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Phenom Open Gym: Lake Norman
Phenom Hoops traveled to Mooresville, North Carolina to cover the opening day of public high school open gym/workouts. For Head Coach Grant Hodges, the future looks extremely bright. Last season, Lake Norman finished with a 19-8 record and went an impressive 11-1 in the brutally tough Greater Metro 4 Conference. While Lake Norman loses All-Conference senior Cole Callaway (Newberry), they return...
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2025 Tre McKinnon’s visit to Raleigh was “amazing”
One of the premier talents here in the state of North Carolina, 2025 Tre McKinnon was one of several players that recently made a visit to NC State to check out the facilities and talk with the staff. McKinnon, a high-flying athletic prospect from Lake Norman, was able to enjoy himself in Raleigh as he discussed with Phenom Hoops about his visit and what he was able to take away from it...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Tre McKinnon
Height: 6’5 Class: 2025 School: Lake Norman Travel Team: Team Charlotte Freshman Season: 11.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG Sophomore Season: 14.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG What Was Recently Said: Although he still possesses a massive amount of upside, there is already a ton of intrigue with the young, bouncy McKinnon. For starters, he will bring an element and overall...
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The Lake Show: Lake Norman Absolutely Loaded
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise in Advance, North Carolina for our annual Team Camp. This event always serves as a kickstart to June, as players go back to their respective high schools and prepare for the upcoming Live periods. There’s usually a fair number of takeaways but it’s also easy to get carried away or overexcited by the sheer change of pace from travel ball....
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POB’s Eye Catchers: Day 2 at Phenom MDC (Part 1)
2024 Jozohn Price (Charlotte Aces): It was good to see Price back in action, as it has been a while since seeing him in action. But when you watch his game, you have to like the intrigue of what he brings to the court. He has the size, he moves well, shows strong flashes of being a strong presence in the paint, and can make plays in a variety of other areas. He will be interesting to watch more...
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Dawkins’ Standouts from Phenom Grassroots TOC
By: DeAjai Dawkins 2025 Tre McKinnon (Team Charlotte 16U) Tre McKinnon boasts a level of athleticism that I have, quite literally, only seen in eventual collegiate athletes. McKinnon plays with a very rare blend of athleticism and discipline that allows him to contribute in every contest, despite his scoring output. I was most impressed today with how he challenged shots at the rim, especially...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 at Phenom Grassroots TOC (Part 1)
2025 KJ Younger (Team HOPE): Younger has been a name that continues to pop up for me and I’m eager to see what his summer could be like; he could be in for a breakout-type season. Younger though continues to showcase what he has always done, being that physical presence in scoring through defenders but also showing a well-rounded skillset. He is able to really impact the game in a variety of...
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Battle of the Lake
The Battle of the Lake is one of the best kept secrets in the state. Once a sleepy little mill town, the city of Mooresville has grown in part due to the growth of Lake Norman. Mooresville, a city school vs. Lake Norman has become a rivalry and the capacity crowd on Tuesday night showcased the interest the game has to the student bodies of each perspective school. In the girls game,...
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Top Performances from the Tyler Lewis Hoop Fest
Here is a list of the top performances from the Tyler Lewis Hoop Fest presented by Fit for Life 24. Calvary DayJaydin Spillman – 12 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 4 steals on Saturday. Isaiah Ramazani – 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on Saturday. Carmel ChristianKaleb Siler – 20 points and 6 rebounds on Friday. Jaeden Mustaf – 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5...
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Stockrisers from Phenom Lakesgiving (Part 2)
The first-ever Phenom Lakesgiving was a huge success, as teams came out and really showcased their talent, and several players should see their stock rise after their performances at the event. Here are four players that college coaches should take a look at more with what they have shown early on. 2025 Tre McKinnon (Lake Norman): It may be the start of things turning for the 6’5 sophomore, as...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Lakesgiving (Day 1, Part 2)
2023 Kirsten Lewis-Williams (Lake Norman): Lewis-Williams was off the charts on Day 1 and she really filled it up in all areas of the court. Whether it was her defensive presence, racking up seven steals which eventually helped lead to points. But she also was tremendous in creating for herself, weaving through defenders and finishing with touch as well as through contact. That doesn’t...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 2
Team 2 Coach: Chris Goodman #2: 5’10 ’23 Justin Monden (Word of God) Starting things off, we look at a player who offers a very steady, reliable two-way presence, regardless of setting, Justin Monden. He’s a smart, unselfish, well-rounded point guard prospect with excellent balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. Monden displays pace, patience, and great vision when initiating...
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Stepping Up More: Class of 2025 from #HoopStateLeague (Week 1)
2025 Miles Leaks (Piedmont): Leaks is a name that we have mentioned quite a few times after this and we are going to continue to mention more. We have spoken plenty about his game and if you missed it, you can check out our article earlier this week here (Click Here). But Leaks showed poise in running the show, showed flashes of his vision and playmaking ability, and looks to clearly be the...
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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...
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Phenom Open Gym Tour: “Lake Norman, the future looks bright.”
Phenom Open Gym Tour: “Lake Norman, the future looks bright” Phenom Hoops travelled to Lake Norman High School to kick start the 2022-23 basketball season to cover open gym. To put it mildly, Coach Grant Hodges has plenty to be excited about, and the “The Lake Show” should be one of the favorites in the Greater Metro 4A Conference. Last season, Lake Norman finished 17-11 overall, 5-7 in...
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Top July Performers in North Carolina’s Class of 2025 (Part Two)
The month of July is finally concluding, which should provide these young players with an opportunity to take a well-deserved break from days of nonstop basketball. Given the significance of the actual month, we decided to take a closer look at some of the top standouts from each class. Obviously, we can only speak on what we have seen, so the names listed will be based on their performances at...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 2 from Phenom Summer Havoc (Catawba Ridge, Part 3)
2023 Cole Callaway (Carolina Riptide): Callaway continues to be one of the leaders for his team, being an effective scorer from deep but also adding more depth to his game, especially with his ability to create more for himself and get to the basket. Callaway also impressed with how he battled on the boards, not being afraid to mix it up and securing 11 boards in the win on Day 2.2025 Tre...
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A Closer Look: Phenom Hoops’ Rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2025 (6-10)
(6) 6’4 Zion Collins (Word of God) Although his previous high school season was somewhat lost due to injury, Zion Collins has come back and continued to show flashes of high-level ability. In terms of tools, he pretty much possesses them all. His blend of athleticism, positional size, and overall feel for the game make his appeal quite obvious. Collins can reliably handle the ball, create his...
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Phenom Game Report: Lake Norman wins thrilling 61-59 win over Cox Mill
In the nightcap of the inaugural Greater Metro 4A conference tournament semifinal, it was the No.1 seed, Cox Mill (18-6; 11-1) vs. the No. 4 seed, Lake Norman (15-10; 5-7). For Cox Mill, coached by Ty Cox, they have already secured the No. 1 seed from the Greater Metro 4A conference. As for Lake Norman, coached by Grant Hodges, it’s win or go home scenario. Lake Norman must win the conference...
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Freshman Duo Making Noise at Lake Norman
The last few years have resulted in unchartered territory within the high school basketball landscape, due to both Covid and the increased amount of player movement. While this definitely poses some challenging obstacles for public school programs, many schools have shown adaptability to the current times. Think about how many freshmen play significant minutes in comparison to three, five, or...
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Phenom Game Report: Cox Mill vs. Lake Norman
Phenom Hoops travelled to Mooresville, North Carolina to cover the NCHSAA 4A Conference 57 match-up between Lake Norman and Cox Mill High School. Lake Norman entered the contest with a 11-2 record while Cox Mill sported an 8-5 record. With the new conference realignment, Cox Mill was the pre-season favorite while Lake Norman is an up and coming program. Cox Mill came out hot knocking down six...
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Lake Norman High School Open Gym Report
On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops also traveled to Mooresville to watch Lake Norman High School practice. Coach Grant Hodges has done an impressive job of building teams with an identity. They are fundamentally sound. They play together with one another. Although they lose several key contributors in Clay Hodges, Seth Aeschliman, Camden Kepley, and Christian Taylor, the Wildcats have added quality new...
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“Getting to Know” 6’4 2025 Tre McKinnon
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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Bendel’s Best: Summer Grind
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops returned to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina to conclude the month of July with our annual Summer Grind. While the vast majority of programs are utilizing this period to rest and recover, there were still plenty of guys who couldn’t resist another weekend of competition. Although not with their normal teams, there was still a...
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Dawkins’ Standouts from Phenom Summer Grind (Day 1, Part 2)
By: DeAjai Dawkins 6’5 2023 Brock Rose (Team Synergy/Ardrey Kell) Brock Rose has consistently proven himself to be one of the more talented scorers in almost every single event I’ve ever watched him play in. I heavily take that into account when speaking about him to others. He’s someone who I believe could easily lead a varsity program in scoring, but plays on a team full of talent. I believe...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Summer Grind
6’2 ’25 Jerron Blackwell (Charlotte Nation) Despite not playing with his usual group, Blackwell still found ways to stand out and operate as a leader for this squad. He’s smart, poised, and extremely mature, especially at this stage in his development. Blackwell is a reliable scorer with a well-rounded skillset, but doesn’t even need to chase point totals in order to make a consistent impact....
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NCHSAA LIVE Period Team Previews: Lake Norman
After a lot of stressors throughout the last twelve to fourteen months, the grassroots basketball landscape has finally returned to normalcy. The shoe-circuits and high school LIVE periods were restored for the betterment of these young prospects who are simply fighting for an equal opportunity to advance to the collegiate ranks. Although this presents Division I programs with the chance to...
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