Carmel Christian vs. Concord Academy
Phenom Hoops travelled down to Matthews, North Carolina to cover a marquee matchup between two of the better private school teams in the state. Both teams have an abundant of talent and are extremely well coached and have won their fair share of NCISAA state championships.
Coach Badgett does an extremely good job with his team. Yes, his team is filled with talent but what makes them special is how well they play together. It was really fun to watch them last night share the ball. Not only were they really unselfish on offense, they were tough and gritty on the defensive side of the ball.
Concord Academy didn’t have their best overall game last night and coach Frank Cantadore would be the first one to admit it. They have had very limited practice time this year. There is no doubt they are going to keep improving throughout the season. They are not a team one would want to see down the road.
Standout Players
Justin Taylor – He led the way for Carmel Christian. He ended up with 35 points. He was in attack mode from the start. He did a great job leading the team. No one could keep him out of the paint. He did a tremendous job scoring in transition and at the rim on drives. Not only was he scoring at the rim but he caught fire from behind the arc knocking down four 3 pointers in the first half. He does an incredible job controlling the pace. He is the coach on the floor for Carmel Christian. Look for his recruitment to really take off.
Cade Tyson – This kid is going to be special. The 6’7 wing has all the intangibles to be a high major player. He has an exceptional basketball IQ. He has the ability to score from all 3 levels. He plays with a lot of confidence. He has a really pretty stroke. Has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim or hit midrange pull-ups. Finished the game with 22 points.
Ben Burnham – We say this every time we watch him play ‘Winthrop is getting a steal.” Ben plays with so much energy every time we watch him play. He is one of the best chase down shot blockers we have seen in High School basketball. He does an excellent job pushing the ball in transition once he gets the defensive rebound. On the offensive end you better box him out because he is flying in for put-back dunks. He showed that he is capable of stepping out and knocking down perimeter shots last night. Finished the game with 25 points.
Glenn Bynum – Even though he only had 5 points last night he does so many little things that helps his team win. He did a tremendous job guarding the top players from Concord Academy. He is the ultimate glue guy that you want on every team. He competes every single possession. He does a tremendous job playing his role on this team. He is an all-star at his role. This fall we have seen him go for 20 points in some games. He has the ability to score 20 points but his role at Carmel Christian isn’t to be the “go to” guy on offense.
Trae Benham – The lefty can flat out shoot the ball. He has a really quick release. He plays with a lot of confidence. He isn’t scared to let it fly. He believes that every shot is going in. Carmel Christian had a guy in his face most of the game. Even though he had a guy in his face most of the game he was still able to hit tough shots with defenders in his face. Finished with 19 points.
Logan Threatt – Finished the game with 25 points. He does a good job getting into the lane. He puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team defense. Not only did he get into the lane, he hit four 3’s last night.
Tyler Fearne – We have been able to watch Tyler play multiple times over that few weeks. The 6’6 wing can do a little bit of everything. He has the ability to score in the paint but what makes him unique his is ability to stretch the floor. We would love to see him more aggressive because he has a lot of intangible to be really good. He is the glue guy for Concord because he is able to impact the game with his length and motor.