At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of 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 underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Marc Raye of RJ Reynolds.
Raye has previously attended our camps, where our Colby Lewis stated, “MJ is a lefty point guard who has the ability to create for himself and others. As the son of a coach, he extends this leadership while on the floor. He welcomes being held accountable and wants to be coached. As a coach, that is what you look for in your point guard. He can really handle the basketball, and is able to penetrate the defense and find teammates for open shots. He controls the tempo of the game and knows when to push the ball in transition versus when to slow it down and get the team a good shot. MJ has a nice perimeter shot and showed the ability to knock down the three-point shot off both the catch and the bounce at an efficient clip. The next step in his development will be finishing through contact more consistently.”
Since transferring to RJ Reynolds from Albemarle, Raye has picked up right where he left off. He’s leading the team in points and assists while consistently showcasing his ability to run a team or apply scoring pressure in various different ways. Raye is a pesky defender, especially for his size, and regularly intercepts passing lanes to force turnovers and push transition play. He’s fairly adaptable and can effectively coexist without requiring the ball in his hands. Raye is a useful spot-up threat with the quickness to attack closeouts and keep opposing defenses on their toes. He makes smart decisions as a creator and defends bigger than his size would imply. Raye definitely has the tools and ability to be a nice guard at the next level, so it’ll be interesting to see what schools get involved going forward.