Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
The high school basketball season gets underway on Friday. If you’re a hoops fan in Berks County, Albright College is the place to be that night. The first game of the Hoop Group Showcase features Lower Merion vs. Pocono Mountain West at 6pm. The Aces have won seven state championships. They reached the PIAA-6A semifinals last season. Lower Merion is led by Penn State commit Demetrius Lilley. The 6’9 all-state center averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds last season. Lilley is the first player at Lower Merion to put up more than 20 points and 10 boards a night since Kobe Bryant.
Defending Class 6A state champ Reading will take on perennial power Imhotep Charter in the nightcap of the doubleheader. The Red Knights have the most wins in Pennsylvania history with 2,188. They finished (26-2) last season and captured their second state title since 2017. Ruben Rodriguez and Daniel Alcantara, both all-state selections, are back for head coach Rick Perez. This is an experienced and battle-tested Reading squad.
Mo Abdullah is expected to have a big senior campaign for the Panthers. The 6’4 guard is committed to Rider. However, most eyes will be on 6’7 junior forward Justin Edwards. He has nearly twenty Division I offers including Kentucky, UCONN, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Virginia, Seton Hall, and Oklahoma State. Penn State and Pittsburgh have also offered Edwards. His stock continues to climb. Imhotep has another very promising junior in Rahmir Barno. The 5’11, point guard is certainly on the radar of the colleges in Philadelphia. Barno has offers from Temple, La Salle, and Drexel. VCU is also in the mix. Head coach Andre Noble is bringing a talented group to Albright on Friday. I’ll be there to provide updates!