Phenom Hoops went down to Spartanburg to the Upward Stars Center, as we took in the Stars Fall League, bringing a ton of talent to the table. Getting a glimpse of multiple players, we provide our thoughts on players that grabbed our attention.
2021 6’9 Ian Thomson (Southside Christian): The center prospect showed that he can be really effective in multiple areas on the floor. He runs the floor and is mobile, works well with his back to the basket with his ability to feel his defender, but also works well with his ability to stretch the floor with a smooth outside shot as far as the three-point line. He was active on the boards as well on both ends.
2021 Xavier Anderson (JL Mann): The young man couldn’t be stopped on Tuesday, as Anderson really attacked on the offensive end of the floor. He gets downhill with good speed, pushing the break and finishing at the rim, but also knocked down multiple three’s for his team. Impressive offensive showing for the guard.
2022 Khalil Brown (Boiling Springs): This young man was all over the place. He had a tremendous summer, most recently playing at the Summer Havoc, where he showed that he can make plays on both ends of the court. Brown has good length and has filled out, scoring on multiple levels, creating for his teammates, and getting after it on defense.
2021 Timothy Barnes (Gray Collegiate): If you haven’t seen the videos yet, you should. This is a young man that brings tremendous athleticism to the table but also can defend and score. Love the power and two-way ability he brings.
2022 Marcus Whiting (TL Hanna): Now a rising junior, Whiting caught our eyes with the toughness and strong play. The guard has bulked up heading into the season, and showed on multiple occasions that he can get to his spots and knock down the jumper. What really attracted our eyes is even for a guard, he got after it on the boards.
2022 Chris Britt (Gaston Day): Britt is a strong, small guard but is relentless on the court. He brings tremendous speed to the floor and seems to always be attacking. However, he plays with a nice feel with his decision-making, whether to attack the rim, pull-up, or find his teammates.
2023 Jamarcus Wilkins (Dorman): A name some may have not heard of yet but should keep an eye on. Dorman has continued to produce talent and with his early size, length, and continuing development, certainly a name that you will want to remember. Wilkins rebounded the ball well on both ends and didn’t force much in the paint offensively. Still developing but one to watch.
2023 6’9 Callum Richard (Gaston Day): Richard is a young big that will certainly be a target for many coaches down the road. He has continued to develop his overall frame and strength, but also his mobility and understanding of how to operate down low. Richard uses his length and soft touch around the rim well, while asl blocking shots and rebounding.
2022 Pharrell Boyogueno (Riverside): A new name to us at Phenom Hoops, Boyogueno is a 6’5 prospect that is a big contributor to his team in multiple ways. He understands how to push the break or create in the halfcourt off the dribble, he plays unselfish in finding his teammates, but also using his size in finishing strong. He can be a real stat stuffer for this program.
2022 Jordyn Surratt (Dorman): Surratt continues to grow as a player and is showing to have that mindset to be a leader for this program. He has such a great blend of size and athleticism, helping him defend multiple positions but also score from multiple areas. It seems though that it is starting to really click about what he is capable of doing and having that aggressive mindset.
2022 Noah Clowney (Dorman): You could see it coming last year in limited minutes at Dorman but now is his chance to become another big-time prospect at Dorman. Clowney is a forward that moves incredibly well on the floor, is active on the glass, and can really erase shots with his length. What is going to be fun to watch is now he is going to be one of the go-to guys down low, having a chance to really shine in his own light.