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 9-10 at camp. The majority of the comments listed below are comments from the players’ respective camp coach.
Team 9 coached by Marcus Stevenson
#53 6’1 2016 Aaron Gottfried of Raleigh, NC: Aaron Gottfried is a smart/fundamentally sound basketball player. He has a high basketball IQ and his passing and shooting ability are strong attributes. More importantly, Gottfried understands “team concepts” and is a valuable teammate. Often, it is difficult for team players to excel in a camp setting, but that was not the case. His play throughout the day was strong and has the potential of a definite D1 prospect.
#152 6’4 2014 Phillip Jewell of Concord, NC: Jewell is an extremely hard worker with a high basketball IQ. He displays great sportsmanship and a willingness to get better. Jewell has a good jump shot and is an excellent passer. The next step in his development is to improve overall team defensive principals, but Jewell has the right attitude and work ethic to develop into a collegiate player at some level.
#140 6’3 2015 Harrison Burton of Rock Hill, SC (Christchurch School in Virginia): Burton exhibited strong basketball fundamentals and possesses a high basketball IQ. Burton shows the willingness to get better by his work ethic and attitude. He is an excellent shooter and a great decision maker for his position. He has good, but not great athleticism but his skill package should make him an attractive D1 prospect. He has a strong body and willingness to compete and maximize his effort on both ends of the court.
#45 6’1 2014 Matthew MacKinnon of Chapel Hill, NC: MacKinnon has strong basketball instincts and total understanding of the game. His ability to shoot the basketball is his strongest attribute. His strong work ethic and desire to get better was apparent and the combination of his skill set makes him an attractive player. MacKinnon as a nice shooting stroke and his technique is advanced which will make him a consistent shooter over his career. He was also strong on the defensive side of the ball while using overall team defensive philosophies. The next step for MacKinnon is to improve his on the ball defense.
#15 5’11 2014 Isaiah Cole of Kings Mountain, NC: Cole has a great attitude and a strong work ethic. He has a blend of athleticism and skill that makes him game attractive. We liked his decision-making and overall basketball IQ. He is a solid lead guard that has the ability to knock down perimeter jump shots. His shooting mechanics are really good and was effective in shooting off the dribble. His blend of athleticism and skill set should make him a collegiate prospect at some level.
#174 6’5 2016 Deshawn Corprew of Hampton, VA: Without question, Corprew was one of the top prospects at the NC Phenom 150 Camp. The athletic and bouncy WG has high elite level athleticism and skill set that will garnish interest from high major schools. He has advanced ball handling and passing skills and can knock down 3-point shots with consistency. Go ahead and put his young man in your SIM card! He will be a top 50 prospect nationally for his class. He is that good!
#84 5’5 2015 Lawrence Hickson of Orangeburg, SC: Hickson has a great attitude and willingness to learn and get better. He has sound basketball fundamentals. He displayed good decision-making and was a willing passer. Despite his size, he was able to dribble penetrate effectively. He was very coachable which was a strong attribute.
#18 5’11 2016 Matthew-Phillip Stevenson of Winston-Salem, NC: Stevenson has a high basketball IQ and advanced ball handling and passing skills needed for a young PG. He has a strong work ethic and has the ability to knock down jumpers. We really like his ability to shoot the ball and has excellent shooting mechanics. Stevenson is effective at shooting off the dribble. The next step in his development is to make more confident decisions with the ball. That being said, we strongly feel Stevenson has the ability to project as a potential D1 prospect.
#77 6’2 2014 Joe Lewis of Dinwiddie, NC: Lewis has excellent basketball IQ and strong basketball work ethics. He is a good defender and is an excellent rebounder for his position. He has good individual defensive attributes along with a strong understanding of team defensive concepts. That being said, his strong offensive skills could make him an efficient scorer and a potential collegiate player at some level.
#105 6’7 2013 Jimmy Marshall of Richmond, VA: Simply put, Marshall is a coach’s dream. He has great basketball IQ, tremendous attitude, and a strong work ethic combined with the skill and athleticism to be a legit D1 prospect. He is excellent in transition and has the ability to put the ball on the floor and go baseline to baseline. He has advanced passing skills for his size/position. His size, skill sets and intangibles make him a high priority of lower tier D1 schools.
#34 6’1 2013 Jalen Vince of Fayetteville, NC: Vince is an athletic guard with excellent length. He has excellent basketball IQ and showed poised and solid decision-making throughout the day. He is a true lead PG that is a willing and generous passer and rarely makes mistakes. He was just as effective on the defensive end of the court as he was on the offense end and is a strong attribute you like to see in a PG. We liked his leadership skills and could be a sleeper in his class in North Carolina. Vince will benefit for a strong senior season, but has the ability to play at some collegiate level.
#46 5’9 2015 Chandler Peraldo of Greensboro, NC: Peraldo is a very good basketball player with a high basketball IQ. He shows the willingness to be a team leader and also has the ability to make his teammates better, which is the number one job of a true PG. He has excellent court vision and makes the right pass on time and on target. We liked the way Peraldo was consistently looking for his teammates throughout the day. While Peraldo is an effective shooter from the perimeter, he scarified his personal scoring to be the team leader. He is a true competitor and values winning over personal statistics. The next step in his development is to get physically stronger which will come with time. He has the ability to play at the collegiate level.
Team 10 coached by Kevin Carter
#108 6’7 2013 Daniel Bridges of Inman, SC: Bridges is a long and athletic WF that runs the floor well. He is an adequate mid range shooter and can hit the open shot with efficiency. His skill set, size and athleticism should make him an attractive prospect for unsigned seniors in the 2013 class. A strong senior season will be crucial for his development and securing scholarship offers from various collegiate programs.
#59 6’1 2013 Justen Best of Chapel Hill, NC: Best is a hard working player with good size for a PG, but will probably slide over to the SG position since he is such an efficient and effective shooter. He displayed a strong work ethic and excellent attitude and his ability to hit the open perimeter jump shot is a strong attribute. Best has the potential to play at the D2 or NAIA level.
#75 6’2 2014 Malachi Paige of Cary, NC: Paige is a good young talent that happens to be a tough competitor. He has the willingness to learn and play with passion and desire, which is a strong attribute to all young players! He is a very coachable player and his ability to listen is a skill many young players do not possess. He has the physical and skill set to be a strong player and potentially a collegiate level player with improvement and continued development.
#132 6’3 2015 Muhammad Muhammad of Durham, NC: Muhammad is a tough hardnosed competitor/talent and has the willingness to learn. He has an excellent understanding of the game. His willingness to work hard on both ends of the court was appealing. He is a throw back to the blue-collar workhorse player that will do all the little things that are needed to win. His valued winning approach was evident and on full display. Muhammad has a solid midrange game. On the defensive side of the ball, Muhammad is a strong on the ball defender and understands team defensive principals. He is a Carolina Challenge and NC Phenom 150 Alum and is definitely a target for D1 schools.
#43 5’11 2014 Joshua Sherer of Kings Mountain, NC: Sherer is a quick and athletic PG that thrives in the open court. He has a great attitude and good team player. His solid ball handling and passing skills were on display throughout the day. He has good leadership skills and his strong presence of controlling the tempo, which is a strong attribute for a PG. He has an adequate mid range game. Sherer just needs to continue his development and work on his off hand and continue to get bigger and stronger.
#154 6’4 2014 Shaeza Griffith of Danville, VA: Griffith is a hard working player with solid athleticism and quick feet. He understands the game and competes at a very high level. His willingness to learn and play with maximum effort was appealing. He has an adequate midrange jump shot but could improve his perimeter skills to enhance his collegiate potential. Currently, you have an athletic combo forward that will compete and battle with the best of them.
#19 5’11 2016 Mark Seaman of Williamsburg, VA: Seaman is a promising young PG with good athleticism and skills. He has the willingness to learn and cooperate with teammates. He will make the extra pass and is an excellent facilitator and team leader. He’s the type of player that others like being on his team. He is an adequate perimeter shooter, but his understanding of the game is a strong attribute for Seaman. He is on track to become a potential collegiate player at some level with continued development and hard work.
#128 6’1 2016 Xavier Williams of Fayetteville, NC: Williams is a fierce competitor who values winning and his efforts on the court speak volume. His quickness and athleticism allow him to get into the lane with ease and has the ability to finish at a high rate. He is an adequate perimeter shooter and like many young players will need to improve shot selection. Currently, Williams is more of a scoring PG and will need to find a balance of being a true PG. That being said, Williams has the athleticism and skills to be on track for a potential D1 prospect.
#91 6’2 2013 David Belfield of Charlotte, NC: Belfield continues to fly under the radar of many D1 schools and that should not be the case. He is a tremendous hard working young man. He plays hard and with a purpose! He competes hard and values winning. He can play both guard positions. He can be the team facilitator and get his teammates involved and while he is playing the off guard position, he works hard to get open. He is not a “stand still” player. He is constantly moving and understands the team concept on both ends of the court. He is strong attacking the basket and should be a target of lower tier D1 schools.
#8 5’10 2014 Jermaine Pulley of Raleigh, NC: Pulley is a quick on quick PG with adequate ball handling skills. He has a knack of getting into the lane and finishing effectively amongst the big guys. Pulley has a quick first step and has the ability to make his team better when he chooses. Pulley is a scoring PG and also will need to find the balance of being more passer friendly at times. He does possess a strong attitude and work ethic and if finds the balance of a true team facilitator will only enhance his potential and ability to play at the collegiate level, which are realistic sights/goals.
#99 5’9 2016 Jalyn Jarrett of Dinwiddie, VA: Jarrett is a promising young PG in the 2016 class. He has excellent quickness and athleticism. His quick first step allows him to blow by defenders. He has the ability to get into the lane score in traffic. Jarrett is a great athletic PG with advanced ball handling skills. He understands the game quite well for his age/grade/position. His court vision is adequate but has the ability to be an outstanding PG if he continues to improve and understand the nuances of his position. He has a competitive spirit and plays with effort and enthusiasm. He is definitely a young PG that D1 schools should continue to monitor over the high school season and through AAU.
#178 6’6 2014 Jermaine Johnson of Clayton, NC: Johnson is a strong and quick athletic combo forward. He runs the floor extremely well and rebounds with a purpose. He understands the game well, but his overall raw potential will make him a prospect to carefully monitor over the next two years. His hard-nosed approach to the game is refreshing and will battle tooth and nail for rebounds on both ends of the court. If Johnson continues to improve and enhance his perimeter skills, his interest list from collegiate programs will increase.
