The annual Give God the Glory Showcase delivered once again as the Phenom Hoops crew pulled up to the Gate City to get all the action jumping!
Greensboro, North Carolina- This showcase had a good blend of breakout stars and some undervalued players on the recruitment trail really proved their worth, Sunday my phone was buzzing about the action the word is out and their is still valuable talent available to add in the 2019 cycle. I had the privilege of taking in all the action on court two at Northwest Guilford. Let’s dive into several standouts that stole the show and commanded attention early on!
6’5 2020 Zach Murphy (Greensboro Warriors 17U)– This kid absolutely shot the leather off the ball, at 6’5 Murphy has good size for the position, he routinely knocked down shots over smaller defenders. Murphy has a deep range and a jumper that always looks like a make, in a 19 point explosion in Sunday’s contest Murphy shot four of six from behind the arc unofficially.
Murphy eventually ran off the line and when defenses overplayed Murphy didn’t hesitate to put the ball on the floor and attack the cup. Murphy doesn’t have to dominate the ball to score, he’s constantly moving to utilize the entire floor to find space for smart looks, LM-D2’s need to be checking in here very soon.
5’11 2020 Jackson Vance (Foothills Legacy)- Vance is a silky smooth combo guard who really filled it up this weekend. Vance has next level range at this stage, there wasn’t a shot he didn’t like, Vance plays with flair he handles the ball well and only needs an inch to let it fly.
Vance is a tough shot maker, contested, off-balance it didn’t matter the situation Vance looked comfortable. Vance poured in a hard 15 points to help lift Foothills over a talented Capital City Pacers squad, defensively Vance will get in his man, the physical game won’t shake him, Vance also moves his feet well laterally.
6’7 2020 Zach Shumate (Carolina Wolves)- Shumate was a man on a mission all weekend, truly playing the best basketball I’ve personally ever seen from him. Shumate is an ideal inside-out stretch four, his size and shooting ability causes all types of mismatch problems. Shumate stretched the floor on pop outs in pick N roll situations, Shumate made shots off the dribble, and got busy down low in the paint.
Shumate was physical and showed superb footwork and body control on the block, he’s finishing with either hand and added more post moves to his bag, keeping defenses off balance. Shumate was a dog on the boards, he continually established good position and outcompeted his counterparts on the glass. Shumate is improving his handle as well which will only make him more versatile and effective.
6’6 2022 Trey Ramsey (Foothills Legacy 15U)– Ramsey is another multifaceted young forward prospect, he’s got a solid foundation and valuable tools to build around. Ramsey was a reliable presence down low, this group worked to get him touches and Ramsey made the most of them. Ramsey is a long 6’6 and he realizes his size and uses it, he was relentless on the boards, in the early stages, Ramsey already possesses sound footwork and understands positioning on the block.
Ramsey was adept in pick N roll sets, he rolls through the lane strong and is eagerly ready to finish around the rim. Ramsey has good hands at this stage, he’s still growing into his body but Ramsey gets around well and really ran the floor on both ends better than most big’s throughout the weekend.
6’4 2020 Lemario Wilkerson Jr (NC Empire)- Wilkerson Jr was one of the purest slashers on display, proved extremely hard to stay in front of during a 26 point breakout performance, he’s got a stocky build and wide shoulders that allowed Wilkerson Jr to keep defenders at bay at muscle pass them to the cup.
Wilkerson flashed a nice first step and impressive body control mid-air, he adjusted and evaded defenders on the fly. Wilkerson Jr was a tough guard in space he covers a lot of ground with his stride, and he’s a strong finisher. When Wilkerson gets momentum downhill, and draws contact defenses just seem to bounce off him.