The Phenom Hoops crew invaded the other Carolina this weekend for the JMAC showcase, this event drew a good amount of hype and it absolutely lived up to the billing!
Fort Mill, South Carolina– I had the pleasure of covering court two at Nation Ford high school, and I left away with the amount of talent on display. The prospects listed impressed for various reasons, they all impacted the game for their sides. Some names were known commodities around the Carolinas, and others broke out at the right time!
6’0 2021-Davian Cannady (Team Charlotte 17U Herring)- Canady shot the ball lights out for Team Charlotte, his shooting ability opened up the floor for all the athletic slashers on this roster. Cannady created for himself off the dribble in ISO situations. Off ball Cannady was extremely active curling off screens and committing to backdoor cuts, along with catch and shoot opportunities Cannady was money from the floor. Cannady is a volume shooter, but he finds looks within the flow of the offense, closeouts didn’t bother him if Cannady is also a solid athlete, he can go above the rim when necessary.
6’5 2020 David Hubbard (Team Synergy)- Hubbard is a versatile forward prospect, not extremely athletic but he does possess some bounce and Hubbard moves really well at a bulky 6’5, Hubbard gets decent lift and really flushed the rock with authority at the rim. Hubbard got easy buckets in transition just purely off hustle, he understands positioning and filled running lanes superbly. Upon the catch Hubbard was ready to score the rock, he’s got good hands and Hubbard also showed some soft touch around the bucket. Hubbard is a versatile defender, he moves well laterally, his natural length and physicality allowed him to matchup on bigger forwards, or switch to a perimeter player when needed.
6’2 Nathan Kiger (Juice all stars)- One of the top individual performers on the day, Kiger absolutely lit it up from deep connection on seven field goals from behind the arc, it was a tough loss for his side they suffered from a slow start. Kiger was the spark plug for Juice All Stars, he’s got a quick release and serious range, Kiger mad some tough shots and drew contact from some late closeouts on a couple of attempts. Kiger got looks off ball utilizing screens to create space, but he also proved capable off the dribble, Kiger showed a solid mid range game as well. Kiser finished his first contest with 24 pts which led all scores in that game and majority of the day.
6’7 Jeremy Gregory 2022 (Team Charlotte)– Flat out Gregory is a grown man on the block, and if you’re guarding him soft Gregory will bulldoze through you. As powerful as the youngster is Gregory is equally finesse, Gregory dominated with advanced footwork and a feathery touch. Gregory is a load in the middle, but he runs the floor extremely well for his size, Gregory also has range beyond the three point line. On the boards Gregory is a real glass eater he competes for every rebound, the effort offered up plenty of second chance points. Gregory will finish through contact, and he’s a reliable free throw shooter at this stage.
5’9 2019 Jacorian Legrand (Carolina defenders)- I’m convinced Legrand was the fastest guard here on display at Nation Ford, the kid is a blur with the basketball straight up. Legrand has the rock on a string all day, he’s shifty in space and can change gears on the defense in a split second. Legrand dribbled through traps, presses and broke defenses down off the bounce. Legrand flashed a nice pull up game, at full speed he stops on a dime, freezes defenders in their tracks then elevates over them for pull up jumpers. Legrand also proved to be a reliable finisher in the paint, he’s got a nice floater and a bevy of close range shots in his bag to beat the trees down low. Legrand showed nice poise and overall feel for the game, he was unselfish and made a valiant effort to continuously get teammates involved.