Phenom Hoops travelled to Mouth of Wilson, Virginia to cover an early season match up of nationally ranked teams. Winston-Salem Christian started out strong in the early minutes of the game before Oak Hill rallied to take a 26-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. It was a high-level contest with both teams making plays that showcased the talent on the floor. Winston-Salem Christian was able to stay within striking distance and trailed 69-53 at the end of the third quarter. In the end, Oak Hill pulled out an impressive 94-74 win. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the top players of the game and storylines.
6’7 ’22 Chris Livingston (Oak Hill)
Simply put, Livingston has a unique blend of strength, power, athleticism along with a matching skill set. There’s a reason why he is regarded as one of the premier players in the country. Livingston can score from all three levels and has the power to dominate smaller defenders in the paint, but the quickness and mobility to beat you on the perimeter. Livingston finished with a team high 23 points, nine rebounds and dished out three assists.
6’4 ’23 Caleb Foster (Oak Hill)
The silky-smooth point guard had a solid first half setting up teammates and dishing out assists. In the second half, Foster found his range and knocked down three 3-pointers providing the spark to push the Warriors to a comfortable win. Foster finished with 12 points and dished out six assists while collecting four rebounds.
6’7 ’22 Jeremy Gregory (Oak Hill)
Jeremy Gregory has been a model of consistency in his high school career and nothing has changed since he has transferred to Oak Hill. Gregory has toned up and added muscle and athleticism to his frame, not to mention added quickness. Gregory finished with a quiet 14 points and six rebounds.
6’6 ’24 Lewis Walker (Winston-Salem Christian)
It was a break-out performance for the 6’6 sophomore as he finished with a game high 27 points and collected seven rebounds. Overall, Walker had a complete offensive performance. He stepped out and hit two 3-ponters, made midrange baseline jumpers and showcased excellent hands and nifty footwork in the post. His performance against Oak Hill should be an eye-opener for college coaches tracking this young star.
5’11 ’22 Camian Shell (Winston-Salem Christian)
Without question, Camian Shell is the heart and soul of the Coach Anthony Lowe’s team. He’s strong, athletic and fearless and Oak Hill had a difficult time keeping him out of the paint. Shell finished with 15 points and dished out five assists. He has enjoyed outstanding performances against high-level competition and college coaches should be checking out this young man.
6’6 ’24 Isaiah Washington (Winston-Salem Christian)
Isaiah Washington just transferred to Winston-Salem Christian and “reclassed” to the 2024 class. He started slowly in the first half, but found his groove in the second half and finished with 12 points. While it’s tough to get acclimated to your new teammates against a foe like Oak Hill, Washington will be an instrumental piece to the team this season in our opionion.
1200+ Career Wins (Coach Steve Smith)
It’s amazing that Oak Hill head coach Steve Smith has surpassed 1200 career wins. He’s one of the best high school coaches of all time, if not the best. More importantly, Steve Smith is a true professional and always handles the moment as good as anyone at any level. While he is truly a great basketball coach, he is even a better human being.
Never one to make excuses (Coach Antonio Lowe)
Winston-Salem Christian also has exceptional talent and that’s one reason why they are nationally ranked in most pre-season polls. He has 6’4 Quante Berry and 6’11 Christ Essandoko heading to Providence of the Big East. That being said, Coach Lowe lost the service of Amare Haynie for the season due to injury. In addition, Coach Lowe was without the services of Zion Collins and Raphael Gay, which would have made a huge difference in the outcome of the game.