2021-22 Public League Preview: MVP Candidates

Chad Graham November 14, 2021 @ 09:13 PM

The Philadelphia Public League is pound for pound one of the best of it’s kind in the country. Like every year, this one feature heralded players who will push their teams for title contention and, in the process, make cases for league MVP. There are three division within this league. The following players play in the top one. [player_tooltip player_id="991231" first="Jacob" last="Beccles"] | 6’3 G 2022 Constitution JB has gotten better every season since his freshman year, going from 14.7 points per game as a sophomore to 15.9 as a junior. Constitution was the runner-up in the 2A state championship and Jacob received second team all-state honors. This year should yield better results as Beccles will be the number one option for the Generals. But first, they have to get through the gauntlet of Imhotep, Lincoln, and MCS, who all return the core of their squads from last season. He doesn’t have to do it all on his own. Lamar Glover, Carron Green, and Jamal Carr are back and raised their games too. The highlight plays are already there. If Jacob hopes to bring home the MVP honors, he’ll have to get those guys involved as an all-around playmaker, have a bigger impact on defense, and lead his team to a couple upset victories. [player_tooltip player_id="991339" first="Rahmir" last="Barno"] | 5’11 G 2023 Imhotep Bro. Andre (Imhotep’s head coach) trusted his young point guard to be an extension of himself on the court and Barno didn’t let him down, ushering the Panthers to the 2021 league championship. Rahmir is now garnering attention as a consensus top 100 recruit, nationally, and the team looks even better than last season. As early favorites to win a state title, his biggest hurdle to earning league MVP is probably his own teammate - Edwards. The consummate floor general will have to take over games at the point of attack on defense and enforce his will, all while playing within the structure of their scheme. Whether he receives the award or not, Barno is sure to be a fun watch in his own right. [player_tooltip player_id="991341" first="Justin" last="Edwards"] | 6’7 W 2023 Imhotep Justin vaulted up rankings after the nation caught wind of what he and his Team Final 16u squad was doing on the AAU circuit. Humble as he may be, the attention he’s getting from the media and the next level have put a target on his back. To win MVP, Justin has to live up to the hype and be worth the price of admission every night. It’s a tall order and, with spectators being allowed back in high school games this season, everyone is going to have him under the microscope. But he is in this spot for a reason. Every opponent, every defender, is going to give Justin their best shot and no one should expect him to shy away. Matt Williams | 6’5 F 2022 Lincoln The Railsplitters have been making noise all summer, after coming up just short in the 2021 Public League title game against Imhotep, and Matt has been leading the way. With the departure of a few impact player’s from last season, expect him to build upon the 11.2 points he averaged as a junior with increased range on his jumper. Williams will continue to rack up steals, deflections and blocks in Lincoln’s pressure defense. With the additions of [player_tooltip player_id="1185939" first="Rashan" last="Locke-Hicks"] aka Nizzy and [player_tooltip player_id="991205" first="Aymere" last="Thomas"] from Sankofa, an emerging Khrystopher Murray, and Tamir Powell, there’s no reason why the Railsplitters can’t topple the raining league champs. If they do that and get great inside-out scoring from their leaders, Matt will be a shoe-in for MVP. [player_tooltip player_id="991197" first="Jaheim" last="Bethea"] | 6’0 G 2022 Math, Civics, & Sciences Wooga Poplar led MCS to a few titles during his career as an Elephant. In his first season on the team, Jah averaged 8.7 points, 4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.7 steals. He then parlayed his public league debut into a pivotal role on Team Final’s Peach Jam title-team. The craft Bethea shows around the basket - finger rolls, floaters, etc - is only second to his court vision. He makes his teammates better by getting them the ball in the spots where they’re the most dangerous. Going into his second and final year, MCS will need him to further accentuate the skillsets of [player_tooltip player_id="991322" first="Trent" last="Middleton"] Jr and [player_tooltip player_id="991199" first="Khalif" last="Crawley"] Jr, plus get FIU-commit Darryon Prescott involved as a lob threat. Adding to his bag as a shooter will raise his ceiling as a prospect and his team’s as a title contender. For more high school basketball coverage, follow me on twitter @CGraham_Sports.