EVENT NEWS
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Trending Upward: 5 Players to Follow from #PhenomIshSmith Showcase
2026 Q Williams (Forsyth Country Day): Williams has been playing at a high level this season, as you can see he has really embraced being a leader and a go-to option for FCDS. Williams is a tough and scrappy guard that competes on both ends. He excels in being able to create for himself and get inside the defense, finishing over defenders well but also finding ways to get his teammates involved....
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North Carolina Top 80 Evaluations: Team 3
Team 3 Coach: CB McGrath Game FIlm: Team 3 vs Team 4Team 1 vs Team 3Team 2 vs Team 3NC Top 80 Semi-Final (2v3 vs 6/8) #1: 5’9 ’25 Darnarian Gibson (Winston-Salem Christian) Starting things off, we look at a player who consistently produced despite being the smallest camper in attendance, Darnarian Gibson. He’s a smart, skilled lead guard prospect with an understanding of how to get others...
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The Burlington School is going to be able to hurt you in several ways this season
The Hoop State Fall League continues, as we finished up with Week 3 of action and getting a better view of teams and what they have to offer this upcoming season. One team that I was able to check out in Cox Mill was Team Push, who represents The Burlington School. Under head coach George Marshall this year, TBS certainly should have their eyes on the prize once again. And even...
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The Burlington School Continues to Roll
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to various different locations for the June Live Period. Between the talent in Advance and Greensboro, there was plenty of buzz about the NCHSAA and NCISAA competition throughout the weekend. Although the public-school event was at capacity for most of the weekend, Greensboro Day School (as expected) hosted an extremely entertaining three-day slate of...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 at Good Guys vs. Cancer
2026 Isaac Ellis (Moravian Prep): The youngest prospect on the court stepped up in a big way for his team, leading the charge with 22 points on Day 2 and showcasing a nice blend of playmaking and scoring ability. Ellis continues to showcase his ability to make plays and create off the dribble, finding his spots, finding small openings for his shot, and his quick release from three. Really liked...
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Hoops & Dreams Top Performances
Here is a list of the top performers from the Hoops & Dream Showcase presented by Lucas Moore Realty. Please note these top performers are in alphabetical order by school. Fayetteville Academy6’5 2024 Xavier Johnson: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists & 2 steals on Friday. 19 points, 1 rebound & 1 assist on Saturday. 6’4 2026 Jossiah Johnson: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist...
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Player Standouts at Hoops and Dreams Showcase
6’7 ’24 Isaiah Otyaluk (NC GBB) It’s easy to see the appeal with a blossoming prospect like Otyaluk, who possesses a ton of ability and long-term upside. He’s a long, wiry wing/forward prospect with great size, athleticism, and an enticing level of skill (especially for his position). His insane length is an obvious asset, and he actually understands how to use it as a finisher,...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 1
Team 1 Coach: Steven Mims #1: 5’10 ’25 Derek Ross Jr. (Jordan) Starting things off, we look at a player who is clearly trending as one of the top floor generals in his class, Derek Ross Jr. He’s a smart, crafty, unselfish point guard prospect with sharp quickness, playmaking instincts, and three-level scoring ability. Ross understands how to properly run a team or burden a heavy scoring...
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Cooper’s Developments: HoopState League Championship Day 1
By; Cooper Hart Jordan Durham – ’24 Wing – The Burlington School Jordan has really bought into his role as a swiss army knife on offense and a high-level point-of-attack defender on defense. His shot selection and decision-making have improved each week that he’s been here. His height, length, and athleticism combination make him a versatile defender by default, and with his...
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Open Gym Report: The Burlington School
On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to The Burlington School in Burlington, North Carolina for our annual open gym tour. The Spartans have turned a lot of heads over the last decade between guys like Ron Johnson, Will Robertson, and Ryan Bernardi. Now, George Marshall is at the helm and folks still have plenty to be excited about. He’s already asserted his culture, leadership presence, and...
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Reece’s Standouts: Coach Rick’s TOC (Day 2)
by: Ethan Reece 2024 Delani Hammonds (Team Synergy)Usually versatility is used when scouting on wings and forwards because you expect athletic playmaking, shooting and ball handling from your lead guards. But it makes sense with Delani, because he can play the point in two different ways or combine them together at the same time and provide an all around floor game. He can be a big time scorer,...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Coach Rick’s TOC (Day 2, Part 2)
2023 Cooper Marcum (Team HOPE Laney): Marcum is a very intriguing prospect, as the two-sport athlete has shown that he can be effective on the field and on the court. Fresh off a football offer, Marcum had a terrific Day 2 at the Coach Rick TOC, as he really showed his leadership on the court. Whether it was his ability to be a ballhandler, play with a physical presence, create and get inside,...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 at Phenom Summer Havoc (Catawba Ridge, Part 2)
2023 Evan Ashe (Juice All-Stars): Ashe came up big for his team in the second half, scoring 19 of his 23 points. He continues to show how explosive he can be on the floor, getting to the rim and finishing strong, embracing contact, and getting to the line. Ashe continues to be one that is flying a little under the radar but with his athleticism and ability to get downhill, he can be tough to...
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“Getting to Know” 6’4 ’23 Jordan Durham
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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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Challenge (Day 2, Part 3)
2023 6’2 Elijah Burnett (Team Denver): Burnett was strong in his final game of Day 2, really showing how assertive he can be when he is getting downhill. The 6’2 prospect did a great job in creating with his dribble, attacking the paint, and scoring the ball effectively. Really gave people a glimpse of what he can provide when locked in and when aggressive using his size at the guard...
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Phenom Grassroots TOC Team Preview: Team PUSH NC 2023
The Phenom Grassroots TOC is this weekend in Rock Hill/Fort Mill, as it is the first LIVE Period with Phenom Hoops this season. The talent pool runs deep throughout and we want to give college coaches a leg up on who to watch and who will be in action. Here are a few players to check out for each team, presented by the head coach. Team PUSH NC 2023 Jordan Durham20236’4” GA strong...
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Bendel’s Best: Phenom Spring Tip-Off
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports in Advance, North Carolina to continue onward with the early stages of the summer season. The event was loaded with a ton of next-level talent, and though plenty of folks were enamored with March Madness, there was more than enough excitement swirling throughout the facility. There were multiple highly anticipated matchups on...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Spring Tip-Off
6’8 ’23 Dejuan Sidney (Juice All-Stars) Commonly known for their slew of up-and-coming talent, it should come as no surprise to see Sidney as another name worth noting within the Juice All-Stars program. He’s a long, mobile forward/post prospect with nice length and an active motor. Sidney can finish as needed but doesn’t look to force the offensive action. He rebounds, blocks shots, and looks...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Spring Tip-Off (Day 1)
2025 Jerquarius Stanback (NLPB): One to certainly monitor in the class of 2025 here in North Carolina, as the young forward brings tremendous length to the court. Still young and developing, really liked his presence around the basket, finishing strong but also being a presence defensively around the basket, walling up and making it difficult for his opponents. 2027 Brennan Jefferson (Garner...
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A Closer Look: Phenom Hoops’ Rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2023
It’s that time of year again. The high school season has nearly concluded and postseason play is set to begin very soon. As exciting as it is to chase and potentially win a state championship, the subsequent six months of travel ball will be the time for prospects to really shine. Whether positive or not, college coaches simply have more time and resources to properly evaluate (and offer) kids...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 6
Team 6 Coach: Dre Simmons #6: 6’0 ’23 Chase Dawson (Cary Academy) Starting things off, we look at a player who continues to embrace his identity as a quick, heady floor general, Chase Dawson. He’s a tough, scrappy, extremely fast lead guard prospect with solid vision and excellent penetration instincts, both in the half-court and open floor. Next in his development process is working on his...
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Open Gym Tour: Louisburg High School
Last season was a weird one for just about everybody. It was especially difficult for public schools with their limited schedule and for Louisburg High School essentially nothing went right and a lot of it was beyond their control. This group struggled but you take into account players being quarantined and the fact that Head Coach Michael Sheldon was only able to coach in 3 of his teams 13...
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Five Names College Coaches Need to Pursue in North Carolina’s Class of 2023
After an incredibly bizarre calendar year of question marks and high school prospects suffering the negative effects of covid, we finally return to some semblance of normalcy. There is no denying the impact for guys in the Class of 2021, and even 2022. The combination of on-court restrictions and additional year of eligibility would ultimately hurt the kids still in high school—not the college...
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The Returning Core of Garner Road 2023
Each year, many players filter in and out of travel ball programs on a pretty regular basis. It’s widely become the new norm to see key pieces depart from their respective teams for the next best situation. However, Garner Road has always taken pride on being a program with the ability to keep most of their main pieces. While there will always be exceptions to the rule, the core within their...
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POB’s Eye Catchers: Queen City Showcase (Day 1)
2023 Joseph Bachman (Garner Road Davis 16u): Bachman quickly caught our eyes with his activity level on both ends. Always seems to be moving, running the floor in transition, and makes the smart/right play on the court. Really liked his quick decision making down low, finishing well around the rim. 2023 Jordan Durham (Garner Road Davis 16u): Durham continues to progress in his development...
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The Ascension of a New Leader: Jordan Durham
Over the years, the similarities between high school basketball and professional leagues have increased drastically—for better or worse. The main commonality has become player movement. NBA players can pretty much dictate where they want to play, even if they are locked into a contract. While there are no contracts in high school basketball, the grassroots landscape has quietly developed a free...
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Prospects Worth Noting in North Carolina’s Class of 2023
North Carolina’s Class of 2023 has arguably generated as much buzz as any class in recent memory, especially this early within the process. While most of the attention has been directed to guys like Robert Dillingham, Mikey Williams, Aden Holloway, and Trey Green, there are plenty of names worth being mentioned amongst those in the spotlight. While others like Treymane Parker, Mekhi Grant, and...
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Evening Standouts at Day One of Phenom Summer Havoc
6’4 ’23 Jah Short (Garner Road) There’s a lot to like about this Garner Road roster, and Short has absolutely shined as their leader on both sides of the ball. He’s long, athletic, and quite skilled with impressive defensive prowess. Short has undergone a lot of physical development over the last calendar year, but still looks likely to continue improving. He has no glaring weaknesses and...
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POB’s Eye Catchers: City of Oaks Classic (Part II)
Check out Part II of our standouts from a fantastic day of basketball on Saturday at the City of Oaks Classic.
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Bendel’s Best: City of Oaks Classic
On Saturday, Phenom Hoops traveled to North Raleigh Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina for a five-game slate of high-level basketball. There was so much talent in the gym, both in terms of teams and individuals, which made for an incredibly competitive atmosphere from start to finish. This event proved to be a great tune-up and overall litmus test just before things start to heat up in...
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