This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our Grassroots TOC to kick off the first LIVE period of the spring season. The event featured an abundance of standouts; many of which were unsigned seniors still battling for their chance to be seen by coaches of the appropriate level. Regardless, there was translatable talent at every turn. Over the last few months, we’ve really tried to highlight deserving prospects who continue to fall by the wayside simply due to college coaches prioritizing the portal. That said, it would be impossible to ignore everything that 5’11 Marcus Willis and 6’0 Maxwell Coles have done for the Mint Hill Lakers.
In starting with Willis, he should be a proven entity to college coaches at this point. He’s a balanced floor general with a quick first step and the ability to apply scoring pressure or set up others on a consistent basis. Offensively, Willis can fill it up in a hurry when necessary—but also shows clear emphasis on setting the floor and spreading the ball around. He makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands and does a nice job of running a team as a primary ball-handler. Willis is also a scrappy defender with an understanding of how to force turnovers and reliably push the break in transition. He also battles to make his presence felt on the glass. Willis just received an offer from UNC Pembroke, so it’ll be interesting to follow the remainder of his recruitment.
On the other side, Coles should also appeal to quite a variety of different programs. He’s an all-around guard with the adaptability to operate in multiple types of roles. Coles can initiate the offense or play alongside a primary ball-handler. He can create for himself or others, and apply efficient scoring pressure from all three levels. Coles is a rugged defender with nice activity and anticipation, which regularly leads to transition play. He’s capable of doing a little bit of everything within the flow of the action. Coles offers an incredibly steady presence on either side of the ball, and should be able to carve out a useful role wherever he ultimately ends up.