Player of the Week Nick Chapman ‘brings a toughness you just can’t teach’

By Mike Drago Last updated Feb 12, 2024

Reading's Nick Chapman signals after dropping a 3-pointer last year against Roman Catholic. (Jeremy Drey Photography)

Nick Chapman wasn’t able to get on the court the first time Reading High played Muhlenberg this season due to an injury.

He was a difference-maker in the rematch, playing a key defensive role and scoring 18 points as the Red Knights blew past the Muhls 83-46 last week to nail down the Berks Conference Division I title.

“He’s a game-changer,” teammate Malik Osumanu of Chapman, named Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch Player of the Week for the first time this season.

He was also selected once last season, as a junior.

Chapman’s 18 points – matching the second-highest total of his career – were key for the Red Knights but his biggest contribution came on defense. It usually does.

The dogged defender was a key in holding the Muhls’ leading scorer, Shermar Killen, without a basket through the first three quarters, and to five points overall.

Earlier this season Reading coach Francis Camara called Chapman one of the best defenders in the state.

“I don’t think there’s opposing coaches who would disagree with that,” he said. “He just brings a toughness to our team that you just can’t teach, you can’t coach.”

Camara ranks Chapman’s defensive work at guard right up there with some of the best the Red Knights have had in recent years: Myles Grey, Amier Burdine and his brother, Joey Chapman.

Nick Chapman is averaging 11.7 points, second on the team, and 2.1 steals, also second. He’s shooting 80.3 percent from the foul line. Camara said stats tell only a fraction of Chapman’s story.

“(What he does for us) is beyond stats, beyond numbers,” Camara said. “He makes a huge impact in the game. (There) are winning players, guys who impact the game without you having to look at the stat sheet. You feel their impact. You can see their impact. That’s Nick Chapman.”

Chapman made that kind of impact in Reading’s PIAA championship victory last year against Roman Catholic. He was named Player of the Week for that effort after scoring nine points with four rebounds and three assist.

“It doesn’t surprise us,” teammate Amier Burdine said of Chapman’s clutch play in the championship game, “because it’s something we see (every day at practice). We know he can get it done.”

Chapman, playing 20 minutes in the PIAA Class 6A title game, was part of a Reading bench that outscored Roman’s 19-0. When he was on the floor the Red Knights outscored Roman by 10 points; he earned the highest plus/minus rating in the game.

As Joey did nearly two years earlier, Nick secured the game-sealing steal against a favored Philly opponent, this time in overtime. Nick’s steal with about six seconds left and his subsequent fullcourt assist to Aris Rodriguez for a dunk capped Reading High’s 63-56 win.

Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coach or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team. Chapman is the second Reading player selected this season, following Yadiel Cruz.

Also considered for Player of the Week:

Josh McKoy, Berks Catholic
Donovan Gingrich, Conrad Weiser
Matt DiGiacomo, Daniel Boone
Alex Kelsey, Exeter
Ben DeBalko, Oley Valley
Dominic Giuffre, Schuylkill Valley
Correll Akings, Wilson
Danny Fleischood, Wyomissing

Players selected earlier this season:

Dec. 11: Alex Collado, Muhlenberg
Dec. 18: Madyx Gruber, Wilson
Dec. 25: Nate Herb, Fleetwood
Jan. 1: Yadiel Cruz, Reading High
Jan. 8: Kevin Saenz, Exeter
Jan. 15: Kingston McKoy, Berks Catholic
Jan. 22: Shermar Killen, Muhlenberg
Jan. 29: Aiden Soumas, Fleetwood

Players selected last season:

Dec. 12: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
Dec. 19: Mark Rajnath, Schuylkill Valley
Dec. 26: Ryan Koch, Berks Catholic
Jan. 2: Myles Grey, Reading High
Jan 9: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
Jan. 16: Yadiel Cruz, Reading High
Jan. 23: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
Jan. 30: Aiden Soumas, Fleetwood
Feb. 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
Feb. 13: Cooper Hohenadel, Schuylkill Valley
Feb. 20: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
Feb. 27: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
March 6: Anthony Caccese, Exeter
March 13: Myles Grey, Reading High
March 20: Kevin Saenz, Exeter
March 27: Nick Chapman, Reading High

Players selected in 2021-22 season:

Dec. 20: Matt Harley, Gov. Mifflin
Dec. 27: Colin Payne, Exeter
Jan. 3: Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
Jan. 10: Myles Grey, Reading High
Jan. 17: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
Jan. 24: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
Jan. 31: Julian O’Brien, Wyomissing
Feb. 7: Xavier Goodman, Kutztown
Feb. 14: Danny Turchi, Oley Valley
Feb. 21: Ruben Rodriguez, Reading High
Feb. 28: Hector Tiburcio, Antietam
March 7: Joey Chapman, Reading High