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Versatile Prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2022
Given the way basketball has trended over the last decade or so, versatility has become more valuable than ever—especially at the highest levels of play. Sure, there were older players like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and even Anthony Mason among countless others who embraced versatility before it became popular. However, it’s gradually become a necessity for a successful modernized brand of...
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Five Prospects Trending Upward in North Carolina’s Class of 2023
Unlike the Classes of 2021 and 2022, who will undoubtedly suffer from the aftermath of Covid, the Class of 2023 could be the first group of prospects able to restore normalcy to college athletics. The recruiting attention of scholarship-level coaches has been primarily centered on pursuing players who already have collegiate experience—rather than hunting for uncovered high school gems. As the...
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Soaring Under the Radar: Xavier Tubbs
With programs like Combine Academy, Moravian Prep, and Winston-Salem Christian (among others) undergoing drastic changes over the last few years, it seems like folks have begun to forget about Trinity Christian and their prolonged success under Coach Keith Vandevender. Although their last state championship came in 2017-18, it’s not like they’ve been struggling to maintain relevance. In the...
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Welcome to North Carolina: 2023 6’9 Michael Nwoko
New names are coming into North Carolina once again and one of the first prospects that captured our eyes is the new addition at The Burlington School, as 2023 6’9 Michael Nwoko looks to be a big-time young player that is already making noise in the state.
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Long, Mobile, and Fluid Forward: 2023 6’8 Beckham Tharpe
A young forward to keep an eye on in North Carolina is 2023 6’8 Beckham Tharpe, who has been playing extremely well this summer with the Carolina Riptide and had a good high school at North Iredell. Whether it was with the Riptide or North Iredell, Tharpe has consistently been a standout on the court and one that many would say could be a special type of player. He is a long, mobile, and fluid...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: 5’11 Khalil Brantley
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred 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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Page Guard Duo Steadily Producing
Given their long, storied history over the last 63 years, the number of talented athletes to go through Page High School should come as no surprise to anyone. While majority of their “notable alumni” list consists of NFL players, the basketball program has seen an abundance of success in its own regard. In looking at the structure of last year’s team, the Pirates really relied on the production...
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Team Loaded Trio Continues to Turn Heads
Given the overall landscape of grassroots basketball, there is arguably as much talent spread across the state as ever. More players have shown inclinations to join teams that actually fit their play style rather than just chasing reputation. That being said, Team Loaded 15U (formerly Team Thrill NC) has not only maintained their greatness but have also improved drastically as a group and...
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Playing with Composure and Balance: 2022 Corey Gaines
In all of the thought-provoking conversations I’ve had with Coach Frasier, Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach at Julius L. Chambers High School, there’s one in particular that I’ll always find myself revisiting. I asked him a question in which I’d been searching years for a clear answer; “what is the key to a state championship?”. His answer, a reliable lead guard. In all honesty, I was shocked that I hadn’t considered that as the answer beforehand.
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2022 North Carolina Bigs To Watch this Summer
College coaches are always looking for bigs. They can be tough to find some times and it takes time to develop them, longer than others for some. But you can also find some diamonds in the rough that really showcase a ton of potential in they could be at the end. That is why we are looking at the 2022 class and a few underrated bigs that seem to be a little quiet as far as recruitment but could be in for a big summer and ones to monitor throughout.
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Phenom Spotlight: 2023 Alejandro Ford (Wakefield School, VA)
Alejandro is a long and athletic wing who demonstrates a lot of versatility as a scorer. His combination of length, quickness and skill allows him to impact games in a variety of ways on both ends of the floor. He is a fantastic three-pointer shooter with a smooth stroke and a high release. He has a great feel moving off the ball and excellent footwork. His release is quick and his mechanics are flawless.
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Furthering His Game: Arturo Overton
Every year, the Carolinas reaffirms itself as a hotbed for talent and underrated prospects, and the current landscape is no different. There’s a slew of underrated prospects that deserve an uptick in their recruitment. Over the next few months, these articles will take a closer look at some of the most under-appreciated guys across the region. Today, we highlight Arturo Overton, one of the more...
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Ready to step up: 2022 Toni Akinyelu (Ardrey Kell/ Aces Elite)
If you missed it recently, Phenom Hoops went out to Concord, NC to check in on the Aces Elite program as they were preparing for the upcoming tournaments. It gave us a glimpse into some intriguing talent on the floor, one of which was 2022 6’7 Toni Akinyelu. Akinyelu is a small forward from Ardrey Kell, who was a contributor to last year’s successful team, playing in all 11 games and...
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Bigger and Stronger: 2022 6’3 Lebron Thomas (Trinity Collegiate)
It has been a few months since seeing 2022 Lebron Thomas in action but we got an up-close viewing once again at the Phenom Challenge of his game and he did not disappoint. Thomas has been regarded as one of the better guards in his class for South Carolina and he gave us multiple reasons why that shouldn’t be changing any time soon.
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Player Spotlight: 2023 6’5 Jacob Brandly (Combine AAU)
Brandly has caught some eyes in the last two events with Phenom Hoops, really putting up some impressive numbers at the Phenom Grassroots TOC and the Phenom Challenge. At the Challenge, Brandly was one of the top scorers, averaging 20.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while playing on Combine Black but also averaged 19.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while playing on Combine White as well. At the Phenom Grassroots TOC, he averaged 19.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, leading the team in scoring for both events.
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Put on the Watch List: 2024 6’6 Richard Goods (Ben L. Smith/ Carolina Clutch)
Every year, we can start creating and adding names to our watch list at Phenom Hoops. One name that has been added to the 2024 watch list for Phenom Hoops 6’6 Richard Goods from Ben L. Smith high school and who recently played with Carolina Clutch.
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Phenom Spotlight: 2023 Khaleel Abdullah (Flint Hill, VA)
Khaleel has a nice mix of physicality and creativity as a playmaker. He is able to use his powerful frame to bully opposing guards or can incorporate some nimble footwork and a crafty handle to break defenders down in isolation and get to the rim with very good regularity.
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Why is Malachi Reeves Still Available?
Each year, there are always prospects who seem to slide through the cracks and receive less than appropriate attention from college coaches. Well, that notion pretty clearly applies to Malachi Reeves, a 6-foot-3 unsigned senior from River Bluff High School and Upward Stars Columbia. Usually there is some type of reason or drawback surrounding these available players, but there’s really nothing...
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The Future Backcourt of Lake Norman High School
Between coaching changes and player movement, there is constant flux and change throughout the high school basketball landscape—especially in North Carolina. With so many programs operating as revolving doors for players, it’s almost become a rarity to see kids remain patient, properly develop, and seize their opportunity when it’s time. However, the disciplined, somewhat old-fashion method is...
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Expected Rise in Production: Four Potential Breakout Candidates
Although the travel ball season just recently got underway, there are a lot of interesting subplots swirling around the upcoming high school season. Sure, it’s pretty early to be discussing this topic while the Class of 2021 is still approaching their graduation. However, basketball has basically turned into a year-round sport that stops for absolutely no one. That being said, various prospects...
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Phenom Spotlight: Is it time for 2023 Grady Whitt to shine?
Next man up is a motto that everyone has heard and rings loudly every year. At Leesville Road, the Pride has been blessed with some incredible talent such as Carter Whitt who is at Wake Forest now, Jalen McDonald, Wesley Johnson, and others. Now, a few of those talents are gone, and like mentioned above, it is the next man up. 2023 Grady Whitt could be one of those guys. Yes, the younger...
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Finally earning some attention: 2023 6’9 James Scott (NLPB/ Seventy-First)
Length, size, and mobility are always a few factors in a player’s game that can help grab your immediate attention, which is why Phenom Hoops said back months ago that 2023 6’9 James Scott was going to be one to watch. He is a developing talent that played in 11 games at Seventy-First and averaged 5.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. When watching him on the court this...
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Mike Dudley: A Steal Waiting to Happen
As we’ve stated countless times over the recent months, the overall recruiting landscape is somewhat of a disaster. Beyond the ridiculously high, record-breaking number of transfers taking place, there’s also been a ton of movement from coaching staffs. While this might seem less significant to individual players, it’s actually caused somewhat of a negative trickle-down effect. Take Mike Dudley...
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William Gray Getting Noticed on a Bigger Stage
Throughout the last calendar year, William Gray has finally begun to receive some attention as one of the premier prospects within North Carolina’s Class of 2023. While most of the focus still remains on a variety of flashy, more widely discussed guards, he’s more than shown next-level ability on either side of the ball. After an extremely productive freshman season at Forsyth Country Day, Gray...
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A rising name in NC: 2023 Dallas Gardner
One player that continues to have impressive performance after impressive performance is 2023 6’2 Dallas Gardner. Gardner was a key piece at Myers Park this past season as a sophomore, averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game and he has only continued to progress with his game this summer playing with Team HOPE.
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Trending Upward: Five Obvious Targets for College Coaches
With the travel ball season in full swing, it’s only appropriate that we take a closer look at some notable targets across the state. Usually, countless offers are being thrown around at every turn. However, majority of programs have opted to hold onto their scholarships for as long as possible and ultimate play the waiting game with the Class of 2022. Although coaching staffs are moving and...
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Versatile and Productive: 6’5 2023 Truman Claytor
With the recent start of travel ball, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding players who are beginning to finally receive the appropriate amount of recognition for their abilities. While most college programs have approached the Class of 2023 with caution, it’s clear that Truman Claytor will ultimately become a priority for next-level coaches. Given everything he’s done with Team Loaded...
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Riley Allenspach Secures First Division I Offer
Despite the uncertainty and overall mass hysteria within the current recruiting landscape, it appears college coaches have become comfortable enough to start laying groundwork with the Class of 2024. Sure, guys like Bishop Boswell, Jordan Vick, Jahseem Felton, and various other freshmen have already collected offers, but Riley Allenspach arguably became the representative for big men within...
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Shooting Translates: Michael Zanoni Worthy of More Offers
Each year around this time, at least a dozen college coaches start bringing up the topic of shooting and their desperate need for high-level threats from beyond the arc. Rather than getting involved at an early stage, these programs would rather make someone like Michael Zanoni legitimately battle for (what should be) obvious scholarship opportunities. Given their respective combination of size,...
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Phenom Spotlight: 2022 Antione Piper (Vance HS)
Piper is back on the court and is hoping to have a big summer ahead, giving everyone a chance to view more of his developing game.
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