NC Phenom 150 Evaluations – Team 2

The NC Phenom 150 Spring Evaluation Camp took place Saturday, March 14th and the talent level was strong from top to bottom. Today, we will take a look at some of the players from each individual team. Each camp coach was to fill out a detailed individual player evaluation. While we try to focus on upside and potential, we also look carefully at intangibles such as attitude, cooperation, work ethic and team play. We hope to capture a thorough detailed resume for each player in attendance.

 

Deacon Heath – #31/ Guard/ 5’9 – Avery (2018)

Heath is an above average player that is working hard in all facets of his game. Coach James Black reported that Heath is a great teammates and plays hard on both sides of the court. He seemed to be solid in several areas including his range, his shooting mechanics, and his shooting ability off the dribble. Still young and developing, Heath will look to work on his penetration ability and ability to finish. However, Heath has great court vision and understands his strong points on the court. As he continues to develop his skills, Heath certainly has the ability to make a splash in the class of 2018.

Areas of Excellence: Attitude, Basketball IQ, Team Play, Range of shots, Release Time, Shooting mechanics

Areas of Work: Penetration ability, Ability to finish, Passing Skills, Defense both on and off the ball, Transition defense

 

Neil Tharwani – #23/ Guard/ 5’8 – Cary Academy (2018)

Tharwani is a fantastic guard with skills on the court. He likes to have the ball in his hand and make plays, whether it is knocking down shots or using his court vision to find an open man. At the NC Phenom 150, he displayed those skills for Coach James Black and he came away impressed. Tharwani has the ability to knock down shots, as far as the three point line. He has a nice smooth release with the ball, but if he continues to work on his shot, watch out. He also showed a nice array of passing skills and penetration to go along with his ball handling skills. Tharwani is heading in the right direction as a player and if he focuses and continues to work, he could be a dangerous player down the road.

Areas of Excellence: Team Play, Effort, Penetration Ability, Passing Skills, Ball handling skills

Areas of Work: Quickness, Footwork, Moving without the ball, Rebounding your position

 

Bryshawn Payne – #32/ 5’9 – Raleigh Enloe (2018)

Payne is an excellent teammate with a good attitude and showed those traits at Forsyth Country Day at the NC Phenom 150. Overall, Payne is a solid, do-it-all player on the court but if he continues to work hard and focuses on the little things in his game, he could be even more explosive on the court. Payne’s game of shooting off the dribble is what stood out the most at the event. However, he still has room to grow and perfect his game. He scored 26 points in one game at the event, showing that he has the ability to take over a game scoring wise. If this kid continues to study and develop his overall game on all levels, you could be hearing more out of this guy in the future.

Areas of Excellence: Team Play, Effort, Basketball IQ, Shooting off the dribble

Areas of Work: Range of shot, Penetration, Ball handling, Footwork, Vision

 

Nick Knowles – #7/ Guard/ 5’4 – Heritage MS (2019)

Knowles is only in 8th grade but this kid can shoot the rock. Coach Black was extremely impressed with this kids shooting mechanics and range, to go along with his release time and ability to shoot off the dribble. He is still a young cat and still needs to polish his mechanics, but that certainly was an area where the coaches came away impressed to go along with his team mentality. He is still undersized but that certainly can change as he continues to grow and the areas of penetration into the paint, ability to finish, and rebounding will all come with that if he works hard in those areas.

Areas of Excellence: Attitude, Range of shot, Catch and shoot, Release Time, Use of off hand, Shooting mechanics

Area of Work: Penetration Ability, Ability to finish, Ball handling, Footwork and quickness, Rebounding your position

 

Nick Owens – #11/ Guard/ 5’5 – Tri City (2020)

Owens was one of the youngest players on the court for Team 2 but he didn’t disappoint. He seemed to excel with the ball in his hands, including his passing skills, vision, quickness, and penetration ability to the basket. Coach Black was also impressed with this young kid’s ability to play on the defensive level, whether it was on the ball, off the ball, or in transition. Owens certainly has areas that he can work on and focus on, including his shot. Still a good shooter, but if he wants to take his game to the next level, he needs to develop a consistent jumper and widen his range on the court. But, with him still being in the 7th grade, this kid has a bright future and is ahead of the game when he hits the high school courts.

Areas of Excellence: Basketball IQ, Attitude, Penetration Ability, Passing Skills, Quickness, Footwork, Vision, Defense

Areas of Work: Range of Shot, Shooting off the dribble, Shooting mechanics

 

Kyle Polanco – #16/ Guard/ 5’7 – Hough (2018)

Hough has had some good years in high school basketball and it could continue down the road as guys such as Polanco continue to develop. This is was solid in almost every aspect of his game at the NC Phenom 150 and one of the best players on the team. He is a solid point guard that runs the team with ease and looks forward to defending his opponent. He is a great athlete, playing both basketball and track, so you can see where he gets his quickness on the court. Polanco scored several high praises from the coaches in several areas and if he continues to grow, this kid has Division I talent written all over him.

Areas of Excellence: Range of shot, Defense, Shooting off the dribble, Catch and shoot ability, Penetration ability, Quickness, Footwork

Areas of Work: Continuing to develop in all areas

 

Joshua Massey – #43/ 5’10 – Porter Ridge MS (2019)

Massey was a consistent scorer on the court for Team 2 in all three games, averaging eight points per game. He displayed a nice ability to hit the inside shot with his height while also hitting the outside shot. Furthermore, he seemed solid when his bask was to the basket and his was making his move to score, all areas that will help him down the road. Coach Black says “Massey has a great skill set and high basketball IQ. He also makes players around him a lot better.”

Areas of Excellence: Range of shot, Catch and shoot, Shooting mechanics, Use of off hand, Back to the basket moves

Areas of Work: Penetration, Ability to finish, Quickness, Footwork, Passing skills

 

Robert Guyton – #44/ Guard-Forward/ 5’10 – Christian Academy (2018)

Guyton was a kid that Coach Black was really impressed with. “Love this kid!,” Coach Black said. “Robert does it all on the floor and has a high IQ and is also a great teammate.” He showed flashes of scoring ability, including an 18 point game at the camp. He is an above average shooter with solid mechanics and just seems to understand the game when he is on the court. Coach would like to see him work more on his game in the paint and defense, but he still was good in those areas. Guyton is just another freshman that you will be hearing about when he develops into the player that everyone expects him to be.

Areas of Excellence: Shooting, Release Time, Back to the basket moves, Catch and shoot

Areas of Work: Penetration ability, scoring in the paint, Passing skills, Footwork and quickness

 

Jarick Yon – #2/ Guard/ 5’1 – Holly Grove (2019)

Yon showed flashes of a solid point guard in the future, playing against opponents that were much bigger than him. He decent areas of shooting the ball and was able to get his teammates involved with his passing skills; always looking up for the open man. However, with his height, this young guy will have to continue developing his outside shot and finding unique ways to score. He has the quickness and vision to be a dynamic point guard in the future but will have to find way to finish inside the paint and finish strong.

Areas of Excellence: Team Play, Basketball IQ, Attitude, Shooting ability, Catch and shoot, Shooting mechanics

Areas of Work: Penetration ability, Ability to finish

 

Ronald Evans II – #139/ Guard – Forward/ 6’2 – Ravenscroft (2019)

Evans did not only make a fantastic impression on his coach but for the entire camp, making the First-team All Camp team for the NC Junior Team. Many believe if Evans continues his path that this young man will be a high major Division I player. He plays hard on both sides of the court and his vision on the court is outstanding. He scored in double digits in two out of three games at the event and showed a nice array of talent in scoring both inside and outside. It will be interesting to see how far this kid can go and already at 6’2, he could be a nightmare for an opponent to matchup against. Overall, this kid seems to have it all but will have to continue to work and develop his entire game to continue his growth on the court. If he does, Evans certainly could be ranked near the top of his class down the road and should continue the talent pool that Ravenscroft continues to develop.

Areas of Excellence: Shooting ability, Range of shot, Mechanics, Penetration ability, Passing Skills, Footwork and quickness, Vision, Rebounding

Areas of Work: Continue to develop as an overall player