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Smith Elite Continuing to Roll
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled up to Virginia Beach for a collaboration event with Made Hoops. The Virginia Beach Clash was a huge success, featuring a ton of noteworthy teams and prospects from an abundance of areas. Among those standout programs was Smith Elite 14U. They’ve attended several tournaments this travel ball season and have been nothing short of dominant. Last weekend was...
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Player Standouts at Virginia Beach Clash (Part Two)
5’9 ’26 Marquez Barrera (Washington Warriors) Although there are probably more productive players on this roster, arguably nobody better encompasses the Warriors’ identity than Barrera. He’s an incredibly tough, gritty guard prospect who sets the tone with his energy and unselfishness. Barrera is a real nightmare for opponents. He suffocates opposing ball-handlers at the point of attack, showing...
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Player Standouts at Virginia Beach Clash
6’7 ’26 Kaloyan Kolev (Washington Warriors) Although we will highlight the entirety of the Washington Warriors more extensively tomorrow, it’s impossible to ignore everything Kolev showcased during the weekend. He’s a long, skilled, versatile point guard prospect who causes legitimate matchup problems for opponents. Kolev can actively toggle between various positions, showing the ability to run...
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Who Are the Top Prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2028?
Rankings are always an interesting discussion point. We know it’s an opinion-based practice heavily predicated on what the viewer values in a player. Some people value a pure scorer more than a true point guard, and assuming the players are of equal level, they could both form legitimate arguments. As we approach the halfway point of the travel ball season, there’s no better time to take a...
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Three Must-See Prospects for College Coaches at G3 Live Showcase
6’3 ’26 Ian Bailey (Team Vision) Seemingly every coach who watches Ian Bailey becomes a fan, yet his recruitment doesn’t align with his appeal and overall abilities. He enters the live period with offers from Stetson, Western Carolina, and UNC Asheville…pretty surprising for a guy who has been the epitome of a productive leader with no baggage or glaring weaknesses. However, coaches will have...
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Maximizing Their Abilities: Three Guys Who Should Be Targets for College Coaches
6’0 ’26 Owen Calvert (Dub Salem) Anyone who has ever watched Calvert should already know what he brings to a team. He’s a polished three-level scorer with the handle, vision, and creation instincts to apply constant pressure as an offensive piece. Calvert utilizes his craftiness and quick first step to effectively break down opponents and generate quality looks for himself or others. He touches...
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Bryson Mickey Commits to William Peace
Each year, there are various prospects who get overlooked despite consistently outperforming “higher-level” opponents. These guys typically struggle to get recruited for one reason or another. The most common deterrents are lack of size and athleticism. Plenty of schools will take a 6-foot-6 freak athlete regardless of the player’s attitude or baggage. It’s disappointing to see kids work hard to...
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Notable Unsigned Seniors from Phenom May Madness
6’6 Justice Mitchell (Strong Center) Although we featured Mitchell yesterday, his production and generally impactful two-way identity cannot be ignored. His versatility naturally causes matchup problems for opponents on both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-6, Mitchell is too strong and athletic for perimeter players and too mobile and skilled to be contained by forwards or big men. He can reliably...
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Player Standouts at Phenom May Madness (Part Two)
6’2 ’28 Gary Grear (KOC) Despite being the youngest player listed, Grear is someone folks should be talking about. He already possesses a highly refined game with an impressive combination of IQ, playmaking, and scoring polish. Grear is a very fundamentally sound piece who sees the floor, makes quality decisions, and plays extremely well off two feet. He might appear somewhat unassuming at first...
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Player Standouts at Phenom May Madness
6’7 ’26 Trevor Manhertz (Garner Road) In my first viewing since everyone has dubbed Manhertz the biggest potential blow-up prospect in North Carolina, he definitely made a lasting impression. The first thing you notice is his long, wiry frame. Manhertz has visibly grown and gotten more explosive over the last calendar year, and still appears likely to keep developing physically. That being said,...
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NLPB is a Group Worthy of Attention from College Coaches
We’ve reached the month of May, where the travel ball season heats up and leads to an uptick in competition, offers, and general buzz throughout the grassroots scene. The Live period is rapidly approaching and many college coaches are still exploring the portal. Fortunately, this isn’t applicable across the board and plenty of programs will still hunt for high school prospects. Although our...
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JT Tuck to The Burlington School
Player movement has become increasingly more common at every level of basketball. Free agency, the transfer portal, and the general freedom of high school players have led to more unforeseen situations than ever before. That being said, players need to be in a position where they can develop and properly shine. Among the latest players to announce their transfer is JT Tuck and his decision to...
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POB’s Thoughts: 2028 RJ Davis and 2028 Antoine Caughman making early case for No. 1 spot in South Carolina
South Carolina continues to bring a ton of intriguing talent, and we have had a chance to watch some of the young names from the state over recent weeks. The Class of 2027 in South Carolina was pretty evident early on with Josh Leonard leading the charge, but now we are looking at who could be finding their name on top of the list for the Class of 2028. It is still incredibly early, but two...
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Phenom Player Spotlight: 2025 Doous Alemdar
Doous Alemdar #33 6’4 SG GreeceTwitter: @dalemdar11 Doous is a knockdown shooter who can hit shots at a high clip. Extreme competitor, and rates as an A+ in all the intangibles: Leadership, work ethic, and coachability. Shot 40% from 3 this season on over 200 attempts from 3FG. Capable defender and great communicator. High Academic player. Alemdar is able to mix it up offensively,...
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Senior Duo Standing Out for Lions Unsigned
Although we’ve reached the halfway point of the travel ball season, there’s still plenty of available college-worthy prospects throughout North Carolina. The Lions Unsigned group is a terrific example. Based out of Winston-Salem Christian School, they have a collection of talent that should appeal to several levels of college coaches. Though multiple guys are already priorities for next-level...
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Former GDS Product Shining as Top Shooter in College Basketball
Photo Courtesy of Belmont Athletics So much of life is predicated on opportunity. Every individual possesses a unique set of skills, but not everyone gets the chance to showcase their abilities. Take someone like Tyler Lundblade, for example. The Texas native transferred to Greensboro Day School for his senior season and later committed to SMU. Although he earned a scholarship after being...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Hardwood Classic (Part Two)
6’3 ’28 Trevor Holland (CP3 EYCL) There are so many impactful pieces on this roster, and Holland always seems to find ways to assert himself. He’s a well-rounded guard with a nice blend of size, skill, and athleticism. Holland is a polished scorer from all levels who can create for himself and others or produce as an off-ball threat. He’s able to fill it up in a variety of different ways, but...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Hardwood Classic (Part One)
6’5 ’25 Elliott Erlandsson (NC Spartans Henderson) Given everything he did throughout the weekend, it’s easy to see the college-level ability Erlandsson possesses. He’s a natural glue-guy who can do a little bit of everything on the court. Erlandsson has the size, skill, and athleticism to operate in various different roles. He’s a useful scorer from all levels with a willingness to set up...
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Bendel’s Best: Hardwood Classic
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual Hardwood Classic. The two-day slate featured a healthy mix of talent across all divisions, both boys and girls, and provided us with a lot of intriguing prospects to watch. Like normal, we will take a closer look at some notable standouts from the event… 5’8 ’28 O’Brian Lowery Jr. (CP3 EYCL) It shouldn’t come as...
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Drake Powell Declares for NBA Draft
Over the recent years, many college players declared for the draft to simply test the waters while maintaining their eligibility. It allows guys to feel out the process and receive feedback on their current draft status. Yesterday, Drake Powell of UNC announced he will be entering the NBA Draft with zero intent of returning to college. What does this mean, both for Powell and the Tar Heels? For...
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NC Spartans Trio Impressing Early this Spring
The NC Spartans organization has been a staple here in North Carolina for grassroots basketball, as they have built something special overall as an organization. It is still early in the spring/summer season, but there have been a few players that have impressed early on this travel ball season. Here is a trio of 2026 prospects that have left an early mark so far. 2026 6’5 Ben Houpt As a...
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Jaylen Cross Commits to Wake Forest
Just ten days ago, Jaylen Cross announced his decision to decommit from Charlotte and reopen his recruitment. In addition to some uncertainty surrounding the roster composition, the coach who headed his recruitment, Vic Sfera, stepped away from the program. Fast-forward to now, and Cross has decided to join Coach Forbes and the Demon Deacons. We caught up with the 6-foot-4 dynamic wing to...
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Is Mason Collins the Top Player in North Carolina’s Class of 2028?
There are a ton of factors involved when ranking players. It’s important to remember that so much of these practices are rooted in subjective, opinion-based ideologies. If two players possess equal talent levels yet have completely different identities, then you’ll naturally receive split answers about who is better. Although it’s nice to have universally agreeable takes, differing viewpoints...
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Breakout Summer for Team CP3 Duo?
Every prospect runs their own race. Of all sports, basketball seems to be the most patient when it comes to development or “making the leap.” Each summer, we see new kids emerging and others getting lost in the shuffle. Those with talent and a real work ethic always seem to figure things out. Although folks already know about this duo and their respective games on the court, it feels like not...
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Don’t Overthink It. Players Who Made Major Leaps in the Transfer Portal
Since Covid, the recruiting landscape has been stranger and more confusing than any other stretch in history. Everyone knows it’s due to the additional years of eligibility, increased emphasis on NIL, and removal of portal restrictions. However, it’s almost laughable to see players who coaches labeled as “not good enough” are suddenly prioritized only a few years later. While players do develop...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Seros Open 804 (Part Two)
6’6 ’26 Marjaylen Jackson (Virginia Havoc) It doesn’t take long for opponents to realize how physically overpowering Marjaylen Jackson can be. Built like a football lineman, he’s a strong-bodied post player with a quality combination of skill and power inside the paint. Jackson displays touch, footwork, and the ability to absorb contact extremely well as a finisher. Although he’s at his best...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Seros Open 804
6’7 ’28 Modu Abdulrahman (Team New England) Young players possessing physical advantages are fairly common. However, it’s much different when those guys are also armed with the proper mentality to harness those tools. If anyone embodies this notion, it’s Modu Abdulrahman. He’s an absolute animal whose blend of nonstop energy, powerful athleticism, and imposing physicality allows him to make a...
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Bendel’s Best: Seros Open 804
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled up to the Henrico Sports and Events Center in Richmond, Virginia, to host our inaugural Ceros Open 804. Although we also held events in Bermuda Run (Carolina Clash with Made Hoops) and Rock Hill (Ceros Open), Richmond still had an incredible amount of talent on display. Between the likes of Team Loaded, Team New England, Team Different, New World, and...
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YKS Steals the Show at 757 Showcase
Last weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to the Virginia Beach Sports and Events Center to host our annual 757 Showcase. There was a lot of intriguing talent of all ages and several teams that should be priorities for college coaches this summer. That being said, YKS was clearly in a league of their own. The highly regarded girls’ team came to the event and absolutely dominated every opponent in...
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Christian Reeves Commits to College of Charleston
On Wednesday, Christian Reeves officially announced his decision to commit to Chris Mack and the College of Charleston. The 7-footer from Charlotte, North Carolina had previous stops at Duke and Clemson before entering the portal earlier this spring. In addition to his size and experience, Reeves should bring an interesting dynamic to the Cougars. Reeves previously attended Phenom Hoops’ camps,...
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