Imhotep defeats Bartram to win Public League title

ERIK COPES often hears from his uncle that he might be in attendance for Imhotep Charter's basketball games.

That doesn't always work out.

Not only does Roland Houston, a former star at Martin Luther King and Rhode Island, no longer live in Philly, he's also a pretty busy guy as an assistant coach at George Washington University.

Though the 6-8, 230-pound Copes is only a junior, he has already made his college decision.

We'll spot you the "George." You can handle the surname.

"I didn't know for sure he'd be here," Copes said last night. "I never really know until the game itself. I like when he comes to see me, but I can't say it really 'means' anything. Whether he's here or not, I still have to play the same way.

"I saw him before the game started, when we were doing warmups. I happened to see my mom and Uncle Roland was standing right next to her."

. . . And a wonderful performance he witnessed.

Before a large crowd at Temple's Liacouras Center, which had few chances to really explode with emotion, especially in the second half, Copes posted 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots as Imhotep Charter sucked the life out of John Bartram, 58-46, to win a second consecutive Public League championship.

Notice there's no mention of Copes' point total in that previous paragraph. If we failed to mention it at all, he wouldn't mind.

"I'm not out there to get the ball on offense. It doesn't matter if I score," Copes said. "My thing is to win championships. I do what I need to within [the framework] of what the whole team is doing."

OK, here it is . . . Copes tallied four points, shooting 2-for-6 from the floor.

"I never think about points," he said.

All Pub loyalists should think about this: There might be little reason to play the 2010-11 season.

Yes, this is an era when good players, even medium players, change schools like socks. Imhotep's own rotation includes two prominent guys who were elsewhere last season and even an important sub who was playing for another school when this season began.

But assuming these Panthers remain together . . . how will they not win again next season? Every rotation member is an underclassman.

"Next year? I don't even want to think about that," said a smiling Andre Noble, the coach. "I know what you're saying, but I'll worry about next year when we get to summertime."

This campaign is hardly complete. The defending state champs will meet West Catholic for the Class AA City Title this Saturday and then ease into the state tourney next week.

Copes feels good about the Panthers' chances. Just as he did entering this season with Pub endeavors in mind.

"I saw this from the beginning," he claimed. "I liked how hard we played and how we had nice different parts to mix together.

"The big moment, I'd say, was when we lost to Bishop Loughlin [N.Y.] by about 40. We got right back in the gym and went to work. Didn't let it stay with us. That showed me character right there."

In becoming the PL's first back-to-back champ since Ben Franklin in 1998 and '99, Imhotep faced an immediate obstacle. The team's co-franchise players are junior wing guards Ameen Tanksley and David Appolon. The latter picked up his second foul just 1:45 into the fray and when he reappeared later two different times, it was quick tweet followed by quick tweet.

He didn't score until 1:56 remained in the game, though that basket pretty much clinched the win after Tyrone Garland's three-pointer had moved the Braves within 48-40.

"David missed maybe five games with an injury," Noble said. "So thank goodness we were accustomed to playing without him."

Tanksley had 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Five other guys scored from six to nine points with sub guard Bakari White, a midseason arrival from Shipley School, leading the way. He also grabbed seven rebounds, as did Tyhiem "Redz" Perrin.

Scoringwise, Bartram's only attendee was Garland, the Virginia Tech signee who boasts 2,000-plus career points. He poured in 32, with lots of help from 6-for-12 sniping from Treysville.

His teammates? Get ready to wince. They combined to shoot 5-for-37.

"We figured Ty would get his 30," Noble said. "We concentrated on containing Quasim [Jones] and the other main guy [Zaahir Allen]."

Dijon Wright did grab 13 rebounds.

Midway through the third quarter, Imhotep's lead stood at just 31-29. Terrell Johnson drained a right-corner three. Earl Brown canned a follow. Brown hit two free throws after a steal by Johnson. Tanksley, the game's MVP (16 points, seven rebounds, three assists), hit Perrin for a bucket. The lead could have even expanded to 13 before the end of the session, but Brown pounded a dunk attempt against the side of the rim.

Eight more minutes and the Panthers would be celebrating. And Copes would be mentioning their motto for this season.

"We're chip chasers," he said, laughing, referring to one of the slang words for championship. "Coach 'Mutch' [assistant Jarrard Jones] came up with that."

All other chip chasers for 2010-11 are already at a disadvantage.