Phenom Hoops continued to hit the road for the most exciting time of the year (to some). Part of the Open Gym tour, Patrick O’Brien headed out to the Greensboro area to watch the talent that the Bengals of Greensboro Day School will be bringing this season.
Coach Freddy Johnson, the legend, is back with another talented group but with several new names that will quickly be names you will want to get familiar with. A program ready to roll and looking for yet another title, let’s dive into the roster and players.
2023 Jaydon Young: Young is not a new name to fans around North Carolina and he has a chance to be something special for this team. He will now be one of the go-to guys on this team and will have the attention of all teams. How will he handle it' That will be interesting to watch but he has worked hard on his body, showing he can be a scorer on all three levels and a difference-maker on both ends of the court.
2021 Cam Leake: Leake is one that provides energy off the bench and adds depth, giving GDS another option to provide key minutes at the guard position. He plays tough and plays with a good IQ as well on the court.
2022 Jackson Noble: A 6’7 prospect that has continued to improve since seeing him last year on the court with GDS. Noble is one that will be able to play and guard down in the post and will need to, but also stretch the defense with is improved shot from mid-range and beyond.
2021 Tyler Lundblade: Coming from Texas, Lundblade will be a critical piece to this team early on and all throughout the season. He brings good size at 6’5 and just getting our first look at him, he looks like he could be one of the vocal leaders for this team. As far as his game, this kid is a knockdown shooter from all areas of the court. Lundblade has a smooth, high release and understands how to impact the game in multiple ways.
2022 Mike Zanoni: Zanoni is yet another 6’5 shooter, giving Greensboro Day another threat from the perimeter. He shows a confident shot with range, squaring up, getting his feet set, and knocking them down. Even in practice, he was showing that he can pull-up off the dribble or you could really use him in pick-and-pop situations well. May be the best shooter on this team but there are quite of few that will be competing for that.
2022 Nikolas Graves: Graves won’t be a player that is going to lead the team in scoring all the time but he will play a critical role for this team. He will be the spoon that stirs the drink, using his IQ and ball-handling, his vision and understanding in finding his teammates, and his ability to attack and score. His blend of scoring and distributing will be key for this team.
2022 Vernon “CJ” Collins: Collins was a big get for this program. Before, this is a team that had length but not a ton of legit size down low. This is where CJ can step in and help, as he brings a 6’10 long frame, he is agile and comfortable stepping out, but can also be a rim-protector. And he is still developing into his full game.
2023 Julius Reese: Reese has a tremendous frame already for someone in the 2023 class. Strong built and sturdy, he uses that well when he gets downhill and gets to the rim, embracing contact and finishing. Reese is going to only get better overall as a player, as he continues to put in the work with his shot and more.