North Iredell Takes Down East Rowan on Senior Night
Phenom Hoops travels to Iredell County to watch the Friday showdown between North Iredell and East Rowan. North Iredell came into the contest with a 9-1 overall record and an 8-1 record in the North Piedmont 3A Conference. A win over East Rowan would keep them tied for first place with West Rowan. North Iredell isn’t the most athletic team in the state, but they make up for it with the way they play together as a team. Whenever you move the ball and play unselfish on the court, it usually leads to multiple players scoring double figures. North Iredell had five players score in double-figures.
East Rowan had a good game plan coming into the game. They pressured and doubled team Jackson Hawkins all night. They were trying to take the leading scorer for North Iredell out of the game and make someone else beat them. East Rowan is a team that plays well together and they compete every possession.
Top Players
John Jackson Jr. 5’10 2022 North Iredell High School
John Jackson was electric all game long. He is one of the fastest guys we have seen this year. The quick, crafty guard excels in transition. He is a paint touch guard who has the ability to create for himself and others. He did a tremendous job finishing at the rim and drawing fouls. John made nine FT’s on Friday night. He did a great job defensively causing a lot of steals and deflections. John turned defense into offense and finished the game with 24 points.
Beckham Tharpe 6’8 2023 North Iredell High School
Beckham has a lot of potential. If he continues to work and get better, he has a chance to be a Division I player. He has a good skillset to go along with great size and length. The versatile forward has the ability to beat you in many different ways. His length allows him to cause chaos on the defensive end altering and blocking shots. He excels in transition and has a great touch around the rim. Beckham finished the game with 14 points.
Jackson Hawkins 6’2 2022 North Iredell High School
Jackson has such a unique game. He has the ability to score from all 3-levels. The strong guard does a tremendous job using his strength when attacking the rim. He also has a beautiful shooting stroke from the perimeter. East Rowan tried to throw junk defenses at him throughout the game but that didn’t stop him from making an impact on the game. Jackson is able to make an impact on the game on both ends of the court. He is a tremendous leader on the court and he competes every single possession. His basketball IQ and savviness on the court allows him to create plays for himself and others. Jackson finished the game with 13 points.
Jayden Turner 6’4 2021 North Iredell High School
Jayden has already signed to play football at NCA&T. Jayden is a player that does all the little things on the court. On his senior night he did a tremendous job controlling the paint. He uses his big body to his advantage. Jayden plays under control and has great footwork in the post. He finished the game with 11 points.
Cole Saunders 6’1 2023 North Iredell High School
Cole was in control all night long. He does a great job running the show for North Iredell. The strong guard has excellent court vision and makes everyone around him better on the court. Cole has a high basketball IQ and extremely unselfish. One of his best attributes is his ability to take care of the ball. He finished with seven points in the game. He could be more aggressive searching his shot more.
Dylan Valley 5’11 2023 East Rowan High School
Dylan is an extremely confident shooter. He ended the game with three 3’s. Every shot he took looked like it was going in. He is definitely a player you can’t leave open. Dylan is extremely fundamentally sound player. He also showed that he has the ability to make plays off the bounce. Dylan finished the game with 17 points.
Gavin Sprinkle 2021 East Rowan High School
Gavin has a high basketball IQ. He plays the game under control. He isn’t the quickest guy on the court but his basketball savviness allows him to make an impact in the game. He is a really good shooter who hit two 3’s in the game. He also used shot fakes and had a great chance of pace to get into the lane and finish. Gavin finished the game with 15 points.
David Jordan 2021 East Rowan High School
David does all the little things to help his team win. He finished the game with 14 points. He was extremely active all game long. He caused chaos on the defensive end getting multiple steals and deflections. He also did a great job attacking the glass on both sides of the ball. He has the ability to score from the perimeter and off the bounce.
JV Players Who Will Make Varsity Next Year
Cade Kidd 6’1 2024 North Iredell High School
Cade showcased his scoring abilities in many different ways on Friday afternoon. He scored in a variety of different ways. He was able to turn defense into offense and really excelled in transition. He is also a knock down shooter from the perimeter. He finished the game with three 3’s. He also impacted the game by getting others involved and crashing the glass. Cade finished the game with 21 points.
Grayson Kerr 6’5 2024 North Iredell High School
Grayson showcased his skillset by scoring over both shoulders in the post. He has great hands and has the ability to catch dump off passes. Grayson did a great job controlling the glass. He is extremely fundamentally sound player. He thinks the game at a high level. He is a good passer out of the post. Once Grayson allows the game to slow down for him he will continue to get more comfortable on the court. We look forward to following his path these next four years. Grayson finished the game with 15 points.