This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to various different locations for the June Live Period. Between the talent in Advance and Greensboro, there was plenty of buzz about the NCHSAA and NCISAA competition throughout the weekend. Although the public-school event was at capacity for most of the weekend, Greensboro Day School (as expected) hosted an extremely entertaining three-day slate of games for the private school sector. These events typically serve as tune-up periods more than anything else. There were plenty of notable takeaways, but no team has ever been handed a state championship trophy in June. Numerous individuals also stood out, like Mason Smith—who should be due for a blow-up sooner than later.
Typically, when we talk about elite marksmen, we tend to focus more on guards. This makes sense, as (historically) smaller guards are granted the freedom and liberty to take more perimeter jumpers than someone with size. However, the 6-foot-7 Smith deserves to be regarded amongst the top shooters throughout North Carolina—regardless of class or position. We’d seen him previously with Hough, where he showcased a smooth, versatile, inside-out offensive game. He displayed the ability to effectively coexist alongside another big man and exploit mismatches in a calculated manner. After a quality junior year, Smith has been turning heads quite regularly during the current travel ball season. He recently joined Team Charlotte and decided to transfer to Davidson Day—where he’s already asserted himself as a clear leader for this group.
Either way, Smith was one of the top performers over the past weekend. He knocked down jumpers at a high volume andpercentage while playing around the basket, attacking off the bounce, and setting up others. Smith also consistently secured rebounds, battled defensively, and got to his spots in transition. Clearly a scholarship-worthy prospect, it’ll be interesting to see how his recruitment unfolds over these next few months—as countless programs should be getting involved.