STAY POSITIVE CLASSIC EVENT RECAPS
POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 1 at Hoop State League (Championship Weekend)
2025 Miles Leaks (Panthers): When you watch a freshman prospect like Leaks, you have to look for the flashes in his potential. Leaks showed that on several occasions, showing that he understands the game, plays under control and at a terrific pace, and that he possesses the IQ. He plays his game, gets to his spots to score, and doesn’t force anything, playing well within the...
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Open Gym Tour: Winston Salem Christian National
Phenom Hoops travelled to Winston Salem Christian Wednesday night. The Lions will have one of the most talented teams in the Hoop State this year and a roster that is full of D1 talent. There is no question, Coach Antonio Lowe does a tremendous job on the sideline. Two years ago, he led Moravian Prep to the inaugural Phenom Hoop State Championship. Last season, he took over a dormant basketball...
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Notable Shooters in North Carolina’s Class of 2022
By now, the undeniable value surrounding three-point shooting should be no secret at any level of basketball. The ability to space the floor goes far beyond the basic math (three being worth more than two), as the threat typically leads to improved ball movement while regularly forcing defenses to make difficult, yet precise decisions in their rotations and closeouts. Nearly every college...
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July Live Period Superlatives: Part One
Although there has been a ton of excitement swirling throughout the last few months, July is finally coming to an end. Between the NCHSAA/NCISAA events in June and the consecutive live periods across July, all levels of coaches have been traveling, evaluating, and establishing relationships with these prospects. Excluding the lone period in July, we will take a closer look at a slew of players...
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Noah’s Hoopers from Coach Rick’s TOC (Day 2, Part 1)
By: Noah Hooper 6’8 2023 Patrick Tivnan (Team Hope 2023 Laney) Coming from the long well-coached program of Charlotte Catholic, Tivnan really showed how much of a valuable asset he is to his team this morning as he completely dominated the glass on both sides of the floor. At 6’7, Tivnan’s versatile offensive skill set stood out as well as he is able to put the ball on the deck to get what he...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Coach Rick’s TOC (Day 2, Part 1)
Maki Johnson 2022 Kusamae Draper (SPO Sports): A new name to the scene for Phenom Hoops, the 6’8 big man grabbed some attention early on Day 2 with his productivity and activity down low on both sides. Draper has a good feel offensively, sealing in the post and taking contact to help get to the line. But you also like his length that helps in on the boards on both sides. Draper also...
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2022 Cole Sinclair puts everyone on notice with impressive scoring output
There were several incredible and memorable performances at the Phenom Summer Havoc. Whether it was teams or players, it was certainly fun to watch. But one player continued to capture our eyes with his impressive outburst scoring the ball in every game he played. 2022 Cole Sinclair for the Durham Hurricanes put on a show throughout the four days in Rock Hill. He looked like a man on...
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Player Standouts at Day Three of Phenom Summer Havoc
6’0 ’22 Cole Sinclair (Durham Hurricanes) It should come as no surprise to anyone within the grassroots scene, but Sinclair continues to showcase a lot of ability as the clear leader of this group. He’s a lethal shooting threat with vision and a nice change of pace, which allows him to effectively manage the game while picking his spots from all three levels. Sinclair handles the ball well and...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Summer Havoc Session 1 (Day 2, Part 3)
2022 Patrick Wessler (CC Elite): Big Patrick Wessler showed it all and is continuing to play at an elite level. Honestly, he is showing so many reasons why he is one of the top big men in the country. With such a dominant performance, Wessler showed the touch, the footwork, the strength, and how to be an absolute monster on the boards. 2023 Gregory Jackson (CP3): In terms of excitement and...
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Available Shooting Threats in North Carolina’s Class of 2021
After being asked multiple times by college coaches about available shooting threats over the past weekend, it only made sense to write an article featuring some of the top marksman. Although the Class of 2021 has largely started to commit to schools, there’s still an abundance of notable talent remaining unclaimed. Let’s take a closer look at the following trio… 6’0 Cole Sinclair (Durham...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: 6’0 Cole Sinclair
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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2021 Cole Sinclair (Durham Academy) playing outstanding ball in his senior year
Cole Sinclair has been a known name around the Durham area and in North Carolina, as the point guard has been a staple for whichever team he is playing for (whether during high school or AAU). He has a ton of experience before his final season, already having 120 games under his belt coming and averaging double-figures as a sophomore and junior. He also has recorded over 1,500 points in his...
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Durham Academy: Quietly Taking Care of Business
After probably being the most popular private school team in North Carolina last season, Durham Academy was forced to shift in a different direction with the departures of Nik Graves and MJ Rice. Although the general public isn’t necessarily talking about their unlikely success, it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Cavaliers opened their season with two convincing wins before suffering their...
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Special K’s Superstars: Summer Havoc
Here are seven players that really captured the eyes of Khalil Shakir over the weekend at the Summer Havoc.
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Day 2 Early Standouts
6’3 Troy Fulton of Team Denver 17U can flat out shoot the basketball. Very consistent and efficient player who has a nice stroke. Shoots it a very high rate from three off the catch. Hit 10 threes and finished with 32 points his last game. Coaches looking for a shooter should definitely take a look. College-Level Player 6’1 Cole Sinclair of Durham Hurricanes 17U has played well again...
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Special K’s Hoops Take: Late Day 1 Standouts
6’1 Cole Sinclair of Durham Hurricanes 17U was impressive today. Really scored the ball and showed that he could do so effectively from all three levels. Shot the ball very well and uses his handle and quickness to get to his spots. Gets to the basket and really creates contact, got to the free-throw line all game. Very quick guard with great change of pace which allows him to be hard to stay in...
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POB’s Eye Catchers on Day 2 at #PhenomChallenge (Part II)
2021 6’2 Lashae Johnson (Charlotte Royals 2021): Johnson was extremely aggressive on the floor, running the floor, constantly getting out and pushing the pace, but also showed his ability to knock down jumpers, hitting four 3-pointers for the Charlotte Royals. 2021 6’0 Cole Sinclair (Durham Hurricanes): A point guard that simply competes. He is known very well for his outside shooting but you...
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Cole Sinclair: A Scholarship-Worthy Prospect
We’ve seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a series on some players who have attended events over the past few years but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the...
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Charlotte Latin advances to NCISAA 4A State Championship
Charlotte Latin advances to NCISAA 4A State Championship Charlotte Latin 68 Durham Academy 62 Coach Chris Burger of Charlotte Latin is highly regarded as one of the premier coaches in the Charlotte Metro area. His teams are prepared, fundamentally sound, and play with poise and maturity. The majority of his lineup is juniors and seniors that has been with the program since they were freshmen....
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POB’s Eye Catchers: City of Oaks Classic (Part I)
Check out Part 1 of the standouts from Saturday in Raleigh at the City of Oaks Classic.
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Player Standouts at Phenom Hoops’ City of Oaks Classic
6’0 ’21 Jamarii Thomas (Piedmont Classical) Although the newest addition to this roster, it’s easy to see that Thomas is a large part of the heart and soul for this Piedmont Classical squad. His quickness, toughness, and rugged mentality are evident on every possession. Thomas gets downhill whenever he desires and possesses a certain tenacity and ferocity that separates him from other similar...
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Durham Academy v. Village Christian Game Recap
The third game of Phenom Hoops’ City of Oaks Classic was another incredibly tight, neck-and-neck contest between the Durham Academy Cavaliers and Village Christian Knights. It opened up in favor of the Cavaliers behind the play of Cole Sinclair and Toby Harris. However, the Knights quickly turned things around through the leadership of sheer dominance of Zavian McLean. Village Christian held...
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POB’s Player Standouts from Phenom HS Jamboree Session I (Part I)
Check some early player standouts from the games at the High School Jamboree.
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Player Standouts at Day Two of Phenom Champion Showcase
6’6 ’22 Elijah Gray (Team Synergy) In many ways, Gray was among the most impressive players from day two of Phenom Champion Showcase. He showcased a newfound aggression and actually played his best two-way game while nearly angry. Gray handles the ball quite well, especially for his size, and scored the ball in a variety of different ways. He worked from the block, displayed footwork, finished...
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Coach Threadgill’s Sunday Players Watch at Champion Showcase
Here are players that stood out at Nation Ford on Sunday at the Phenom Champion Showcase.
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Storylines from the #NCISSALivePeriod
The weekend was action packed with big time hoops all weekend long throughout the Triad! It's the first go around in this newly structured live period run by state officials and local high schools.
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Flomo’s Fab Five: NCISAA Summer Showcase Session I Day 2
After another day of hoops at Greensboro Day School, here are my stand out players from Day 2 at the NCISAA Summer Showcase Session I.
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Phenom’s North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 4
Team 4 Coach Morris #4:5’10 ’20 Stephen Minor (Winston-Salem Prep) Starting things off, we look at a player that looks increasingly likely to have a big-time senior campaign, Stephen Minor. He’s a slightly undersized point guard prospect with a nice blend of IQ, skill, and athleticism. Minor is pretty strong for his size and shows no issue getting by opponents, which allows him to enter...
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TOP Ranked FRESHMAN MJ Rice TAKES FLIGHT!! Durham Academy Cruises to Advance to NCISAA #FinalFour
MJ Rice is a Team USA guy. He is among the top ranked players in the country. AND he is only a freshman at Durham Academy. However, Randleman isn’t alone at Durham Academy, this team is a well-oiled machine. You have one of the state’s leading 3-point shooters in sophomore Cole Sinclair. You have senior High Point commit Bryant Randleman. You have ultimate glue guy and leader in...
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City of Oaks “Thoughts and Storylines”
City of Oaks “Thoughts and Storylines” The inaugural Phenom City of Oaks Classic was a huge success with the Holly Springs vs. Raleigh Trinity game going down as one of the more exciting and entertaining games we have seen this season. 6’10 junior forward Isaiah Todd hit a game winning “walk off” free throw with zero time remaining on the clock to secure an 61-60...
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