Wendell Phillips Boys’ Basketball 2024 IHSA 2A State Champions

2024 IHSA 2A Boys’ Basketball Champions Wendell Phillips Academy High School flanked by Alderman Pat Dowell and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on the left and Phillips’ Principal Rashad Talley on the right. (Photo courtesy of CPS)

Known as “the Premiere South Side School of Choice,” Wendell Phillips Academy lived up to the motto last Saturday, March 9, in downstate Champaign, Illinois, upsetting Benton Academy 54-47, to bring the 2024 IHSA 2A State Championship back to Chicago. It was the Phillips Wildcats’ first state title in 49 years. The Crusader spoke to second-year head coach Paris Martin [along with players] on Thursday afternoon, March 14, at the team’s luncheon at Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles restaurant in Bronzeville. Martin spoke about his journey, making history as a coach, in spite of the team challenges of navigating nine transfers throughout the season, and his blueprint of inheriting a state championship team. “My journey as a hooper may have started in the eighth grade,” said Martin to the Crusader.

“I was more so of a football and baseball player coming out of the Robert Taylor Homes, the Harold Ickes and the Dearborn Homes. As I got older, I ended up getting good at basketball around 20 or 21-years-old. I had a late start; I was one of the late bloomers on [the] Chicago [hoop scene]. But I put a lot [of work] into what I did and put a name out there in the streets for myself.

“So going forward, I had a son that I tried putting in baseball and football, but obviously he loved basketball. He got real good, coming up through the rankings being a part of the Class of 2021, after he played for Burr Ridge Middle School (where he averaged 21 points a game as an eighth-grader and led the team to a second place finish downstate), Fenwick, Kenwood, and finished his senior year at IOSS, a prep school in California. His name was Kendall Martin.” Martin said not only was he proud of helping develop his son as a player in the Chicago Public League when he played in the city but making history, winning state with a Public League School as well. “Amazing bro!,” said Martin about his feelings on winning the school’s first state title since 1975.

“I’m still soaking it in right now. We are like four to five days after the championship game, and I just can’t believe all the love being shown to Wendell Phillips.

“Throughout the city of Chicago, a lot of people have given me kudos and told me I did a really good job [an amazing job]. That I’m a legend and a part of history. I understand the message and respect, but it’s not about me, but about the boys. Giving them the opportunities to showcase their talent on a city and state platform. Also, me having the opportunity to see these kids live out their dreams through the sport of high school basketball.” As the head coach at Phillips, Martin said when building a state championship team, it’s not just about having heart. “Although heart is the foundation, I will start with guards first.” “I’m a guard lover,” Martin added. “Small guards, medium size guards, whatever. If you can play and got the will to put the work in, I’m there for you. I’m your coach. [So, to build a team] I’m starting with guards.

Second, you need athleticism. You need guys [who have] grit [and are] the grinders. You need the slashers. Because if you look at the game now, the big men are actually the guards. There’s no more back to the basket type of guys. [There is] position-less basketball all over the world right now. And if you put a kid in that box, you are not going to get his full potential. [This is why] I let my kids play. You can look at all the film and footage and see my boys get to have fun out there.” Martin said when it comes to their opponents and game preparation: “We go over what we need to go over in practice. We practice for who is in front of us. We don’t look ahead of nobody. Every game is coached differently.” Mustard Seed PR in a statement echoed Martin’s sentiments on the boys: “For the past several months, this team of all transfer students has been working hard learning plays, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, trying to prove their worth.”

“Led by Coach Paris Martin, in his second year, the young men have long been viewed as the underdogs. Yet, in spite of the chatter, they proved everyone wrong, winning the state championship, finishing with a record 26 wins, 8 losses, participating in the Final Four of the city playoffs, and second place in the DeKalb Christmas Tournament.

Several of the team’s players received individual accomplishments during the season, including EJ Horton – named to the All-City Team; Amari Edwards – named to two different Thanksgiving All-Tournament Teams; and Phoenix Childs – named to the All-State, First All-Defensive Team.” Phillips’ player Elijah Harris said he has also enjoyed the journey. Since the beginning of the season, he has watched the team grow as a family. “It was a journey,” Harris told the Crusader.

“In the beginning of the year we were kind of shaky. We were still trying to figure each other out. Some of us are new to each other. We got kids from Indiana, a kid from Florida, kids from the Catholic League.

Most of us really knew each other, but we were just figuring each other out and seeing how we can help each other [and come together]. Toward the end of the season we locked in as brothers. We’re all close. You wouldn’t see one without the other [or] without each other [throughout the school year]. We are all family.” Harris’ teammate, Claude Mpouma [a transfer out of the state of Indiana], said it was a big move to transfer from Indiana to Chicago. Crossing state lines was a challenge for the big man from the Hoosier State. “It was a big move for us [family], moving from Indiana to Chicago, Illinois,” said Mpouma. “Just moved out here. Didn’t know anybody. It was kind of hard in the beginning, but we had to deal with it and do what we had to do.” Originally from Cameroon [in Central Africa], the big man said he experienced culture shock on his arrival to the States and experiencing the city life. “It was a big difference culturally,” said Mpouma about his first time coming to America from Cameroon. “Where I’m from, everybody is outside, everybody knows each other. Over there, it’s really different.” Mpouma added about his on-campus experience at Phillips: “Everybody is nice. All the teachers, administrators and students.” He also thanked coach Paris for his strong support and congratulated him on winning the state title in his second year as head coach. “Shout out to coach Paris for being a great coach,” said Mpouma. “In his second year winning a state title, it’s a big thing. Also shout out to my old coach at Culver High School [in Indiana].” Brian Mills, general manager of Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles restaurant, host of the team’s championship luncheon, said the business was proud to celebrate the State champions at the team’s neighborhood restaurant in Bronzeville on Thursday afternoon. He said that he, along with his staff, felt special to be a part of history. “It’s special,” Mills said, after being named the first restaurant to host the historic state champs.

“It’s very special. It’s just right. We are here at Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles. Being here, it used to be the historic Ritz Hotel. And these young men come out and do something great for the city. We wanted to be a part of it and open our doors to them for that.” “Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles is proud to host this luncheon,” commented Mustard Seed PR.

“For years the establishment, celebrating 16 years in food and service, has always been a champion for the community. Owners Darnell and Tonya Johnson are proud to support the efforts of young people making a difference, days after winning the IHSA 2A State Championship, for the first time in nearly 50 years.” The group added, “Wendell Phillips High School Boys’ Basketball team will celebrate in grand fashion in a special celebratory luncheon. Congratulations to the Phillips Boys’ Basketball team on capturing the IHSA Class 2A State Championship! This is the first state title for the team since 1975. Great job, Wildcats!” Phillips School History: When it comes to history, the school is not just known for being the first African American football team in the city to be crowned two-time state champs, but is also the oldest African American school in Chicago—although it opened as a predominantly white school on September 4, 1904.

Phillips had replaced the old South Division High School, established in 1875, which had been located at 36th and Wabash. When the new building was opened at 39th Street and Prairie Avenue, it served the children of the wealthy of the community and a few African American children of their servants. Students included the young Armours, Swifts, and Cudahys of the meatpacking industry; the Peacocks, Stevens, Pullman, and McCormicks also attended. Phillips Athletic Program Mission Statement: The school website stated: “The mission of our athletic program is to offer student-athletes, through participation in competitive athletics, an opportunity to experience meaningful growth, accomplishment and success.”

“As a Phillips Wildcat student-athlete, you are a positive role model within our school and the community at large. As a student-athlete at our school, your sportsmanship goals should include: maintaining at least a C+ in all classes, attending school daily, and exhibiting positive behavior; respecting the rules of the game, the officials who administer the rules, and their decisions;

“Respecting our opponents as fellow student-athletes, refraining from engaging in all types of disrespectful behavior; looking at athletic participation as a potentially beneficial learning experience, whether you win or lose; educating other students and fans to understand the rules of the game, and the value of sportsmanship.” Although the school requires athletes to maintain a C+ or higher in their academics to compete in sports programs on campus, the Wildcats State championship basketball team maintained a 3.3 GPA throughout the season. Winning on the court and off the court as well.

The school continues to strengthen the mission of the Athletic Program by offering competitive sports for young men and women in the areas of Baseball (young men only), Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Softball Swimming, Track, Volleyball and Wrestling.

For more on Wendell Phillips Academy High School, visit https://phillipshs.org/.