STAY POSITIVE CLASSIC EVENT RECAPS
Phenom Exposure Camp Award Winners (HS/MS)
Another great camp has come and gone, and not only did players walk away with their names/games on the radar for Phenom Hoops, but a few walked away with awards from the event. Check out all the award winners from the high school and middle school exposure event. High School: MVP: 2025 Jaylen CrossMr. Offense: 2023 Zion McDuffieMr. Playmaker: 2025 Graham MooseMr. Hustle: 2026 Max Van...
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Greensboro Day vs. Caldwell Academy
On Tuesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to the heart of Greensboro for a highly anticipated battle between Caldwell Academy and Greensboro Day School. The Eagles have continued to trend upward in Coach Clifford’s second year at the helm while the Bengals have maintained a powerhouse and national reputation across nearly fifty years behind the tutelage of Coach Johnson. These schools are only about...
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Phenom Game Report: Oak Ridge vs. Caldwell Academy
Phenom Hoops reviewed the tape from Thursday’s game between Caldwell Academy and Oak Ridge Military Academy, checking in on a few players we have our eyes on but also learning about a few others. Oak Ridge came out firing and built a double-digit lead early in the first few minutes, but Caldwell started to settle down with its starters and eventually was able to take the lead back by the...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 7
Team 7 Coach: Austin Collins #7: 5’11 ’24 Keenan Wilkins (Christ School) Starting things off, we look at a player who has consistently made strides in his transition into a floor general, Keenan Wilkins. He’s a polished, skilled point guard prospect with the ability to fill it up in a variety of different ways offensively. That being said, Wilkins has made clear strides as a playmaker and...
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Stockrisers from NC Top 80 (Class of 2025)
Another outstanding North Carolina Top 80 event has come and gone, and the talent was fun to watch. Some of the biggest names were all under one building and so many players could be found making this list, but these are a few players from the Class of 2025 that really popped off with their play at the event. 2025 6’5 Zacch Wiggins (Grimsley): Wiggins was extremely impressive with his showing...
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Open Gym Report: Caldwell Academy
On Friday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Caldwell Academy to get a closer look at the new-look Eagles. Entering his second year as their head coach, Brandon Clifford certainly has one of the more underrated teams in North Carolina. Between his experience, talented roster, and roots firmly planted in Greensboro, folks should have a ton of optimism about the current and future state of this...
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Breaking Down Phenom Hoops’ Rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2025
(1) 6’8 Zymicah Wilkins (R-S Central) There are numerous guys who were in the mix for the top spot in our updated rankings, but Zymicah Wilkins ultimately walked away with the honor. His blend of IQ, size, skill, and polish makes him extremely difficult for most opponents to try and contain. Wilkins can dominate from the block, space the floor, or consistently make plays with the ball in his...
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The Next Step: Jaylen Cross Joins Caldwell Academy
Life is full of constant change. Everyone eventually reaches an age where they are required to make drastic, potentially major decisions that will ultimately impact their future for better or worse. Between the grassroots scene and high school landscape, kids are being pushed into making these life-altering decisions earlier than ever before. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it often...
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Expected Breakouts in North Carolina High School Basketball
Each year, the grassroots basketball scene shifts from travel ball to the high school season. College coaches have been out for months, seen countless kids, and should be in pursuit of their priority-level prospects. That being said, there are plenty of players whose ability don’t match their recruitment. Sure, most rising juniors aren’t receiving a ton of offers right now. However, given the...
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Prospects Trending Upward in North Carolina’s Class of 2024
The travel ball season is always full of surprises. Given the shaky nature of the recruiting landscape, there’s truly no telling which programs are even looking to extend offers to high school players. Majority of programs (for whatever reason) find it more advantageous to pursue kids who already claim a slew of scholarships, as opposed to someone who could actually be a viable, realistic...
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Bendel’s Best: Phenom Team Camp
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to the Rise Indoor Facility in Bermuda Run, North Carolina for our annual June Team Camp. The two-day event featured a ton of the top public and private teams throughout the state. There were plenty of noteworthy takeaways from the event, both in terms of individual performances and overall team showings, and this article will take a closer look at...
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Storylines from Phenom Team Camp
Jayden Harris should be entering the national picture 2024 Jayden Harris has certainly been a popular name over the last few weeks, especially with college programs. He now holds double-digit offers from an array of schools, and it is easy to see why when you watch his game. Getting an updated viewing of the young man, Harris has not only continued to develop his game but he has also...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Team Camp
6’1 ’23 Kobe Parker (Ragsdale) Although they lost multiple key pieces, Ragsdale should still be one of the more competitive programs in Greensboro behind the leadership of Parker. He’s clearly the focal point of this group, but understands how to dictate the action in a poised, unselfish, methodical manner. Parker has maintained his status as a lethal perimeter shooter, especially from beyond...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Team Camp (Day 1, Part 1)
2024 Xavier Johnson (Fayetteville Academy): Johnson came out strong to start his weekend at the Phenom Team Camp, using his 6’5 frame well, being active on the floor, creating second-chance opportunities for his team, attacking the glass, and getting downhill to make plays. Loved the energy and motor that he set for his team. 2023 Will Gray (East Forsyth): Gray continues to be a staple here in...
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Prospects in the Class of 2024 to Watch at Phenom Team Camp
This upcoming weekend, Phenom Hoops will host our annual June Team Camp at the Rise Indoor Facility in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. The event is slated to feature a talented mix of players and teams preparing for the month of July (in addition to the somewhat distant high school season), and this article will take a brief look at some of the prospects on display. Let’s take a look at the Class...
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Why is Jaylen Cross So Under-Recruited?
The recruiting landscape can be extremely frustrating, both for players and evaluators alike. There are countless instances of a player performing at a consistently high level, coaches acknowledging their abilities, and then nothing ends up happening. While it’s understandable that coaches want to play the portal game, it becomes an illegitimate excuse when they are extending offers to other,...
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Prospects to Pursue in North Carolina’s Class of 2024
This upcoming weekend, the NCHSAA/NCISAA Live Period finally commences. Majority of high school programs, both public and private, will play showcase games at their respective sites. These specific events do not include independent teams, which gives spectators and college coaches a stronger sample size from these specific groupings. Today actually marks the “call date” where coaches can start...
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Reece’s Standouts: Triad Blue Chip Summer League (Part 2)
by: Ethan Reece This past week Phenom Hoops went out to cover the Triad Blue Chip Summer League at TW Andrews High School in High Point, NC. The league has been held annually for 6 years now and features a good variety of the abundance of great prospects the Triad area has to offer between both public and private schools. This article will take a look at the standouts from the second part of the...
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Team United 16U EYBL “A Special Team”
To state Team United 16U EYBL may be a special team would be a gross understatement. The class of 2024 team has accumulated a nice mixture of talent, skill, athleticism, but more importantly are well coached and plays extremely well as a team. With such high profile players in today’s basketball culture, this team has no egos from our viewpoint. Team United 16U EYBL has two national level...
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Northern Guilford v. Northwest Guilford
On Tuesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Northwest Guilford, as the Vikings were set to host the Nighthawks of Northern Guilford. Given the talent and success of both programs, this contest had the makings of an absolute bloodbath. Despite some ups and downs this season, the Nighthawks have maintained their status amongst the top teams in Greensboro. On the other side, the Vikings entered this...
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Grimsley v. Northwest Guilford
On Tuesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Oak Ridge, North Carolina for an inner-city battle between Grimsley and Northwest Guilford. Both teams have found quality success to start their season. Coach Corbett and the Whirlies embrace their healthy mix of basketball players and multi-sport athletes, which translates seamlessly onto the court. Meanwhile, Coach Reavis and the Vikings have...
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Salisbury v. Northwest Guilford
On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Oak Ridge, North Carolina, as Northwest Guilford prepared to host Salisbury High School. Between the two squads, there were more than enough storylines to justify excitement about this contest. Coach Reavis and the Vikings have effortlessly maintained their status as one of the better teams in the Triad throughout the last decade. On the other side,...
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Open Gym Tour: Northwest Guilford
On Tuesday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Oak Ridge for an open gym session with one of the Triad’s top programs in Northwest Guilford. The Vikings were somewhat disappointing last season, especially by their standards, but look likely to bounce back in aggressive fashion. Structurally, this group is very well-defined. They have a clear rotation with cohesive individual pieces from top to bottom....
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The Triad’s Noteworthy Prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2024
Last week, we put out an article featuring noteworthy prospects throughout the Triad in the Class of 2025. It featured various up-and-coming talents, many of which attended the CP3 Rising Stars Camp, and highlighted what they should bring to their respective high school programs. In keeping with the trend of previewing some of the notable names across the Triad, today’s edition will...
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July Live Period Superlatives: Part Three
Best Defender: 6’0 ’22 Mustapha Shah 6’4 ’22 Elijah Burnett 6’3 ’22 Amari Pearson Although Burnett and Pearson are legitimately phenomenal defenders, Shah’s unique ability to mirror opponents through a combination of strength, quickness, and anticipation makes him an absolute terror defensively. He plays with a high motor and gets involved in the offensive action whenever necessary, but truly...
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Player Standouts at Day Four of Phenom Summer Havoc
6’4 ’21 Greg Moore (Team Passion) It should be common knowledge at this point, but Moore continues to solidify himself as a next-level player with this Team Passion squad. He’s skinny, but smart, skilled, and understands how to stand out as a leader in various different ways. Although Moore is a lethal shooting threat, he also highlighted the ability to attack closeouts and set up others at a...
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Is Jaylen Cross Emerging as a Top Prospect in 2024?
The Triad is consistently filled with some of the best athletes across North Carolina, which rings especially true in regards to the historic amount of basketball talent over the years. While the number of noteworthy players is encouraging, the competitive balance is also a massive part of what makes this area so entertaining to follow. Just look at a few examples over the last few years: Ahmil...
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NCHSAA LIVE Period Team Previews: Northwest Guilford
After a lot of stressors throughout the last twelve to fourteen months, the grassroots basketball landscape has finally returned to normalcy. The shoe-circuits and high school LIVE periods were restored for the betterment of these young prospects who are simply fighting for an equal opportunity to advance to the collegiate ranks. Although this presents Division I programs with the chance to...
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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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Position-less Basketball: NC Rim Runners
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina for a highly entertaining stretch of basketball. There was truly an abundance of talent on display, coming from various directions within each of the three events—which certainly includes the NC Rim Runners (2024) from our Spring Tip-Off Classic. While they might’ve fallen short of...
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