By: Cooper Hart
On Monday afternoon, Phenom Hoops made it out to Heritage High School in Wake Forest to check out the 2023-24 Huskies. First-year Head Coach Gibson Pyper will have an intriguing array of talent at his disposal, and they should be much improved from a year ago.
’24 Jared Bush
Bush was impressive throughout the afternoon with his overall quickness. His speed in the open court, combined with his change of pace in small spaces made him difficult to stay in front of and caused problems for his matchups throughout the workout. He ran the offense effectively, was a vocal leader, and defended the ball at a high level. He’s largely unknown as a prospect and is more than capable of helping a program at the next level.
’24 KJ Cox
Cox was arguably the most impressive player in attendance, showing off the complete skillset throughout the workout. He’s about 6’5” and has a strong frame that allows him to guard up or down positions as needed. He moves well for his size, shoots it at a high clip, and has an obviously good feel for the game. His motor and consistency on both ends of the floor were apparent all afternoon. He’s another senior that should warrant attention from a variety of college programs.
’25 Jon Mwanda
Mwanda was quietly dominant throughout the day, scoring at will without forcing shots. He’s a long and wiry 6’2” guard with great burst when getting downhill. He uses long strides when around the basket and does a great job using his length to his advantage when scoring the ball. He shot the ball well and his mechanics looked smooth, able to get to his spots off the catch or off the bounce. He was also a pest defensively with his length, athleticism, and intensity.
’25 Levi Beckwith
Beckwith has such an intriguing combination of size, strength, and skill that it’s hard to not be impressed. He’s a real shooting threat at 6’6”, looking very comfortable shooting out of actions, general movement, and in catch-and-shoot situations. He impressed as a playmaker by consistently making the right read. He showed flashes of being able to create advantages for teammates with his passing, something that very few high school forwards can do with consistency. He looked comfortable scoring in the post, guarding multiple positions, and in the open court as well.
’26 Cam Jones
Jones will be a surprise producer this year after having an injury-riddled freshman campaign. He was impressive on the travel ball scene with FBP Elite and showed on Monday that the progression has only continued. He looked even quicker with the ball, able to consistently attack closeouts and generate paint touches. He showed some real finishing flashes as he was able to control his body through contact and finish in a variety of ways. It’s clear that his overall athleticism has taken another jump.
’26 Ryder Strand
Strand is a prospect who is still a year or two away from his full breakthrough but should still be a quality piece in the Husky rotation. He’s a quality shooter with a complementary skillset. He attacks closeouts well, can consistently read defenses, and is a savvy off-ball defender. He has a high IQ and motor to go along with his reliability on the offensive end. He will provide solid minutes while showing flashes of what’s to come later down the line.
DNP
’24 Tylan Dean
’24 Emmett Broda
Other Names to Know
’25 Gavin Montera
’26 Ben Heynen
’27 Kamden Gaynor
’27 Liam Smith