By: Cooper Hart
On Thursday morning, Phenom Hoops stopped into Trinity Academy workouts in Raleigh to check out the 2023-24 Tigers. Coach Burrell will be working with a lot of underrated and unproven talent this season.
6’2” ’25 Kamran Prince
Prince impressed with his athleticism and reliable nature. He was the best player on the floor, dominating the game by doing a handful of small things at an elite level. He limits turnovers, finishes at the rim consistently, knocks down open jumpers, and applies great pressure on the ball defensively. His breakthrough onto the statewide scene is overdue and should come this winter with the Tigers.
6’6” ’25 Evan Dean
Dean worked well all morning as a quality shooting threat, both off the catch and the move. He has great footwork when setting himself up behind the arc and has a knack for knowing how to space the floor properly. He’s continuing to grow defensively and as he comes along expect Coach Burrell to his him a variety of interesting ways on that end of the floor. He showed flashes as an all-around scorer and will be an x-factor for this group in important games come February.
6’1” ’25 Parker Bye
Bye was the vocal leader throughout the morning, setting the tone on both ends of the floor. He stood out as a knockdown shooter and showed that he can hit shots off the dribble when needed. His athleticism popped more than expected as he consistently finished at and around the rim, absorbing contact well. He also was able to slide his feet and rotate quickly against bigger and more athletic matchups.
6’3” ’26 Cameron Bynum
Bynum is an unknown name out of the Raleigh area that should make a lot of buzz this winter. He’s a long and wiry guard that plays at his own pace and has a great two-way skillset. He has smooth shooting mechanics, can score in the mid-range, creates for others off drives, and switches 1-3 defensively. He’s incredibly fundamentally sound and has a natural feel for the game. He’ll be a name that quietly trends upwards in NC’s 2026 class.
6’3” ’26 Owen Tucker
Tucker was solid all morning, working as a low-maintenance forward who plays hard and knows his role. He does a good job of maintaining a presence on the glass, eating up rebounds and being a constant pest for opponents to worry about. He plays hard defensively and makes up for a lack of elite athleticism with his motor and general toughness. He showed strides offensively as a undersized forward and should provide useful minutes off the bench for an otherwise smaller rotation.
6’1” ’27 DJ West
West has a ton of intrigue as a prospect, possessing good positional size and a high feel for the game. He has good length for his size, able to guard up or down positions as needed. He has solid shooting mechanics, finishes around the rim well, and was able to impact the game defensively in a variety of ways. Given the skillset, size, and feel, West’s potential is high, and it will be interesting to see how the flashes come together this winter.
6’4” ’27 Wesley Hillsdale
Hillsdale has a very high floor as he’s a quality shooter, rebounder, and defender while not eating up shots, dribbles, or touches. He stood out as one of the more reliable players in attendance, rarely wavering in his ability to impact the game offensively and playing with a good motor defensively. His shooting will be what gets him on the court this year but his overall ability as a shot maker and a potentially versatile defender will make him an enticing prospect later down the line.