School might be out for summer, but this roundup proves college sports in Philly doesn’t sleep

It’s supposed to be the offseason.

However, it’s hardly that for area colleges and athletes who are out here making waves. Perhaps the most significant is Villanova giving an offer to an incoming high school freshman — one who was widely regarded among the best middle school players in the country.

Then there’s Temple’s potential basketball commit who’s excited about the offer he received from the “University of Temple.”

His words, not ours.

The second weekend of the Philly Live high school basketball showcase is going to be a must-see draw for a multitude of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is that those in attendance should get an opportunity to see Munir Grieg, one of the most sought-after eighth-graders in the country. Well, former eighth-grader, one who was scooped up by area high school basketball power program Imhotep Charter. Grieg will attend the school this fall as a freshman. He’ll play for the Panthers as part of this weekend’s tournament.

On Tuesday, Greig released via Instagram that he was “extremely humbled and blessed” to receive his first Division I offer — from none other than coach Kyle Neptune’s Villanova Wildcats.

This one is more of a chuckle for Temple fans, but 6-foot-8 power forward Matthew Hodge from St. Rose High School in Belmar, N.J., will definitely be using Waze to find the Liacouras Center. Hodge, a three-star recruit, has also received offers from seven other schools, most notably Penn State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Seton Hall, according to 24/7 Sports.

It remains to be seen whether Hodge, a senior at St. Rose, will take his talents to North Broad, but if he does, someone might need to point him in the right direction.

Hilary Steele is the next coach of Temple gymnastics, elevated from interim coach replacing former coach Josh Nilson, who left in May to join the staff at the University of Illinois.

Steele was a part of one of the most successful seasons for the program, helping to lead the Owls to six top-20 scores in school history, including the third- and fourth-highest overall scores. A former gymnast, Steele, a Georgia graduate, led the Bulldogs to the 2008 SEC championship, earning all-SEC freshman team honors. In 2011, she won an individual SEC championship in the vault.

“I am very humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to lead Temple gymnastics,” Steele said. “... Our Temple student-athletes are special, and we are going to continue to build a great tradition and set new heights for our future success.”

Courtesy of a sponsorship deal with Trumark Financial, La Salle athletics added a few more words onto the end of Tom Gola Arena. The diehards who only refer the university’s basketball mecca by its original name were ecstatic to discover that the school has plans for a “transformation” to the 3,200-seat arena, according to the department’s unofficial watchdog and superfan group, Olney Fans.

According to the site, renderings showcasing a renovated arena were displayed during the annual Bill Raferty Golf Outing, benefitting the men’s basketball program and the group says that university president Daniel Allen told the group that a “major announcement” regarding the arena is set to arrive later this summer.

A request for comment from La Salle University officials was unsuccessful at the time of this report but more to come from The Inquirer on this as rumblings of this renovation and improvements to another Big 5 venue this summer are in the works.

OK, so this isn’t wholly college per se, but it is still pretty cool. The Broad Street Birds, a team comprised of former Temple basketball alum are in the Wichita bracket of the The Basketball Tournament (TBT)—, the $1 million winner-take-all self-proclaimed highest stakes basketball tournament in the world. The team, featuring notables like Shizz Alston Jr. (2015-19), Scootie Randall (2008-13), and Damion Moore (2016-20) open the account against the Beale Street Boys, a team comprised of former players from Memphis. There’s also a Big 5 team going after it all in the Syracuse bracket (we see you, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson), set to tip off against a team of former players from the University of Buffalo beginning July 24. The final of the TBT will be played in Philadelphia on Aug. 2 at Drexel University’s Daskalaskis Athletic Center.