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Heart Over Height: JJ Rembert
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops concluded the travel ball season in Rock Hill, South Carolina with our annual Summer Finale. These events always end up being more interesting than anticipated, as circuit teams have already shut down and kids are playing with other organizations. This usually results in high-level players teaming up and putting on a show. The Outwork Family squad certainly fits...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Summer Finale
6’11 ’24 Gabriel Mabor (Hoop Dreams Academy) Despite playing with a different team than usual, Mabor still provided his normal amount of production. He’s long, mobile, and capable of consistently wreaking havoc inside the paint on both ends of the floor. Mabor altered shots, controlled the glass, and capitalized on finishing opportunities around the basket. That being said, he also showed an...
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Noteworthy Frontcourt Duo: Wyatt DeGraaf and Aidan Rousseau
Given the constant movement and uncertainty swirling around the high school basketball landscape, there are a lot of players who are still being overlooked. Take Cary Academy’s group as a prime example. Although their young guys, McCoy Williams and Aidan Rousseau, have plenty of time to gain traction with college coaches, it’s perplexing as to why Wyatt DeGraaf doesn’t have more action entering...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Ayden Johnson
Height: 5’9 Class: 2026 School: Caldwell Academy Travel Team: Big Shots Elite What Was Recently Said: Some guys will always receive unwarranted doubt due to their size, but Johnson is simply a guy who shouldn’t be bet against. Sure, he’s small, but his skill level is simply on another level from most players in high school basketball. Johnson is a smart, tough, crafty guard...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Derek Ross Jr.
Height: 5’10 Class: 2025 School: Jordan Travel Team: Wildcats Elite What Was Recently Said: While it probably sounds redundant at this point, it’s simply impossible to watch Wildcats Elite and walk away feeling anything other than impressed with Ross. His IQ, pace, vision, and general instincts for running a team as a dynamic, balanced floor general are simply rare. Ross is...
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Second Round Sleepers from the 2023 NBA Draft
(#33) Minnesota Timberwolves- Leonard Miller It would’ve been such a Spurs-y move to keep Leonard Miller and develop him into a key piece as a second-round pick. Instead, the Timberwolves acquire him and basically dole out all their frontcourt minutes in the process. Although Miller has a ton of upside and long-term appeal, it might take a while (or a major trade) for him to find opportunities...
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Phenom Watch List: 2027 Ben Mirgon
By: Kevin Moses 2027 Ben Mirgon is an electrifying young gem from Columbus Ohio. Down in Memphis, this young stud had an amazing two games. In game 1, Mirgon posted 8 pts, 4reb, and 14asts. He then followed that up with an incredible double-double with 11pts, 21asts, and 5rebs. This performance comes after the course of the summer session where he led the 15u team in both steals and assists....
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Chris Gomez
Height: 6’2 Class: 2027 School: Forsyth Country Day Travel Team: NC Spartans Neisler What Was Recently Said: Given his leadership and raw production throughout the weekend, it should be unsurprising to see Chris Gomez on this list. He’s a smart, balanced, well-rounded point guard prospect with the ability to run a team and effectively set the tone on both ends of the floor....
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Nate Jones
Height: 5’8 Class: 2027 School: Grace Christian (Sanford) Travel Team: WCBA What Was Recently Said: Given his status as a clear leader, it would be impossible to ignore everything Jones brings to this group. He’s a quick, wiry, intelligent floor general with a crafty handle and polished scoring arsenal. Jones is a reliable playmaker with sharp vision and an understanding of how to...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Carter Bullock
Height: 6’4 Class: 2026 School: NC GBB Travel Team: Garner Road Freshman Season: N/A What Was Recently Said: Moving onto a player who impressed with his enticing array of tools and overall skillset, Carter Bullock. He’s a long, wiry, well-rounded guard prospect with great IQ, size, and the ability to consistently make plays with or without the ball in his hands. Bullock...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Jackson Fannon
Height: 6’7 Class: 2025 School: East Lincoln Travel Team: Carolina Riptide Freshman Season: 4.8 PPG Sophomore Season: 15.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 47% FG, 44% 3FG, 79% FT What Was Recently Said: “Although some ups and downs as a team, Fannon was a guy who constantly shined within his role on both ends of the floor. He’s a big, strong-bodied forward/post prospect with a high motor...
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Jaylen Cross Goes for 70, Dominates at Summer Grind
Special moments often occur when least expected. Think about Cleveland’s comeback in the 2016 Finals, Tracy McGrady going for 13 points in 35 seconds, and countless other upsets, Cinderella runs, and notable performances. Sure, every kid wants to enjoy unprecedented individual feats, but very few have the ability to actually do so. Which is why Jaylen Cross going for 70 points was...
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Player Standouts at Day Two Phenom Summer Grind
6’7 ’25 Jackson Fannon (Carolina Riptide) It was easy to be impressed with the Carolina Riptide as a group, but Fannon definitely deserves acknowledgement for his individual play. At 6-foot-7, he’s a phenomenal shooting threat from beyond the arc. Fannon is capable of playing around the basket, making the extra pass, and rebounding the ball on both ends of the floor. He has clear upside as a...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Summer Grind
6’1 ’25 Bryson Mickey (NC Spartans) Certain players bring a unique level of excitement when they take the court, and Mickey has rapidly become one of those guys. What he lacks in explosion, he makes up for with IQ, pace, playmaking, and polished three-level scoring. Mickey is legitimately brilliant at dissecting opposing defenses and making the correct read with the ball in his hands. He’s a...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Ian Bailey
Height: 6’3 Class: 2026 School: Asheville Christian Travel Team: Team Vision Freshman Season: N/A What Was Recently Said: It should come as no surprise for those who have been paying close attention, but Bailey has rapidly asserted himself as one of the more notable freshmen in North Carolina (especially in the western part of the state). He’s a smart, skilled, athletic guard...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Rassell Young
Height: 6’1 Class: 2026 School: Mallard Creek Travel Team: Garner Road Freshman Season: 10.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 42% FG, 40% 3FG, 91% FT What Was Recently Said: The floor general for Mallard Creek was nothing short of incredible. At 6-foot-1, Young showcased a dynamic all-around identity while shining as a leader and tone-setter on both ends of the floor. He’s an...
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A Notable Frontcourt Duo: Gevonte Ware and Tayeshaun Smith
The development of shoe-circuits and their constantly expanding list of teams has been an interesting exercise for the grassroots community. While these secondary circuits have basically fallen flat, they haven’t seen much issue in getting kids and parents to sign up year after year. However, the contrast lies within the ascension of programs like 1 of 1 Elite/Rare and how going against the...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Malachi Simpson
Height: 6’6 Class: 2025 School: Hendersonville Travel Team: NLPB/Team Loaded Freshman Season: N/A Sophomore Season: 20.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 55% FG What Was Recently Said: Despite being the lone name listed from the western part of the state, Malachi Simpson has been seeing his stock rise in a major way over the last few months. He’s a skilled, athletic wing prospect with...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Toot Clay
Height: 6’4 Class: 2026 School: High Point Christian Travel Team: CP3 Freshman Season: N/A What Was Recently Said: Continuing onto a player who possesses an enticing crossroads between productivity and long-term upside, Jaiquan Clay. He’s a long, athletic forward prospect with a reliable midrange jumper, solid penetration ability, and quality defensive...
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A Family Affair: Cooper and Lincoln Jackson Generating Buzz
There are special occasions in sports where family members will have the opportunity to play with or against each other. While plenty of folks think of Ken Griffey Jr. playing with his father or the Harrison twins going to Kentucky, these instances have a variety of different forms. However, consider guys like Cooper and Lincoln Jackson, brothers who play together at Reagan and within the same...
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Chol Machot Tracking as a Clear High-Major Talent
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Coach Rick’s TOC, which featured a ton of intriguing teams and prospects throughout the two-day event. Although we will look at several different programs and individuals who generated buzz, it would be difficult to ignore everything the Winston-Salem Christian group showcased. Despite being without numerous key pieces (like Lewis Walker), they...
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Justin Caldwell
Height: 6’8 Class: 2026 School: Trinity Christian Travel Team: Boo Williams Freshman Season: 12.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 55% FG What Was Recently Said: Although big men are known to develop at a slower pace, it’s quite easy to see the foundational appeal of someone like Justin Caldwell. He’s already big, strong, mobile, and physically overwhelming on both ends of the floor....
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Phenom Hoops Player Profile: Aidan Rousseau
Height: 6’6 Class: 2026 School: Cary Academy Travel Team: WCBA Freshman Season: 7.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 49% FG, 33% 3FG, 69% FT What Was Recently Said: After hearing consistent buzz from cohorts about WCBA, it was time to get a closer look at them with the full team in attendance. Everything being stated was true, specifically in regards...
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Five Rising Seniors Who Should Have More Offers
The evaluation process for high school basketball players is similar to the majority of sports. The combination of performance, translatable tools/skills, and comparison to others from the same archetype is part of how we make these conclusions. Add in trends and what history has shown us, and it’s pretty basic. If Player A is better than Player B, yet Player B has more offers, then yeah,...
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Only a Matter of Time: Cody Peck
Each player in the grassroots landscape has their own journey. Some guys reach their full potential in middle school while others might not even get close to their ceiling by the end of high school. Though it’s been stated many times before: big men simply take longer to develop. Sure, there are instances of guys like Jalen Duren—who already had the body, physicality, and general identity to...
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The Summer of Perfection: BSA Supreme
The idea of being “perfect” in athletics is far from common. Outside of the NCAA, there has only been one truly undefeated season (1972 Miami Dolphins) in the history of sports. College dynasties don’t really fall under the same umbrella, as their ability to stockpile talent and thwart opponents with a revolving door of more-talented players makes the competitive superiority less impressive....
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CC Elite Trio Breaking Out
The current travel ball season has served as a major tipping point for a lot of different prospects to separate themselves from the pack. Take CC Elite, a program that opened the spring in an impressive fashion and attracted a lot of coaches early on. Eventually, their top player (Grant Hamilton) joined a shoe-circuit team. Where this would be negative for most teams, it actually allowed new...
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Grant Hamilton Becoming Criminally Under-Recruited
Over the years, there has been a common theme amongst college coaches and their evaluation process of recruits. Too often, programs are fixated on what they think players cannot do as opposed to focusing on the positives. No one is advocating for high-majors to take an undersized, unathletic, non-skilled player—but difference-makers come in all types of shapes and sizes. After playing...
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Phenom Hardwood Classic Player Preview: Cam Daniels
Given the fact that the next July Live Period is right around the corner, it feels like no better time to start introducing some of the players that college coaches should be monitoring. Currently amidst the busiest recruiting month of the year, our Hardwood Classic should be a hotbed for coaches and players alike. As usual, Phenom Hoops will have prospects of all levels in attendance. This...
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Phenom Hardwood Classic Player Preview: Champ Hayden
Given the fact that the next July Live Period is right around the corner, it feels like no better time to start introducing some of the players that college coaches should be monitoring. Currently amidst the busiest recruiting month of the year, our Hardwood Classic should be a hotbed for coaches and players alike. As usual, Phenom Hoops will have prospects of all levels in attendance. This...
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