Phenom Hoops continued their scouting around the country, first tuning into the SW Missouri Prep Invitational and then heading down to Georgia to watch Tampa Catholic take on Norcross, two teams with some fantastic talent. Norcross, led by their star guard 2023 London Johnson, got off to a great start to take the early 18-11 lead.  Johnson was able to find his rhythm early, especially from outside, knocking down multiple threes.  2023 Eddrin Bronson was the leader for Tampa Catholic, but they still found themselves down 34-25 at halftime.

Second half, Norcross was able to maintain their lead throughout but that doesn't mean that Tampa didn't cut into it. Leading by double-digits, Tampa was able to cut it down to seven in the fourth but that is as close as they would get.  2023 Mier Panoam had a strong showing to go along with Johnson to lead the way for Norcross, while Bronson and 2024 Karter Knox led the charge for Tampa Catholic. In the end, Norcross took home 75-51 victory.

Final: Norcross 75 ' Tampa Catholic 51

Stats:
Norcross: London Johnson 25pts, 5rebs, 3asts/ Mier Panoam 18pts, 10rebs/ Jerry Deng 11pts
Tampa: Eddrin Bronson 18pts/ Karter Knox 10pts/ Christian Cole 9pts

Standouts/Notes

  • It all starts with 2023 London Johnson in this one for Norcross. Ranked as one of the top guard sin the country for his class, he certainly plays like it on the floor.  From watching him in NC to where he is today, there has been so much growth with his game.  Johnson has tremendous vision and floor awareness to go along with a great feel with the ball in his hands. Love his pace of play, as it seems like the game is much slower to him than others.  He takes what is given to him offensively, never forcing anything, willing to make the extra pass, but also be that scoring threat with a much-improved perimeter shot.  I know it is early and it may be more of a gut feeling, but if Johnson continues the trajectory he is on with his game, I could for sure see him being an all-conference guard at the highest level in college.
  • 2023 Mier Panoam was the other big-time threat on the court for Norcross. The 6'4 guard just seemed to be everywhere on the court making plays. He was excellent on the boards, really going after the ball and ultimately recording 10 rebounds, but he also excelled out in transition, featured some tremendous athleticism, and also surprised us with his vision and precision.  Only holding one offer, Panoam is one that should be receiving more for sure.
  • 2023 Eddrin Bronson, a 6'4 guard for Tampa Catholic, led the way for his team.  He was effective in getting to his spots well and letting if fly from multiple areas on the court.  Bronson knocked down multiple threes, scored with his mid-range game, and was active on the boards for a point guard for this team.
  • 2024 Karter Knox, the young brother of Kevin Knox, is going to be a talent and will certainly be on the list for many college programs to come watch.  He already has great size at 6'5 as a sophomore but also plays with a fantastic motor, works hard on both ends and on the boards, can defend multiple positions, and understands how to be effective in the paint as well as step out.  And again, we are only talking about a sophomore!  With multiple offers already, expect more to join in on his recruitment.