Phenom Hoop Report travelled to Raleigh, North Carolina to host the inaugural ENC (Eastern North Carolina Junior Phenom Camp). With approximately 40 campers in attendance, we got a first hand look at some of the promising young prospects at the middle school level. While we don’t rank players until their sophomore year of high school, it does provide valuable insight at some of the players to monitor over the next few years. Now, let’s take a closer look at the camp MVP of each perspective class.
5’8 2024 DeVaughn Brown (Sanford, NC)
Not only did DeVaughn Brown come away as the top prospect in his class, he also won the coveted Camp MVP honors. The physically gifted point guard has elite level athleticism, strength and explosive game. While Brown excels in transition, he is a willing passer in the half court. We were impressed with his tight handles, excellent court vision and ability to make advanced reads. The next step in his development is to become a more efficient perimeter shooter which will only elevate his status as one of the better players in the state for his class. (Brown averaged 14.5 PPG for camp.)
5’2 2025 Drew Johnson (Durham, North Carolina)
Drew Johnson may have been the most skilled player in camp. The 5’2 southpaw has the ball on a string and has already mastered a nifty step back jump shot off the dribble. He has an advanced skill set for his age/grade and his basketball IQ is simply off the charts. Johnson clearly is a basketball junkie that really understands the game and thinks the game as a high level point guard. If he continues to grow and develop, Drew Johnson may just be the one player to put in your SIM card. (Johnson averaged 11 PPG for camp.)
5’2 2026 CP Perry (Salisbury, North Carolina)
CP Perry was in the conversation for several awards, whether it was Mr. Hustle, Mr. Station or Mr. Defense. We were all impressed with his work ethic, team first approach and his overall vocal leadership displayed throughout the day. To put it simply, CP Perry played with poise and maturity not often seen by a player at his age/grade. Perry averaged 9 PPG which was quite impressive considering the camp was dominated mostly by players in the 2024 and 2025 class.
4’10 2027 Ridley Hightower (Wake Forest, North Carolina)
Ridley Hightower simply has a knack for making plays. Hightower is just a tough, hard nosed gritty young player that loves playing the game. He’s not bashful in getting on the floor for loose balls and has a relatively high basketball IQ and solid fundamentals. Hightower averaged 6 PPG for the camp, but we were also impressed with his court vision and passing ability.