On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops traveled down to Charlotte, North Carolina to watch the open gym session for ACE Skill Development. Entering their fifth year as a program, they are a scrappy group across the board. They’ll be a competitive team with a variety of prospects for college coaches to watch. Let’s take a closer look at both squads, moving onto ACE Scriven…
Grady Webb
Between his size and shooting, Webb stands out as a key piece for this group. He’s a smooth perimeter threat who can spot up or knock down jumpers off the bounce. He moves well without the ball and is capable of making the extra pass to an open teammate. Webb understands how to make his presence felt as a cutter and floor-spacer.
Chase Nali
It’s easy to see all the ways Nali establishes himself as a leader on both ends of the floor. He possesses an active motor, quality feel for the game, and is comfortable operating in various types of roles. Nali creates well and makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands. He’s a useful playmaker with the ability to read a defense and react accordingly—whether making the necessary pass or scoring the ball. Nali can knock down shots at a solid rate, but is arguably at his best when attacking and setting up others. Utilizes his body very well to shield off defenders when driving.
Chase Walters
From the point guard position, Walters is a reliable facilitator who displays feel, pace, and unselfishness. Makes good reads in the open court and sees the floor well when attacking. In addition to setting the offense and getting others involved, Walters is a quality shooter who can knock down jumpers off the catch or bounce.
James McIver
The lone unsigned senior on the roster, McIver is an athletic piece with power and explosiveness. Undersized in terms of height but consistently outworks opponents to make hustle plays and impact the game on both ends of the floor. Plays well off two feet and offers physicality on either side of the ball.
Caleb Henighan & Marcus Goodman Jr.
Rounding out their guard grouping, Henighan and Goodman both provide value to this squad. Henighan is a combo guard with a quick first step and crafty handle. Displays a great change of pace and mixes it up well as a scorer. He can finish, hit in-between shots, and knock down jumpers from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Goodman is a terrific athlete and defensive piece who consistently outworks opponents for extra opportunities. He fills in the gaps as needed offensively, but knows how to make an impact within his role on both ends.
Connor Yett & Luke Gathings
Although this team doesn’t have a ton of size, guys like Yett and Gathings give them a useful interior pairing. Yett is a strong, sturdy lefty who moves his feet well on the ball and carves out space nicely on the offensive glass. Displays nice touch around the basket and is capable of spacing the floor as a pick-and-pop threat. Yett is also a nice passer for his size. Lastly, Gathings is a scrappy post player who plays hard, does the dirty work, and rebounds the ball at a consistent rate.