Men’s basketball recruit Erik Copes has yet to decide if he will ask GW for a release from his contract, following the departure of  head coach Karl Hobbs.

Copes signed a national letter of intent to play at GW, one that the University would have to release him from if the high school senior would matriculate at another institution without losing a year of NCAA eligibility.  The 6-foot-8 center has yet to decide what course of action he will take, Andre Noble, director of athletics and men’s basketball coach at Imhotep Charter High School said.

“That decision hasn’t been made yet. I think it will be made within the next couple weeks,” Noble said. “Obviously, they’re trying to find out, when it settles down, who’s going to be the coach and the staff [at GW]. I imagine he and his mother will make the decision within the next couple weeks.”

Copes is widely regarded as the best recruit Hobbs ever brought to Foggy Bottom. He averaged 7.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game last season, and was rated as the sixth-best center and 49th best player in his recruiting class in the ESPNU Top 100 rankings.

A source in the athletics department declined to say if GW would grant Copes a release.

Noble said the release of Hobbs took Copes by surprise because of  the level of respect Copes developed for the former Colonials coach.

“I don’t think it was expected. He’s a recruit, so obviously he wasn’t expecting the change. I would imagine it was a little shocking for someone his age,” Noble said. “He had developed a lot of respect for coach Hobbs.”

Copes’s decision will likely be influenced by associate head coach Roland Houston, a seven-year veteran at the University and Copes’s uncle. Houston is still on the University’s payroll, as incoming-athletic director Patrick Nero said it would be up to the new head coach to determine his or her staff.

“[Copes] does have a unique experience of feeling like he’s somewhat a part of the GW family, obviously, with the relationships, with his uncle, who is like a father to him,” Noble said. ” I think that’s obviously that’s one of the things Erik is going to look at, but there’s other things.”

Copes’s attraction to GW as a whole will also be a factor, Noble said, adding that Copes likes the University, the people and the atmosphere in Foggy Bottom.

“Throughout this whole process, his whole recruitment, Erik really, genuinely, liked GW,” Noble said. “Erik and his mom, they’re right now taking it all in, they’re gonna probably wait and see what happens at GW, and they’ll make a decision. I can say that from speaking to him yesterday he does like GW, he likes D.C. We’re still hopeful that everything can work out.”

Noble said members of GW’s camp have reached out to Copes since Hobbs was released from his contract and that Copes intends to visit campus again in the coming weeks.