If you've never attended the Donofrio Classic, this week would be a great time to do so.

It's a long-running single-elimination tournament that features the best players and the best AAU teams from Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey (and sometimes even the North Jersey/NYC suburbs).

There's a nice twinbill this Wednesday, April 8:

• I-3 All-Stars vs. Mainstreet, 7 p.m.
• Sonny Hill Juniors vs. Positive Image, 8:30 p.m.

The early game featuring nine players from Delaware County and three members of this year's All-Delco team. There are two starters from Archbishop Carroll's PIAA Class AAA championship team and four starters from Penn Wood's Class AAAA title team:

MAINSTREET
Rahlir Jefferson, Sr. F, Chester *
Maurice Nelson, So. G, Chester
Tyree Johnson, Jr. G, Penn Wood * (pictured)
Duane Johnson, Sr. F, Penn Wood *
Shawn Oakman, So. C, Penn Wood
Thomas White, Sr. F, Penn Wood
Aaron Brown, So. F, Penn Wood

I-3 ALL-STARS
Andre Wilburn, Sr. F, Archbishop Carroll
Kasheef Festus, Sr. C, Archbishop Carroll (pictured)

The later game has just one county player – Episcopal Academy’s sophomore center Isaiah Baker, whose Sonny Hill Juniors take on Positive Image in an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.
Note: An asterisk (*) signifies All-Delco status.

# # #

Two Delco teams were shown some love in recent national basketball polls.

Archbishop Carroll is ranked fifth in the Northeast Region (Pa., N.Y., N.J. and New England) by PrepNation.com. The PIAA Class AAA champion Patriots are three spots ahead of league rival, eighth-ranked Neumann-Goretti.

In USA Today’s East Region poll, Penn Wood garnered a No. 7 ranking. Though inactive, the PIAA Class AAAA champion Patriots moved up from last week’s No. 8 rank

The All-Delco boys basketball team was unveiled in Wednesday's Daily Times. And based on the graphic at right - and the headline above - you should already know that Penn Wood junior point guard Tyree Johnson is the 2009 Player of the Year.

Johnson led the Patriots to their first PIAA Class AAAA championship and a Del Val League championship. Along the way, he became the county's best point guard and demonstrated the uncanny ability to make everyone around him play better, resulting in the school's first championship of any kind since 1992.

Four Patriots averaged in double figures this season - including Johnson - and two of them improved their scoring tallies significantly in the state playoffs. All thanks to Johnson's play, thus earning him the honor of Daily Times Player of the Year.

Here's the rest of the All-Delco team:

• D.J. Irving, Jr. PG, Archbishop Carroll (pictured)
• Calvin Newell, Sr. SG, Strath Haven
• Aaric Murray, Sr. C, Glen Mills
• Duane Johnson, Sr. F, Penn Wood
• Rahlir Jefferson, Sr. F, Chester

*Murray and Johnson are repeat All-Delco selections.

# # # #

It's been a while since I last posted - following state-championship lag from State College - here's a quick-hitting recap of what you might have missed:

• Former Chester coach Fred Pickett has thrown his hat into the political ring. He will launch a campaign for a city council spot.
• Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones was named the PIAA Class AAAA Coach of the Year. Seven Delco players earned state honors, too.
• Three-time All-Delco Tyreke Evans told FoxSports.com that he plans to leave Memphis to declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft.