Ah, it feels refreshing to be back down here in North Carolina with our Phenom Hoops scouting team! As the Virginia guy, I've spent the last several months occupied with covering events in my home state. Still, I knew I had to capitalize when the opportunity presented itself to cover our annual 'David Rose Memorial Day Classic' (honoring the late staff sergeant, David Rose) in the city of Greensboro, NC. Dozens of teams make up the tournament games; held in four different gym locations. Assigned to Court 1 in the renowned Proehlific Park facility, I'll spend time producing article features and Twitter coverage of players on this particular court for Day 1 today (5/25). Our other Phenom Hoops' workers will stay busy doing the same.

 

Here's my standouts of Saturday's late afternoon/evening games:

 

 

Game 6: Carolina Pressure 17u vs. Charlotte Nets 17u

  • 5'9' Lloyd Latta '20 ' Charlotte Nets 17u: The lead guard played with a heart much bigger than his size and acted as the anchor for his team's execution. I loved the winning mentality Latta brought onto the court; making the right decisions, playing hard on defense, and using vocal leadership. He played with a passion for his teammates to feed off of and showcased the best playmaking abilities out of any player in Game 5. As Phenom Hoops co-worker, Jamie Shaw, said, Latta's 'the type of guy you always want out there.'
  • 6'3' Demetric Hardin '20 ' Carolina Pressure 7u: An athletic, broad-shouldered guard, Hardin caused all sorts of trouble for the opposing defense whenever he got an open look at the rim. Playing under control with a 'Dwyane Wade-type mindset made him one of the game's best slashers; something that helped Carolina Pressure's offense greatly. He also had a great showing on the boards, attacking it in a great manner for his position. Plenty to like about his competitive mentality.
  • 5'10' Miller Bolin '20 ' Charlotte Nets 17u: Acting as the ideal backcourt mate of Latta, Bolin brought a similar type of effort to the floor with noteworthy hustle and a desire to win at all costs. He performed well as a shooting threat, usually getting his looks from moving around the perimeter constantly and using screens. The lefty looked like a 'microwave guy' who could heat up in certain stretches; this mainly occurred in the second half.

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Game 7: Team United 16u vs. Royal Knights 16u

  • 6'7' Zyshawn Applie '21 ' Royal Knights 16u: The big fella still has some things to work on but I see potential in his imposing size, rebounding, and physicality on defense. Applie works hard to try and ensure nothing easy is let inside; improvement on his vertical lift could help turn him into a better rim protector. Offensively, he's still gaining comfort in that area it seems. Development of post moves will come along'in the meantime, I think he can make a living by consistently crashing the offensive glass.

 

 

Game 8: Team Phoenix Elite 17u vs. Charlotte Nets 17u

  • 6'4' Nathan Chambers '20 ' Charlotte Nets 17u: The heady guard brought a satisfying toughness to the floor early on that helped put his team out in front. Chambers rebounded well on the perimeter and powered his way to the rim, needing few dribbles. He set the tone early on as one of the Nets' main anchors; playing a large reason to why they went on an 8-0 run in the first half.
  • 5'11' Demetrius Washington '20 ' Team Phoenix Elite 17u: No guard looked more athletic than Washington in Game 5'it felt like a challenge trying to keep up with him whenever he pushed the ball up the floor. In addition to his otherworldly speed, I saw some good playmaking out of the guard, using an unselfish attitude to create for others. He didn't shoot too well from the outside, something that can use a bit touching up, but Washington's other forms of production make him an exciting guard who brings plenty of value to his team.
  • 6'2' Jerren Scott '20 ' Team Phoenix Elite 17u: Scott scored in more ways than anyone on the floor with him, putting the ball in the rim by using shooting, drives, stick backs, and free throws. He had one of the biggest roles in Team Phoenix taking over the second half by going on his own offensive outpour. Wherever the ball ended up, Scott had a knack for being right there near it. That versatile scoring should suit him well moving forward and using more of a pull-up should make him turn into a complete bucket-getter.

 

 

Game 9: Pro Skills-Black 17u vs. Denver Nuggets Elite 17u

  • 6'6' Jeremiah Daye '19 ' Denver Nuggets Elite 17u: Daye has many of the necessary requirements of a 'stretch 4-man' with skills that range both inside and out. He shot the ball nicely from distance, using his height advantage to launch it over smaller defenders. He can put the ball on the floor a bit but I felt he often picked it up too soon on his baseline drives; most of those sweeps toward the rim had a chance to be completed if Daye just kept going. Regardless, the senior forward had a major impact and I'm curious to see his decisions unfolding in the incoming months.
  • 6'3' John Bean '19 ' Denver Nuggets Elite 17u: Another unsigned senior on the roster, Bean started grinning after his first made basket and rarely missed afterwards. He played the game smartly by not forcing anything and swished attempts from all over the floor. Scoring looked relatively natural for him, as he racked up points without needing many attempts or space. Defensively, the scoring guard showed his smarts on that end also, knowing when and how to cause turnovers. One of the smoothest scorers of the late afternoon/evening.
  • 6'0' Jeremy Mull '20 ' Pro Skill-Black 17u: While his team suffered a blowout defeat, Mull looked like one of the lone bright spots in using his solid athleticism to attack the rim. His style of going downhill at a good pace kept Denver Nuggets Elite 17u's defenders on their heels. Adding in more shooting, whether it's from spot-up areas or off of the bounce, could work well with the guard's scoring worth. Mull can also use that athleticism to an advantage defensively.

 

 

Game 10: Team Felton 14u vs. PSB Raleigh Team Hamilton 14u

  • 6'0' Treymane Parker '23 ' Team Felton 14u: Already tall for his age and definitely for his position as a primary ball-handler, Parker has the chance to grow into a big-time prospect if he stays the pace. His feel for the game, shifty handle, and high-flying athleticism all looks elite, while he passes the 'eye test' immediately after entering the gym. He has gifted talent and tools'now it's just a matter of if he can continue to build upon it all and keep refining skills as he grows older.

 

 

 

More action continues tomorrow (5/26)! I’ll be switching locations, heading to Dudley High School.