PA Prime Basketball Club

Centre Basketball Academy

15u Boys

14u Boys

15u Girls

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About Prime

PA Prime Basketball Club is an AAU-affiliated club for boys and girls to compete in the spring season.

Current Teams

  • Girls 11U
  • Girls 13U
  • Girls 15U
  • Boys 13U
  • Boys 15U
  • Boys 16U

Coaching Bios

Chad Walsh, Club Director Coach Walsh’s most important role is the club administrator. As a Co-Founder of PA Prime Athletics, he has led the way in branding, marketing, creating tournament schedules, travel arrangements, club/player memberships, and accounting. He also serves as the resident bench coach, filling in and supporting head coaches, as needed. Coach Walsh has worked with, and coached both boys and girls at various levels of basketball for 15+ years. He was the Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy from 2013-2019, where he is the chair of the Social Studies Department and has also been the Head Varsity Golf Coach since 2018.
Richard Ciambotti, Coaching Director Coach Richard Ciambotti serves as the Coaching Director and is a Co-Founder of PA Prime Athletics. Richard is a graduate of State College Area and holds degrees from Penn State University and Lock Haven University. Richard spent four seasons as an Assistant Head Coach at State College from 2008-2021. In 2022, Richard returned to his Alma Mater as the Head Junior Varsity Coach. This past winter marks his 22nd season coaching at the middle school or high school level. Richard works full time as the Basketball Director at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre, home of PA Prime.
Jake Stormer, Coach Coach Jake grew up in the State College area, where he graduated from Grace Prep High School in 2017. He played 4 seasons on the hardwood at the varsity level, becoming a 1k point scorer and earning all-conference player and all star selections. From there he moved on to be an assistant coach at his alma mater for both the boys and girls varsity teams, taking over as the girls’ head coach for the 2020-2022 seasons. He now enters his 5th coaching season, becoming the Junior Varsity Head Coach for the State College Little Lady Lions and second season as a PA Prime coach. Jake continues his work at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre with multiple middle school programs, as well as various skill camps.
Jared Rhodes, Coach Coach Jared Rhodes is a graduate of IPFW and Jacksonville University. Jared was an Assistant Coach at Indiana Tech (NAIA) for the 2014-15 season. From Indiana Tech he moved on to serve as a Graduate Assistant and Director of Basketball Operations at Jacksonville University (Division 1) from 2015-2020. He currently teaches math at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy.
Max Krasowitz, Coach Coach Max Krasowitz began his coaching career at Our Lady of Victory Middle School in 2021. He coached there for 2 years and this past season was the JV Head Coach and Varsity Assistant Coach for Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy, where he attended high school and played for Coach Richard Ciambotti. He has coached with Prime for 3 seasons, working with various age groups on both the boys and girls side. Coach Max is excited to wrap up his degree and have a successful Prime season this spring.
Ethan Khoza, Coach

Ethan is located in State College, PA and founded Vision Driven Basketball LLC in the summer of 2019. Since then, he has worked with numerous players at the youth level, high school level, collegiate level, including D1, D2, D3, and NAIA, and players at the professional level. He trains players locally in Central PA.

Ethan is also in his fifth season on the coaching staff at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, PA. In his time at CM, he has been a part of 2 distinct district championship teams and a conference championship team, including the winningest team in school history with a record of 24-3. CM also attained its first state playoff win and saw multiple players receive 1st Team All-Conference recognition as well as Conference MVP and PIAA All-State selections.

In addition to Ethan’s local basketball training, he has amassed a following of over 70,000 through his social media and works with players from all over the world through his online basketball training platform.

Tyler Bardo, Coach

Coach Bardo comes with 16 years of experience as a coach in the PIAA. He is currently in his 7th season as Head Coach at Central Mountain High School. During his tenure, he’s been named Conference Coach of the Year twice and led the program to two Conference Championships and a Conference Tournament Title. His teams have reached four District Championship games through his first six complete seasons, with two District VI Class 5A titles. In 2022, Central Mountain advanced to the PIAA Class 5A Sweet 16. Coach Bardo has coached three Conference MVPs and two Conference Defensive MVPs among the 20 All-Conference selections. He’s had one 1k point scorer and an All-State selection as well. Through six seasons, he’s seen six players exit Central Mountain and move on to collegiate rosters.

In addition to coaching, Coach Bardo spends his offseasons in skill development. He’s worked with numerous DI, DII, and DIII all-conference performers, four of whom have received overseas professional contracts.

Gracie Gillard, Coach Coach Gracie Gillard is in her Junior year at Penn State, studying Criminology. She is from East Lansing, Michigan and played 4 varsity sports at Okemos High School. During her academic time there, she received 14 varsity letters along with all-conference, all-region, and all-state awards in basketball, volleyball, softball, and track. She has played basketball her whole life and has also refereed and coached youth basketball in her community. This is her first season coaching at PA Prime and she is very excited to work with everyone and win some tournaments.

Contact Information

FAQs

Where are practices held for the PA Prime AAU Club Basketball Team? Practices for PA Prime are held at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre, a state-of-the-art facility located at 177 Champion Dr. State College, 16803. Our facility offers top-notch basketball courts and amenities to enhance player development.

How many tournaments will each team participate in during the spring season? Each PA Prime AAU Club Basketball Team will participate in a total of six tournaments throughout the spring season. These tournaments provide valuable competitive opportunities for our players to showcase their skills.

How are the tournament schedules determined? The tournament schedules are determined by the Prime Administration and coaches. Our coaching staff works diligently to ensure that our teams are registered for competitive and well-organized tournaments that align with the goals of player development and growth.

Are the tournament expenses included in the program fees? Tournament fees are included in the program fees. Additional expenses such as travel and accommodations are not included in the program fees. However, our team administration will provide detailed information about tournament logistics, costs, and travel arrangements well in advance to help parents and players plan accordingly.

Are players required to attend all tournaments? We encourage players to attend all scheduled tournaments to maximize their growth and contribute to the team’s success. However, we understand that unavoidable conflicts may arise. In such cases, we request that players communicate their availability as early as possible so that the coaching staff can make necessary arrangements.

Are there additional costs associated with tournaments? Yes, there are additional costs such as travel, accommodations, meals, and any other related expenses for tournaments. Our team administration will provide comprehensive information about these costs, allowing families to plan accordingly.

How can I stay updated on team news, schedules, and announcements? PA Prime uses Team Snap to keep players and parents informed. Make sure to check your email regularly and stay connected with the coaching staff for the latest information.

For any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our team administration at basketball@thecentepa.com. We’re here to support the growth and success of each player here at PA Prime Basketball Team!

HIDDEN

16U Boys Roster - Ethan Khoza

First Name Last Name Number
Michael Powell 0
Manny Elliott 1
Jayden Stamm 2
Parker Thurley 3
Kane Wolf 4
John Servant 5
Owen Mayville 10
Noah Radio 12
Spencer Neilson 13
Brady Wager 15
Ellory Potter 21

15U Boys Roster - Richard Ciambotti and Jared Rhodes

First Name Last Name Number
JJ Powell 00
Shane Markowski 0
Zach Keller 1
Dillon Lieb 1
Connor Baldwin 2
Carter Tejada 3
Nick Carr 4
Kellen Williams 5
AJ Fry 10
Lucas Starks 11
Ty Miller 12
Quinn Spargo 13
Mikey Robertson 14
Ryan Pencek 15
Ethan Bowen 20
Luke Bender 21
Adam Leskowicz 22
Lucas Hartung 23
Jackson Millward 24
Cole Lane 25
Dylan Bonson 42

 

13U Boys Roster - Clayton Dye

First Name Last Name Number
Aaron Wolfe 00
Cruz Lane 1
Teyo Lucchesi 2
Evan Maynard 3
Quinn Cunningham 4
Zach Willis 12
Micah Dye 20
Rylan Laws 21
Taylor Gigante 22
Rowan Keefer 24
Ethan Speerstra 25
Max Bowman 32
Callen Harmon 33
Gavin Hosterman 34
Suhnjun Choi 45

15U Girls Roster - Max Krasowitz

First Name Last Name Number
Rainey Walker 0
Maria Straub 1
Sarah Coudriet 3
Eliza Krasowitz 5
Sophia DiNallo 8
Hannah Smith 10
Talia Cotter 11
Elizabeth Houser 14
Mads Bathgate 15
Kaiyah Walters 21
Mya Felmlee 30
Kali Hazel 34

13U Girls Roster - Gracie Gillard

First Name Last Name Number
Davinity Brown 1
Brooklyn Bence 3
Annabelle Stephens 11
Emma Stout 12
Lily Jackson 14
Emily Richey 30
Amaelia Zobrist 52

11U Girls Roster - Rick Mergenthaler

First Name Last Name Number
Isabella Rodriguez 1
Kenzlee Walters 5
Harlie Bowersox 8
Teyanna Brown 11
Brooklyn Mergenthaler 13
Layla Miller 19
Lucy Dye 24