’ve been getting stronger.” For me, strength is going to be the key because I couldn’t go through touch before. Strong is very important if you want to get to the next level. I’ve always been long.
As a college possibility, Johnston has been getting a lot of attention. In the fall, he stood out at the Pangos All-East camp for freshmen and sophomores in West Chester. This camp brings together some of the best young players from the East Coast.
He played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League this summer with the New York Renaissance Basketball 15U team. They played some of the best players his age.
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Johnston said, “I loved it.” “It was my first time going to Peach Jam and the atmosphere was great.” In every game there, the competition is tough, and the kids in your age group are the best.
Johnston got his first scholarship offer from Fordham in November. Dwan McMillan, who used to teach at New Heights, is now in his second year as the director of player development and recruiting coordinator at Fordham. A few years ago, he was a 5-9 guard, but he grew to 6 feet in 2022 and then gained a few inches last season.
“That was amazing,” Johnston said when he was offered a grant. “It was really strange. I felt like someone knew who I was. I’ve been getting paid for all the work I do. It made me want to keep going. “They like how my game has grown.”
Johnston won’t be able to talk to college coaches until June 15. That’s the first day that coaches can talk to high school seniors who are in their sophomore year. He was told by Eilberg that many Division I schools, like Penn State, have been doing their work.
“He works very hard,” Eilberg said. “He will definitely play his best basketball in the future.” This kid is great; he’s willing to learn and improve. There’s no telling how good he can be as long as he keeps getting better physically and as long as he keeps winning.
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