The contest between Concord Academy and Carolina Basketball Academy began in exciting fashion, particularly for the Eagles. Led by the smooth-shooting guard duo of 6'3 '21 Trae Benham (Lipscomb commit) and 6'3 '22 Logan Threat, Concord Academy jumped out to a quick early lead. However, guys like 6'5 '21 Tyler Fearne, 6'2 '21 Javian Cannady, and 6'5 '22 Tucker Johnson all played extremely valuable roles in mounting the Eagles' lead. Carolina Basketball Academy offered resistance with their length, athleticism, and interior toughness through guys like 6'7 '21 Sincere Malone and 6'9 '21 Tyrhe Fortney. Meanwhile, 6'5 '21 Clifford Barrow also stood out for CBA, operating as their primary creator and asserting himself as a scoring threat for this group. After ending the first quarter with a 31-21 lead, Concord Academy only furthered what they started, going into halftime with a 60-36 advantage. CBA continued to battle and played an evenly matched third quarter, 78-54, but Concord Academy ultimately closed out the game with a victory and final score of 101-69.
6'3 '21 Trae Benham (Concord Academy/Lipscomb commit)
Although it should come as no surprise, Benham easily asserted himself as the clear leader of this group from the opening tip. Anyone who has ever watched him already knows he's an elite shooting threat from all areas on the perimeter, but his toughness and ability to make plays outside of catch-and-shoot situations is what separates him from others. Benham is a quality defender and rebounder for his position, and will be an excellent addition for Lipscomb.
6'3 '22 Logan Threatt (Concord Academy)
While Benham is the obvious leader, Threat is clearly a prospect that should have more action within his recruitment. He's an extremely crafty, polished, savvy offensive force with the ability to create and score in a variety of different ways. Threatt shoots the ball at a high level, mixes up his approach with regularity, and is capable of setting up others. He's a strong competitor defensively and does an impressive job of maintaining his overall consistency throughout the flow of the game. Threatt should emerge as a priority for Division I coaches sooner than later.
6'6 '21 Tyler Fearne (Concord Academy)
The Concord Academy roster is loaded with talent, which is what allows Fearne to naturally operate within a glue-guy role on both ends of the floor. His all-around skillset and approach lead to a pretty full stat sheet on a game-to-game basis. Despite his wiry frame, Fearne is a quality rebounder and defender with an understanding of how to thrive within a low-maintenance role. He's a great communicator and also regularly finds opportunities to assert his three-point shooting and midrange jumper off of one or two dribbles.
6'6 '21 Sincere Malone (Carolina Basketball Academy)
Despite some early struggles, Carolina Basketball Academy still looked quite strong behind the play of Malone'who operated as their leader on either side of the ball. He possesses phenomenal defensive tools, specifically between his length, athleticism, and understanding of angles. Malone finishes well, effectively sets up the offense, and makes his presence felt in transition quite frequently. He's certainly a next-level prospect and should have appeal for numerous types of programs.