Rick and Patrick both headed out just a few miles down the road to check out the latest surrounding Northside Christian Academy, a program with a great history of intriguing talent for the next level. It looked to be the same once again, as Phenom Hoop Report continues to dominate their coverage with the Phenom Open Gym Tour. We also want to thank coach Erasto Hatchett for his hospitality. He is truly one of the good guys in the business.
But let's not waste time and dive into the roster.
Veteran leadership
2021 6'2 Glynn Hubbard III
Patrick: Hubbard really stood out at the open gym with his ability to create, attack, and affect the game in an array of ways. One thing is for sure is that he may be one of the fastest guards in the state, as there won't be many that can stay in front of him and slow him down from attacking. Hubbard can score on all three levels, push the tempo incredibly well, has an underrated vision, and his handles are strong. When watching him, he could be in for a breakout season for college coaches.
Coach Rick: Glynn Hubbard was clicking on all cylinders Thursday afternoon at open gym. The scoring point guard simply looked sensational as a scorer and dishing out assists. Hubbard went 9-11 from the 3-point line and was dropping the teardrop floater with his 'off-hand' with consistency. Hubbard has speed, quickness, and excellent body control as he knifed his way through the defense time and time again. In addition, Hubbard has terrific handles and outstanding court vision which led to some nifty and precise passing/assists. Hubbard also impressed us with his downhill speed along with his ability to change speeds with the hesitation and stop and go dribble. Look for Hubbard to be one of the surprise players in the Charlotte Metro area and throughout the state.
2020 6'7 Solomon Tucker
Patrick: Division II schools should be taking a look at this young man, as he is fundamentally sound, efficient, and simply a hard worker on the floor. He runs the floor really well, can stretch the offense, and has the ability to handle the ball if needed. He made a lot of those 'extra effort' plays and will be counted on be a big piece around the basket this year.
Coach Rick: Every team needs that one tough dude on the court and Solomon Tucker is just that guy for Northside Christian. Tucker brings a tough blue-collar approach to the game and plays with a junkyard dawg mentality. While Tucker may not be the 'go-to' option for a very talented team, he will score a lot of points. Make no mistake about it, Tucker will bring countless intangibles to the team.
2020 5'11 Najir Underwood
Patrick: Underwood had a solid summer and now is looking to make a good impression this upcoming season. He is a strong point guard and can really move with the ball in his hands. Underwood also can knock down the open jumper and finish strong when the opportunities are there. Also loved his unselfishness on the floor, having his head always up and looking for his teammates that were running the floor.
Coach Rick: Najir Underwood is the type of player that adds effort and consistency to the line-up. He does an excellent job of handling pressure and does a good job of getting the team into half-court offensive sets. In addition, Underwood is a 'low risk, high return' point guard that will take care of the basketball and limit unforced turnovers.
2020 6’7 Jaden Seymour
Seymour is working hard coming off surgery and it seems like everything is going well. He potentially could come back earlier than expected. When he does though, Seymour brings incredible athleticism, skill set, and a high motor that couldn’t certainly bring yet ANOTHER dimension for Northside Christian. It will be interesting to see his athleticism and skillset on the floor and just how much he bounces back on the court.
Role Players
2022 6'3 MJ Collins
Patrick: Coach would describe his game as old school and we think that is the perfect description for him. Collins isn't a flashy type of player by any means but just effective and makes the team better. He just does what is needed for his team to win, whether it is stepping up offensively or on the defensive end.
Coach Rick: MJ Collins simply gets the job done on both ends of the court. He understands his role and relishes the opportunity to make winning plays without having to dominate the ball.
2021 6'4 Gavin Bouldin
Patrick: Talk about an 'extra effort' player, Bouldin is that for this team. He will create that extra couple of possessions for a team to win and coaches odor. He has a tremendous motor on both ends of the floor, has good athleticism, and moves very all on the floor.
Coach Rick: Gavin Bouldin will surprise a lot of people with his bounce, athleticism and sheer hustle. One case in point was a play in which he missed a layup on one end, only to sprint back in transition to create a turnover. This one play told me all I needed to know about Bouldin. Bouldin plays with a passion and purpose and will always be the one player to give maximum effort on both ends of the court.
2020 6'7 Koen Rolleman
Patrick: Rolleman has solid size and can carve out space as well while running the floor and just overall being fundamentally sound with his footwork. He also displayed that he can finish through contact.
Also, keep an eye on 2022 Jalen Mattock and 2021 Elia Korte to provide depth.
Intriguing freshmen class
2023 6'5 Wesley Tubbs
Patrick: The young prospect has tremendous size and length already and shows flashes that he has a chance to be big-time. His mentality on the floor is great already, as he understands how he can create opportunities for himself with his length and size. Tubbs runs the floor well and has that mindset to score the basketball. As he continues to develop his jumper and overall game, he will be a name to remember.
Coach Rick: Since Glynn Hubbard was in another zone, Wesley Tubbs will have to claim to be the second-best player at open gym. We're talking about an ultra-competitive young freshman that will make an immediate impact for coach Erasto Hatchett. Tubbs has excellent length, athleticism, and a matching skill set. He has really good ball-handling and passing skills and can easily run the 'point forward' position at the collegiate level. We were impressed with Tubbs overall game. The southpaw is so active on both ends of the court and will provide a tough match up with his ability to consistently knock down jumpers from all areas on the court.
2023 6'2 Marcus Brown
Patrick: Brown possesses an excellent array of tools that will have programs looking at him early. He has a nice blend of ball-handling, creating skills, and versatility on the floor. That doesn't even mention his early frame, strength, and mindset on both ends of the floor. Brown has the tools to be another big-time player.
2023 6'0 Jahmir Brown
Brown is a thicker, small guard than his brother Marcus but he was able to showcase his jumper over and over again at the open gym. That is something he certainly will do for this team. Just getting back on the court from this summer, Brown provides nice depth as a guard early on.
2023 6'7 Isaiah Sutherland
Sutherland is a bit raw offensively and is still learning the game, just looking to get a feel for how he can be effective and what he can do on the court. But you can't teach size and that he has. Sutherland does present a nice touch around the rim and simply has a ton of upside to him.
2023 G Michael Mitchell
Unselfish guard that plays within himself. He wasn't afraid to knock down open jumpers when left open, was fierce on defense and simply just had an eye for the ball. He played hard and brought great energy to both sides of the floor.