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GRACE Christian has the tools to make this a dangerous team
Phenom Hoops and GRACE Christian are quite familiar with each other over the years, as this is a program under head coach DeShannon Morris that has not only built something special but has developed terrific young men and student-athletes. This is a program that comes to compete every time they step on the court, and never back down from the challenge. We had a chance to watch them recently at...
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POB’s Thoughts: Top Forwards/Bigs 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 forwards/bigs that have...
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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...
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POB’s Thoughts: Top Guards 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 guards that have impressed me...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Week 2 (East) at Hoop State League
2025 Trevor Best (Word of God): Best really had a tremendous showing; he backed up the talk with his game in Week 2, creating extremely well off the dribble, creating space for his shot from multiple areas, showing his range and confident release, as well as being a true energy player that competes on both ends of the floor. His team needed every point from the guard today and he stepped up big...
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Player Standouts at Hoopstate Fall League (West)
5’9 ’24 AJ Parsley (Team Ville) Playing hard has gradually become an obsolete skill, which is why it’s always refreshing to watch AJ Parsley push the limits on what “high motor” actually means. No matter the context or setting, he plays with a full-throttle approach. What Parsley lacks in height or vertical athleticism, he makes up for with speed, quickness, and general peskiness. He’s a heady...
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Cooper’s Notes: HoopState League East Week 1
By: Cooper Hart 6’5” ’24 D’Marquez Rochelle (BSM Waka Flocka) Rochelle was impressive all Sunday, controlling the game with his defensive versatility, rebounding ability, and shot-making prowess. He has a long frame with good strength that he used to get to his spots at will. He scored the ball within the flow of offense, attacking closeouts wells, hitting catch-and-shoot jumpers, and finishing...
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2024 Jared Taylor (NCL National) continues to perform well
Back in 2022, Phenom Hoops brought a spotlight on 2024 6’8 Jared Taylor as one to watch, and late this summer and in the fall league, Taylor continues to prove that he could be one to watch even more. He has been playing extremely well and bringing production to the table. If you want to read what we said over a year ago, you can find it here:...
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Youngsters looking to build something at Carson
The Hoop State Fall League gives us a great chance at Phenom Hoops to get an early look at several teams early on, and we are looking to dive into a bit of what we have seen on the court. One team that I was interested in checking out again was Carson, as this is a program that has some good young prospects who will be stepping up early to help lead the charge. We actually wrote about this top...
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A Duo to Watch Out for at Weddington
The Hoop State Fall League gives us a great chance at Phenom Hoops to get an early look at several teams early on, and we are looking to dive into a bit of what we have seen on the court. Weddington is a very well-known program around the state of North Carolina, as they have produced some strong talent over the years as well as racked up plenty of wins. But I believe there is a new duo...
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Hoop State Fall League (West) Standouts (Week 1) (Part 2)
2024 Desmond Kent (NC Vikings): What a year or so it has been for Kent, and Phenom Hoops is just waiting for everyone else to catch on! Kent has really seen his game evolve and it seems like he continues to show how dynamic he can be. His ability to score continues to improve but also shine, along with his confidence. Kent is a matchup nightmare at his length and is showing he can be used in so...
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Hoop State Fall League (West) Standouts (Week 1) (Part 1)
2024 Jordan Patton (Cougars): Patton continues to flourish as a prospect for this team, and college coaches should be all over this young man. He does so much for a team, and it is easy to see. Patton brings size and versatility, can score from an array of levels and positions, defends multiple positions, finishes at the rim, and can be aggressive, but also does all the little things to help...
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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...
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Hoop State League Player Spotlight: 2023 Truman Claytor (Word of God)
What a month it was at the Hoop State League… not only did it give us an early viewing of how teams may look but also an updated look at players and see how they have continued to develop. That is why we are now going to look more at 2023 Truman Claytor from Word of God. First off, when you look at this Word of God roster this season, they are absolutely loaded with talent. But with the...
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Reece’s Rundown: Hoop State League
By: Ethan Reece The Hoop State League came to an end this past weekend with our Gold and Silver Championships bringing together the East and West Divisions for final bracket play. There are many great things about fall leagues. Teams get to lay early work down in building chemistry, certain matchups get to play out that you may never see during the season, and with it being during football...
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HoopState League Player Profile: 2024 Mason Smith (Hough)
What a month it was at the Hoop State League… not only did it provide us an opportunity to check in on teams and players, but it gave us a chance to view players that could be new names to target and look at this upcoming season. There were several players that could fall under this category, as we will be bringing you several names down the road, but we first wanted to start off with 2024...
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Hoop State League Championship: Gold Bracket
Gold Bracket The Force 67 – Holy Rams Gold 56 It all came down to one game, as two of the best teams throughout the fall league met up for a championship battle… The Force vs. Holy Rams Gold for an opportunity to take home the championship. It was a heated back-and-forth type battle early on, with The Force holding the narrow halftime lead. They were able to maintain their lead and...
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Hoop State League Championship: Silver Bracket
HoopState Silver Bracket Final: Panthers 67 – Raleigh Raiders 50 Championship Sunday got underway in the Silver Bracket, as the Panthers and Raleigh Raiders matched up to see who could take home the title in the Silver Bracket of the Hoop State League. It was a tight game throughout the first half, with teams trading baskets and ultimately being tied at 26 at halftime. But the Panthers,...
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Player Standouts at Hoopstate League (Sunday)
6’2 ’25 Chad Traylor (United We Stand) There are a lot of poised floor generals in the state, and Traylor is as impressive as any of them. He stands out as the clear leader of this group, both as their primary creator and tone-setting defender at the point of attack. Traylor is a reliable shot-maker with excellent vision and an understanding of how to consistently make the right play with the...
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Reece’s Standouts: Hoop State League (Finals: Day 1)
by: Ethan Reece 2024 AJ Parsley (Team Ville)Although the smallest guy on the court, AJ brings a gigantic presence with his scrappy nature that more than makes up for his size. He’s a crafty ball handler that will carry the majority of the decision-making for this group composed of young and older talent. What I noticed in his game that separated him from other scorers at the helm, was the...
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Cooper’s Developments: HoopState League Championship Day 1
By; Cooper Hart Jordan Durham – ’24 Wing – The Burlington School Jordan has really bought into his role as a swiss army knife on offense and a high-level point-of-attack defender on defense. His shot selection and decision-making have improved each week that he’s been here. His height, length, and athleticism combination make him a versatile defender by default, and with his...
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Player Standouts at Hoopstate Fall League
6’1 ’23 Jaiden Thompson (Team Force) Although the twins receive a lot of attention (and rightfully so), Thompson is as valuable and important as anyone to the success of this team. For all intents and purposes, he could be considered the third brother. Thompson adds another reliable guard presence with IQ, vision, toughness, and scoring prowess. In this showing, he created shots, hit jumpers,...
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Reece’s Standouts: Hoop State League (Week 3: West Division)
by: Ethan Reece 2024 Josh Clark (Mavs Elite)Just like the Energizer bunny, Josh just never seems to stop. His motor and hustle are practically unmatched, and personally speaking I don’t know of anyone else who sprints the floor as hard as he does to get back on defense. And it’s that work ethic along with his IQ that makes the game look easy. He puts it into simple measures, cutting hard,...
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HoopState League Stock Risers
Trevor Best By; Cooper Hart After 3 weekends of HoopState League basketball in Raleigh, these are the names that I think benefited the most from their performances. Trevor Best (Holy Rams Gold) – 6’2” Guard – Word of God ’25 Trevor has been one of the top sophomores through six games in the east. What stood out to me were his shooting ability and his perimeter defense. He can...
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Reece’s Standouts: Hoop State League (Week 2: West Division)
By; Ethan Reece 2023 Carlos Luis (Combine Regional)What impressed me with Carlos’ play was his effectiveness to get where he wanted and use his size to play at his own pace. He has the blend of inside out play that matches the style of today’s game, being able to operate on the block with quality footwork and pose a threat outside with his shot or comfortable ability to put his shoulder down and...
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POB’s Eye Catchers: HoopState League (Week 3, East)
2026 Cole Cloer (Durham Hurricanes): Cloer has been a favorite of mine since the summer and he was off the charts today with what he showed. Early on, you must like his size and his feel for the game, as he was making spectacular decisions and passes to set up his teammates, created well and found ways to score around defenders, displayed good athleticism and body control, as well as being...
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Cooper’s HoopState League East Division Awards Semifinalists
By; Cooper Hart After two weekends of the HoopState League East, I’ve created a list of names that are in contention for awards. The list will be cut down after pool play finishes, and winners will be announced after the finals on the 23rd. There will be a Most Outstanding Player, 3 all-east teams, and 2 all-defense teams. Most Outstanding Player Semifinalists Colt Langdon (’25) – 6’8”...
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Under the Radar Names from Week 2 of Hoop State League East
6’1 2023 Jake Hart (Strong Center)Jake Hart finished the day with, what was in my opinion, the performance of the day, finishing with 24 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 6 steals. Hart is known for his tough-nosed, team-first approach. Throughout the day, he filled the stat sheet up in every possible way. He is a high IQ guard who sets the tone on both ends of the floor and really looks...
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Takeaways From Hoopstate Fall League
Word of God is Absolutely Loaded with Talent The only program in attendance who actually had to split their team in half, calling Word of God “talented” is like saying Ray Allen was a “good” shooter—an understatement to say the least. Between guys like Freddie Dilione, Isaiah Coleman, Davin Cosby (DNP), Mekhi Grant, Truman Claytor, Mayar Wol, Jamal Brown, Zion Collins, Trevor Best, Zion Gardner,...
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Hoop State Fall League Week 2: Thoughts and Storylines (Part 2)
Hurricane Ian closed down the school systems in Cabarrus County and unfortunately we were unable to host the Hoop State Fall League-West Division at Cox Mill High School. That being said, our Phenom staff headed down to Raleigh to the Hoop State Fall League-East Division at the JD Lewis Center. While the two-court facility has “tight quarters,” it’s the perfect venue to host a high school fall...
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