Right now, there are various opinions about the 'who's who' of grassroots basketball'specifically within North Carolina. Throughout the summer, Team Curry has been at the forefront of those conversations due to their crossroads between success and a roster full of appealing prospects. This upcoming weekend, their 16U group will be in attendance at our Summer Havoc and should have the opportunity to further solidify themselves as one of, if not the, top team in the state. They start off with Tea Marie on Friday and then face Team CP3 and Team Charlotte the following day. Each of those contests should offer their own unique competitive edge, so this article is going to place more emphasis on the overall roster makeup for Team Curry…
Despite having a roster loaded with talent, this group has largely been headlined by Elijah Gray and Caleb Foster throughout the summer season. Gray has been nothing short of spectacular and continues to prove doubters wrong at every possible turn. Not only is he actively toggling between the paint and perimeter, but he's also shown legitimate dominance in both areas. Gray already possessed an impressive amount of raw talent but has begun turning flashes into prolonged, multiple game stretches. He's someone that has started gaining a lot of added traction with college coaches, and will likely collect a slew of high-level offers over the next year or two.
On the other hand, Foster is the youngest player on the team yet already plays with an advanced feel and skillset on both ends of the floor. It's nearly impossible accurately depict his game without mentioning his IQ and balanced offensive approach. Foster is a reliable shooter and savvy playmaker with the necessary size to play either backcourt position. He's also a quality defender and rebounder, leaving him with no real weaknesses. Expect Foster to continue getting recruited at the highest possible level going forward.
Aside from Foster, Jordan Marsh assumes majority of the ball-handling duties and can create or run a team with relative ease. He's smart, quick, and able to touch the paint with regularity or knock down perimeter jumpers. Marsh is tough, fairly well-rounded and defends quite well despite his lack of size. Alongside Marsh, the wing trio of Chase Lowe, Cade Tyson, and Quave Propst-Allison seems to complement each other quite well. Lowe plays with a high motor and gets downhill at a consistent rate, Tyson is a polished three-level scorer with size, and Propst-Allison is quick, explosive, and able to attack the basket or midrange area with effectiveness.
Meanwhile, DJ Nix and Shane Fernald slide in nicely at the forward positions. Nix has continually worked to improve his skillset and develop his fluidity as a perimeter threat. He still possesses size, length, and great downhill instincts, but can also knock down jumpers at a solid clip. Fernald is easily one of the most versatile players on this roster, given his ability to do a quality amount of everything at 6-foot-7. He's smart, crafty, and plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor. Both guys have steadily progressed while building the necessary foundation to get recruited at the Division I level.
Rounding out the roster, Iffy Ufochukwu and Cade Pendleton make up majority of their interior size. Ufochukwu is long, fluid and makes a consistent impact as a rebounder and rim-protector. He's a quality athlete that plays hard and embraces his role on both ends of the floor. Though Ufochukwu is already quite enticing, expect his stock to continue rising over the next few years. Pendleton is their only player from outside of North Carolina and, like Ufochukwu, has an abundance of long-term upside. He's young for his grade but possesses great physical tools and shows flashes of intrigue on both ends of the floor. It should go without saying, but this roster certainly offers a ton of appeal for next-level coaches and will be one of the most exciting teams on display at our Summer Havoc.
