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Khamani Wertz Hits the Transfer Portal
Given the changes throughout college sports, countless players enter the transfer portal every year. Many leave their current situation to reach new heights or attempt to reestablish themselves at a different level. Among the latest additions to the portal is Khamani Wertz of Belmont-Abbey. Folks will also likely remember him from his days at Carmel Christian, where he played a vital role for a...
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Chase Forte Having a Monster Senior Season for South Dakota
Photo Courtesy of South Dakota Athletics Every player seems to have their own unique path in the journey of basketball. While it might seem cliché, it’s true. We’ve seen players go to the highest levels and transfer down, and guys go to a lower level and eventually transfer up. Talent matters but there’s ultimately no conclusive way to recognize which players actually work hard and/or care about...
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Rebounding Machine: Nick McMullen Playing Key Role for Georgia State
Photo Courtesy of Georgia State Athletics Some players simply find ways to produce in every possible context or setting. These guys can be found at every level of basketball. Whether effortless scorers, physically imposing athletes, or a variety of other archetypes, there are all types of natural producers. Given our viewings in high school, it should’ve been expected that Nick McMullen would...
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Malcolm Wilson Shining as Top Rim-Protector in College Basketball
Courtesy of Queens Athletics If it’s been said once, it’s been said a million times: big men develop slower than others. Many instances exist when a tall kid is simply forced into the sport due to their physical advantages. However, those who love the game and consistently work to improve typically succeed in basketball. The most recent addition to the list of late bloomers who ultimately panned...
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Milligan building a strong, underrated recruiting class with recent commits
Milligan has been in the news as of late, as this is a program that has been working hard on the recruiting trail and has quietly earned a strong and underrated upcoming class coming in. 2025 Ahmari Hicks was the first to announce but as of late, 2025 Jake Benham and 2025 Liviu Anton have both announced their commitments to the program. Hicks and Benham will certainly give this program...
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Kameron Taylor Shining as X-Factor for UNC Asheville
While it’s likely common knowledge amongst those within the grassroots scene, recruiting North Carolina is a polarizing subject for some college programs. Fortunately, the hesitance of others hasn’t deterred Coach Mike Morrell from trusting his eyes and aggressively recruiting the state (both out of high school and the transfer portal). The Bulldogs’ top seven players in minutes all came from...
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Soph. Josh Scovens (Army) continuing to lead his team in a BIG way
Looking back at the classes here in North Carolina, one of the more overlooked prospects from North Carolina just a few years ago was Josh Scovens at Page High School. Phenom Hoops was one of the few who recognized the talent of Scovens and thought that he could be a contributor at the next level. More Than Deserving: 6’6 2022 Josh Scovens Scovens has only proven that and more… The 6’6...
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Jr. LJ Thomas (Austin Peay) making the most of his opportunities at Austin Peay
Sometimes, you just never know when your opportunity will come and go in the world of basketball. A player that Phenom Hoops is certainly aware of and have watched over the years has been the talented guard of LJ Thomas, who committed to NC State a few years back, played in 30 games for the Wolfpack as a freshman and averaged 2.4 points, but then only saw action in 12 games as a sophomore...
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Jr. KC Shaw (UMES) elevating his game to new heights
Player: Ketron “KC” ShawSchool: Maryland Eastern ShoreHeight: 6’5 2024-25 Season Stats: 24.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, 35.3mpg Phenom Hoops continues to monitor players even at the next level, as we are always happy to see the success stories of players at the collegiate level. One player who has proven many wrong and has taken advantage of the opportunities ahead of him has been Ketron Shaw, who...
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Could this be the breakout season for Soph. Jah Short at New Orleans'
College Basketball is underway and there are plenty of familiar faces on display at the collegiate level. One player that we believed was underrated and a strong steal when he committed, is making an early statement on the season, as sophomore Jah Short at New Orleans may be on the start of a breakout season. Short received plenty of experience last season as a freshman, playing in 33 games and...
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Takeaways from Alabama vs. Memphis (Exhibition)
Memphis’ PJ Haggerty looking to be that guy It is seemingly obvious in just two exhibition games for Memphis that PJ Haggerty looks to be the guy for this team offensively, after posting 32 points on 9-for-22 shooting after leading the way vs. UNC not long ago with 24 points. Yes, he did record eight fouls in the game but Haggerty showed how assertive he is offensively in scoring and creating....
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Cooper’s Notes: Duke & UNC Sunday Exhibitions
Duke’s Defensive Intensity From a team perspective, it was impossible to ignore the sheer intensity that Duke played with on Sunday night. They were highly engaged on the defensive end of the floor, often picking up their man at half-court, initiating physicality, and making multiple individual efforts on each possession. Their ability to switch, hard hedge, and rotate on the weak side gave the...
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Takeaways from North Carolina vs. Johnson C. Smith Exhibition
Photo Credit: North Carolina Athletics College Basketball is almost here, as teams are getting an early tune-up in the past few weeks. North Carolina was one of them on Sunday, welcoming Johnson C. Smith to the Dean Dome. Johnson C. Smith battled early in the first 10 minutes of the game but North Carolina really ramped up the offensive attack after that and in the second half, ultimately taking...
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American University building with North Carolina talent
The recruiting world has been heating up in the last few months, as players from the Class of 2025 have been making their announcements around the country. American University has been a hot topic here in North Carolina, as they have targeted and been able to secure multiple commitments from the state. 2025 Chris Eagan, 2025 Madden Collins, and 2025 Kamran Prince have all committed from North...
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Phenom CBB Preview: Charlotte 49ers
Phenom Hoops continues to preview the landscape of college basketball, as the season is coming fast and there is plenty to talk about. We have amped up our coverage for college ball, as talk about teams, players, and programs around the country. Check out our latest preview for the upcoming season and the topics we are focusing on. Charlotte 49ers Last Year’s Record: 19-12Conference...
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Preparing to Take Flight: Will James Headed to Toledo
On Saturday, Will James announced his commitment to Toledo University. This was a proud time for all his supporters and a devastating moment for all the schools who crossed their fingers in hopes of securing the 6-foot-4 guard. It’s been a long, taxing journey for James, but his mentality and approach never wavered. The first three years of his high school career consisted of solid team success...
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Appalachian State looking a bit different but hoping for the same success
College Basketball will be quickly approaching, and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait as we continue to talk about teams around the country and of interest here locally. The Mountaineers were the talk of the state last year here in North Carolina, as they finished the season 27-7 overall, they went 15-0 at home and made an appearance in the NIT against Wake Forest before falling. This was a...
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The Newest Redbird: Isaac Ericksen Calls it for Illinois State
On Monday, Isaac Ericksen announced his commitment to further his playing career at Illinois State—choosing them over the likes of Mercer, Arkansas State, Furman, Eastern Kentucky, UNC Asheville, and UMass Lowell. The move is significant for a myriad of reasons. On one hand, it removes one of the top available prospects from the recruiting board. However, it also provides the Redbirds with a...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 3)
Derin Saran with Phenom Hoops 6’4 Derin Saran – Stanford Saran is a very familiar name with Phenom Hoops and one of the few sophomores on the roster, Saran is certainly one that I will have my eyes on. As a freshman at UC Irvine, he played in all 32 games and really flourished with his IQ and feel, his ability to score and facilitate, and he has really good size at 6’4 as a guard. Saran was able...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 2)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for themselves in...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 1)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for...
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UNCG continuing to make North Carolina a priority in recruiting
The Spartans are making a lot of noise this week, as they have been hitting the recruiting trail and securing some big commitments. As of late, UNCG has been able to pick up three big recruits, all of which recently played here in North Carolina. 2024 Sean Birmingham2024 Isaiah Washington2024 Clinton Efinda (formerly at Ellsworth Community College) All three should be big pieces in the...
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Positioning, Producing, and Portal-ing: Five Guys Who Transferred Up
It’s pretty clear that things within college basketball have changed over the last few years. Between NIL, the Covid year, and looser restrictions surrounding transfers, it’s become a situation where kids are forced to adapt. “Positioning” refers to guys putting themselves in the right spots to be successful. “Producing” is self-explanatory and “Portal-ing” is the method in which kids are...
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The Tigers Strike Again: Santana Lynch Calls it for Hampden-Sydney
It probably goes without saying, but the recruiting landscape is drastically different than it was pre-Covid. The introduction of NIL coupled with seemingly every player testing the portal has led to somewhat of an unpredictable situation. Not only has it become a more intense job for coaches, but there are more questions surrounding high school prospects than ever before. Regardless, these...
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The Newest Owl in the Nest: Elijah Gray Commits to Temple
On Thursday, the Temple Owls received a commitment from 6-foot-8 forward Elijah Gray. The North Carolina native and former Fordham Ram is a massive get for Coach Adam Fisher and his staff. For those who are unaware, Gray quietly had a phenomenal sophomore season. His per-game averages of 8.4 PPG and 3.7 RPG (in only 18.0 MPG), might not necessarily explode off the page, but a little bit of...
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Coming Home: Cade Tyson Commits to UNC
On Sunday, Cade Tyson sent shockwaves throughout the college basketball landscape after announcing his commitment to the University of North Carolina. The former Carmel Christian star just concluded his second season at Belmont, where he averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG while posting 49/47/86 splits and earning All-MVC second team honors. It doesn’t take long to notice that...
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Hidden Gem: Is James Scott an ACC center to really keep an eye on in the coming years'
There is certainly plenty of news going around the college basketball landscape these days, especially when it comes to the transfer portal. Every day, new names go on the list and others come off, as players will be suiting up for new programs in the coming years. One player that Phenom Hoops is knowledgeable about and eager to watch develop at his new school is freshman 6’11 James...
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Simpkins Twins Back on the Court Together at Elon
The Twins are back together on the court, as Takai (TK) and Tajuan Simpkins will be suiting up for Elon next year. Phenom Hoops had a chance to watch these two in action at Liberty Heights, as they put on a show and continued to flourish as a dynamic duo. They played together at NW Florida State in 2022-23, as Takai averaged 8.8ppg but Tajuan had to redshirt. Tajuan had an excellent year this...
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Transfer Portal Updates
The transfer portal is open and players are entering their names, as there are several familiar players that Phenom Hoops has had the opportunity to watch on our platform. Continue to check back for all updates and names. Randi OvalleSmall Forward / 6’7Previous School: Troy Justin TaylorGuard / 6’6Previous School: Syracuse Justin BaileyGuard / 6’3Previous School: USC Upstate...
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Phenom Hoops Throughout the NCAA Tournament
Cyncier Harrison (Stetson) Blake Preston (Northwestern) Aden Holloway (Auburn) KD Johnson (Auburn) David Dixon (Duquesne) Armando Bacot (UNC) Jae’lyn Withers (UNC) Rob Landry (UNC) Duwe Farris (UNC) Creighton Lebo (UNC) Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State) Jaquan Scott (Mississippi State) AJ Hoggard (Michigan State) Mark Sears (Alabama) Nick Pringle (Alabama) Jarin Stevenson (Alabama) Davin...
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