EVENT NEWS
To filter articles by a specific event, use the dropdown below.
Phenom Open Gym: Green Level
On Tuesday afternoon, Phenom Hoops stopped by Green Level High School in Cary to check out the reigning SWAC champion Gators. Along with their SWAC regular season championship, they’re coming off a 29-2 record (the best in school history) and a run to the fourth round of the playoffs. They return three starters and their top two scorers. 6’9” 2025 Isaac Ericksen (Illinois State) Ericksen,...
read more
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...
read more
Bendel’s Best: Hoop State Challenge
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to Bermuda Run (and Spartanburg) to host another event loaded with next-level talent. Between the prospects, competition, and college coaches in the building, there was a lot of notable takeaways. We were able to get our first look at several programs while getting more familiar with those who have already played over the last month. The three-day stretch...
read more
2025 Isaac Ericksen leading the charge in a big way at Green Level
Player: Isaac EricksenHeight: 6’9Class: 2025School: Green Level About His Game: A very intriguing talent here in North Carolina, 2025 6’9 Isaac Ericksen from Green Level High School has been having a tremendous junior campaign. Averaging 17.2ppg, 8.1rpg, and 1.9apg, Ericksen brings a lot of versatility to the court with his game. He has the size that allows him to operate and make...
read more
North Carolina Top 80 Evaluations: Team 4
Team 4 Coach: Austin Collins Game Film: Team 3 vs Team 4Team 2 vs Team 4Team 1 vs Team 4NC Top 80 Semi-Final (1/4 vs 5/8) #13: 6’1 ’25 Johnniyus Sharpe (Reidsville) Starting things off, we look at a player who stood out as one of the most dynamic performers on display, Johnniyus Sharpe. He’s a smart, athletic guard prospect with quickness, toughness, and polish as a creator. Offensively, Sharpe...
read more
Four Players Who Are Ready to Make the Leap
Every year, we see guys from all levels of basketball make “the leap.” This term simply refers to when a talented player begins to harness the next steps of being a star player or high-level prospect. In the most recent NBA season, someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be a perfect example. He was already incredible, but still managed to ascend to another level and transition into being one...
read more
POB’s Eye Catchers from Hoop State League (Championship, Day 1)
2024 Caden Caskey (Purple Knights): Caskey had a strong summer and continued on championship weekend at the Fall League. He continues to flourish as a scoring option, knocking down shots with confidence, creating, making high IQ decisions and reads, and understanding how to be an effective option. He averaged over 20+ points on Day 1 of the weekend. 2025 Darnerian Gibson (WS Christian): Gibson...
read more
POB’s Thoughts: Top Wings at Hoop State League (Through 2 Weeks)
The Hoop State League has been tremendous so far… a lot of talent, a great chance to watch these teams in action early on, and players are competing. Trust me, there are a lot of names that have been catching my eye so far, which is why I wanted to share JUST A FEW NAMES that have really stood out to me through two weeks at the Hoop State League. Check out the wings that have impressed me...
read more
Player Standouts at Hoopstate Fall League
6’6 ’25 Brandon Adams (All-Carolina) Despite some ups and downs as a group, it was easy to the appeal of someone like Adams. He’s already a long, fluid athlete with solid touch and floor-spacing ability. In this contest, Adams blocked shots, rebounded the ball, and filled in the gaps offensively. He will be a prospect to keep an eye on as his body continues to develop. 6’7 ’25 Ira Wilson (South...
read more
Interest picking up on 2025 Isaac Ericksen
The Class of 2025 here in North Carolina is really starting to earn recognition, and one player of interest in the class is 2025 6’8 Isaac Ericksen. Ericksen is one that has made the necessary developments in his game over the last year, and really caught a lot more eyes this summer with his play for Team SW15H Elite. When talking about his game, we had this to say: “Ericksen really opened more...
read more
Cooper’s Notes: Phenom Hardwood Classic
By: Cooper Hart 6’8” ’25 Cash McSweeney (SW15H Elite) McSweeney showcased a ton of perimeter growth in two high profile matchups on Saturday. He looks much more confident in his outside shot, evidenced by his quicker release, cleaner footwork, and overall willingness to shoot it when open. He’s more comfortable attacking closeouts and creating for himself outside of 15 feet. His ability to...
read more
SW15H Elite making a statement and bringing intriguing talent to the court
The Phenom Summer Havoc has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean the coverage stops there as we want to talk a little bit more about what we saw on the court throughout the last four days. Here are a few topics that I was able to view at the event, and what is great is that this team will be back in action this weekend at the Phenom Hardwood Classic. SW15H Elite, coached by Scott Wood, has been...
read more
POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 1 at Summer Havoc (Part 2)
2025 Brycen Redmon (Team EAT): Redmon put on a show early in the afternoon, going for 30 points and really showing his ability to mix it up offensively. He started off with his perimeter game going, confidently knocking down shots with range. But once they figured to get out on him, he was in full attack mode, making plays off the dribble and consistently getting to the free-throw line. 2025...
read more
Dawkins’ Standouts: Phenom Grassroots TOC
2026 Tyzhir Dyer (Team Charlotte 16U) Tyzhir Dyer embodies what high school coaches should look for in a freshman trusted with key varsity minutes. Aside from starting on variety as a freshman, Tyzhir exemplifies positive character traits consistently throughout the course of play. If you prioritize positive body language and visible response to coaching, Dyer is a player you’ll quickly grow to...
read more
Bendel’s Best: Phenom March Madness
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to the Rise Indoor Facility in Bermuda Run, North Carolina for another exciting three-day stretch of basketball. Between the competition, atmosphere, and overall talent, it was easy to be engaged in the action. There were a ton of notable standouts across the event, and this article will take a closer look at five personal favorites… 6’7 ’26...
read more
Cooper’s Developments: Weekend #1 In Raleigh
By: Cooper Hart With public school basketball starting this past Friday, I was able to catch three games live over the weekend. Fuquay-Varina @ Holly SpringsGreen Level @ Willow SpringHeritage @ SE Raleigh Isaac Ericksen – Sophomore – Green Level Isaac dominated inside for the Gators in their win over Willow Spring on Friday night. Isaac finished as the second-leading scorer with 14...
read more
Wake Co Hoops: Watchlist 2025
Our final watchlist of the season highlights this year’s sophomore class. There is a ton of potential across the county in this class and we are excited to see some new names come on to the scene. You can see our 2025 rankings in the tweet below. Full '25 Rankings – Post Summer Edition Rankings will be updated at the end of December If you want to talk about the rankings my DMs are...
read more
Breaking Down Phenom Hoops’ Rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2025
(1) 6’8 Zymicah Wilkins (R-S Central) There are numerous guys who were in the mix for the top spot in our updated rankings, but Zymicah Wilkins ultimately walked away with the honor. His blend of IQ, size, skill, and polish makes him extremely difficult for most opponents to try and contain. Wilkins can dominate from the block, space the floor, or consistently make plays with the ball in his...
read more
Prospects to Know in North Carolina’s Class of 2025
The last few days have been flooded with discussions about rankings, their value, and what it entails for these young prospects. Whether justified or not, the crosshairs are currently being aimed at those making decisions within the national spotlight. Understandably, saying “rankings don’t matter” isn’t quite as applicable as before (simply due to money and newly introduced...
read more
“Getting to Know” 6’7 ’25 Isaac Ericksen
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...
read more
Five North Carolina Freshmen Worth Noting
Given the release of our rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2025, we figured there’s no better time to take a look at some noteworthy freshmen. Everyone already seems to know about guys like Eli Ellis, Zymicah Wilkins, Colt Langdon, Jackson Keith, and various others, but this article will highlight a handful of prospects who might be under the radar at the current time. Some of the guys...
read more
Notable Young Prospects from Grassroots Tip-Off Classic
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops held our annual Grassroots Tip-Off Classic at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The event was loaded with an abundance of entertaining programs from throughout the region and beyond. While most of the excitement was centered around the debuts various shoe-circuit teams and specific matchups between older squads, there were also a...
read more
Phenom 150 Session II Camp Evaluations: Team 10
Team 10 Coach: Austin Collins #65: 5’9 ’22 Keith Peten (Greenfield) Starting things off, we look at a player that consistently stood out despite being the smallest camper on this team, Keith Peten. He’s a smart, tough, team-first guard prospect with incredible defensive prowess and a sharp penetration sense. Peten is a quality ball-handler and passer with a lethal midrange pull-up and...
read more