We at Phenom Hoops are fortunate the go to scouting eyes in possibly the most fertile ground of talent in the country. NCAA Research came out with a study that showed North Carolina is the #2 and Virginia is the #5 state in the United States with the “Percentage of HS Boys Basketball Players Recruited by a Division 1 School”. In fact 4 of the top 5 states in the study were all on the Eastern Seaboard.
Taking a quick look at the Verbal Commits twitter feed, you notice that about half of the players getting offers (daily) are coming from the Mid-Atlantic Seaboard. The ground is so fertile and the talent is deep.
After the April Live Period, once coaches have seen player, the offers have started flowing. Check out the players from this region who have “blown up”.
6’6” 2018 Jaylen Sims
Team CLT
There is a lot to like in Sims game, he checks all of the boxes. Sims has great length and handles the ball with great pace in the half court. Prior to the start of the April Live Period, Sims didn’t have any offers. Since the start of April Sims has grabbed 15 or so offers from the likes of Minnesota, Rhode Island, Buffalo and others. It will be very interesting to watch at what level his recruitment settles in at, one thing is for sure, he will have options.
6’7” 2019 Joey Baker
Team Felton
Baker came into this travel ball season as a Top 30 ranked prospect. By all accounts he has taken advantage of the Live Period to propel his game to possible McDonald’s All American range. Already carrying high major offers, the blue bloods started putting their hats in the mix over the last month as the likes of Louisville, UCLA and Kansas all offered. Baker has a huge IQ, a great frame and diverse skill set that will fit in any program.
6’7 2019 CJ Felder
Game Elite 2019s
Felder was one of the most impressive players at the 2016 South Carolina Top 80. That was a great boost to his confidence because at that point, not many had heard of him. We rated him as a high major, ranked him highly in the stacked South Carolina 2019 class and now he’s gotten offers from the likes of Auburn, Virginia Tech and UNLV. The sky is the limit with Felder and his talent. The big wing has all the tools in his belt and keeps getting better each time out. Keep watching.
6’6” 2018 Jayden Gardner
Team Loaded NC
It is finally time that people cannot ignore the production of Jayden Gardner. He is an undersized power forward with an oversize heart and incredible strength. Gardner ended April with 18 offers from the likes Penn State, VCU, Richmond, St Joseph’s and others. Gardner is a walking double/double every time he steps on the floor and that will continue to gain interest.