This Saturday, Phenom Hoops will travel to Trinity Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina for our second annual City of Oaks Classic. We've already previewed three of the five matchups, but this one could arguably be the most exciting game on tap. There's going to be no shortage of talent or high-level basketball this weekend, as each of these ten teams is certainly worth viewing. Durham Academy against Granville Central will be the final game of session one and is a must-see contest, especially at 3:00.
The Durham Academy Cavaliers have enjoyed a phenomenal season up to this point, going 16-3 and operating incredibly well as a unit. They are headlined by freshman sensation MJ Rice, who is considered a five-star prospect by most credible outlets. He's a big, strong, powerful athlete that has the rare ability to basically play all five positions (as a freshman (!!!)) at the high school level. Rice is leading the team in scoring (16.4 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG) with relative ease. However, Bryant Randleman is the senior leader on this team, given his team-first approach and ability to affect all facets of the game. He earned a High Point offer last week and has done a great job of establishing himself as a Division I prospect throughout the season. Additionally, sophomore Cole Sinclair has been a major contributor this season and joins the aforementioned duo in double-digit scoring. Aside from their big three, they are equipped with guys like Nik Graves, Toby Harris, Michael Savarino, and Brent Randleman, who are capable of making an impact on a nightly basis.
On the other side, they'll be facing scoring dynamo Terence Harcum and Granville Central. Harcum is averaging a robust 24.3 PPG this season, already eclipsing the 30-point mark four times and even notching a 45-point outburst earlier in the year. He's quite instinctual with the ball in his hands and consistently showcases the ability to get by opponents, where he's able to make plays inside the paint. Alongside Harcum, the Panthers have Jamari Mann (14.5 PPG) and Denzail Lewis burdening the rest of the scoring load. They aren't going to blow teams away with their depth, but Granville Central has a pretty strong nucleus, especially for a 1A program.
