Phenom Hoops travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina to cover Myers Park open gym. Last year, Myers Park went 28-4 and won the prestigious NCHSAA 4A state championship. Coach Scott Taylor will lose the services of 6’8 Elijah Strong (Boston College) who averaged 15.4 PPG and collected 5.4 RPG. This presence in the middle will be sorely missed, but not many teams in the country can boast about having three national-level prospects in Sir Mohammed, Bishop Boswell, and Sadiq “AJ” White. Simply put, Myers Park is loaded with talent and is once again up for the challenge as “the team to beat” in the state of North Carolina. Head Coach Scott Taylor and assistant coach Nick Jones have done a remarkable job of building a national-level team at a public school and maintaining the momentum from last season’s championship title run. At open gym, Coach Nick Jones worked on fundamentals and drills that are pertinent to their overall offensive scheme, then the last part of the part was scrimmage play. Now, let’s take a quick look at the standout players for Myers Park.
Top Returners
6’4 ’24 Bishop Boswell
It’s been a fun journey watching the growth and development of Boswell. We first watched Boswell as an eighth grader playing for Team Hope and his stock has only continued to rise. Boswell is one of the best two-way guards in the country and his defensive game is equally impressive as his offensive game, which is a rarity with today’s players. We’re talking about a big, strong, and powerful point guard that can score from all three levels, but has the overall strength to overpower smaller guards. Last season, Boswell averaged 12 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG which shows his complete all-around game. The high major point guard should see an increase in overall production and don’t be surprised to see “double-double” type games this season.
Link: https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/consistent-leadership-bishop-boswell/
6’6 ’24 Sir Mohammed
Mohammed has size, length, athleticism, and skill. That being said, he plays perfectly in a team setting, whether playing for Team Curry or Myers Park. Mohammed is one of the most unselfish players we have watched in quite some time. He can play with or without the ball in his hands like Boswell is one of the state’s best on-ball defenders. Last season, Mohammed averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.9 APG and the “do it all” player will once again be expected to put up big numbers for Myers Park. In addition to being an outstanding player, we have always been impressed with court maturity and leadership on the court.
Link: https://x.com/PhenomMixtapes/status/1558861008780804096's=20
6’8’ 25 Sadiq “AJ” White
Standing a lengthy 6’8 with an enormous wingspan (7’2), White is oozing with upside and potential and is considered a top 20 prospect nationally among all the national scouting services. White has definitely gotten stronger in his legs and base, and is known for his quick twitch reaction off the bound. White runs fluidly and excels at rim running in transition where he’s able to finish with a thunderous dunk. Last season, White averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG, but with the absence of Strong, White will have the possibility to average double-digit rebounds for the upcoming season. White has already garnished the attention of Power Five schools and the traditional Blue Bloods, but the scary part is White is still not the finished product. His upside is through the roof.
Link: https://x.com/Coach_Rick57/status/1580236100576358401's=20
Top Newcomers
6’4 ’25 Ashton King
King is yet another strong, physical guard who has the ability to pass extremely well with either hand off the dribble. We were impressed with his court vision and ability to make timely passes off the dribble. With the trio of Boswell, Mohammed, and King, Coach Taylor has three talented ball handlers who can interchange from the lead guard to the off-guard position. In addition, King will also be a solid defender which will allow Myers Park to be an outstanding defensive team in the halfcourt setting. While King didn’t hit many shots from the perimeter at open gym, he does have a history of being an efficient perimeter shooter.
6’3 ’25 AJ Jamison
Jamison is the perfect complement to this star-studded lineup and will fit in nicely with his ability to defend. Jamison is a strong defender and is an ideal teammate and will do whatever is needed from the team. He has a great attitude on the court and will always provide maximum effort on both ends of the court. We were impressed with his vocal leadership, especially being his first year at Myers Park.
Surprise Player
6’0 ’25 Bram Early
Early was the one player that we didn’t know a lot about, but his play at open gym quickly grabbed our attention. This past summer, Phenom’s Jeff Bendel posted the following. “Bram Early will be a definite X-factor for this group. Showing the ability to defend, make hustle plays, and hit perimeter jumpers within the flow of the offense. Operating well within his role here.” At open gym, Early was doing in all and may have been the most productive player. He was knocking down 3-pointers, hitting the midrange, and making excellent reads and passes off the dribble. He’s a crafty yet fundamentally sound player who may just be one of the area’s most improved players that may have a surprising impact on Myers Park.
Challenges
It’s no secret that Myers Park is absolutely loaded with high-level talent and should be nationally ranked in preseason polls. That being said, Myers Park isn’t bashful about playing a tough and competitive schedule. Myers Park will open the season on November 18th at the George Lynch Invitational against another Combine Academy, another nationally ranked opponent. They are playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the state, all in preparation for another NCHSAA 4A state title run, and once again will be the odds-on favorite to repeat with competition coming once again from North Mecklenburg and Chambers. It’s going to be a fun yet challenging year for Myers Park, but give the coaching staff credit for not shying away from competition. More importantly, we have been impressed with the overall team chemistry of Myers Park. There are no egos and selfish play. They play hard and together but play as a team.