STAY POSITIVE CLASSIC EVENT RECAPS
Bendel’s Best: Memorial Day Classic
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops returned to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center for our annual Memorial Day Classic. The event featured a ton of noteworthy teams and players, and quality competition could be found at every turn. As usual, this article will highlight a group of five personal favorites from the three-day stretch… 6’7 ’26 Cole Cloer (Team CP3) It’s typically uncommon to see an...
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Friday Standouts at Phenom Memorial Day Classic
6’1 ’25 Jake Benham (Mint Hill Lakers) Given his sheer level of involvement from start to finish, it would be impossible to ignore everything that Benham showcased in this contest. He absolutely caught fire in the opening minutes and never looked back, hitting one jumper after another, and posing a constant shooting threat with or without the ball in his hands. Benham possesses essentially...
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Taking the Next Step Towards Stardom: Trent Steinour
As the game of basketball undergoes trends and stylistic changes, one thing remains a constant: big men will always have value. It’s clear that we’ve seen a major shift in how the game is approached, especially compared to ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. Since guards and wings have gradually taken over basketball, post players are being forced to modernize their game. Nowadays, the...
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Battle of the Lake
The Battle of the Lake is one of the best kept secrets in the state. Once a sleepy little mill town, the city of Mooresville has grown in part due to the growth of Lake Norman. Mooresville, a city school vs. Lake Norman has become a rivalry and the capacity crowd on Tuesday night showcased the interest the game has to the student bodies of each perspective school. In the girls game,...
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Super Sophomores: Start recognizing these forwards in the Class of 2025
2025 Andrews Grimes (Clayton): In all honesty, we aren’t surprised at all that schools are coming his way early on… we wrote about it nearly a year ago to watch out for Grimes (Click Here). The sophomore forward flourished then and is flourishing this season, averaging an impressive 16.4ppg and nearly seven rebounds. Grimes has a fluid feel, understands how to operate in the post, has nice touch...
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POB’s Best of the Best: Upward Combine
What a weekend of basketball it was for Phenom Hoops. Not only did we continue our weekend coverage and platform with the HoopState League but we also had a great opportunity to head down to South Carolina to check out talent from around the region at the Upward Combine. Players from North and South Carolina were in attendance, as we were able to get a few updated viewings of players but...
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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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Notable Risers in North Carolina’s Class of 2025
On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops released our updated rankings for North Carolina’s Class of 2025. There are always a ton of subplots and headlines worthy of attention, including which players have taken the biggest jump (whether ability or recruitment) and who is still being “slept on” according to the masses. It’s always important to remind the general public that rankings have no real significance...
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Phenom Open Gym Tour: “Lake Norman, the future looks bright.”
Phenom Open Gym Tour: “Lake Norman, the future looks bright” Phenom Hoops travelled to Lake Norman High School to kick start the 2022-23 basketball season to cover open gym. To put it mildly, Coach Grant Hodges has plenty to be excited about, and the “The Lake Show” should be one of the favorites in the Greater Metro 4A Conference. Last season, Lake Norman finished 17-11 overall, 5-7 in...
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Intriguing Prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2025
6’9 Trent Steinour (Lake Norman) Although there’s still a ton of upside remaining, it’s easy to see the steady signs of growth with Steinour. He’s a young, developing big man with length, timing, and inside-out ability. Steinour is still adding strength to his wiry frame, but already displays an understanding of how to anchor the paint, alter shots defensively, and make his presence felt on the...
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Player Standouts at Lamelo Ball Invitational
6’9 ’25 Trent Steinour (Carolina Heights) Although this roster is loaded, it’s easy to see the value that Steinour brought to the table. His presence as a long, fluid, skilled post prospect allows him to reliably rebound, alter shots, and run the floor properly in transition. Steinour doesn’t require the ball or many touches to make a quality two-way impact. He understands how to produce within...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Summer Showcase (Day 1, Part 2)
2024 Quasim Oden (Grace Christian): I’ve been a big fan of Oden this summer. Seeing him a few times already, Oden continues to be a bright spot and brings instant production to the table when on the court. The blend of his ability to create, makes plays off the dribble, get inside and get paint touches, ability to finish through contact, and his overall toughness, really do believe Oden...
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Notable Watchlist Prospects in North Carolina’s Class of 2025
We’ve roughly reached the halfway point of the travel ball season, which typically means the bitter end for graduated seniors and the transition period for young freshman. There are a lot of talented, young prospects within the state of North Carolina—especially in the Class of 2025. Our rankings are filled with noteworthy names who vary in production and long-term upside (though many...
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POB Eye Catchers from Phenom G3 Showcase (Day 1)
2025 Jayln Connor (Team Charlotte): Still remember watching this young man on his first days of practice at Mallard Creek and he caught my eyes then and continues today. Connor is a confident guard on the floor, making plays for himself and others but really catching our eyes with his ability to be a threat from outside. He has terrific range and can make opponents pay, but he really...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Phenom Queen City (Part 1)
2024 Jacob Brandly (Combine Academy): Brandly continues to play at a high level for his team, as he showed his ability to score in a variety of ways. He filled it up all throughout the event, knocking down shots, showing his pull-up game, a little of his inside feel, and helping on the boards. His blend of IQ and ability to knock down shots was strong all day long. 2024 Zyan Hager...
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Phenom Grassroots TOC Team Preview: Riptide 2023 NC
The Phenom Grassroots TOC is this weekend in Rock Hill/Fort Mill, as it is the first LIVE Period with Phenom Hoops this season. The talent pool runs deep throughout and we want to give college coaches a leg up on who to watch and who will be in action. Here are a few players to check out for each team, presented by the head coach. Riptide 2023 NC 6’4 Cole Callaway2023GuardCole is coming...
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Dawkins’ Phenom March Madness Standouts (Day 1)
By: DeAjai Dawkins 2026 Kenan Dixon (Team Hope 2026) He plays with a respectable level of leadership. His soft touch around the rim creates an evident threat for opposing defenders once he’s found the lane. Aside from being a purposeful scorer, Dixon shows promising decision-making abilities with the ball in his hands. Started his day with 32 points, followed up with another high-scoring...
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Bendel’s Best: Phenom Opening
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled down to the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina for a three-day stretch of very entertaining competition. We had a trio of different events taking place from the Hoopstate Championship to the Post Grad Nationals to the Phenom Opening, and each offered its own collection of standouts. Although we still plan to highlight...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Opening/Post Grad Nationals
6’0 ’22 Cole Sinclair (Winston-Salem Christian) Given the healthy mix of talent in the gym, Sinclair was easily among the most impressive post-grad performers on display. He’s a lethal shooting threat with deep range and an effortless release, but can also attack the basket and create for others. Sinclair does a great job of dictating the offense, yet also consistently finds success without the...
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Reece’s Standouts from Phenom Opening (Day 1: Part 1)
by: Ethan Reece 2025 Amare Adams (Shotcallers Elite)Amare doesn’t have much explosiveness, but there’s still just so much power in his game. He’s a legit bruiser inside that habitually crashes the boards and bullies his defender. Very capable operator with his ability to clear space and take his time, because it’s hard for any defender to get in front so the post feed is there every time. He...
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Phenom Game Report: Lake Norman wins thrilling 61-59 win over Cox Mill
In the nightcap of the inaugural Greater Metro 4A conference tournament semifinal, it was the No.1 seed, Cox Mill (18-6; 11-1) vs. the No. 4 seed, Lake Norman (15-10; 5-7). For Cox Mill, coached by Ty Cox, they have already secured the No. 1 seed from the Greater Metro 4A conference. As for Lake Norman, coached by Grant Hodges, it’s win or go home scenario. Lake Norman must win the conference...
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Freshman Duo Making Noise at Lake Norman
The last few years have resulted in unchartered territory within the high school basketball landscape, due to both Covid and the increased amount of player movement. While this definitely poses some challenging obstacles for public school programs, many schools have shown adaptability to the current times. Think about how many freshmen play significant minutes in comparison to three, five, or...
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Lake Norman High School Open Gym Report
On Wednesday, Phenom Hoops also traveled to Mooresville to watch Lake Norman High School practice. Coach Grant Hodges has done an impressive job of building teams with an identity. They are fundamentally sound. They play together with one another. Although they lose several key contributors in Clay Hodges, Seth Aeschliman, Camden Kepley, and Christian Taylor, the Wildcats have added quality new...
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“Getting to Know” 6’7 2025 Trent Steinour
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 “Getting to Know” series on some players who have attended events 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 basketball...
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Dawkins’ Standouts from Phenom Rise Showcase (Day 2)
By: DeAjai Dawkins 6’2 2023 Dallas Gardner (Flight 9) Easily one of the most talented players of the entire event, Gardner most certainly stands apart from his competition. The springy athlete has the scoring prowess, competitiveness, and athletic ability to compete at the next level. After transferring to Charlotte Country Day, there were many questions as to whether or not Gardner would...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Summer Finale
6’7 ’24 Richard Goods (Carolina Clutch) After watching his recruitment steadily increase, it should come as no surprise to see Goods continuing to operate as a leader for this group. He’s long, mobile, and fluid with the necessary blend of feel, touch, and footwork to attract various types of coaches. Goods is a quality two-way rebounder with a useful motor and the ability to alter shots at a...
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Noah’s Hoopers from Coach Rick’s TOC (Day 2, Part 2)
By: Noah Hooper 6’6 2025 Trent Steinour (Riptide 2025) When I look at Trent on the floor, the first thing I notice is how well he is able to use his length to be a disruptive asset defensively for his team. He also uses his length very well to gain positioning and grab rebounds for his team which helps them tremendously. Not only did he use his long frame well, but he also had very solid...
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The Expansion of the Carolina Riptide
Just four years ago, Grant Hodges, Greg Forest, and seven kids from the greater Lake Norman area came together to form the Carolina Riptide. Despite some roster changes over the years, the core grouping of Clay “Smoke” Hodges, Trace Forest, Christian Taylor, and Callahan Reed have remained firmly intact since first forming. Thereafter, the Riptide players could be seen attending various camps...
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