Last September, Phenom Hoops traveled Lexington, South Carolina for the prestigious Top 80 Exposure Camp. The camp was absolutely loaded with talent at all classes and positions. I personally had the pleasure of coaching one of the most talented squads at the entire event and this article will take a deeper dive into those prospects' growth over the eight months.
The guards on this team ran deep; Jalon Roberson was the youngest of the bunch, but he looked fairly comfortable in this setting. As a rising sophomore, this will be when his game and recruitment should start hitting on all cylinders. He is a nice ball-handler with toughness and solid vision. Alongisde Roberson, we had Jalen Coit, Chandler Lindsay, Sean McCabe, and Dallan Wright all sharing the same backcourt. Lindsay just finished his senior season at Spartanburg Day School and is preparing to dominate the Division II ranks at Coker College.
Meanwhile, the three 2020 guards have all increased their stock in very different ways. Coit has become a big-time football recruit and recently received his first offer from Purdue University, yet still possesses natural gifts on the hardwood as an efficient scoring guard. McCabe transferred to Northside Christian in June and will join an incredibly talented roster. He has continuously made huge strides on both sides of the ball. Wright has stayed put in Saluda while raising his game to that of a Division I-level point guard; he was one of the most impressive prospects at our Columbia team camp earlier this month.
The collection of wings and forwards on this team were all very intriguing. There was a lot of ability between Robert Braswell, Marlow Gilmore, Juwan Purdue, and Saiveon Williams. The best of the group was Braswell; he absolutely blew up since Top 80, essentially becoming a high major player with a plethora of offers from all over the country. He committed to Syracuse and is set to join the team this upcoming season. Gilmore was named 'Mr. Defense' at camp and rightfully so, but he still remains one of the most interesting prospects in South Carolina. The 6-foot-6 bounce machine can be seen later this month with the Columbia Hoyas. In September, it wouldn't have been a surprise if Purdue blew up and become a coveted prospect. That process is currently underway, as he'll likely see a similar boost in recruitment, possibly comparable to Braswell's. Finally, the youngest of this group, Williams, just picked up his first offer from DePaul University after showcasing his dynamic two-way game with the Nike-sponsored Meanstreets.
Our big man of the team, Gabe Bryant, remains in a class of his own in terms of uniqueness and overall motor. He plays harder than anyone in the gym and should be an excellent snag for Gardner-Webb. Expect the powerhouse dunker to earn plenty of minutes as a freshman, especially as he outworks everyone ahead of him. To coach these ten guys was an absolute honor; they were a tremendous group of young men, all with a chance to play college basketball and further their dreams.