Phenom Hoops was all around the region this past weekend for team camps in North Carolina and South Carolina. Down in South Carolina, it was a great opportunity to check in on teams, check on some of the top players, but also learn a few new names as well. Here are just a few storylines that we had coming away from this weekend.
Top Talents Continue to Shine
As we all know, South Carolina has had some special talents come rolling through the state and that trend seems to be continuing with what we saw down in Rock Hill. Though GG Jackson wasn't on display at the event, we had a great chance to watch a few other premier prospects including 2024 Cam Scott with Lexington and 2023 Jordan Butler with Christ Church School. Scott really looked strong all throughout his time on the court, showing how dynamic he can be on the court, his athleticism, his ability to score in a variety of ways, and his vision on the floor (something I don't think he gets credit for all the time). He showed why he is so highly ranked in the class of 2024. Butler, a 6'11 big man, led the charge for Christ Church, showing that he can be a huge presence down in the paint but also be a matchup nightmare with his ability to pop out and knock down shots. These were just two of the top players, but we also got a chance to watch 2024 Justin Ray, 2024 Julen Iturbe, 2023 Collin Murray-Boyles, and several others who also stood out.
There are plenty of new, young names to start getting familiar with
South Carolina looks to be in good hands in the future with the young talent that is coming through the state and trust me, there are going to be quite a few names that you will hear at the national level. 2025 Treyvon Maddox was special once again, now playing with Gray Collegiate. 2025 Jordan Watford left a lasting impression with many scouts and college coaches this weekend, as the 6’4 prospect really displayed his full impact on the court. 2025 Tristan Thompson caught some eyes, 2025 Brian Sumpter intrigued, 2025 Kaleb Evans opened some eyes, and several other names made our list and will be ones to watch. And that can go for the class of 2026 already, as 2026 Elton Smith quickly grabbed our attention at Keenan and should be one to watch nationally. But there were several other young prospects that really opened eyes in what could be a nice freshman class down in South Carolina.
Several teams grabbed our attention
There were several teams that really captured our attention during the LIVE period down in South Carolina. Now granted, I wasn’t able to see all teams in action over the weekend but there were a few that impressed. One team that you will for sure want to see is Gray Collegiate, as they are explosive, have tremendous athletes, gritty guards, and several young players to watch out for. They were must-see TV for college coaches all weekend long. Dorman looked strong with their guard play once again, as they should be a force once again in South Carolina. Ridge View looked strong once again as well. But there are several other programs that opened our eyes; AC Flora looked strong, Irmo had their moments, Sumter played well, Lexington had strong moments, and schools like North Augusta, Eastside, Clover, Gaffney, Nation Ford, Spring Valley, and others had shining moments throughout the weekend.
