On Saturday, Phenom Hoops is hosting our annual Carmel Christian MLK Showcase in Matthews, North Carolina. The schedule is set to feature six games of competitive battles, as public-school teams will face private-school opponents. Given all the open discussion surrounding the “who’s who” of North Carolina basketball, this event should be a strong indicator of what teams are beginning to hit their stride. Now, we’ll go game by game through the upcoming schedule and preview some players and/or storylines we are monitoring. Starting with the first showdown of the event, we have Butler versus Covenant Day…
Currently in his third season at the helm, Coach Patrick King has only gotten better and better since his start at Butler. Between the coaching and actual on-court personnel, it’s easy to appreciate their success as a group. The trio of Zion McDuffie, Bryson Heath, and Tyler Showalter receive a ton of attention, and rightfully so, but they also have guys like Peyton Scott, Steph Soutzos, and Caleb Johnson providing meaningful minutes. Each of their main players seems to know and embrace their specific roles, as Heath runs the team, Showalter offers versatility, and McDuffie is capable of burdening the majority of the scoring responsibility. After a recent victory over Charlotte Catholic, look for the Bulldogs to keep things rolling.
On the other side, Covenant Day is starting to hit their stride with first-year head coach Michael Laney. Although they’ve had some ups and downs, it’s clear that the Lions have gotten better throughout the course of the season. The duo of Elijah Green and Chris Rivens lead the way in scoring, but Patrick Penosky and Hamilton Huitt also play major roles. While Green and Rivens are both averaging double-digit scoring, it’s also worth noting that they’re leading the team in three-pointers and three-point percentage (Green at 40%; Rivens at 39%). Penosky and Huitt fill in the gaps on both ends of the floor, but can expand their individual production as needed. Expect these squads to put on a competitive show.