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. Looking at the third contest of the event, we have Indian Land versus Concord Academy…
It’s easy to be impressed with everything Coach LJ Johnson has done in his first season leading the Warriors–a group set to have their first winning season in three years. They’ve gotten off to a 14-2 start and have definitely been battle-tested along the way, winning four games by three points or less and going 8-1 in games decided by ten points or less. Star freshman Mike Jones has certainly met all possible expectations thus far, averaging 19.5 PPG with insane 52/45/76 shooting splits. Additionally, the senior duo of Brandon Nelson and Jareece Breeden should both be targeted by college coaches. Nelson is a polished scorer with IQ, size, and crafty shot-making ability while Breeden is a long, active, athletic forward who continues to steadily progress. Also, Tyler Callahan is a reliable shooter and scrappy player with an understanding of how to fill in the gaps on both ends.
On the other side, Concord Academy has continually solidified itself among the top programs in North Carolina on a yearly basis. Over the last eleven seasons, Coach Cantadore has carried this squad to a 276-94 record, won multiple state titles, and placed countless kids at the next level. There’s no reason to doubt him or the blueprint in place, as it clearly works. This group is no different, as they’ve gotten off to a 20-4 start while playing a brutally difficult schedule and working out the kinks along the way. Unsurprisingly, Avion Pinner has been a major leader for the Eagles. His nightly averages of 15.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.0 BPG, and 1.8 SPG (with 65% shooting from the floor) only further prove his abilities as a swiss army knife. Furthermore, Isaiah Tate is a shot-making guard with useful vision and change of pace; JJ Moore is tough, quick, and forces opponents to account for him at all times; Petar Asceric is a developing big man with tons of appeal; Noah van Bibber (Winthrop) is a shooter with size and athleticism. Rounding out the roster, Jake Benham and Carson Cooke pose lethal spot-up threats while guys like Mags Swinger and Sergej Cvetkovic actively fill in the gaps.