Phenom Hoops travelled to Ardrey Kell to cover one of the premier high school early season matchups. Weddington is coached by Gary Ellington and led them to their first ever NCHSAA 3A state championship last season. Year in, year out, Ardrey Kell is considered one of the top teams in the area and is coached by Mike Craft. Coach Gary Ellington and Coach Mike Craft are outstanding high school coaches that simply do things the right way on and off the court. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the standout players in Weddington’s win over Ardrey Kell.
Standouts
Chase Lowe 6’5 2022 (Weddington)
I think it is crazy that more schools have not offered Chase Lowe a scholarship. He is one of the most underrated players in the country. He does so many things on the court that impact winning. Chase has tremendous size/frame at the PG position. He has a great basketball IQ and knows exactly how to set up his shooters on his team. 9 out of 10 times Chase will make the right basketball play on the court. People will question his perimeter shooting, but the one thing you can’t question is his leadership. CHASE LOWE IS A WINNER!!!
Lowe finished the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Kyle Frazier 6’3 2022 (Weddington)
Kyle Frazier is the perfect glue guy for Weddington. He does all the little things on the court that lead to winning. He is not scared to give up his body. He is one of the toughest players we have seen this year. Kyle had a great shooting night from the perimeter knocking down three 3’s. Kyle isn’t the tallest or most athletic player on the court but makes up for it with his basketball IQ. He does a great job boxing out.
Frazier finished the game with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Evan Morton 6’1 2023 (Weddington)
Evan is a player who will slide under the radar for Weddington this year because of Chase, AJ, and Kyle. Even though he may slide under the radar he will be a player who will make a big impact in a lot of games this year. Evan is an athletic guard who has the ability to make plays off the bounce. He is a good defender who has good instincts in the passing lanes. Evan finished the game with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assist.
AJ Cook 6’0 2022 (Weddington)
AJ Cook is one of the best shooters in the state. Even though AJ didn’t get a ton of looks Tuesday night, he still managed to knock down three 3’s. He is a player that manages so much attention because of how well he shoots the ball. Every time he shoots the ball, you think the ball is going in. AJ finished the game with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Evan Smith 6’3 2022 (Ardrey Kell)
Evan Smith is a smooth combo guard who has the ability to create plays for himself or others. He does a good job finishing through contact around the rim. Evan also has the ability to beat you from the perimeter. Evan rebounds the basketball really well for his position. He has a great change of pace and first step to get past defenders. Evan is going to have a huge season for Ardrey Kell. He finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Brock Rose 6’6 2023 (Ardrey Kell)
Brock Rose is a versatile wing who can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. He showed the ability to make shots off the catch and off screens. He will play a major role for Ardrey Kell this year with his size and skill set. Brock finished with 13 points and had three 3’s.