Phenom Hoops travelled to Lincolnton to cover Combine Academy's open gym. ACC head coaches Steve Forbes of Wake Forest and Mike Young of Virginia Tech were in attendance along with assistant coaches from VCU, Western Carolina and College of Charleston. Head Coach Mike Wright has assembled a team that will be in the conversation as one of the premier high school teams in the country. Combine has a nice blend of experience (Silas Demary Jr. and Collin Tanner) along with national level juniors Trentyn Flowers and Rakease Passmore, not to mention an excellent bench coach in Mike Wright. The pieces are all in place and this year's Combine team could be one of the best teams they have ever assembled. Now, let's take a closer look at some of the key members of this year's team.
6'4 '23 Silas Demary Jr.
Fresh off his official visit to NC State, Demary looked exceptional in open gym. He's a strong, physical, downhill pass-touch point guard that has the ability to score from all three levels. Demary was terrific from the 3-point line and the right-handed floor general is tremendous going left utilizing a crafty and nifty hesitation dribble. Simply put, Demary has the complete package and will provide vocal leadership from the point guard position and should be in consideration as a top 40 prospect nationally.
6'6 '24 Rakease Passmore
Passmore continues to get better and better in every outing. The strong and explosive wing may have as much athleticism as any player in the absolutely loaded North Carolina 2024 class. While Passmore shot 42% from the 3-point line last season for AC Reynolds, he is still somewhat underrated as an efficient and productive 3-point shooter. Passmore has excellent extension, follow-through, arch and backspin which will allow him to become a consistent and reliable scoring threat from the beyond the arch. In addition, Passmore has an explosive first step and has tremendous body control as he plays above the rim. Shortly after open gym, Virginia Tech offered Passmoor
6'6 '23 Collin Tanner
Kudos for the University of Richmond for securing his commitment sooner rather than later. Tanner provides another 3-level scorer that can score from the 3-point line or use this body and frame to score from the midrange area. In addition, Tanner is the perfect complement to Demary and Passmore in what could be used as an interchangeable backcourt trio. We were impressed with his overall play and confidence on the court.
6'8 '23 Kendall Campbell
What's not to like about a strong, physical low-post presence that plays with energy and a full-throttle approach to the game. Campbell has a big-time motor but impressed us with his vocal leadership on the court. In addition, Campbell sports an impressive 7'0 wingspan and plays much bigger than his listed height. He's the type of workhorse that may just be the 'X factor' for coach Mike Wright and the Combine Goats.
6'9 '24 Trentyn Flowers
While Flowers was sidelined with an ankle injury, we got a glimpse of this perimeter shooting. He has a velvet touch from the beyond the 3-point line and is considered a top 10 prospect nationally in the 2024 class.
