Northside Christian: Hitting their Stride
There is no question, coach Erasto Hatchett has plenty to be excited about. His team has a current 9-3 record heading into the Phenom Capital City Jam that will be held Saturday, January 15th at Ben Lippen High School in Columbia, South Carolina. He has a nice blend of youth, talent and experience, but most of all optimism. Leading the way is fast rising 6’8 junior Jaden Seymour who already sports offers from NC State and Virginia Tech. Always known for his length, athleticism and “downhill” game, Seymour is one of the most improved players in the 2020 class and that spells trouble for the opposition. He has elevated his perimeter game and has become a better all around player. Look for his recruitment to explode this spring. Be sure to check out what we had to say about Northside Christian in our Phenom Open Gym Tour https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/2018/09/27/open-gym-tour-northside-christian/
Senior Leadership
6’8 Tony Hauser and 6’6 Cortez Marion-Holmes provide strength and stability in the post area. Both understand and embrace their role. We’ve always been impressed with Tony Hauser’s rebounding ability. He is a strong two-handed rebounder that gets excellent defensive position and boxes out well. He has good footwork in the post area and is also an excellent and willing passer out of the post area. Marion-Holmes is more of a combo or tweeter forward that has the ability to score with his back to the basket or step out and hit the midrange jumper. He runs the floor extremely well and has good natural basketball instincts.
The Future
Coach Hatchett has to be excited about the future. He has one of the nation’s best point guards in 6’5 freshmen Jaden Hood-Schifino. Hood-Schifino plays with poise, maturity and provides on the court leadership that is not often seen from such a young player. To put it simply, he is a special player and person on and off the court. He is advanced and mature beyond his grade and years. In addition, you can’t forget about the contributions of 6’2 2021 Glenn Hubbard and 6’3 2021 Glen Bynum. At the Battle at the Rock, Hubbard made a statement with his performance while Bynum is the glue guy every team needs to be successful. Both Hubbard and Bynum will be the team’s X factors and provide reliable play on both ends of the court.
Coach Hatchett has all the pieces to make a run at the NCISAA 2A title this year. Like every team, they have experienced a few hiccups along the way, but after their impressive win over a very good Rock Hill team at the Battle at the Rock, they seem to be putting it all together and could just be hitting their stride. The game vs. Legacy Charter this Saturday at the Phenom Capital City Jam will be another challenge on their schedule, but will be a good barometer and could be their signature turning point in the season.