North Carolina Top 80 Player Introductions
Watching players progress is arguably the most rewarding thing about working within grassroots basketball. We consistently see the results of these players’ hard work, and Kadyn Dawkins is someone who has worked to defy the odds and set himself apart as a prospect. Despite rapidly gaining popularity around North Carolina, Dawkins has been a staff-favorite across Phenom Hoops since the early stages of his development. From attending junior camps, graduating up to high school camps, staying with his local Team Cobras group in summer ball, and blossoming into a star with Eastern Guilford, Dawkins has taken the necessary steps to be a program-altering talent at the next level.
With any player shorter than six-feet tall is going to face questions surrounding their height. Fortunately for Dawkins, he actually learned how to overcome the size obstacle and utilize the lack of height to his advantage. To call him anything other than purely dominant this past season would be a true insult, especially given his poise and maturity when being thrust into a leadership position. Dawkins not only welcomed being the primary decision-maker, he craved it. Success does not come easy, especially for a 3A school located in Gibsonville/McLeansville (as opposed to Charlotte, Raleigh, or even deeper into Greensboro), but this Eastern Guilford group made their own fate. Dawkins led them to a 22-7 record, their best since the Jaylen Alston/Montez Venable era, and made a pretty impressive run in the state playoffs.
Things were aligning perfectly for Dawkins to have a breakout summer. He would remain the undisputed leader of Team Cobras, which would’ve allowed him to have one dominant showing after another in front of dozens of college coaches. Not only does his efficient scoring draw attention, but his ability to make others better on both ends of the floor should be an appealing quality for the next level. Right now, Dawkins recruitment consists of various scholarship-holding programs but lacks the appropriate offers. There are dozens of schools that would look extremely intelligent for offering or getting involved first with the point guard. The one player in recent memory with similar success and recruitment was Kenny Dye, who is now an integral cog at Queens University. They are completely different players but share the common ground of someone who will torch opponents and make coaches remember their mistake in not recruiting them.
In terms of his actual game, Dawkins is an intelligent, crafty point guard prospect with a phenomenal balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. He possesses volleyball-line range and regularly creates (and hits) incredibly difficult jumpers with the opposition draped all over him. Dawkins is a sharp, willing passer with great timing and understanding of ball placement. His quickness and end-to-end speed allows him to dominate transition and touch the paint seemingly whenever he wants. Dawkins is slightly undersized but plays bigger than his listed height and still outperforms all types of opponents on both ends of the floor. He’s a useful rebounder with a great nose for the ball, which allows him to grab and go with relative ease. Defensively, Dawkins is underrated due to his size but truly mirrors opposing ball-handlers and forces on/off-ball steals with consistency. He is a leader, both vocally and by example, and continues to be one of the most underrated players across North Carolina.