The 6th Annual Phenom High School Jamboree has enjoyed a history of outstanding teams and players and this year’s jamboree was no exception. In all, we had 40 teams and a total of 60 games that were played throughout the day. Proehlific Park and Northwest Guilford High School were the venues being used. While this was a great way to kick off the 2018-19 season, the Phenom High School Jamboree provided scouts, fans and college coaches just a small glimpse of the upcoming season. Now, let’s take a closer look at the standout players.
6’3 2021 Carson McCorkle (Greensboro Day)
What a performance by Carson McCorkle! Simply stated, Carson McCorkle is one of the most complete basketball players we have seen in quite some time. He is advanced beyond his age/grade and he simply makes the game look so easy and effortless, not to mention he is one of the more efficient players as well. First of all, McCorkle is excellent moving without the ball and is tremendous coming off screens where he needs little to no room to get off his quick release. He has all the proper shooting mechanics, extension and follow through that allows him to a deadeye perimeter shooter. As a matter of fact, our unofficial stats had him going 12-18 from the 3-point line in the three games. McCorkle is such a fun player to watch and his basketball IQ, knowledge and feel for the game are simply off the charts. He’s the number one player in his class in North Carolina and rightfully so. McCorkle has recently verbally to Head Coach Tony Bennett and the University of Virginia.
6’3 2021 Cam Hayes (Greensboro Day)
We’re talking about an electric point guard that has a unique blend of athleticism, skill, poise and maturity for his age, grade and position. Sporting offers from Clemson, NC State, Tennessee, and Wake Forest, Hayes is still just scratching the surface on his long range potential. He is constantly in attack mode and is terrific in using his off hand as he goes left as easily as going right which is his strong hand. Cam’s length, strength and explosiveness allows him to get where he wants, when he wants and his game will easily translate at the next level. The combination of McCorkle and Hayes in the backcourt is one of the country’s best 1-2 underclassman combinations in the country.
6’5 2022 MJ Rice (Durham Academy)
When you first lay your eyes upon MJ Rice, it’s hard to fathom he is just a freshman. We’re talking about a physically mature young man that has strength, athleticism, explosiveness to his game, but still has a flair of finesse. More importantly, we were equally impressed with his basketball IQ, knowledge of the game and overall feel, not to mention he is a great teammate! While he has the ability to dominant and overtake a game with his athleticism and skill, he is extremely patience on the offensive end of the court. While he didn’t take many perimeter shots in game situations, he does have sound shooting fundamentals and a soft touch. Afterwards, we had the pleasure of speaking with MJ Rice and one thing is for certain, he conducts himself in such a mature manner. He’s definitely a “yes sir” and “no sir” young man. To say the least, very impressive young man on and off the court.
6’5 2019 Josh Nickelberry (Northwood Temple)
The Louisville commit started a little slow in the first half of the first game, but then Nickelberry showcased why he was such a highly touted prospect. Scoring comes easy and Nickelberry has the ability to generate points in a hurry. He has unlimited range, can score off the midrange and can take it aggressively to the rim with some highlight video dunks. That being said, we were also impressed with his overall work ethic throughout the game. He played both ends of the court, hustled and dove on the floor for loose balls. We knew Nickelberry is a gifted scorer and has all the physical attributes, but it was the intangibles that grabbed our attention for the day.
6’5 2020 Chris Ford (North Mecklenburg)
One thing is for certain, Chris Ford won’t win you over for being the flashiest player on the court, but he simply gets the job done. He averaged a double double (points and rebounds) for the day. Ford has a workmanlike blue-collar approach to the game. He can score from all three levels and has developed into a high level scorer that scores within the scope of the offense. At the Phenom High School Jamboree, Ford was knocking down 3-pointers, hitting the midrange and using excellent body control to finish effectively at the rim. After his performance at the Phenom High School Jamboree, he quickly picked up an offer from Appalachian State University.