We will take look at the individual player evaluations from the 10th Annual NC Phenom 150 perspective camp coach. Today, we will look at the player evaluations from teams 13-14 at camp. The majority of the comments listed below are comments from the players’ respective camp coach.
Team 13 coached by Will Robinson
#124 6’0 2014 Amari Hamilton of Durham, NC: Hamilton is an athletic combo guard with a smooth shooting touch, which may be his strongest attribute at the present time. He has solid ball handling and passing skills, but will need to transition more into a PG to play at the next level. He plays with much desire and plays hard. His hustle was evident and didn’t go unnoticed. He has a good skill set and has a chance to play at the collegiate level.
#89 6’2 2014 Austin Collins of Winston-Salem, NC: Collins is an athletic guard that plays with purpose. He has a hard work ethic and outstanding attitude. Currently, his athleticism is ahead of his skill set but he has time to improve his fundamentals. He has high-level quickness and it is very apparent on the defensive side of the ball. Collins has the physical intangibles to play at the next level, but his improvement in his skill set will help determine the appropriate level.
#30 5’11 2013 Malik Gaffney of Blackburg, SC: Gaffney has good athleticism accompanied by a great attitude and work ethic. He has the quickness and physical intangibles to play at the next level, but his ability to run the PG position will help determine the proper level. Gaffney is an exceptional shooter and has the proper shooting mechanics. His ability to shoot efficiency from the perimeter may make him an attractive player at the D2 or NAIA level.
#103 6’7 2015 Taylor Thomas of Richmond, VA: Thomas is an athletic combo forward that has a chance to be a major factor on a mid major school. He works hard and has a great attitude. He really runs the floor extremely well and rebounds his position. He is aggressive attacking the basket and has the chance to be an efficient scorer with improved footwork in the post area. That being said, his work ethic, athleticism and current skill set is appealing and should be name D1 schools should be monitoring.
#158 6’4 2014 Torin Dorn of Charlotte, NC: Dorn came into the event as an unknown and will quickly be on the radar for mid to high major schools. Dorn is long and athletic and his ability to get to the basket is effortless. He has the ability to knock down perimeter jumpers and don’t be surprised to see schools in the ACC check out his young man. Yes, he that good! Just remember, we told you so!
#23 5’2 2016 Jeremiah Fields of Kinston, NC: Fields may have been the smallest PG in the high school division, but don’t let that fool you. Fields has excellent vision and a big heart. He absolutely loves to play the game and his attitude and work ethic on the court was fun to watch. He gives absolute effort and his hustle, heart and desire overcame any physical shortcoming with his current size.
#179 6’6 2013 Roderick Howell of Rock Hill, SC: D1 schools that are in need of a rugged, hard working combo forward should look no further than Roderick Howell. Howell brings ultimate hustle to the game. He is a great athlete that finishes well at the rim. He runs the floor as well as anyone at camp. We currently see Howell as a face up 4 at D1 level. His young man has a high motor and his intensity on the court was impressive.
#81 6’2 2016 Curt Jones of Richmond, VA: Curt Jones was one of the top 5 freshmen in attendance at the NC Phenom 150 Camp and according to Coach Randy Peele, is already a solid MM D1 prospect. Jones has a unique blend of athleticism and skill set that will make him one of the top freshmen in the state of Virginia. He is that good! He has physical intangibles with explosive leaping ability, but he simply knows how to use his physical strengths in scoring with ease. Without question, Jones production matched his potential and was outstanding in scoring in various ways. He was knocking down 3 pointers, using dribble drive pull up jumpers and also driving hard to the rim. Without knowing his grade, Jones played like an upperclassman and he will be one to put in your SIM card. On the defensive side of the ball, Jones was active and used his length and athleticism to bother smaller guards. We feel if Jones continues to develop and add strength, he will become a HM prospect.
#71 6’2 2014 Rusty Reigal of Charlotte, NC: Simply put, Rusty Reigal is a “tough as nails” competitor that gives maximum effort every trip down the court. He has good size/strength for his position and has sneaky quickness as he continuously got into the lane with ease. He is a willing passer that looks to get his teammates involved rather than his own shot and at times overpassed, which can be a positive. He has excellent fundamentals, skill set, and basketball IQ. His father played at Davidson College and look for the younger Reigal to follow in his footsteps of attending a high academic D1 school. Coach Randy Peele stated, “ Rusty is a very tough kid. He is involved in a ton of plays and is a combo guard that can “deliver the blow on penetration.” He will be better in a system rather in pickup. More importantly, he is a winner and schools should not drop the ball on him since he has so many intangibles.”
#63 6’2 2014 Brian Thornton of Chapel Hill, NC: Brian Thornton is a regular of the NC Phenom 150 Camp and his game continues to improve. We have always been impressed with his skill and ability. His production on the court matches his potential and the strong and physically mature combo guard has a knack for getting into the lane and making scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Coach Randy Peele liked his ball handling skills and ability to create his own shot. His best move was the between the legs dribble move as he gets low and gains advantage over quicker and smaller guards. He finished well in transition and has a college ready frame. Easily a D1 prospect that schools in the Big South and Southern Conference should carefully monitor over the upcoming season. We think Thornton will have a break out sophomore season.
#97 5’10 Devan Morgan of Chester, VA: Usually playing defense in exposure/evaluation events hardly goes unnoticed, but not the NC Phenom 150 Camp. Devan Morgan was simply a terror on the defensive side of the ball. While less than 6 foot, Morgan has a strong and athletic body that can absolutely “lock up” the opposing PG. He has a full throttle approach to the game and won’t back down from anyone! He has a quiet confidence to his game and his strength allows him to play bigger than his 5’10 frame. Coach Randy Peele stated, “ Morgan is tough as nails as an on the ball defender. He can also flat out shoot the 3 ball and is a legit D1 prospect.”
Team 14 coached by John Prid
#29 5’11 2013 Robbie Hagopian of Kannapolis, NC: Hagopian is a hard working player with an outstanding attitude. He gave maximum effort and his hustle was evident throughout the day. He has a solid understanding of the game accompanied with an adequate skill set. He has good court vision and is a willing and able passer. We liked his unselfish play and ability to play within the team structure.
#120 6’0 2014 Christopher Smith of Jacksonville, NC: Smith is a great young man with an excellent attitude. He has a solid skill set, but his ability to shoot the ball may be his strongest attribute. He has above average shooting mechanics and was effective shooting off the dribble. His ball handling skills are adequate, but can improve his defense to be a complete all around player.
#82 6’2 2014 Jermaine Jackson of Huntersville, NC: Jackson is a solid all around player that plays with a big heart. He has an adequate perimeter skill set, but his ability to dribble penetrates and attack the basket is his strongest suit. He did display more effort defensively and that was refreshing to see a player work as hard on the defensive end. Jackson’s effort and desire was on full display and should pay dividends down the road.
#76 6’2 2016 James Millner of Greensboro, NC: Millner is a promising young player that knows how to play the game the correct way. His fundamentals and skill set are solid and we like his overall basketball IQ. He displayed a great attitude and is a true team player. He has good ball handling and passing skills, but can improve his shooting perimeter skills.
#22 5’0 2016 Colton Lee of Raleigh, NC: Lee was one of the youngest and smallest players in the high school division. Lee is fundamentally sound player that plays with a huge heart. He is a very coachable player and does all the little things that often go unnoticed. He has above average ball handling with his passing skills being his strongest attribute. He is constantly dribbling with his head up looking for the open teammate. He does an excellent job of getting his teammates involved and running the team.
#159 6’4 2014 Ricky Council of Durham, NC: Ricky Council has been a regular at the NC Phenom 150 Camp and his stock continues to rise and his game has improved each season. Council plays the game the correct way! He plays with 100% effort 100% of the time. He plays with an extremely high motor and absolutely punished the rims at the Gateway YWCA. He flourishes in transition and in a high tempo offense; Council can become an effective player at the right MM program. His length, athleticism, and explosiveness are strong attributes, but his ability to shoot the mid range and 3 ball makes him attractive. Coach Randy Peele stated the following: “ Council is a slasher and finishes extremely well in transition. He loves to use the reverse spin dribble near the rim.”
#180 6’6 2013 Blake Cranor of Mooresville, NC: Blake Cranor has a sweet shooting touch from the perimeter and his ability to score efficiently with his jumper will enable him to play at the collegiate level. While Cranor doesn’t possess outstanding athleticism, he is fundamentally sound and plays with effort and desire. He runs the floor and gets himself in position to score and has a quick release on his jumper. We have watched Cranor over the pass several years and his performance has always been solid. His ability to shoot the perimeter jumper is his strongest attribute and can knock down shots efficiently and effectively.
#106 6’7 2016 Matt Kalaf of Raleigh, NC: When you are 6’7 and can shoot the ball as well as Kalaf, you definitely need to put this young man in your SIM card. He was knocking down 3 pointers all day, but more importantly his young man as a sweet shooting stroke. He was especially deadly in a catch and shoot situation and moved well off the ball, which is a unique skill for young players. In addition, Kalaf was able to shoot off the dribble in the half court and we feel Kalaf has one of the nicest strokes in the 2016 in North Carolina. Coach Randy Peele stated “Kalaf needs to be on MM D1 recruiting list ASAP, he is that good.” More importantly, Kalaf has a 4.0 GPA for his first semester. Student athlete!
#116 5’11 2015 Thomas Brown of Statesville, NC: Brown has strong ball handling skills and runs the team with poise. He has the physical attributes needed to be an effective player. He has a team first attitude, which is nice to see in camp settings. The next step for Brown is to develop a strong work ethic to maximize his abilities.
#1 5’10 2016 Caron Corpening of Lenoir, NC: Caron Corpening is another promising young PG in the North Carolina class of 2016. Corpening has speed and quickness and understands the responsibilities of the PG position, which is important for a young player. That being said, we are more impressed with his defensive presence on the court. Corpening is a hawkish “on the ball defender” and his lateral quickness is superb. Corpening will accept any challenge defensively and his effort guarding the opposing PG is second to none. He absolutely gets after it and not many young prospects take as much pride in their defense as Corpening.
#73 6’2 2015 John Pride of Glen Allen, VA: Pride is a solid player with good court vision. He is a big young guard that can rebound well for his position. He has a good quick step and finishes well at the basket. He is a high-energy player and has a pass first mentality and team first attitude. Pride can also slide over to the SG position with his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. He has a quick release, but we see the PG position being his best position at the next level.
#65 6’2 2014 Isiah Taylor of Charlotte, NC: Taylor is an athletic combo guard that combines athleticism and a high basketball IQ. He has solid ball handling and passing skills but his strongest attribute is his ability to score. He has outstanding shooting mechanics with a high release point with proper extension and follow through. His long term potential is to play the PG position at the collegiate level and we truly feel he has all the physical intangibles along with the proper skill set to achieve just that. He has all the quality ingredients.
