PHENOM’S LOW COUNTRY SHOWCASE EVENT RECAPS
Strong Leadership Qualities: 2027 Kaelin Tate
By: Kevin Moses Kaelin Tate Twitter: @kaelintate Height: 5’11, 165Class of 2027School: PawPaw High School, MI Tate is an intense pass-first point guard with strong leadership qualities, high IQ, and awesome court vision. He is a natural at breaking down the defense off the bounce and creating shots for others off the drive or finishing at the rim himself, keeping the defense honest. He...
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Kevin’s Rising Stars to Learn (4.5.24)
By: Kevin Moses Sam Quebedeaux Twitter: @queb_hoops2026 Height: 6ft, 155Class of 2026School: The Burlington School, NC Quebedeaux is a dynamic young stud with crafty handles and blowby speed. Pick your poison as he has a silky smooth touch from downtown using that speed when you play him too tight to get to the rim. The best part is Sam is a team player and can drop some sweet dimes. With an...
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NC Spartans Forest City (17u) has talent to be found
Phenom Hoops and the NC Spartans organization have certainly gotten to know each other well over the years, as this is a program that continues to produce underrated talent. NC Spartans Forest City is a team to watch out for more, as this is a team that is made up of intriguing players that you will be able to see this weekend and other weekends with Phenom Hoops. Check out what they bring to...
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Simpkins Twins Back on the Court Together at Elon
The Twins are back together on the court, as Takai (TK) and Tajuan Simpkins will be suiting up for Elon next year. Phenom Hoops had a chance to watch these two in action at Liberty Heights, as they put on a show and continued to flourish as a dynamic duo. They played together at NW Florida State in 2022-23, as Takai averaged 8.8ppg but Tajuan had to redshirt. Tajuan had an excellent year this...
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Carolina Riptide making Waves in North Carolina! Full Highlights #PhenomRiseShowcase
The Carolina Riptide has been a growing program over the years, and that is no different this year. They continue to bring talent to the courts, and they did so at the #PhenomRiseShowcase with #PhenomHoops. Check out all the highlights and this program over the summer. Also, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel. (Click...
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Transfer Portal Updates
The transfer portal is open and players are entering their names, as there are several familiar players that Phenom Hoops has had the opportunity to watch on our platform. Continue to check back for all updates and names. Randi OvalleSmall Forward / 6’7Previous School: Troy Justin TaylorGuard / 6’6Previous School: Syracuse Justin BaileyGuard / 6’3Previous School: USC Upstate Elijah GrayForward /...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: 6’7 Donovan Rakotonanahary
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: 6’7 Abrahm Driver
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and...
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Scholarship-Worthy Unsigned Seniors in North Carolina (Part Two)
6’8 Richard Goods (Grimsley) Given the fact that his recruitment has steadily picked up, it remains clear that Richard Goods possesses the tools to be a quality piece at the next level. Although he’s always been a useful player, his game made noticeable strides under Coach Corbett. This season, Goods prioritized anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor. He rebounded, blocked shots, and...
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Young Carolina Bulldogs a very intriguing team to watch out for
There is a program slowly building onto something special and really making a name for themselves to start the summer, as the Carolina Bulldogs 14u team has shined big time at multiple events including at the Phenom Rise Showcase. This is a team that is made up of several intriguing young prospects who are just starting their career, but you can see that there is a lot of potential with this...
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Team USC EYCL offers an array of talent for college programs
South Carolina continues to be an underrated state of talent, as we continue to find prospects for college programs year after year. We had an opportunity to check out more names from the state at the Phenom Rise Showcase, and Team USC EYCL offered plenty of that. Though we will be learning more about this team and its players, three prospects in the Class of 2025 grabbed our...
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1of1 Elite gives you a variety of talent at all positions
Roster: 2024 6’7 Donovan Rakotonanahary2024 6’9 Mor Mboup2025 6’8 Dylan Clark2024 6’9 Joshua Dalton2025 6’7 Jackson Fannon2025 6’6 Kody Frey2025 6’4 KJ Younger2025 6’4 CJ Purdie2025 6’3 Miki Gacic Breaking down more of this roster, we will start with some of the prospects in the Class of 2024. Rakotananahary is an intriguing prospect with his length, his explosiveness, his ability to have an...
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Showing Promise: 2027 6’5 Lusemo Macharia
Player: Lusemo MachariaClass: 2027School: Independence HSAAU: Future Prep Travel Ball is finally here, and what is so great about having events is that it allows Phenom Hoops to find new talent that we have never seen. This past weekend at the Phenom Rise Showcase, several players earned our attention but one stood out on multiple occasions. 2027 6’5 Lusemo Macharia, a young prospect at...
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Scholarship-Worthy Unsigned Seniors in North Carolina (Part One)
6’6 Jayan Walker (Combine Academy) Between his time at Jordan, Millbrook, and Combine, everyone should be familiar with Walker and his overall growth as a player. He’s a long, athletic, well-rounded wing prospect with excellent size and the ability to impact the game in several different roles. Walker possesses great defensive prowess and regularly displays the tools to guard multiple positions....
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2025 Chadlyn Traylor earns championship at North Meck, recruitment taking off
Player: Chadlyn TraylorClass: 2025School: North Meck Season Stats: 13.5ppg, 6.0apg, 1.7spg, 41 percent from three It has been a tremendous year for 2025 Chadlyn Traylor and North Meck; being a national program, winning a state title, and Traylor’s recruitment continues to hit another level. Traylor has been a very intriguing guard here in North Carolina, as he showed promise early on and has...
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POB’s Takeaways/Standouts from McDonald’s All-American Game
Derik Queen: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals Queen came out strong early on, and only continued to bring production to the table with his game in the All-American Game. The big man flourished in showing touch and displaying strong hands in the paint and on the boards, but you also have to appreciate his skillset at his size. Queen was able to showcase his footwork, his overall...
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Stanford is the latest to offer 2025 Semetri Carr; others showing strong interest
Player: Semetri CarrClass: 2025Height: 6’1School: Branson School (CA)AAU: Oakland Soldiers Moving out to California, 2025 Semetri Carr should be a name to watch out for, as MCAL Player of the Year out in California is garnering more attention and adding more to his offer list. The 6’1 point guard helped lead Branson School to a 22-7 record this year, and has been shining bright on the big stage,...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: 6’1 Alik Lewis
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and...
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Ranking Top Five Commitments by Value
As we enter the thick of the new travel ball season, it’s an ideal time to review the outgoing senior class (2024) and how things ironed out. While many prospects are still fielding offers or deciding where they’ll ultimately further their playing career, numerous guys have pledged commitments. This exercise is meant to look beyond the obvious difference-makers like (Drake Powell, Isaiah Evans,...
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Elevating their Game: Phenom Rise Showcase (Class of 2026)
2026 Dane Cassada (CP3): Cassada is the definition of consistency. You know about his game, you know how he operates, and you know what he can do, but he continues to produce and be an effective option on the court for his team. Cassada brings physicality to the court with his game, and he is difficult to defend with his offensive ability to create and embrace contact, make plays off the...
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A Team to Check Out this Summer: Mid-State Magic
The Phenom Rise Showcase was a tremendous event that gave Phenom Hoops an opportunity to watch several teams in action. And one team that we were eager to watch was Mid-State Magic, as they continue to be a program that provides next-level talent and one that college coaches should be looking at. We dive a bit more into what we saw, as this is a team to check out all summer long with Phenom...
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A Versatile Wing: 2025 6’6 Ryder Frost talks development and latest in recruitment
Player: Ryder FrostSchool: 2025Height: 6’6School: Phillips Exeter AcademyAAU: Middlesex Magic Heading north to New Hampshire, Phenom Hoops was able to sit down and talk to 2025 6’6 Ryder Frost, who is coming off a tremendous year in which he earned Player of the Year honors at Phillips Exter Academy. He is also a target for many college programs in the Class of 2025, as he consistently has...
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Making History: Independence HS (TN)
By: Kevin Moses This incredible team right here battled their way into history in the TN State Tournament. Visiting their tight battle against Ravenwood, I asked 2024 Jett Montgomery about the struggle to win this game at home and the 2 game-losing streak they had not long ago and asked him what was going on with this team. Jett just smiled and said they would be just fine and that they were...
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2024 Kam Taylor headed to UNC-Asheville, 2024 Michael Wilson and Isaiah Sanders off the board
2024 Kameron Taylor – UNC-Asheville Taylor has a unique blend of length/size as well as athleticism in his game, which makes him even more intriguing to watch. He is strong out in transition and high-flying around the basket, creating off the bounce and attacking downhill, and providing energy with a few big-time throwdowns. But he also shows that he can bring balance and knock down shots...
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Making the Transition: 1-on-1 with Miki Gacic
Over the recent years, it feels like North Carolina has been home for several noteworthy international prospects. Without listing every player, guys like Derin Saran, Ryan Soulis, Domas Kauzonas, and Christ Essandoko are merely a few of the applicable names we’ve seen in the last two classes. Now, Miki Gacic looks likely to keep the trend going. The Serbian point guard enjoyed a strong high...
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Garnering Attention from Programs: Phenom Rise Showcase
2025 Tyshaun Goldston (Mid-State Magic): Another dual-sport prospect who excels both on the court and on the football field, Goldston continues to prove and thrive as a prospect. Goldston, who is coming off a strong 17ppg, 9.1rpg, and 2.0apg season at Randleman, thrives in a variety of ways on the court. With his blend of size, strength, physicality, and athleticism, Goldston plays with...
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Notable Performers from Phenom Rise Showcase
6’4 ’25 Abijah Franklin (Team USC EYCL) In an event full of impressive performances, Franklin might’ve been the most memorable piece on display. He’s a long, skilled, athletic wing prospect with size, toughness, and the ability to consistently impact the game on both ends of the floor. Franklin showcased feel, vision, and scoring polish from all levels. He reliably creates clean looks off the...
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Prospects that D1 programs should look at more: Phenom Rise Showcase
2025 Shamarius Peterkin (Big Shots): Each time I’ve watched Peterkin, I walk away saying that this is a must-see player for college coaches and believe that he can make an impact on the basketball court and the football field. After this week, that thought continued to enter my mind, as Peterkin continued to flourish on the court. Peterkin, a 6’3 guard, brings such explosiveness to the court but...
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POB’s Eye Catchers: Phenom Rise Showcase (Day 1)
2025 Shamarius Peterkin (Big Shots): Peterkin continues to flourish and is a prospect that can be a key piece for a college program. The dual-sport athlete finds ways to be a big-time prospect on the field but consistently gets it down on the court as well. Peterkin is a long, bouncy prospect who excels out in the open and at the rim, but time after time showed his ability to rise up and knock...
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Phenom Hoops Throughout the NCAA Tournament
Cyncier Harrison (Stetson) Blake Preston (Northwestern) Aden Holloway (Auburn) KD Johnson (Auburn) David Dixon (Duquesne) Armando Bacot (UNC) Jae’lyn Withers (UNC) Rob Landry (UNC) Duwe Farris (UNC) Creighton Lebo (UNC) Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State) Jaquan Scott (Mississippi State) AJ Hoggard (Michigan State) Mark Sears (Alabama) Nick Pringle (Alabama) Jarin Stevenson (Alabama) Davin Cosby...
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