Phenom’s Open Gym Tour
Christ School (Arden, NC)
By Rick Lewis
Phenom Hoop Report traveled to Arden, North Carolina to cover Christ School open gym. There may not be a more picturesque high school in the state of North Carolina. It is located in western North Carolina in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Coach Scott Willard is in his third season at Christ School. He is currently 45-18 in the rebuilding process and this year’s team offers a lot of promise.
This season, Coach Willard has a lot to be excited about. He has a nice blend of new high level talent and complimentary returning pieces that should make Christ School one of the top teams in the powerful NCISAA 3A. One thing is for certain; the NCISAA 3A is going to be an absolute slugfest with the likes of Greensboro Day, Wesleyan Christian, Providence Day, and Ravenscroft. After watching the overall talent and depth at Christ School, they should easily gain national recognition as one of the better teams in the country.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the impact players for Coach Willard and the Greenies.
6’4 ’19 Jalen Lecque
While open gym is only a small sample size, it’s obvious that Jalen Lecque will be in the conversation as one of the top players in the 2019 class in North Carolina. As a matter of fact, he will be in the conversation as one of the premier and elite level point guards in the country. He has a superb blend of athleticism, explosiveness and matching skill set. While he is right handed, he preferred going left with his dribble drive. We were impressed with his overall offensive skill set. He can score at will, but is also a willing and creative passer off the dribble.
6’10 ’19 Brandon Stone
When watching Brandon Stone, one can see shades of Cody Zeller. Stone has good length and combines athleticism with an impressive skill set. He can light it up from the 3-point line and is crafty in the paint. In two sequences, he came down and drained a 3-pointer and the next possession, Stone made a nifty up and under move only to finish with his left hand. We were impressed with his ability to run the floor and he has really good handles and court vision for his size/position. Look for high majors to jump into his recruitment sooner rather than later.
6’4 ’20 Norance Berry
The combo guard will be the perfect compliment to Jalen Lecque in the backcourt. He has tremendous length and athleticism and may become one of the team’s better defenders. We first watched Berry at the Phenom Queen City Showcase and stated the following. “Berry is an extremely polished two-way wing that will almost certainly find his way on a big-time program. Offensively, he displays a firm understanding for the game and knows how he can get involved with or without the ball. Berry is a long-bodied scorer that brings great efficiency from all three levels; he can create shots for himself and others quite well, but also shows a fire in his eye when heading towards the basket. However, Berry’s defensive prowess cannot be ignored, as he frequently utilizes his long arms to get blocks, steals, and simply make life difficult for opponents.”
6’10 ’21 Gabe Wiznitzer
It’s really hard to believe he’s only a freshman. While he will need to tone up his body moving forward, one thing is for certain; he has advanced offensive skill set. His ability to shoot the midrange and 3-pointer is high level. We were impressed with his workmanlike approach to the game. Gabe has passer friendly hands and doesn’t force shots. He has a nice understanding of the game and his basketball IQ is going to translate nicely at the next level.
6’10 ’20 Justice Ajogbor
Justice Ajogbor is a physically mature power forward/center. He has a chiseled frame and simply put, he is oozing with potential and upside. He has an enormous 7’3 wingspan and is also a high level student where he sports an unbelievable 4.4 GPA. It’s apparent that Justice works as hard in the classroom as the basketball court and that’s saying a lot. He has a blue-collar work ethic on the court and understands his position and role. He worked tirelessly for low postposition and finished with authority. Justice has develops a nice jump hook and his offensive game is improving at a strong rate.