North Carolina Phenom 150 Camp Evaluations
Team 3
Coach Dre
#62: 5’4 ’22 Luke Brewington (Greensboro, NC)
Starting things off, we look at a player that brought an excellent team-first approach to camp, Luke Brewington. He’s a young point guard prospect with great energy and the ability to operate with or without the ball. Brewington doesn’t force the action and does a nice job of initiating the offense, allowing him to slide off-ball and spot-up whenever possible. He plays hard and consistently looks to get his teammates involved. Brewington is scrappy and defends the point of attack pretty well for his size. Next in his development process is working to tighten the mechanics of his jumper, as it would improve his efficiency as a perimeter shooter. Coach Dre on Brewington: “Luke is a tough player that competes hard on both sides of the ball. His IQ is good, but can improve with better decision-making in transition. Luke has a great attitude and is a coachable young man.” Brewington knows how to make an impact and should continue refining his skillset through his upcoming freshman season.
#101:5’10 ’22 Marcus Wheaton (Greensboro, NC)
Next, we look at a player that displayed a nice understanding of how to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor, Marcus Wheaton. He’s a young guard prospect with sneaky quickness and the ability to fill a variety of different roles within a team. Offensively, Wheaton offers a strong balance of spot-up shooting and penetrating to the basket. He finishes well around the rim and showed a tendency to make the extra pass whenever available. Wheaton took pride in his transition defense and gave quality effort on that end of the floor. Next in his development process is continuing to tighten his handle, as it would make him a more dynamic scoring threat off the dribble. Coach Dre on Wheaton: “Matthew is a quick athlete that provides great hustle. He finishes nicely around the rim and has good shot mechanics. Matthew has a good attitude; he needs to improve his ball-handling in transition. He’s a very coachable kid that’s not afraid of contact.” Wheaton is just entering high school and should steadily improve, especially if he continues to work hard.
#107:5’11 ’20 Darryl Phifer (Greensboro, NC)
Moving onto a player that showcased a quality amount of polish throughout his time at camp, Darryl Phifer. He’s a guard prospect with great quickness and excellent ball-handling skills, allowing him to create scoring opportunities for himself and others with relative ease. Phifer gets downhill and attacks the rim quite well while also highlighting a pretty reliable midrange pull-up on occasion. He works hard on defense and is capable of defending the point of attack. Next in his development process is working to improve his focus in transition and as an off-ball defender, as it would allow him to make a better two-way impact. Coach Dre on Phifer: “Darryl is a quick and athletic guard that likes to score off the dribble. He is a good midrange shooter with the ability to finish around the basket. He will be a better player as he improves his vision.” Phifer is a pretty well-rounded prospect and possesses upside on both ends of the floor.
#129:6’0 ’21 Jayden Lawrence (Concord, NC)
Continuing onto a player that has a terrific approach to the game on both sides of the ball, Jayden Lawrence. He’s a strong-bodied guard prospect with the ability to apply pressure in a variety of different ways. Offensively, Lawrence is fairly quick off the bounce and was able to fight his way to the rim with regularity. He’s a capable shooter with a quality midrange stroke and the ability to hurt opponents with his spot-up ability. On the other end, Lawrence is a smart, well-rounded defender with fundamental instincts. Next in his development process is working on the utilization of his off-hand, as it would open up more offensive angles and opportunities. Coach Dre on Lawrence: “Jayden has good footwork and ability on defense. He’s an excellent closeout defender. He can improve on handling the ball with his eyes up. He’s a good finisher around the rim and converts well through traffic. Jayden’s shooting mechanics are good and he has a great attitude.” Lawrence is an intriguing prospect and could be one to keep an eye on over these next few years.
#162:6’2 ’20 Hayden Joiner (Charlotte, NC)
Next, we look at a player that made a constant impact as a spot-up threat throughout camp, Hayden Joiner. He’s an off-guard with a pretty solid feel for the game, able to consistently generate offense for himself and others. Joiner is a three-level scorer with the ability to spot-up or create off the dribble. He finishes well around the basket and did an excellent job of making efficient use of his touches. Joiner is a capable defender with the ability to contain his assignment and occasionally force turnovers. Next in his development process is working to become quicker, as it would allow him to become an even more impactful two-way player. Coach Dre on Joiner: “Hayden is a very good shooter with quality mechanics. He has a quick release and shoots well off the dribble. He can improve on his ball-handling, in order to become more effective at finishing through traffic. Hayden has a great attitude and is very coachable.” Joiner is a nice contributor and should carry his team-first mentality into his upcoming junior season.
#167:6’2 ’19 Nicholas Tybenn Sturm (Hurricane, WV)
Moving onto a player that showcased a phenomenal motor on both ends of the floor, Nicholas Tybenn Sturm. He’s a wing prospect with nice athleticism and the ability to consistently overwhelm opponents. Offensively, Sturm is at his best when he’s getting downhill and attacking the rim; he finishes pretty effectively around the basket and absorbs contact quite well. On the other end, Sturm utilizes his motor to bother his assignment, moving his feet and eliminating all operating space nicely. He rebounds at a high level for his size and position, and is a constant threat for putback attempts. Next in his development process is continuing to work on his consistency as a spot-up shooter, as it would add a new wrinkle to his offensive arsenal. Coach Dre on Sturm: “Tybenn is a very athletic and touch defender. He’s a hustle player with an edge. He has good footwork on drills and defense. He’s a very good rebounder and will be an awesome player with improved IQ.” Sturm is a pretty intriguing prospect and knows how to provide a team with a quality all-around presence.
#212:6’5 ’20 Ellis Carson II (Greensboro, NC)
Continuing onto a player that has a lot of intrigue and potential as a versatile jack-of-all-trades, Ellis Carson II. He’s a long, rangy forward prospect with a quality motor and team-first approach on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Carson knows how to run the floor, collect second-chance opportunities, and finish around the basket. He doesn’t force any action and does a great job at taking advantage of open looks around the paint. Carson works hard on defense and is able to alter plenty of shots around the basket with his length. Next in his development process is working on his ability to score off the dribble, as it would make him a more dynamic offensive threat. Coach Dre on Carson: “Ellis is a solid post defender with good footwork around the basket. He improved his finishing ability as the games progressed. He needs to improve his ball-handling under pressure. Ellis is a good rebounder and off-ball defender.” Carson should fit perfectly within his role and make an impact during his upcoming junior season.
#218:6’5 ’19 Jalen Ware (Winston-Salem, NC)
Next, we look at a player that has a pretty well-rounded skillset and overall approach to the game, Jalen Ware. He’s a long, wiry forward prospect with the ability to do various different things on the basketball court. Offensively, Ware is a nice all-around scorer with the ability to shoot from the perimeter or attack the rim and finish through contact. He utilizes his length well and is a constant threat to secure offensive rebounds and immediately convert them into second-chance points. Though Ware is somewhat between positions, he moves his feet well on defense and showed the ability to alter shots around the basket. Next in his development process is continuing to add strength, as it would allow him to overwhelm opponents with greater ease. Coach Dre on Ware: “Jalen has a great attitude and is a good finisher around the rim. He’s a good rebounder and defender. He needs to improve his off-hand, but has good quickness. Jalen does well with criticism.” Ware is an intriguing prospect and could be poised for a strong senior season.
#238:6’8 ’19 Max Chambers (Knightdale, NC)
Finishing up, we look at a player that provides a pretty unique presence within a team, Max Chambers. He’s a wiry big man with true size and upside as a floor-stretcher, given his willingness to let shots fly from midrange and three-point territory. Chambers runs both sides of the floor hard and utilizes his length pretty well to rebound the ball. He possesses a great attitude and team-first approach to the game. Next in his development process is working on his ball-handling ability, as it would allow him to pump-fake on the perimeter and then drive to the basket. Coach Dre on Chambers: “Max is a good shooter with a great attitude. He’s a strong off-ball defender and makes hustles plays whenever possible. He needs to improve his ball-handling going forward. Max is a good post player with great potential if he continues to work.” Chambers was able to make nice contributions throughout camp and could be a prospect to watch during his senior season.