This past Saturday, Phenom Hoops traveled down to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to watch the 9Dime Fall League. Three things come to mind when you think of Fayetteville: Fort Bragg, J. Cole, and basketball. Let's just begin by saying Fayetteville is one of the best basketball cities in the state of North Carolina. Fayetteville is a hot bed for basketball talent, and it was on full display this past Saturday.
TLEW'S TOP 6
D'Marco Dunn 6'4 2021 (UNC Commit)
This was my first time being able to see D'Marco Dunn in person. I left the gym saying, 'This kid is special.' The University of North Carolina is getting a great basketball player. The game looked so easy for him on Saturday. At times I thought he could've been more aggressive. But if that's the only negative, I'm taking him on my team every day. Dunn showed that he was able to score at all 3 levels. He opened the game with a 3 pointer and didn't slow down. The one thing that really stood out to me was his shiftiness and ability to use his body when the ball was in his hands. Dunn played with great pace and got to his spots. Even though Dunn showed multiple ways of putting the ball in the basket, he also illustrated his selflessness my making the right passes / plays.
Davis Molnar 6'6 2022
If you are looking for a player who is going to make the right basketball play 10 out of 10 times – he's your guy. His knowledge and basketball IQ is way ahead of his time. His game may look slow, but he plays with tremendous pace and is able to get to his spots whenever he wants. At 6'6 Davis is able to make reads / passes on the court that not a lot of players are able to make. For example, in the game Saturday he would get a rebound and make an outlet pass for a lay-up with either hand. His ability to make passes with both hands makes him lethal in a pick and roll situation. Even though his team lost in overtime, Davis did everything he could to lead his team to victory. Davis finished the game with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. The 15 rebounds really stood out to me, but I shouldn't have been surprised because he battled every single possession. Once he secured the defensive rebound, he did an exceptional job pushing the ball in transition.
Isaiah Washington 6'4 2023
He is a scoring / athletic wing who made winning play after winning play on Saturday. He had a rebound tip in to send the game into overtime. In the final minutes of overtime, he had a 3-point play which put his team in the lead. Even though these plays stand out, these were not the only plays he made that led to his team winning. Isaiah is long and already has a great frame for his age. Throughout the game he illustrated his scoring abilities by knocking down 3's, pull ups, and getting to the rim. He has great touch on his shot. Isaiah finished the game with 21 points. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw his recruitment take off.
Trey Parker 6'2 2023
Three words that describe Trey are: confident, aggressive and athletic. I really loved how aggressive he was from the beginning of the game until the end. I think we all know how athletic he is. He is a human highlight film when he gets the ball in transition. I'm pretty sure he and Davis Molnar will have some unbelievable highlight plays this year. With this being said, he is a great cutter and has a knack for slipping behind the defense. Not only is he athletic, but he is a really good basketball player. On Saturday, he illustrated not only creating shots for himself but for his teammates as well. He knocked down multiple shots from the perimeter and finished the game with 17 points.
Tristen Harkins 6'1 2022
Tristen plays with a lot of swagger. He wasn't scared of the big moments in the game. He stepped up and knocked in 2 ft's in overtime that sealed the game. He is a crafty scoring point guard in which he finished the game with 18 points. I was really impressed with his ability to score at the rim. He finished several lay-ups / floaters over bigger defenders. Tristen and Isaiah will be a really hard duo to slow down this year.
Joshua Thompson-Parker 6'2 2021
Joshua played extremely hard on both sides of the ball and didn't take a play off on Saturday. He was active in gaps / passing lanes on defense which led to multiple deflections, steals, and blocks. His constant energy was felt on both the offensive and defensive glass. Joshua was much more than an energy guy on Saturday, he also tallied 21 points which included hitting four 3's.
Best of the Rest
Tyrone Barbee
Long, lanky, lefty! Tyrone is extremely athletic. He changed the game around the rim by altering and blocking shots. The lefty stepped out and also knocked down two 3's on the offensive end.
Alvin Singleton
Small, confident, scoring combo guard. 'SHOOTER' He believed every shot was going in. He showed great energy both when he was on the court an on the bench.
Darion Young
Darion illustrated his leadership and playmaking abilities on Saturday. He is a small guard, but he made up for his size with his toughness and willingness to make winning plays. (Taking Charges and Getting on the Floor For Loose Balls) It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog and he definitely has the fight.
