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 Trent Gerald of Ardrey Kell High School.
We've seen Gerald throughout his high school journey, as our Patrick O'Brien recently stated, 'The season is quickly approaching, and Phenom Hoops is extremely excited about all the teams and players that will be in action. It will be interesting to see who steps up and makes their presence known more this high school season and one player that could see an increase in his final season is 2023 6'6 Trenton Gerald. The younger brother of Peyton Gerald who is now at Catawba College, Trenton could see his role increase even more this year at Ardrey Kell and be a key piece for his team in what he provides. He has certainly put in the work this summer and his body/game has continued to develop. And when you talk about his game, Gerald continues to get stronger and uses his strong frame to his advantage, whether it is battling and being physical on the boards or getting putbacks and scoring around the basket.'
Although Gerald is currently averaging 5.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG, he's the type of player whose value cannot be accurately depicted from raw stats. His motor, toughness, and incredibly unselfish two-way identity are what make him such an obvious difference-maker. This season, Gerald has taken the third-most charges (25) in the entire state while playing with nonstop energy and filling in the gaps however possible. He's a capable finisher but doesn't look to force the action, and understands how to consistently do the little things on both ends of the floor. Every team needs a selfless player like Gerald, so it'll be interesting to see where he ultimately ends up at the next level.