Phenom Open Gym: Covenant Day
For first year head coach, Michael Laney, is without question the right person to help rebuild Covenant Day. First of all, Coach Laney is a man of faith, deeply committed to teaching the game the right way and is excited about the challenging opportunity that lies ahead. Playing in the NCISAA 4A Charlotte Independent Conference, he is literally being thrown into the fire with the likes of Providence Day, Cannon School, Charlotte Latin, Charlotte Christian, Charlotte Country Day and Metrolina Christian, which is one of the best conferences in the state along with the best coaches in the state. Definitely, this is not a job for the “faint of heart,” but one thing is crystal clear, Coach Michael Laney is built different. He has the mental stamina and fortitude that is needed and in our opinion will get the job done in due time.
With any coaching change at the high school or college level, roster changes soon follow and Coach Laney will be starting from scratch. 6’10 Iffy Ufochukwu graduated and signed with Rice. Brothers Jahmir and Marcus Brown transferred to Chambers, while 6’9 Michael Marcus transferred to Carmel Christian and DJ Boyce transferred to Cox Mill. To put it bluntly, Coach Laney inherited a team that lost approximately 95% of his scoring from last season. 6’3 sophomore Chris Rivens returns and will be the cornerstone of the program moving forward. While most coaches would be singing the blues about the upcoming season, one would never get feeling of anxiety with first year head coach, Michael Laney.
Watching the hour long workout, we were impressed with his knowledge of the game and especially the attention to detail in coaching fundamentals. That being said, let’s take a closer look at the players that will be contributing to Covenant Day.
6’3 ’25 Chris Rivens
Without question, Rivens is the heart and soul of the team. He’s a strong, fundamentally sound combo guard that can play on or off the ball. Regarded as one of the top players in his class around the state, Rivens will be relied upon to lead the team as a sophomore, which he is fully capable of doing. We’re talking about a young man that is advanced beyond his age/grade for his athleticism and overall skillset. He brings a no nonsense approach to the game and his business-like approach will be needed in developing the new culture at Covenant Day. Look for Rivens to have a breakout year that separates himself from his peers in the North Caolina 2025 class.
6’7 ’24 Walker Olshefski
Walter will be size to the roster. He has good mobility and has adequate range on his jump shot. He has the ability to step out and knock down perimeter shots or score from the paint. Walter has a strong work ethic and willingness to learn and improve.
6’0 ’24 Patrick Penoski
Patrick has solid fundamentals and the ability to score effectively from the perimeter. He has a quick shooting stroke and could provide valuable minutes at the shooting guard position. He worked extremely work in open.
5’11 ’24 Elijah Green
Elijah transferred in from Combine Academy. Always known for his grittiness and competitiveness on both ends of the court, Elijah will be a valuable member in the backcourt for Covenant Day. He has excellent quickness and ability to knock down perimeter shots, not to mention the ability to dribble drive into the paint area where he can create scoring opportunities for himself or teammates.
6’1 ’24 Niles Shipp
Niles just does a lot of things well. He’s a very coachable young player that put forth maximum effort on every drill. He’s the type of player that plays well within the framework of the game and understands his role.