The first annual Phenom Hoops Joe Miller Invitational, hosted by our Jamie Shaw and Rick Lewis, is in the books as 16 teams came to support and play in the historic Brogden Hall (Wilmington, NC).
Wilmington, NC – The first annual Phenom Hoops Joe Miller Invitational, hosted by our Jamie Shaw (Left) and Rick Lewis (Right), is in the books as 16 teams came to support and play in the historic Brogden Hall (Wilmington, NC). Here are ten standouts that gave it their absolute all in the four-day event.
Ibrahim Doumbia (Class of 2017 | Miami Country Day School)
Doumbia was one of the most exciting players to watch this past weekend as he dominated his matchups. In his first game against Kinston, he had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. In the second game, he scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds against Word of God as he matched up against UNC signee big man Brandon Huffman. In his third game, against Lincoln Charter, he finished with 25 points and finally on the last day he scored 35 points on 6 made threes against a loaded Hamilton Heights team. The 6-foot-8 physical specimen used his athletic abilities around the basket to grab rebounds over other big men and block shots off the glass. What really caught our eye about Doumbia is his ability to shoot and make shots consistently. In an exclusive interview, we asked the extremely skilled high flyer what he would like to work on to expand his game and he stated, 'I would like to work a lot on my defense because I want to guard every position. I want to have the ability to guard point guards because when I get to South Carolina, they are going to want me to guard everybody.'
Blake Harris (Class of 2017 | Word of God)
Coach Lorenzo Romar and the entire Washington staff got a huge steal with the signing of Blake 'Blizzy' Harris. It is just absurd how low Harris is ranked nationally by some scouting services. In his first game against Greenfield, he went against UNC commit Coby White as Harris scored 17 points dished out 14 assists and grabbed 4 boards. In his second game, he went up against Miami Country Day as he recorded another double-double scoring 12 points, another 14 assists, and grabbing 5 rebounds. For the third game, Harris exploded for 37 points as his team won in overtime. Harris' ability to get others involved play after play is really incredible to watch. He knows and sees plays before it actually happens. When is comes to his team, Harris understands when to score and when to create opportunities for others. His extremely quick first-step allows him to attack the basket with a purpose and around the basket; he is very crafty with the ball.
Aamir Simms (Class of 2017 | Blue Ridge)
Although the Clemson signee had a slow start in the beginning of the event, he picked it up big time as the tournament went on. In his first game against Tug Valley, he recorded 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. On the second day, Simms scored 19 points, crashed 9 boards, and dimed 4 assists. The third game against the Miller School, Simms scored 17 points, and on the last day, Simms finished with 18 points as he and his team took home the championship. At 6-foot-8, Simms dominated around the basket as he used his elite post moves to score inside the paint. With Clemson's assistant coach Steve Smith watching, Simms displayed his ability to put the ball on the floor at times while showing his solid mid-range and his occasional three ball. Clemson, overall, has a good incoming 2017 class, as A.J. Oliver, Clyde Trapp, and Malik William will join Simms.
Coby White (Class of 2018 | Greenfield School)
The 6-foot-3 UNC commit is a pure scorer who was in the conversation this past weekend for being the best player. In his first game, against Washington signee Blake Harris, he scored 29 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, had 3 assists, and blocked 2 shots. On the second day, he had 28 points, 12 boards, and 2 assists against Kinston. In his third appearance, he finished with 30 points and 5 rebounds against New Hanover and finally on the last day, he had another 30-point game as he played Virginia Academy. White's natural ability to score the ball on three levels is unbelievable. When his shot is not falling, he does a great job of driving to the basket to draw the foul or finish through contact. White is very elite in transition as he is one of, if not the best, finishers around the basket in the event. Also, White's passing ability is sometimes overlooked because of his scoring tactics. Roy Williams and UNC staff should be looking forward to working with the combo guard in the future.
Qudus Wahab (Class of 2019 | Virginia Academy)
This is another prospect that was very intriguing and whose upside is off the charts. His first game, against Oldsmar Christian, he scored 8 points and grabbed an incredible 16 rebounds. In the second game, he had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Wahab does a phenomenal job when it comes to rebounding as he uses his size and length to crash the boards on both ends of the floor. Offensively, not only does Wahab have post moves inside, he showed his ability to run the floor very well and to connect on a mid-range once in a while. The four-star prospect carries offers from Virginia Tech and Clemson while he has interest from the likes of UVA, Temple, SMU, and Providence.
