Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008
Although he played throughout the summer with his teammates on the Fairmont Heights High School boys' basketball team, Khaalis Coppock-Bey had made up his mind long ago.
Shortly after the school year ended, Coppock-Bey decided to take his show on the road, and last week he joined the boys' basketball team at Queen City Prep in Charlotte, N.C.
The 2008 Gazette-Star All-County First Team selection looks forward to his senior season.
"I think it's a good opportunity for college [exposure]," Coppock-Bey said in a phone interview Wednesday morning. "I'll have the opportunity to play against good players and on a team with good players."
Queen City Director of Sports Tony Taylor helped recruit Coppock-Bey along with two players from the Baltimore area. He saw an opportunity for Coppock-Bey and the school.
"Khaalis brings depth to the program," Taylor said by phone Wednesday. "He has a very bright upside and basketball future. He wanted to come out to North Carolina so he can focus on his academic situation. He wanted small classroom sizes and we have a structured system here."
Taylor continued, "He gets that college experience. We use the Barber-Scotia [College] campus and those are the facilities that we also use. On the basketball side, Khaalis is a very good athlete. He's going to be one of our premier players. He brings a lot to the table here."
Attempts by the Gazette to reach Fairmont Heights coach George Wake for comment were unsuccessful.
Coppock-Bey was one of the elite players in the county last season averaging 22.3 points and five rebounds per contest. During the 2006-07 season, Coppock-Bey helped the Hornets reach the Class 2A state championship game.
Coppock-Bey is familiarizing himself with his new school and new team. Classes at Queen City began last week and academics will be one of his primary objectives. He said he must meet certain requirements this school year in order to meet the NCAA Clearinghouse standards to begin college in the fall of 2009.
Coppock-Bey did not leave out the possibility of attending Queen City for the 2009-10 school year in order to shore up his college eligibility status. Among the list of universities interested in his talents are South Florida, South Carolina, George Mason and George Washington.
At Queen City Prep, he'll maintain a strict daily schedule, including daily early-morning conditioning sessions.
But the extra work will pay dividends in the long run for Coppock-Bey, who will be in a different role from his time with the Hornets.
"I have to play point guard now and I have to be a leader," said the 6-foot-2 Coppock-Bey. "And I have a lot to learn about the position."
Last season, Coppock-Bey was Fairmont Heights' primary scoring option as a shooting guard, but he has point guard experience, as he's played the position most summers with his AAU club, the D.C. Blue Devils.
E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.
