Imhotep’s Carnell Henderson ready to take on ‘a way bigger role’ next season
Henderson, a 6-foot-3 guard, joined the rotation as a junior this year. He hopes to be a key contributor next season with UConn-bound Ahmad Nowell and other talented seniors graduating.
As a sophomore at Imhotep Charter, Carnell Henderson was a deep reserve who wasn’t quite ready for the varsity level.
As a junior, Henderson moved into coach Andre Noble’s rotation and made an impact on a team that won the Public League, District 12 5A, and PIAA Class 5A titles.
Henderson wants a similar jump to happen next year as a senior. With a talented 2024 class that includes UConn-bound Ahmad Nowell graduating, there will be a large hole in the rotation. And the 6-foot-3 guard is ready to fill that void.
“This upcoming summer, [I want to] just get better because I know I’ve got to take on a bigger role, a way bigger role, going into my senior year,” Henderson said. “Seeing how Ahmad Nowell, Ma’Kye Taylor, Jeremiah White, all the seniors are leaving, I’ve got to be prepared.”
Henderson has started to figure out his new role last week while playing in the Donofrio Classic at the Fellowship House in Conshohocken. He was a go-to option as he knocked down six three-pointers, including five in the first half. He led all scores with 31 points for Hunting Park II in a 109-84 loss to the L&L Running Rebels.
Imhotep will need that kind of effort, coupled with consistency, next season. Henderson will be part of a strong returning group next year, alongside with sophomore guard RJ Smith, sophomore wings Latief Lorenzano-White and Zaahir Muhammad-Gray, and freshman forward Zion Green.
They’ll all need to carry the torch most recently held by Nowell and Co., though it’s a torch passed down from one tough ‘Tep senior class to the next.
“They work really hard, they work on their games every day, and I’ve just got to do what they do, and do it better,” Henderson said.
“[Noble] just told me to stay in the gym, keep working. They’re going to need me next year real bad.”
Henderson is planning to play this summer with Brad Wanamaker Elite’s 17U squad, sticking with the Hoop Group Showcase League program after playing with their 16 age group last summer.
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In upcoming tournaments, Henderson hopes to show college coaches that he can contribute to their programs. So far, he said, he’s had a few Division I programs show interest.
“Just doing everything I can to help us win,” he said. “Defending, rebounding, scoring, everything. The whole nine yards.”
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.