Big Five schools heavily recruiting Prep's Clover

La Salle assistant coach Horace Owens left his front-row seat, and, a minute later, St. Joseph's assistant Geoff Arnold slipped into the same spot in the Philadelphia University bleachers.

The Reebok Classic Breakout was rolling along, and the Big Five coaches were jockeying for position to watch St. Joseph's Prep guard Chris Clover, who has become a popular commodity this summer among city schools.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged a team-high 21.9 points per game in his junior season. He has made unofficial visits in the last two weeks to St. Joseph's, La Salle, and Villanova. Clover has received scholarship offers from St. Joe's, La Salle, Drexel, Temple, Rider, and San Jose State.

On his visit with the Hawks, Clover said, coach Phil Martelli told him he was St. Joe's No. 1 target at his position.

"Coach Phil wants me to come there really bad," Clover said. "I'm a Philly guy. St. Joe's is a favorite. They've been showing me the most love and texting me almost every day."

Clover said La Salle coach John Giannini told him he would love it if the guard chose the Explorers. The coach told Clover he would have a chance to play right away.

The Villanova Wildcats told Clover they were waiting until after the July evaluation period before extending a scholarship offer. Coach Jay Wright watched him play on Thursday from the upper rows of the bleachers.

"It's good that they're showing up, and it shows that they want me," Clover said. "It's not like they're just offering me and not showing any interest."

Kamal Yard, the director of the Philly Pride AAU program, said Clover is a "model kid."

Clover's decision is up in the air, Yard said, but the player has been "enamored lately with staying home."

Yard said Clover is guided by a strong support system that includes his parents and his high school coach, Speedy Morris.

"I'm not scared to stay home like other people," Clover said. "I don't feel the need to leave the city. I mean, it would be good to leave, but I don't feel a need to leave."

76ers guard Hollis Thompson will be a guest speaker at the fifth annual Hoop Dreams camp, a free coed basketball camp for players ages 10 to 17, on Saturday and Sunday at Girard College, said director Nadia Bosket. The camp starts each day at 9 a.m. Thompson will speak on Sunday.

Former Imhotep guard Sean Lloyd said he would spend next season at a postgraduate school. The 6-foot-5 Lloyd said he would know his destination within the next three weeks.

His options are the Phelps School in Malvern, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Fishburne Military School (Waynesboro City, Va.), and Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.).

Lloyd said he has received interest from Minnesota, Southern Cal, Marquette, and West Virginia.

@matt_breen