As Justin Edwards’ high school career ends at Imhotep, he leaves behind a standard for other Philly players
“I went from not thinking I was going to take basketball seriously to being where I am now," the Kentucky signee said after the Panthers won the PIAA 5A championship.
HERSHEY, Pa. — When Imhotep coach Andre Noble pulled senior starters Rahmir Barno and Justin Edwards in the fourth quarter of the PIAA Class 5A state championship game, the Panthers’ student section applauded.
The 6-foot-7 Edwards took a moment as he came off the court inside the Giant Center on Friday. He first hugged Noble, who’s been a mentor since the forward’s freshman year, then dabbed up each of the six assistant coaches and his teammates on the bench.
“It didn’t hit me yet; I thought I was going to be all emotional,” Edwards said after Imhotep’s 78-40 victory against Exeter High School. “It’ll probably hit me later. Just [the coaches] kept telling me it was my last game — to go out with a win means a lot.”
The No. 5 Panthers won their ninth state title since 2009, and helped Noble, who has led the program for 19 seasons, to his winningest season with a 30-3 record. After Imhotep received its trophy and medals, the team gathered for a photo, one player shouted, “Last one together!”
That it was. Noble will graduate seven seniors — six of whom were part of the program for four years — and one of those players is Edwards, the Kentucky signee who’s ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023.
Edwards, who finished with a team-high 19 points against Exeter, has done more than help the Panthers win over the years; he’s set a standard that other players can be late bloomers, but still find success and obtain national recognition while playing in the Public League.
“I’ve grown a lot,” Edwards said. “I went from not thinking I was going to take basketball seriously to being where I am now.”
Edwards is the first Public League player since 1993 to be selected as a McDonald’s All-American, and he’ll be heading to Houston for the game on Tuesday night. He also was selected to the USA Basketball roster for the 24th annual Nike Hoop Summit on April 8 in Portland, Ore.
Besides his national accolades, Edwards has earned a Public League, city, and state title this season. He also contributed toward the Panthers becoming the first team in the commonwealth to win the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla., an accomplishment Noble and Edwards said they’ll cherish most.
“I always remember when we started figuring out that [Edwards] was a good player,” said Noble, who was drenched in water after the locker room celebration. “We would tell him, ‘Jus, no matter what happens, keep your character,’ because Justin’s character is amazing.”
Noble recalled when Imhotep played Abington Heights in the PIAA quarterfinals. After the win, Edwards stayed on the court, taking pictures with kids and gave them the sleeve he wore in the game.
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It stuck with Noble, because even though Edwards wasn’t going to see the kids again, he didn’t mind taking the time to talk with them. Before joining his teammates in the locker room on Friday, the high-flying forward signed autographs and took photos with fans in the crowd one last time in his Imhotep jersey.
Noble said after describing Edwards’ character that the senior is ready for Kentucky.
“He does a lot of things that you just don’t see,” Noble added. “He’ll do that all day, he’s just that kind of kid.”
While it’ll be hard to surpass what this year’s group achieved, Noble said, he knows they’ll have key contributors next season, namely junior point guard Ahmad Nowell, who finished with 12 points and four assists against Exeter, and freshmen RJ Smith and Zaahir Muhammad-Gray.
“We feel one of the best players in the state is going to be [Nowell], he’s a great leader,” Noble said. “We feel with how great a leader Ahmad is with the young talent we have, [it’ll] be different — it won’t be Justin Edwards — but we’ll work hard and try to be the best team that we can.
“We’re proud of the fact that our kids, for the most part, come here from ninth grade and play to be a part of this program.”