What a great day. Phenom Hoops has been hosting the Junior Phenom camp since 2003, however, this year was the first that we decided to break it up into regions. Eastern North Carolina has been a hotbed for talent so we were excited to show up at the famed JD Lewis Center in Raleigh, NC to see the talent. And gracious did we have talent show up …
Here is a look at the award winners from the camp …
MVP
2024 DeVaughn Brown (Sanford, NC)
Brown came into camp with a bit of a reputation, not only that he had been to camps previously, so we knew him. He did nothing to dispel the notions throughout camp. He has fast and strong but played with great control. What really stood out was his 2-way ability, really defending the ball well and turning defense into easy offense. He made shots at each level, with consistency, and overall did a lot of what he wanted on both sides of the floor. Watch his progression closely, only in 8th grade, there is a lot to like here.
Mr. Playmaker
2025 Drew Johnson (Durham, NC)
Johnson is the type of point guard who is able to bring a crowd to its feet without even scoring a point. He has the ball on a string along with eyes (seemingly) in the back of his head. The lefty, only going into 7th grade, played well beyond his years. He touched the paint often, not only that he was not afraid of the spotlight. In his first game he made a buzzer-beater to win the game, in his second game he knocked in a 3-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime. He can flat out play and is worth the price of admission.
Mr. Hustle
2024 Peter Moye (Charlotte, NC)
Moye is a big strong kid, but what really shined, even from the skills and drills work, was his motor and his passion. He showed to be a tough defender, not only that but also a good rebounder both in and out of his area. Offensively, he showed the ability to finish at the rim as well as knock down shots off the catch. He has good size and is strong with skills, a good recipe for success.
Mr. Defense
2024 Dylan Deluca (Charlotte, NC)
Deluca walked into camp as the biggest player, standing a legit 6’4” as a rising 8th grader. Deluca was very well coordinated, in playing a throw-back type of game. He was able to score over both shoulders with a great understanding of angles and how to seal his man. However, here Deluca won Mr. Defense as he was the camp’s best rim protector. Sure he was the tallest guy, but he was active and swatting shots both from the weak side and man up. A lot to like here.
Mr. Station
2026 Braylen McRae (Garner, NC)
McRae was one of the youngest players in the camp, but his skill set shined throughout the skills and drills, station portion. What shined during the games was his confidence. McRae demanded the ball, he was not afraid to make plays and he shot the ball well, he did everything a leader should do. Only going into 6th grade, he had the mentality of a player much older.