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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip Off (Part Three)
5’5 ’29 Alex Worsham (Virginia Havoc) Some young players simply see the game ahead of their peers, and Worsham certainly fits the bill. He’s still just scratching the surface of his physical development, but already sports a very high IQ with an advanced blend of pace, poise, and instincts on both ends of the floor. Worsham is a crafty ball-handler and sharp passer who can apply scoring pressure...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip-Off (Part Two)
6’6 ’28 Baganley Donzo (Carolina Culture) There are a lot of quality athletes in the building, and Donzo is arguably the most physically imposing player on display. He’s an incredibly strong, explosive big man with the ability to reliably anchor the paint on both ends of the floor. Donzo is a tremendous rebounder who clears out space extremely well and secures seemingly every available loose...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip-Off
6’0 ’30 Zyire Howard (Juice Crew) Although several guys were difference-makers in this contest, Howard was undoubtedly the focal point and two-way leader of this group. He did legitimately everything. Howard controlled the glass, defended multiple positions, and operated as the primary hub offensively. In addition to being physically overwhelming, he understands how to consistently outwork...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Miles Leaks
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Did Jaleel Smith Get Snubbed?
Yesterday, the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association announced their annual All-District Teams. The 36 total teams across 12 districts, meaning 180 players were recognized for their notable production and efforts throughout the high school season. Naturally, it’s almost an impossible task to try and get everything “correct” in a process with so many different variables. If the NCBCA were...
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The Dog Pound: Carolina Bulldogs Rapidly Becoming a Top Program
Despite being the first year of operation, there’s an abundance of highly talented teams across all age groups in our Phenom Hoops League. College coaches will likely prioritize 17U prospects while taking some glances at the 16U and 15U divisions throughout the summer. That being said, the Carolina Bulldogs 15U (2028) is already shaping up as one of the top teams in North Carolina. In addition...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Devin Sims
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Who Will Emerge Victorious: Corvian Community and Southern Wake Academy
On Tuesday, the NCHSAA 2A Classification played their semifinal games to determine who will ultimately make the championship contest. Corvian Community and Southern Wake Academy each advanced and will now battle for it all in the title game. Although they’ve been here before, Corvian’s utter dominance against Queen’s Grant was largely unforeseen and unexpected. Predicting the Cardinals to win...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Gabe Erbeck
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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High-Upside Names to Know from Phenom March Showcase
6’6 ’29 JT Tuck (Team CP3) It doesn’t take more than a quick glance to see the obvious appeal of someone like Tuck. He’s already incredibly long and fluid with tons of upside on both ends of the floor. Right now, Tuck primarily impacts the game through finishing around the basket, battling for rebounds, and blocking shots defensively. He displays quality two-way instincts and will be even more...
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Returning to Full Health: Donyeh Baird
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual March Showcase at Rise Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. Although we’re still in the early stages of the travel ball season, there were still several noteworthy takeaways from the event. Teams like NLPB, Carolina Bulldogs, and Team FLY were among the several standout groups on display. The NLPB squad has an intriguing mix of unsigned...
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Southern Durham or Ben L. Smith: Who Will Claim the 3A Championship?
Now that we’ve reached the final stage of postseason play for 3A, we can preview the championship matchup between Southern Durham and Ben L. Smith. In our initial previews, Smith was labeled as a darkhorse contender. At the same time, we referred to Southern as “arguably the most appealing squad in the field, as they have a well-structured team and the best player, Jackson Keith, in the entire...
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Player Standouts at Phenom March Showcase (Part Two)
5’10 ’29 Ant Gray (Team CP3) Although still coming back from injury, it’s easy to see the level of IQ and poise Gray brings to a team. He’s an extremely smart, skilled guard who offers terrific balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. Gray handles the ball very well and doesn’t allow defenders to speed him up. He touches the paint, creates for others, and picks his spots as a scoring...
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Player Standouts at Phenom March Showcase
6’4 ’26 Adam Grier (Team FLY) Arguably the most impressive 17U performer in attendance, Grier was simply terrific throughout the weekend. At 6-foot-4 with excellent IQ and natural playmaking instincts, he’s able to cause a ton of problems for opponents. Grier excels at getting downhill, touching the paint, and finishing or making sharp reads as a passer. He sees the floor extremely well when...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Nate Malosa
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Cam Flippen
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Mason Dobie
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Can Anyone Stop New Hanover?
The NCHSAA Playoffs carried onward last night as the third round of matchups commenced. There was little surprise on the East side after each of the favorites secured wins in their respective games. Meanwhile, the West side caused an uproar. Due to an eligibility issue, top-seeded Lake Norman was forced to forfeit their game against Myers Park (and the rest of the playoffs). This development...
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Can Southern Wake Academy Win It All?
Today, the North Carolina public school playoffs will resume with the third round of games. Each classification has 16 teams left and plenty of potential outcomes on the horizon. In 1A, there’s still a slew of legitimate contenders with five of the six top-seeded teams remaining. While it’s easy to lean on the favorites, it feels like not enough people are talking about Southern Wake Academy and...
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How Far Can Huss Go?
Today, the North Carolina public school playoffs will resume with the third round of games. Each classification has 16 teams remaining and plenty of potential outcomes on the horizon. Although there are several contenders in 3A, Huss is making noise as one of the most intriguing teams in the classification. They’ve defeated Statesville and North Lincoln, and will now face off against High Point...
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Is Corvian Community versus Carolina International the Biggest Matchup in 1A?
On Tuesday, the North Carolina public school playoffs will resume with the third round of games. Each classification has 16 teams remaining and plenty of potential outcomes on the horizon. However, upon taking a closer look at 1A it should be easy to see the magnitude of a game like Corvian Community and Carolina International. Plenty of folks will notice that both top seeds are still alive and...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Jaylen Claggett
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Nayte Spargo
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Chase Forte Having a Monster Senior Season for South Dakota
Photo Courtesy of South Dakota Athletics Every player seems to have their own unique path in the journey of basketball. While it might seem cliché, it’s true. We’ve seen players go to the highest levels and transfer down, and guys go to a lower level and eventually transfer up. Talent matters but there’s ultimately no conclusive way to recognize which players actually work hard and/or care about...
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4A NCHSAA Playoffs Preview and Predictions
This week, North Carolina public school basketball kicked off its postseason play. The first round of games concluded on Tuesday and the second round will occur on Friday. While there are so many appealing things about the private school sector, it’s difficult to beat public school basketball. In addition to (usually) being more competitive in every round, there’s also much more parity in...
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3A NCHSAA Playoffs Preview and Predictions
This week, North Carolina public school basketball kicked off its postseason play. The first round of games concluded on Tuesday and the second round will occur on Friday. While there are so many appealing things about the private school sector, it’s difficult to beat public school basketball. In addition to (usually) being more competitive in every round, there’s also much more parity in...
read more
2A NCHSAA Playoffs Preview and Predictions
This week, North Carolina public school basketball kicked off its postseason play. The first round of games concluded on Tuesday and the second round will occur on Friday. While there are so many appealing things about the private school sector, it’s difficult to beat public school basketball. In addition to (usually) being more competitive in every round, there’s also much more parity in...
read more
1A NCHSAA Playoffs Preview and Predictions
This week, North Carolina public school basketball kicked off its postseason play. The first round of games concluded on Tuesday and the second round will occur on Friday. While there are so many appealing things about the private school sector, it’s difficult to beat public school basketball. In addition to (usually) being more competitive in every round, there’s also much more parity in...
read more
Player Standouts at Phenom Winter Nationals (Part Two)
2032 Xaviar James (1 of 1 Elite) There are a lot of enticing prospects on 1 of 1 Elite, including James and his impressive all-around game. He’s young but already possesses a highly polished skillset a strong combination of IQ, ball-handling, and scoring prowess to operate as an offensive focal point. James possesses superior size and athleticism relative to his peers, and understands how to use...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Winter Nationals (Part One)
5’9 ’29 Zion Lawson (Team CP3) To put it bluntly: Lawson was my favorite player from this event. Rarely will you find a middle school player with his combination of IQ, pace, and ability to set the tone on both ends of the floor. Lawson utilizes his tight handle and blindingly quick first step to touch the paint and highlight impressive vision off the dribble. He knifes through the lane and...
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