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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 1 at Phenom Summer Havoc LIVE (Part 2)
2026 6’3 Drayton Cockfield (Carolina Pressure) Cockfield continues to be a newer name that impresses me. Though he started out slow, he got things going and continued to really flourish his versatility on the court. Posting up down low, finishing at the rim, stretching the floor from the perimeter, or making plays off the dribble for himself, Cockfield shows that he can be an offensive option in...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Stay Positive (Part One)
6’0 ’27 Brayden Gatling (SW15H Elite) It doesn’t take long to recognize Gatling as a leader for SW15H Elite’s 2027 group. Although they’ve clearly grown as a collective, he’s simply the guy that makes them go. Gatling is a natural leader whose combination of IQ, toughness, and competitiveness allows him to set the tone in a variety of different ways. He possesses the necessary quickness and...
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Elevating their Game: Phenom Rise Showcase (Class of 2026)
2026 Dane Cassada (CP3): Cassada is the definition of consistency. You know about his game, you know how he operates, and you know what he can do, but he continues to produce and be an effective option on the court for his team. Cassada brings physicality to the court with his game, and he is difficult to defend with his offensive ability to create and embrace contact, make plays off the...
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Standouts from Phenom Tourney Town
2024 Lewis Walker (WS Christian): Walker was tremendous on Day 1, leading his team in a big way for a win against TBS. Walker showcased his full arsenal in his game, making strong play after strong play, being physical around the paint and with opponents, but also showing how nimble he is on the court in making plays off the bounce. 2024 Gage Lattimore (Ben L. Smith): It was a gritty and...
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Standout Performers from #TylerLewisHoopFest
2024 Caden Bell (NC GBB): What a showing from the senior guard, but this is ultimately just a continuation of what he has been showing all season long for NC GBB. Bell has elevated his game as a senior and as a leader, pouring in some impressive performances. And on both days, he showed it all with his ability to knock down shots and consistently get to the line all game long. Really stepped up...
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North Carolina Sophomore 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 9
Team 9 Coach: Evan Neisler #47: 5’7 ’26 Dionte Neal (Reidsville) Starting things off, we look at a player who is easily among the most dynamic guards in the state, regardless of class, Dionte Neal. He’s an undersized, incredibly smart, skilled floor general with lethal quickness and open-floor speed. Neal is a high-level creator and overall playmaker who utilizes his craftiness to effortlessly...
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Phenom Open Gym: Calvary Day
6’3 2026 Dane Cassada Dane will be Calvary’s leader/head of the snake this season. The intelligent, high-IQ guard can beat you from the perimeter and off the bounce. Dane does a tremendous job controlling the tempo and playing the game at his own pace. He makes suitable basketball play and rarely makes mistakes on the court. Dane is a knockdown shooter from the perimeter. He uses his...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Dane Cassada
Height: 6’3 Class: 2026 School: Calvary Day Travel Team: Big Shots Elite What Was Recently Said: In all honesty, everything starts and ends with 6’3 ’26 Dane Cassada. He had no issue asserting himself as a focal point last season despite sharing touches with two key seniors. However, this current roster construct should allow him to shine as a leader while also...
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NCISAA Sideline Report: Learn the Names (Class of 2026) (Part 1)
Michael Phillips 2026 Ian Bailey (Asheville Christian): It is good to see others are starting to see what we saw with Bailey a while back (Article), and that trend should only continue as he continues to develop. Bailey is a young prospect that plays with tremendous poise, feel, and understanding. He plays at his pace, makes smart decisions, has the ability to score from multiple levels, is a...
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Calvary Day Putting it All Together
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise in Advance, North Carolina for our annual Team Camp. This event always serves as a kickstart to June, as players go back to their respective high schools and prepare for the upcoming Live periods. There’s usually a fair number of takeaways but it’s also easy to get carried away or overexcited by the sheer change of pace from travel ball....
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Team Camp (Day 1, Part 1)
2026 Markus Kerr (Chambers): A new addition to the group at Chambers, it seems like the young man was able to fit right in and give this group yet another weapon at their disposal. Kerr though fits the part, as he was able to showcase his ability to create and make plays on his own, break down defenders and find his shot, but also flow within the offense. It looks to be yet another strong season...
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Coopers Notes – Phenom Summer Showcase Day 2 (Part 2)
By: Cooper Hart 5’11” ’26 Hudson Fitzgerald (WCBA/Broughton) It felt like Fitzgerald hit everything he shot on Saturday. He’s got confidence and range like no one in his class. His extremely repeatable shooting mechanics make it so that he rarely misses more than two in a row and he’s one of those shooters that can hit 5-6 straight without getting too high (many shooters struggle after getting...
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Brady’s Ballers from Phenom G3
By; Brady Malston 2026 Kamauri Hunter (Carolina Rebels SC):When I first saw Hunter playing this weekend for the 17U Carolina Rebels SC squad, I was blown away to learn he was a 2026. His communication and maturity on the court are well beyond his years, and I’m certain this will only continue to improve as he ages. He provided his team with unrelenting on-ball defense and would pick up in the...
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Bendel’s Best: G3 Showcase
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina for our annual G3 Showcase. The three-day event featured over 250 teams with highly competitive games and tons of talented prospects on display. There were countless subplots worth noting, but this article will take a closer look at five personal favorites from the last few days… 6’7 ’26 Trey Thompson (Tennessee Impact)...
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Player Standouts at Phenom G3 Showcase
6’7 ’26 Trey Thompson (Tennessee Impact) There were so many impressive pieces for Tennessee Impact, which certainly includes Thompson and his highly advanced identity. Though young, he already clearly understands how to outperform his assignment and dominate a game in various different ways. Thompson is an excellent post-up option with a notable blend of IQ, touch, and footwork. He finishes with...
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Freshmen to Know from Phenom Holiday Classic
2026 6’3 Dane Cassada (Calvary Day): Cassada continues to be a name that impresses us with his overall maturity as a freshman. Cassada is a tough, strong, high IQ guard that understands the game well, sees the floor, and can bring some versatility to the court on both sides of the floor. He showed that he can be a knockdown shooter, as well as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. 2026...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 at Phenom Holiday Classic (Part 1)
2023 Brandon Nelson (Indian Land): How about the play of Nelson to start the day on Day 2 at the Holiday Classic, flourishing as a prospect that stretches the floor with his perimeter shot-making ability. Time after time, Nelson was able to knock down shots from three in catch-and-shoot situations, but also doing a nice job in creating and making plays for others. He led the charge in a...
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Excitement Surrounding Calvary Day
After a decade of serving as the head coach for Calvary Day School, it’s clear that Joe Rybak understands how to accumulate talent and consistently compete within the private school ranks. He’s advanced a ton of players to the next level, and there’s no reason that would stop anytime soon—especially given their current group. Though Rybak and the Cougars have won plenty of games throughout his...
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Player Standouts at Day Two of Phenom Tourney Town
5’9 ’24 Morgan Smith (Ben L. Smith) It’s easy to see the value Smith brings to this Golden Eagles squad, especially given her status as their primary ball-handler and overall creator. She’s a very tough, rugged, polished lead guard with a quick first step and the ability to fill it up as a scorer or create for others. Smith attacked the basket and finished, but also hit pull-ups at a high...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 of Phenom Tourney Town (Part 2)
2025 Kaden Hammond (The Burlington School): A new piece to the program, Hammond has quickly come in for this team and made himself a presence with his frame and ability to carve out space in the paint. The 6’8 prospect did a great job in battling down in the paint, attacking the boards, and being strong in carving space and showing touch around the basket. Another stat that has to grab your...
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Cooper’s Developments: Phenom HS Jamboree Session 1
By: Cooper Hart Seth Cullen (Flight 22 Prep) Seth is a 6’6” Wing/Forward that has a strong frame and quick feet. He was impressive today on the defensive side of the ball where he was constantly switching onto bigger and smaller players, allowing him to eliminate advantages all over the court. I like that he plays containment defense as he rarely gambles for steals and is good at keeping his man...
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Reece’s Standouts: Triad Blue Chip Summer League (Part 2)
by: Ethan Reece This past week Phenom Hoops went out to cover the Triad Blue Chip Summer League at TW Andrews High School in High Point, NC. The league has been held annually for 6 years now and features a good variety of the abundance of great prospects the Triad area has to offer between both public and private schools. This article will take a look at the standouts from the second part of the...
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“Getting to Know” 6’1 ’25 Dane Cassada
We’ve seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a “Getting to Know” series on some players who have attended events but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Stay Positive
5’6 ’27 Corey Kinard (Strong Center) Though he was among the youngest players on display, it was easy to be impressed with Kinard throughout this viewing. His production is predictably appealing, but the intangibles are arguably what make him such an enticing long-term prospect. Kinard is very smart and patient with the ability to consistently create for himself and others. He displays a...
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Phenom Game Report: Calvary Day vs. Gaston Christian
It was our second game of the night on Thursday night, as we went down the road to check in at Gaston Christian as they welcomed in Calvary Day for a playoff showdown. Getting there at the start of the second quarter, Gaston Christian was able to gain the early edge with a 13-9 first-quarter lead. Gaston Christian was able to maintain their lead heading into halftime behind the...
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Player Standouts from Phenom September Classic (Day 2)
by: Ethan Reece 2025 Dane Cassada (PSB Cassada)The score sheet might not have shown much but the scoreboard showed a win and that’s what matters. In a low-scoring defensive-minded matchup, Dane really turned the tables to rally his squad and pull out a hard-fought comeback win in the semis. He got things rolling with his defense and the game started coming to him, driving and dishing and coming...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Rise Showcase (Day 1, Part 1)
2026 Jabian Shabazz (Carolina Rockets): The Rockets started out in impressive fashion and Jabian was one of the reasons why. So young but this is a young man that has a terrific frame and size already, standing around 6’5, carves out space, has terrific hands, and excels on getting on the board. This is going to be a big man to really watch down the road as he continues to grow and develop. 2025...
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Player Standouts from Phenom Rise Showcase (Day 1: Part 1)
by: Ethan Reece 2026 Lance Barnes (Carolina Heights)Lance led the charge in many ways this morning, but none more so than with his ability to facilitate. He’s a long guard with great instincts as a rebounder that turned into leading the break with really smart decision-making. Saw the floor so well, impressive for a rising eighth-grader to know when to cut as well as read the defense so easily...
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Name to Watch: 2025 Dane Cassada (PSB Cassada)
Phenom Hoops gets to see a lot of players over the summertime during travel ball season. One player that has caught my eye on multiple occasions and continues to be a name that pops up on the MVP list and as one of the top scorers for his team is 2025 Dane Cassada for PSB Elite. I got to see him in person first at the Phenom Challenge, where he was off the charts in scoring the ball, showcasing...
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Player Standouts from Day 3 of Phenom Memorial Day Classic
By: Ethan Reece 2024 Will Ricketts (CC Elite White)Will came out absolutely on fire at 8 am to start Sunday off. Knocked down 7 threes in the win over HoopKlip! Did an excellent job of spotting up, getting his feet set, and was able to stay in rhythm easily as his teammates kicked the ball out to him over and over. Every shot had really good rotation on it 2024 Kory Scott (Upward Stars...
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