EVENT NEWS
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Overtime Elite Prep Challenge (Tuesday Games)
Day 2 of the Overtime Elite Prep Challenge got underway, as Liberty Heights, Combine Academy, and Winston Salem Christian were all back in action. Phenom Hoops was on deck to cover Day 1, as you can find all the recaps here. Here are the Day 2 recaps and stats.
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POB’s Eye Catchers (Day 2, HoopState Championship/PG Nationals) Part 2
2021 Jordan Wildy (WS Christian): Wildy has been incredibly consistent so far throughout the HoopState Championship, as he brings such a unique versatility to the court with his outside threat from three, his length and size to be able to battle and get on the boards, and his feel around the basket to finish over defenders. Very strong performance so far. 2022 Gerasim Bordin (WS Christian): A...
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POB’s Eye Catchers (Day 1, PG Nationals, HoopState Championship) Part 2
2021 Brandon Murray (IMG): Murray showed it all early and often in this contest. You don’t see many with his blend of size and strength, along with his athleticism and ability to score on all levels of the floor. Played with a ton of confidence today. 2021 6’3 Lynn Greer (IMG): Greer simply played with poise and understanding on the floor. It looked like the game just slowed down for him...
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HIGHLIGHTS: Top 40 Jonas Aidoo vs Top 150 Jai Smith; Liberty Heights vs Word of God!
Check out all the highlights from two of the top teams, that matched up in Rock HIll, SC.
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Word of God Takes Down Combine Academy
In a matchup of two of the top teams in the state, Combine Academy travelled to Raleigh to take on Word of God. The anticipation and hype surrounding this game was real. Combine won the first meeting by four points on November 20th at Combine. You knew both teams would be ready. Each have played a national schedule and have notable wins on their resume. The ball was tipped and from then on out,...
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Holiday Classic: Word of God vs. Moravian Prep (Recap/Standouts)
Word of God and Moravian Prep kicked off Game 2 of the afternoon and it had the people excited to watch. Word of God came out strong led by the shooting of Po’Boigh King, helping his team create an early double-digit first quarter lead. BJ Freeman though kept Moravian Prep in the hunt and they started to knock down shots and play their game in the second quarter, getting it under...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 3 at Phenom November Classic/ Hoop State League
2022 Chancellor Morrow (The Wonders): Morrow continues to produce every time he hits the floor. Having multiple 20+ point games under his belt, he did it again with his versatility, length and skill set to score on multiple levels of the floor. He really has had a consistent summer and fall all throughout. 2021 Lucas Taylor (Raleigh’s Finest): Taylor can absolutely take over a game and that he...
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INTERVIEW: 2022 Jai Smith On His MOVE to the #HoopState + Recruitment Update + Season Goals!
Tyler Lewis sits down with 2022 Jai Smith, one of the hottest prospects in North Carolina and in the country to talk about his move to NC and what's the latest with his recruitment.
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Day 3 Standouts at Hoop State League
Po’Boigh King Chadlyn Taylor of Team United 8th Grade has the chance to develop into a great player. He has a lengthy frame that will fill out as he continues to grow. He showcased the ability to really shoot the ball from three while also being able to attack off the dribble and get to the basket. Despite his scoring ability, the most impressive part of his game was his ability to find...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 3
Team 3 Coach: Patrick King A foreword from Coach King: “This team was absolutely STACKED. I was blown away with how coachable, cohesive, and team-centric these guys played. Every single one of them bought into the unselfish brand we wanted to play, and our bench was live the entire day. It seemed repetitive to mention their coachability in every blurb, so I’ll say it about all of them right off...
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POB’s Notes from NC Top 80
2022 Jai Smith (Bully City Prep): Smith continues to show why he is going to be regarded as one of the top players in the Class of 2022. There aren’t many out there that brings such energy and ability to run rim-to-rim, where he makes a living. Smith was consistent in getting out in transition and finishing strong with several dunks. Whoever gets him at the next level, he certainly is going to...
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Special K’s Hoops Take: NC/SC Top80 Standouts
Christ Essandoko 6’11 Christ Essandoko 2022 was unbelievable today as he showcased his dominance on the offensive end scoring in a wide variety of ways. His presence in the paint is so overwhelming as he scores at will around the basket and overpowers his defender. He rebounds the ball at a very high level and runs the floor pretty well. He showcased a unique ability to attack from the high post...
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Player Standouts at NC Top 80 v. SC Top 80
Jamarii Thomas- The tough, heady point guard prospect offered a very consistent two-way presence, overwhelming opponents with his motor and toughness. Thomas attacks the basket very well and displays a strong balance between scoring and playmaking. He’s great in the open floor and shows a willingness to make hustle plays. Julian Kiett- It’s somewhat perplexing to try and understand why Kiett...
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POB’s Eye Catchers: #PhenomFallFinale (Day 1, Part 2)
Continue to check out all the standouts from an exciting day of basketball in Rock Hill.
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Crazy Potentials
This summer was full of crazy talented players that will have the chance to play at a variety of different collegiate levels. Some of these players were already really good but still ooze the potential to develop to be even better. This article talks about a few guys that I believe are talented and possess the potential to become big-time players.
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Best of August (Part 1)
This August was a month full of very intriguing talent and potential amongst the abundance of teams and players that attended our events. Talent everywhere from High Major Division 1 to Division 3 level players competed all month long. Of the many players I saw this August, a few players really stood out and either made a name for themselves or showed why they were already highly touted.
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INTERVIEW: POB Catches Up with NY Native Jai Smith on Transferring to the #HoopState + Recruitment!
Check out our latest episode of Phenom Focus featuring Jai Smith, a 6'9" forward from NY and recently announced his transfer to Bull City Prep in NC. Smith has been one of the hotter names on the recruitment trail as hes been offered from the likes of WV, Ole Miss, TXAM, Alabama, among others.
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Special K’s Superstars: Summer Havoc
Here are seven players that really captured the eyes of Khalil Shakir over the weekend at the Summer Havoc.
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POB’s Eye Catchers: Day 1 at #PhenomSummerHavoc (Part 3)
2022 6’7 Jeremy Gregory (Team Charlotte 16u): Gregory really got after it to start his day, going for 20 points in the win. Gregory got to his spots, reacted quickly in the post and used his big hands to softly get the ball on the rim and score. He did it multiple times, as well as continue to run the court well. 2022 Freddie Dilione (Big Shots Elite NC 2022 Lewis): Dilione not only...
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Phenom Focus: Recruitment update with 2022 6’9 Jai Smith
2022 6'9 Jai Smith has been a workhorse these past two weeks at the Phenom Hoops events. Recording double-doubles, having multiple 20+ scoring games, and really showing his talent as a player on the court. And coaches have been noticing.
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Bendel’s Best: Phenom Challenge
This past weekend Phenom Hoops traveled down to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina for our Phenom Challenge. There was an obvious amount of talent in the gym, which led to numerous standout performers across the weekend. This article will take a closer, more detailed look at some of those personal favorites… 6’2 ’23 Treymane Parker (Fayetteville Flash) The...
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Special K’s Superstars
Khalil Shakir brings us his top 10 players that he saw throughout the weekend in Rock Hill for the Phenom Challenge.
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Early Standouts at Day Three of Phenom Challenge
5’11 ’25 Eli Ellis (TLBA) There are a lot of varying opinions about Ellis, but there is absolutely no debating his high-level consistency and production—especially against his own age group. He’s already developed a unique toughness through being battle-tested at the high school level. Ellis stands out as a tremendous leader for this group, both as their primary scorer and playmaker, and simply...
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Phenom Challenge Day 3 Early Standouts
6’9 Jai Smith of Tea Marie 16U has been phenomenal this weekend. Shows that he is a HM Division 1 talent. Very long, athletic, and superfluid on the court. Tenacious rebounder who attacks the boards every possession. Uses his length to be a great rim protector for his team. Shows the ability to attack from the wings and get out in transition. Killer mindset, looks to dunk on you every single...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 at #PhenomChallenge (Part III)
2023 Wesley Tubbs (Charlotte Supreme): You can already see that Tubbs has the length that will catch eyes but what really stands out first is his emotion, hustle, and willingness to leave it all out there. Such a competitor. As far as his game goes, he is a 6’5 long, wiry prospect that can create for himself or for his teammates. Just another big-time prospect in the 2023...
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Evening Standouts at Day Two of Phenom Challenge
6’8 ’21 Ben Burnham (Team Charlotte) There’s an obvious amount of talent within the Team Charlotte organization, and Burnham has arguably been their most consistent performer of the early season. He’s a long, wiry forward with quality athleticism and an excellent nose for the ball. Burnham plays with a nonstop motor and understands how to overwhelm opponents with his activity level. He’s a...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 1 at #PhenomChallenge (Part III)
We continue to bring names that impressed today on Day 1 of the Phenom Challenge.
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Bendel’s Best: Phenom Queen City Showcase (Part Three)
The Phenom Hoops’ travel schedule is officially back in full swing, as we traveled down to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina for our Queen City Showcase this past weekend. There was an abundance of talent in the gym, which led to numerous standout performers across the weekend. This article will take a closer, more detailed look at some of those personal...
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Evening Standouts at Day Two of Phenom Queen City Showcase
6’6 ’20 Garreth Edgecome (Defenders Elite) The unsigned senior was easily one of the more impressive performers throughout this contest. Edgecome caught heat early on and was able to consistently assert himself as a spot-up threat. He has great size and length, but also understands how to embrace his role without forcing the action on offense. 6’4 ’21 Camren Little (Charlotte Nets...
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Miles Magical Five: #PhenomQCShowcase Early Day One
6’2 2022 Nik Graves: Garner Road 3SSB 2022/Greensboro Day School Graves plays the perfect role for his skillset on this G Road club and its obvious in the way he produces while running the team to near perfection. He minimizes mistakes, gets his guys in position to succeed, and makes great decisions with the ball in his hands. He showed the ability to get above the rim while also having an...
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