Philly Public League Match Up: Imhotep vs Math, Civics & Science

Chad Graham February 26, 2021 @ 08:00 AM

Imhotep entered the game boasting a 8-0 record, while MCS was 6-4 on a five game win-streak. In the end, Imhotep defeated MCS 59-45 with a roster full of smart and athletic players. Imhotep [player_tooltip player_id="991341" first="Justin" last="Edwards"] 6’7 SF ‘23 While scoring just 13 points, Edwards illustrated a variety of ways he can “win” on the floor. The Imhotep wing regularly initiated offense then created advantages off the bounce for himself and his teammates. His ability to knock down shots from deep, at his size, only raises his ceiling. Edwards was long enough and quick enough laterally to stay in-front of guards and smaller wings on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="991339" first="Rahmir" last="Barno"] 5’10 PG ‘23 Barno got the keys to the Panthers squad last season and is now an extension of the coach. He was the quarterback of their pressures, directing their defensive effort that kept MCS to a season-low 45 points. When MCS tried to press and when Imhotep had fastbreak opportunities, Rahmir stressed the defense by pushing the ball down the court with accurate live-dribble passes. And when no one cut him off, he used his speed and handle to get to the rim (12 pts). [player_tooltip player_id="991317" first="Naji" last="Reid"] 6’0 CG ‘22 When Edwards and/or Barno forced defensive rotations, Reid cooked from the weak side (11 pts). He’s normally their secondary ball-handler, but he showed that he could run the team and initiate the offense too. MCS couldn’t afford to help off Naji because he’s always a threat to score too. Mo Abdullah 6’5 SF ‘22 Abdullah’s versatility is what makes their starting line-up so dangerous. He was the point of attack defender in their full-court press, guarded Wooga Poplar man-to-man, and was effective as a tag defender. Offensively, he spaced the floor by hitting a couple triples on his way to 13 points. [player_tooltip player_id="991275" first="Shakur" last="Smith"], Yahmir Satterfield, Amaury Hunter and [player_tooltip player_id="1173985" first="Jeremiah" last="White"] were interchange wing-forwards who fueled wave after wave of Imhotep’s defensive pressures. Math, Civics & Science [player_tooltip player_id="990933" first="Nisine" last="Poplar"] 6’4 CG ‘21 The Elephants were determined to run the offense through Wooga and he stepped up to the challenge. With explosiveness and agility, he often beat his man and the help defender (12 pts). Wooga additionally turned defense into easy offense by jumping and deflecting passes. Facing Imhotep’s long athletes only made him better. [player_tooltip player_id="991197" first="Jaheim" last="Bethea"] 6’2 PG ‘22 Bethea started the season deferring to and creating for others. But Thursday he was more assertive against his former team, showcasing his superb craft as a finisher (8 pts). Both against a set defense and as a second-side creator, Jah put pressure on the rim. Him driving put the Panthers in foul trouble down the stretch. Chauncey Presley 6’0 G ‘23 As MCS’s sixth man and third leading scorer on the season, Presley brought a lot of intensity off the bench. He contributed 8 points by getting in the paint and finishing through contact. And the same wings he finished over/around were the ones he defended on the opposite end. [player_tooltip player_id="991322" first="Trent" last="Middleton"] Jr 6’3 CG ‘22 He had an off night on offense (5 pts), but Middleton Jr still contributed heavily on defense by using his lateral ability versus guards and strength when matched up against bigger wings. [player_tooltip player_id="991199" first="Khalif" last="Crawley"] Jr 6’8 PF ‘22 Deuce was in foul trouble throughout the game. However, he did clean the glass and anchored their defense. Around the low & mid post, he demonstrated touch and agility for his size.