Led by Justin Edwards’ 25 points, Imhotep Charter wins third straight Public League title under Andre Noble

Imhotep Charter head coach Andre Noble displayed a cool demeanor from the bench as he watched his Panthers beat West Philadelphia, 72-43, in the boys’ Public League final on Saturday.

The win marked the third consecutive Public League title under Noble’s leadership. Over the last 19 years, Noble has won a combined 25 championships — 11 Pub titles, six city, and eight PIAA championships.

His resumé holds him as one of the best coaches in Philadelphia high school basketball history, including winning the most Public League titles of any head coach. Additionally, Noble has won 466 games.

His latest win, though, was meaningful.

“It’s about [the] seniors,” said Noble about winning another Public League final. “Our seniors get to go out [as] winners that [have] been a part of this program.”

Imhotep’s roster consists of talented players at each position, including ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023, forward Justin Edwards.

Edwards scored a game-high 25 points and was the game’s MVP. Throughout the game, he slashed through West Philadelphia’s defense by using his strength to get easy looks inside the paint, which included multiple slam dunks.

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Outside of the locker room, Edwards celebrated Imhotep’s win with his teammates and coaches. Over the last four years, Edwards credited Noble’s mentorship for getting the Kentucky signee to this point in his career.

“[He] just developed my game,” Edwards said. “I had a work ethic, but it wasn’t how it is now. They pushed me to get better, lift weights and all that stuff. I didn’t like lifting weights my freshman year. So they pushed [and] kept me in the gym.”

The Panthers (24-3) have won eight straight games and plan to celebrate for the next 48 hours, Noble said. However, capturing the Public League title is not the program’s only goal.

“This could be one of our best teams,” Noble said. “Our best teams have won a Public League, city, and state title. They have some more work to do to be in that kind of group, but they have been excellent.”

For over two decades, Noble has developed various players into standouts, including Florida Gulf Coast guard Dahmir Bishop and Maryland small forward Donta Scott. This year’s group, though, has been successful because of the team’s drive to improve, which has led to extra preparation each week.

“Just how committed we are,” said junior guard Ahmad Nowell, a top recruit in the class of 2024. “That’s what gives me the confidence to know we are going to do it. When it’s time to lock in, we definitely lock in. When it’s time to win, it’s time to win.”

In the second quarter, the Panthers shut down West Philly and went on a 9-0 run. For three straight quarters, Noble’s team brought consistent defensive pressure and took advantage of space on offense.

Imhotep has six seniors on the roster, five of whom have been with the program since ninth grade. Each of them have won multiple titles and developed into contributors.

Noble says he loves the process of developing successful players and watching them grow as individuals. And his current players believe they’ve benefited from Noble’s passionate style of coaching.

“He taught me a lot,” Nowell said. “Just staying focused. The little stuff. The little stuff [will] definitely help you out in the long run.”

The Panthers are in a familiar position with a chance to win another city and state title. They’ll be back at practice Monday to prepare for their city title game against Archbishop Ryan on Thursday.