At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over a hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and under-recruited, and today's edition will highlight Justin Monden from Word of God Academy.
We've seen Monden really blossom over the last few years, recently stating, 'Starting things off, we look at a player who offers a very steady, reliable two-way presence, regardless of setting, Justin Monden. He's a smart, unselfish, well-rounded point guard prospect with an excellent balance between playmaking and three-level scoring. Monden displays pace, patience, and great vision when initiating or looking to create off the bounce. He's a lethal midrange shooter who can finish with craftiness or consistently hit jumpers from beyond the arc. Monden is also a scrappy defender who rebounds the ball well for his size/position. Next in his development process is working to get stronger, as it would only help prepare him for the increased physicality at the next level. Coach Goodman on Monden: 'Justin is a high-IQ point guard. Willing passer and defender. Shoots well off the catch and bounce. Needs to get a little stronger to not get bumped off his spot. Must become a vocal leader on the floor and control the game when there is chaos. Justin can work on taking over when his team is about to self-destruct.' Monden did a lot of things well at camp, and should be a target for various programs during his upcoming senior season at Word of God.'
Since then, Monden has only further reaffirmed his capabilities whilst shining as a key cog for the Holy Rams. After taking over as the starting floor general, he's posted averages of 10 PPG, 4 RPG, 4 APG, and 1.5 SPG while shooting the ball at a high percentage from the floor and beyond the arc. Many of these notable showings have come against the likes of Rob Dillingham, Bryce Warren, Trey Parker, Naas Cunningham, the Thompson twins, and the rest of the highly touted guards in OTE. Although there's been a lot of discussion about the league in general, it shouldn't take away from Monden and what he provides as a steady, reliable two-way presence. He’s a low-maintenance player with IQ, toughness, and the ability to consistently adapt to whatever the team needs. Monden's combination of playmaking and perimeter shooting allows him to cause problems for opponents with or without the ball in his hands. He's a great defender with sharp quickness and anticipation for forcing turnovers'both in the passing lanes and at the point of attack. Add in his academics (4.0 GPA, AP course load, etc.) and everything he accomplished at Heritage High School, and Monden would be an obvious asset to a variety of scholarship-level programs. Though he holds offers from Shaw and Georgia Southwestern, more schools would be wise to get involved.