Day 1 of the #PhenomChallenge here in Spartansburg, SC was full of competition, several players made great first impressions in attempts to leading their respective squads to victory. Here are my top 5 performers from tonight's action:
15U CC Elite 6'2 2022 Wing Kyle Frazier
Frazier came out aggressive for his CC Elite in their 60-39 victory over Upward Stars Lakeland. He consistently got into the teeth of the defense making plays at the rim for himself and his teammates. As a result of his hard drives, he drew several foul calls. Ultimately, he played a major role in his squad victory tonight! I'm looking forward to seeing him play again this weekend at the #PhenomChallenge
16U Rock Hill Ballers 6'5 2021 Wing Malychy McGuirt
Malychy was very impressive tonight! His 17 pts all came in the 2nd half of action. He actually arrived to the gym at halftime, instantly after being inserted into the game he left his mark on it. Attacking the basket, pulling up in the midrange, posting up smaller defenders, and dunking! He simply put the ball in the basket tonight!
16U Rock Hill Ballers 5'10 PG 2021 Jayden Cornwell
Nice floor general, the young point guard lead his team well. Cornell orchestrated the offense for the Rock Hill Ballers; he possesses a nice handle and made several no look dimes to his teammates. He definitely plays with flair that is aesthetically pleasing to the crowd. He will be a fun one to watch this weekend.
16U Rock Hill Ballers 6'3 2021 Forward Dante Evans-Oliver
As a team, the Rock Hill Ballers had a very solid showing tonight in their opening game. Malychy McGuirt took over the second half when he arrived, but the first half was Dante's. He is a strong relentless player, he repeatedly drove to the basket tonight and finished strong. Team Knicks had no answer for him in the paint. He plays with energy and effort every minute he is on the court. He controlled the defensive glass, often times snagging the board down and driving the ball end-to-end for a tough basket at the rim.
16U Team Heat Elite 6'2 Combo Guard Jaden Watkins
Watkins was a bucket tonight! He scored at all three levels, knocking down 4 jumpers from deep, connected on a pair of floaters, and got easy layups at the rim. He possesses a real smoothness to his game, doesn't play with too much explosiveness, but he consistently got to his spots on the court whenever he wanted! As a guy that loves to be entertained, there is nothing that entertains me more than a player scoring from all over the floor. That's exactly what Jaden Watkins did tonight!