From the Sidelines

Queen City Middle School Showcase
Team Preview
Team Charlotte 14U

Phenom Hoop Report is well known in bringing quality camps and tournaments to the high school level and now we will be doing the same for the middle school age groups. The inaugural Queen City Middle School Showcase will feature some of the top travel ball programs in the seventh and eighth grade. The weekend of February 24-25 will kick off action at Olympic High School and surrounding gyms/schools in the area. Today, we want to take a look at Team Charlotte 14U coached by Derius McInnis.

Team Charlotte has built an impeccable reputation as one of the top travel ball teams in the state and especially their older teams are quite well known nationally, not to mention winning the Under Armor 17U championship two summers ago. Team Charlotte has built their program around the abundance of talent in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area and this team is no different.

6'3 '22 Jalen Hood-Schifino (Charlotte, NC)


We've had an opportunity to watch Jalen Hood-Schilfino several times at our NC Junior Phenom camp. As a matter of fact, he played so well and showcased so much potential, we invited him back to the NC Phenom 150 camp which is for high school players. From our 2017 fall NC Phenom 150 camp, we wrote the following. 'Despite being one of the few eight graders in attendance, he didn't play like he was the young player in camp. He has a chance to be a special player, a player who will be known throughout the country. Jalen was comfortable on the ball, running the show. He has great ball handling skills and passed the ball extremely well.' In speaking with coach Derius McInnis dovetailed our evaluations. He stated, 'Jalen is a fun player to watch. He gets his teammates involved and is our playmaker. Jalen can use either hand equally and does a phenomenal job of rebounding for his position.' Simply put, Jalen has a chance to be a very special player if he continues to stay motivated and keeps working. His upside is tremendous!

5'8 '22 Jordan Crawford (Charlotte, NC)


Jordan Crawford is another player we have watched countless times at our Phenom camps. He's a guard that can play with or without the ball, as he possesses the ball handling to run the team and the shooting necessary to demand attention off-ball. Crawford shot the ball fairly well and had some sauce in his handle; he was always looking up for others and did a quality job of distributing the ball. He displayed a nice IQ and should only continue to improve given his nicely rounded game. In speaking with coach Derius McInnis, he stated, 'Jordan is a very special player with a strong midrange shooting game off the dribble which you don't see at his early age. He can also shoot it from deep. You can tell he has spent some quality time in the gym. When the defense presses up on his jumper, he simply side steps and uses a quick release to get his shot up from another space on the floor. His court awareness and IQ are pretty amazing for an athlete of his age. He always knows how to score in difficult situations which will be a problem for area defenders. As great as he can be offensively, his tenacious defense is even better. Crawford is a great student of the game with an incredible upside.'

6'1 '22 Bralen Hamrick (Charlotte, NC)

Bralen Hamrick just may be the team's glue guy. He has a tough hard nose approach to the game and will battle for position and rebounds on both ends of the court. He's active and aggressive and what you expect out of a Team Charlotte player. Coach Derius McInnis stated, 'Bralen finishes around the rim. He has soft hands and good footwork. He's a great rebounder and advanced defender, especially in weak side help. This kid has a strong upside and a name to remember.'

6'1 '22 Sam Cogan (Charlotte)

Shooters translate and one thing is for certain, Sam Cogan can flat shoot the cover off the ball. He can shoot off the dribble/bounce or in a catch and shoot situation. Coach Derius McInnis stated, 'Sam is such a skilled shooter. In addition, he has excellent court vision and a strong finisher at the rim. Sam is a talent and has good athleticism.'