Phenom Hoops is diving into the upcoming season, and we are bringing several previews and discussions about teams and players to watch out for. We are looking into several conferences to see who could be looking strong early on based on the information we have and from last year’s results. Take a look at these teams below, as we think these could be programs to watch out for in each.
Bertie
The Falcons had a tremendous season, finishing 26-5 overall but did finish third in the conference (just shows you how competitive it was last year). Bertie would love nothing more to continue that winning tradition this season, but they will need to replace some key seniors from last year who really helped this team in a big way. 2025 Zymiere Dempsey does return after leading the team offensively, nearly averaging 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals, as he could get on more radars with another strong play. But, Bertie will lose four seniors that helped the team last year and they will be looking to replace that offensive production.
Martin County
Finishing in second last year in the conference, Martin County is coming off an 18-10 record last year and 9-3 in the conference. And though this is a team that will need to replace a key senior in Tayvon Lee, they also return a lot of talent that should only help continue to rack up the wins and possibly take the next step. 2027 Jordan Matthewson was a freshman who stepped up early and made a name for himself, leading the team in several categories. He has the size, strength, and frame to be an effective scorer on the court. I only expect that to continue next season, but he will have players like 2026 Kwahli Basnight, 2026 Jaquavion Sheppard, and others right beside him.
Washington County
And then we have the Panthers of Washington County, who finished the season 22-4 overall and 11-1 in conference play. Much like Bertie, this is a team that was an experienced team that had multiple seniors helping lead the way. They will need to find players to replace that offensive production that averaged nearly 70 points per game. However, 2025 Brandon Carter Jr. had an off-the-charts year in which he impacted the game in a variety of ways, whether scoring, rebounding, facilitating, or impacting the game defensively. 2026 Christian Phelps is another player that should help as well. Can they help lead this team to another conference title?
Perquimans
If you want to look outside the top three teams from last season, the Pirates of Perquimans could be a team to watch. 2026 Xavier Spellman and 2026 Nyquan Riddick led the way as sophomores last year and they could be a strong duo to help elevate this team to make some noise in the conference.