North Carolina Jr. Phenom 150 Camp Evaluations
Team 7
Coach Dre
#44: 5’5 ’23 Casian Richard (Winston-Salem, NC)
Starting things off, we look at a player that exemplified an abundance of natural talent and instincts at camp, Casian Richard. He’s a point guard prospect with sharp quickness to go with an excellent IQ and overall feel for the game. Richard scores efficiently on all three levels with regularity, but he truly thrives when looking to generate offense and make plays for teammates. He’s able to get by most defenders with his strong ball-handling and understanding of how to operate the two-man game. Next in his development process is continuing to work on balancing his approach between passing and scoring, as it will be a major factor towards his growth. Coach Dre on Richard: “Casian has amazing court vision and was very vocal with his team. He seems to be a natural leader. He sees plays before they happen and is very advanced for a prospect in middle school. Casian is a floor general and a coach’s dream at the point guard position.” Richard is very intriguing and has a lot of high-level tools that should guide him through his progression.
#49:5’5 ’24 Will Googins (Mooresville, NC)
Next, we look at a player that showcased an excellent motor and the necessary mentality to properly use it, Will Googins. He’s a guard prospect that simply knows how to create havoc on the court, constantly fighting for rebounds, loose balls, and willing to do anything to secure extra possessions. Googins possesses great quickness and can effectively get by opponents; he handles the ball well and finished most penetration chances nicely through contact. He made numerous plays on defense and forced turnovers without gambling. Next in his development process is working on the release time of his jumper, as a slightly quicker release could allow him to apply much more pressure as an all-around shooting threat. Coach Dre on Googins: “After the first game, Will was way more involved. He’s a good passer with a good court sense and awareness. He has a nice midrange and three-point shot with a good head fake. Will has a nice floater over bigger defenders. He can become more confident against bigger opponents.” Googins should be an intriguing prospect to monitor, especially if he continues improving on both sides of the ball.
#55:5’6 ’23 Brandon Betances (Waxhaw, NC)
Moving onto a player that provided his team with a positive attitude and terrific team-first approach throughout camp, Brandon Betances. He’s a well-rounded guard prospect that does a nice job of playing within his role and not forcing the action. Betances can handle the ball and attack the rim in transition, but he’s typically found operating without the ball as a spot-up threat. He was able to knock down open shots and finish strong around the basket. Betances was a willing passer and looked to make hustle plays whenever possible. He worked hard on defense and even forced a few turnovers during camp. Next in his development process is working on his shooting consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him a more useful offensive player. Coach Dre on Betances: “Brandon is a decent shooter that knows how to move fairly well without the ball. He is good at getting to the rack and has an unselfish approach to both sides of the ball.” Betances brought a lot of energy to camp and should continue refining his skillset in order to maximize his long-term potential.
#58:5’7 ’23 J’Quan Betha (High Point, NC)
Continuing onto a player that was able to make nice contributions on both ends of the floor at camp, J’Quan Betha. He’s a fairly athletic wing prospect that plays with great energy and knows how to impact the game without necessarily requiring the ball in his hands. Betha is able to enter the paint quite often and finishes strong around the basket with either hand. He displays a solid feel for the game as a passer and defender, and understands how to position himself to make plays. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him very difficult for opponents to contain on offense. Coach Dre on Betha: “J’Quan is a good kid that was very coachable throughout the day. He played with a great attitude and motor. J’Quan is a team-player and good finisher. He has a nice demeanor on the court and works hard on defense.” Betha operated well within the team concept and should continue polishing his intriguing skillset.
#63:5’8 ’23 Russell Hawkins (Charlotte, NC)
Next, we look at a player that possesses a nice skillset and overall leadership presence on either side of the ball, Russell Hawkins. He’s a wiry guard prospect with great quickness and the ability to get by opponents with consistency and finish around the basket. Hawkins is a capable shooter from midrange and beyond the arc, but he’s far more efficient as a penetrator. He has quality vision and does an excellent job of passing to the open man. Hawkins really caused problems for every matchup on defense, as he steadily forced turnovers while rarely allowing his man to score. Next in his development is continuing to work on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him a dominant two-way player. Coach Dre on Hawkins: “Russell is a very well-rounded player with positive instincts. He has a good-looking stroke and can get to the rack with ease. Russell excels on both ends of the floor and takes pride in shutting down his assignment. He possesses tremendous upside.” Hawkins enjoyed a great showing at camp and highlighted his strong two-way ability throughout the day.
#72:5’10 ’23 Chrisean Oree (West Columbia, SC)
Moving onto a player that did a strong amount of everything for his team, both as a scorer and defender, Chrisean Oree. He’s a wiry combo-guard with great length and the ability to affect various facets of the game. Oree gets downhill and attacks with ease, able to take most opponents off the dribble and extend out for finishes around the basket. He’s a reliable shooter that values each possession and rarely takes a bad attempt. Oree utilizes his length extremely well on defense to pickpocket one ball-handler after another and pushes transition play whenever possible. He rebounded well for his position and should grow into a dynamic prospect. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would allow him to score in every possible way. Coach Dre on Oree: “Chrisean is a great all-around player! He has nice handles and drives strong to the rim. He has a knack for passing and hits the glass hard. Chrisean is a good on and off-ball defender that forced several steals on the day. Right now, he has no glaring weaknesses and is a great two-way player.” Oree is still just beginning to realize how talented he can become, so only time will tell if he’s able to reach his impressive potential.
#79:5’11 ’23 Malik Brunson (Fayetteville, NC)
Continuing onto a player that truly dominated opponents on both ends of the floor throughout camp, Malik Brunson. He’s a big, strong, athletic forward prospect with an incredible motor and unique blue-collar approach to the game. Offensively, Brunson is capable of bullying any opponent of any size, as he’s simply one of the strongest, most aggressive penetrators and finishers you’ll find at the middle school level. He handles the ball well for his size and is capable of creating offense for himself or others whenever necessary. Brunson has a phenomenal feel for the game and it’s evident in his defensive prowess. Right now, he’s able to guard (and overwhelm) every position on the basketball court while consistently imposing his will as a two-way rebounder. Brunson is the hardest worker in every contest, regardless of opponent. Next in his development process is continuing to refine his consistency as a three-point shooter, as it would unveil many scoring opportunities and allow him to do whatever he desires on offense. Coach Dre on Brunson: “Malik has an unreal motor. He can post up or beat his man off the dribble. He’s somewhat undersized for the post, but he still dominates. Malik is showing a lot of leaping ability with a dunk in our first game of the day. No one can stop him from getting to the rim. He’s also very unselfish and an all-around team player. Malik looks like a man among boys.” Brunson is an extremely useful asset to any collection of players and will continue to build his reputation as a two-way monster over the coming years.
#81:6’0 ’23 James Scott (Fayetteville, NC)
Next, we look at a player that knows how to be very productive on both sides of the ball while highlighting his big-time motor, James Scott. He’s a prospect that never quits on a possession and will do anything possible to provide his team with an edge. Scott is a decent shooter, but his abilities as a penetrator and finisher were downright excellent. He’s able to consistently create scoring opportunities for himself and others without ever forcing the action. Scott is smart with the ball and values each possession appropriately. He rebounds nicely for his position and utilizes his quickness well to force turnovers and bottled up his assignment on defense. Next in his development process is working on his consistency from beyond the arc, as it would make him even more difficult for opponents to contain. Coach Dre on Scott: “James hits the glass hard and dives for loose balls. He’s a coach’s dream when it comes to effort. He can get to the basket with ease and is a good passer.” Scott had a great showing at camp and is certainly a prospect worth noting for the future.
#82:6’0 ’24 Jonathan Williams (Fayetteville, NC)
Moving onto a player that possesses a lot of ability, but is only beginning to realize his long-term potential, Jonathan Williams. He’s a prospect with nice size and an outstanding motor. Williams plays with a team-first approach and willingly sacrifices his body to make hustle plays on both sides of the floor. He gets by opponents with relative ease and finishes strong around the basket while also shooting efficiently from midrange and beyond the arc. Williams is a strong rebounder with the ability to secure and convert numerous second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass. He operates well without the ball and was able to shut down his assignment throughout the day. Next in his development process is working on the use of his off-hand, as it would allow him to attack more angles on the court. Coach Dre on Williams: “Jon hustles hard and is a dangerous two-way player. He goes hard on every play. Jon has a decent shot and effortlessly gets to the rim. He’s an explosive leaper with freakish athleticism.” Williams should grow into a terrific two-way prospect, especially if he continues to refine his strong all-around skillset.
#87:6’6 ’23 Addison Archer (Forest City, NC)
Finishing up, we look at a player that arguably possesses more long-term upside than any other prospect in attendance, Addison Archer. He’s a wiry big man prospect with great length and the ability to utilize it on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Archer typically operates on the low-block and has great touch with either hand on both sides of the basket. He displays a formidable stroke from midrange and also seemed comfortable shooting from beyond the arc. Archer has excellent defensive instincts and altered an abundance of shots through proper angles and timing. Right now, he’s somewhat thin, but understands the game extremely well and will start dominating with added strength. Archer is a strong two-way rebounder that can push the break and correctly run the floor. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his face-up game, as it’ll make him virtually unstoppable against most types of opponents. Coach Dre on Archer: “Addison is a big man that can already dunk with two hands. He is a great off-ball and help defender. He needs to develop some more moves down low, but when he does, he will be a force to be reckoned with. He plays with a high motor and great attitude. Addison had a block party today.” There’s no doubting Archer’s potential, but he’ll need to continue working to maximize his abilities as a prospect.