In one weekend, Phenom Hoops will officially begin our annual Hoopstate Fall League. Previously, games were hosted at Cox Mill and JD Lewis Center, but Rise Indoor Sports will also be added to the mix this year. Between three separate venues, kids from several different areas will have the opportunity to compete against other notable programs as they prepare for the upcoming high school season. Leading up to the preseason contests, we will preview some of the teams registered to attend—looking at Lake Norman.
Despite suffering a devastating loss in the NCHSAA Semifinals, last season was a massive success for Coach Grant Hodges and the Lake Norman program. On one hand, losing in that fashion is a tough pill to swallow. However, it was the team’s best season in a full decade (2013-14), and are slated to return the majority of their pieces. Although the announcement from Trent Steinour to attend Montverde will certainly throw a wrench in the Wildcats’ plans, they will still be legitimate contenders. Add in Santana Lynch moving onto the collegiate ranks, and it’ll be interesting to see their cohesiveness and overall structure.
Key Returners:
6’5 ’25 Tre McKinnon
Junior Stats: 15.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG
Committed to App State
5’11 ’25 Josh Yates
Junior Stats: 10.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.4 SPG
5’10 ’26 Nick Arnold
Sophomore Stats: 7.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.2 SPG