By Ross Wilson
With everyone including NBA scouts paying attention to the amazing "whatshisname", it's easy to miss the subplots in the Camden arsenal. "Whatshisname" does the bulk of the scoring for the Panthers, but Shomari Moore and Eric Davis have stepped up big as of late and made significant impacts for the #1 team in New Jersey and the USA Today's #3 ranked team in the nation.
This time last year, Shomari Moore was an eighth grader reading about "whatshisname" leading the Camden Panthers to TOC glory. This year, Moore is the point guard who has been called on by coach Glen Jackson to keep the Panthers' steady when the going has gotten tough.
"Shomari has been a pleasant surprise for us," said coach Jackson. "It's a situation where we've had (Dorijan Brown) unable to play, and we needed Shomari to come in and be a stabilizing force for us, and he's done that. My hat is off to him because it takes a lot for a freshman to come in and play this roll. We're a high profile team, and Shomari has risen when we've needed him to."
Moore began to see significant minutes during the January 14th game versus St. Augustine. Camden struggled at times bringing the ball up the court, and Moore was brought in to sure up the ball handling. He scored just 4 points in that game, but proved to be a dependable floor general. In the recent victory 68-64 victory over St. Raymond's (NY) in the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, Moore came in after senior point guard Dorijan Brown went down with a dislocated shoulder. Moore did not score in the contest, but once again, provided stable court generalship.
"It feels good to help the team," said the 5'8" Moore after a 65-52 victory over Chester the following night. "That's all I want to do. Coach (Jackson) gave me the chance, and I just want to play well."
Six-foot-nine inch junior Eric Davis is another impact player who has been playing well in recent games for the Panthers. After bursting onto the South Jersey scene with a 19-point performance in a victory versus Eastern back on December 15th, the Abington Friends transfer had been forgettable. However, in Camden's two wins at the Prime Time Shootout, the lanky center resuscitated his game by scoring 10 and 14 points respectively, and playing huge defensively.
"When Davis comes to play, we're a much better team," said Jackson. "His minutes were cut down, and he's regrouped. He's a young man who's been through a lot, and finally, he's fitting in. We hope he's found a home here."
With the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs just 2 weeks away, Camden is finally getting tough and beginning to click on all cylinders with perfect timing down the stretch. Nate Plummer, James Pulliam, Imani Wilson, and Kevin Brundage are also figuring into coach Jackson's mix… and then there's… oh yeah… "whatshisname"… Dajuan Wagner… who makes the Panthers really tough!
