This past weekend, Phenom Hoops held our annual Tip-Off Classic at Davidson Day School. Between the two days, the event was loaded with talented teams, prospects, and enticing storylines. Several state title contenders performed against noteworthy opponents and the individual matchups brought a lot of intrigue as well. Let’s take a look at some personal takeaways from the event…
Freshmen Shining Bright on Big Stage
The Class of 2028 in North Carolina is shaping up to be really solid, especially considering the number of immediate-impact freshmen. Unsurprisingly, JJ Sati-Grier (Charlotte Performance Institute) is already showcasing his ability to command an offense at a high level. His team is young, but they have a lot of young, blossoming pieces and a structure conducive to winning basketball. Regardless, Sati-Grier’s IQ, pace, scoring polish, and playmaking instincts all stood out. Another impressive floor general, Davonta Lindsey (Charlotte Country Day), highlighted a strong blend of defense, toughness, and shot-making ability. Despite being one of the youngest players on the roster, it’s easy to see his impact. The Queens Grant trio of Chase Smith, Mekhi Allen, and Bobby Montgomery were heavily involved in their contest against Victory Christian. Smith affected the game on both ends of the floor, Montgomery effectively ran the team, and Allen still managed to make his presence felt despite not hitting shots at his usual clip. Lastly, it would be impossible to reference the top freshmen without including Mason Collins—arguably the top prospect in the entire class. He earned some quality minutes as an eighth-grader, but Collins looks ready to be a major difference-maker. Collins truly has it all. His combination of size, feel, skillset, athleticism, and general mentality makes him a legitimately special talent.
Is Christ School the Top Team in North Carolina?
This shouldn’t be a hot-take, but Christ School is clearly the best association team in North Carolina. Not only are they overflowing with talent, but their structure, history of success, and veteran coaching staff (led by Coley) make this group a real nightmare for opponents. Everyone should already know about their returning pieces of Zymicah Wilkins (NC State commit), Madden Collins (American commit), Mason Collins, and Jo Ahart. However, the Greenies have added an incredible array of pieces. In addition to multiple young, blossoming prospects, they brought in guys like Tyler Jones, Dacen Petty, Koen Booker, William Robinson, and various others. Although their depth is worth noting, it’s difficult to see many teams outperforming a core group of Collins-Collins-Wilkins-Petty-Jones at any point during the season. Barring injuries or something unforeseen, this group should be the clear favorite in 4A.
Davidson Day Flourishing Under New Leadership
After a strong season where everyone on the Patriots seemed to thrive, they underwent a coaching change. Well, Coach Ricky Hickman has certainly continued what was started under the previous regime. Although they added AJ Washington, Lincoln Vinson, and Mac Habenicht, it hasn’t altered their overall structure. Washington is an incredible glue-guy who does everything while hitting shots at a high level. Vinson is a personal favorite as someone who runs a team with no real weaknesses; he’s a dynamic athlete with a high IQ and polished scoring arsenal. Habenicht is a young, blossoming prospect who can space the floor and knock down shots. They’ve fit seamlessly around the returning core of Isaiah Denis, Will Stevens, Levon Jacobs, and Ja Spruill. Ultimately, they will be firmly in the mix for a state championship.
Jaylen Cross Performs in Front of Charlotte Staff
Although there were some struggles from Caldwell as a team, it’s impossible to ignore everything Jaylen Cross showcased on both ends of the floor. With the entire Charlotte staff sitting baseline, he was undeniably impressive. In a matchup against a noteworthy prospect, he was arguably the best player on the floor. Cross provided his usual amount of relentless terror on defense but quickly took control of the offense when things began to go awry. The majority of his first-half scoring came strictly on cuts, hustle plays, free throws, and offensive rebounds. However, Cross highlighted vision, creation instincts, and shot-making ability throughout the second half. It’s difficult to say anything other than positives about his unique level of motor, unselfishness, and leadership by example. The 49ers staff and fan base should be overjoyed to be getting a real winner in Cross. He finished with 31 points (11-21 FG), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.
Spectator Involvement: What Should You Do?
Look, folks pay their money and are allowed to do/say pretty much whatever they want when watching basketball games. However, it feels like some spectators need to read the room and understand the situation better at times. Without mentioning any names or teams, there were two separate instances where fans screamed for players to “pass the ball.” Both times, the spectators were urging for the best player (guys who got them into winning positions) to defer. Being the “best player” or “reason we are in a winning position” doesn’t make a player void of mistakes. In these specific situations, they were foolish statements. Not only are these comments wildly unnecessary for a parent to loudly exclaim for everyone to hear, but they also cause a visible rift with the involved parties on the court. Neither circumstance yielded a positive result. Rather than coaching from the stands, individuals can feel free to volunteer their time to provide input or better understand the team structure.