By: Cooper Hart
On Friday, Phenom Hoops spent time at both the Veteran’s Day Jamboree at Green Hope HS and the JB3 Jamboree at SE Raleigh HS. At the events there were numerous young and relatively unknown names that are worthy of attention, here are a few of the best.
6’4” ’27 Jordan Page (Broughton)
Page had a great day of scrimmages at Green Hope, making his presence felt consistently on both sides of the ball. What stands out immediately are his physical tools and functional athleticism. He has great length at his size, allowing him to guard multiple positions and effectively compete on the glass. His vertical pop, lateral quickness, and overall fluidity is rare in a player his size/age, making his ability to leverage those tools into space creation and defensive production all the more impressive. He showed flashes as a shooter and was very comfortable finishing through, over, and around contact. Look for him to be a key piece of this program for the foreseeable future.
6’3” ’27 Robert Ogoke (Garner)
Ogoke is an interesting long-term prospect to monitor, given his motor, length, and strength. He played with a high level of physicality throughout the day, making multiple efforts on each defensive possession and making his presence felt on the glass. His unselfish and low-maintenance approach to the game is rare to find in young forwards as he already has a quality understanding of his role and how to leave his imprint on the game. He’ll be a valuable piece within the Garner program for the foreseeable future, especially considering the Trojans’ lack of frontcourt depth.
6’2” ’26 Brandon Nixon (Cary)
Nixon has slowly been trending upwards since last season, having a quietly productive summer and carving out a solid role in the Imps’ rotation during the Fall. He had a productive day on Friday, scoring the ball at multiple levels with efficiency and flashing his high upside. He has great positional size and strength, able to physically wear down smaller guards on both ends. His body control and touch around the basket are both solid, making him an above average slasher. His jumper has come a long way in the past year, reaching a point now where he’s a real spot-up threat. Look for Nixon to emerge as one of the leaders for this young Cary program sooner rather than later.
5’10” ’27 Bryce Keith (Cary)
Keith is another Cary prospect who’s been quietly trending upwards for a while. He’s had a productive fall and should be a valuable member of the Imps’ rotation this season. His ability to both score and create out of the lead guard spot in noteworthy. He’s proven to be a quick and dynamic playmaker, able to create separation for himself and make simple passing reads with regularity. He was a reliable option throughout the day, separating himself from other young guards with his ability to effectively run the offense. He limited turnovers, pushed the tempo, and got everyone on the court involved in the action.
6’3” ’27 Chris Hughes (Corinth Holders)
Hughes is an interesting prospect, acting as a wing/forward hybrid and excelling at effecting action off the ball. He displayed a good sense of where to be, always seeming to find himself in the right spot for a shot, rebound, or defensive rotation. He has good touch from 15-feet and in and is able to get his shot off with relative ease. He played with a high motor on the defensive end, making multiple efforts with consistency. He has solid shooting mechanics, and it should be a part of his game that slowly continues to progress. Look for him to be a notable part of the Pirate rotation this season.