This past weekend, the Phenom Hoop Report travelled down to Fayetteville, NC to cover the inaugural NC Showcase put on by Dwight Miller and the SEBL. Forty-four teams participated in the event representing four age groups, 14U, 15U, 16U and the 17U.
North Carolina Showcase Part II
In the previous article on the coverage of the North Carolina Showcase, we featured many of the top freshmen in the talented 2016 class in North Carolina. Today, we will look at another group of young players that made an impact for the weekend.
6’3 2014 Jeron Withers of Fayetteville Academy in Fayetteville, NC
Withers is a bouncy and athletic WG that has made an impression in the past purely on his physical intangibles. We watched him extensively at the recent NC Phenom 150 camp and his game is coming along nicely, especially his consistent range from the 3 point line. The southpaw has really been shooting the ball extremely well, which many had questions about in the past. Withers college ready frame, athleticism and ability to knock down shots will elevate his status immensely. In addition, Withers has the ability to create off the dribble, but we were impressed with his no look passes off the dribble. He has improved tremendously over the past pass 3 years and is getting more comfortable in his new AAU settings.
6’2 2014 Qwaman Burton of Franklin Military Academy in Richmond, VA
This was our first time viewing Burton and we really liked the potential with the strong and physical PG. He was just a tough hard-nosed player that plays with a high motor. He is really aggressive on both ends of the court and made a mark by playing really solid defense. While Burton is not on many coach’s radar, we strongly feel he has a chance to contribute at the lower tier level. He attends Franklin Military Academy so he is well disciplined. He isn’t a flashy player, but simply gets the job done. He rarely makes a mistake handling the ball and is relentless attacking the basket. His strength and size and current skill set should make him an attractive D1 prospect.
6’9 2013 B.J. Allen of Matoaca HS in Colonial Heights, VA
Allen is a wide body PF with excellent hands. He plays good low postposition and uses his body wisely and efficiently in the paint. Allen has a surprising good touch up to 10-15 feet from the basket. He may need a year of prep school or if a lower tier D1 School would be willing to red shirt them for a year. He is not the finished product, but he does have some upside and potential that is worthy of attention. The next step is to improve his conditioning, but he has a good skill set with excellent size.
6’0 2016 Zach Boggs of Grace Christian in Sanford, NC
Boggs plays for a small Christian School in Sanford, NC and it is easy for him to go under the radar. That being said, Boggs enjoyed an excellent weekend for the Greensboro Gaters AAU team. He is a fundamentally sound player that really understands the game. He is a solid ball handler and passer but also has a knack for scoring. We always appreciate his work ethic and energy on the court. He plays the game hard and makes his teammates better. Boggs has good size and the next challenge will be to improve his strength and quickness, which will come over time.
6’4 2013 Montrel Goldston of Greensboro Day in Greensboro, NC
Goldston was running with the NC Team Disciples over the weekend and we’ve had countless opportunities to watch him play over the course of his high school career. Goldston is a long and bouncy WG with long arms. He is fundamentally sound and has been tutored by legendary high school coach Fred Johnson. He has always been an active defender and team player at the high school level. In the games we watched, Goldston was dialed in from deep. Although he doesn’t have tremendous lift on his jump shot, he is a good leaper. D1 schools that need a solid 6’4 athletic WG that will give you a 100% effort and understands the game, should look no further than Montrel Goldston.
6’4 2014 Jovan Leamy of Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC
Leamy is a physically strong combo guard that has excellent length and plays much bigger than his 6’4 frame. Leamy uses his strength effectively and is a load attacking the rim. He finishes well in traffic and can hit the dribble drive pull jumper consistently. Leamy plays with a chip on his shoulder and we were impressed with his effort and passion. He is a solid D1 prospect and schools at the mid major level should carefully monitor his progress over the summer and following high school season.
6’10 2013 Giacomo Zilli of Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC
Coming into the event, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the recruiting of the Italian foreign exchange student. In speaking with several college coaches in attendance, he had offers from ODU and other mid major schools. Zilli runs the floor extremely well and plays hard on both ends of the court. Unfortunately, he got into foul trouble in the two games we watched and was not effective offensively. We did interview him after the game and he seems like an enjoyable young man that has a great attitude and outlook. This was our first opportunity to look at Zilli and was hoping for a more thorough evaluation. That being said, it’s hard to teach 6’10 with a solid skill set!