At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one 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 underrated, and today's edition will highlight Philipp Kreile of Asheville School.
We've seen Kreile numerous times, including when he attended our Tennessee 150 camp, where we stated, 'Finishing up, we look at a player that possesses a clear amount of long-term potential on both ends of the floor, Philipp Kreile. He's a massive post prospect with size, strength, and quality hands. Kreile positions himself well around the paint to alter shots and collect rebounds, but also knows how to clear out space for post-ups. He doesn't force the action and understands how to run the floor hard in transition. Next in his development process is working to shed some weight and work on becoming laterally quicker, as it would allow him to be a much better all-around defender. Coach Belt on Kreile: 'Philipp is a traditional big man prospect with a great build to work with. He has soft hands and displays soft touch around the basket. I'd bet that Philipp continues to improve throughout his career.' Kreile was certainly one of the most intriguing prospects from camp and will be one to monitor throughout these next two seasons.' Most recently, our Patrick O'Brien caught up with the big man and stated, 'Kriele has put in the man-hours to get his body ready, coming in around 255 these days and schools are continuing to monitor his progress. He was already able to unofficially visit UNCG, Jacksonville, and Elon a while back and continues to talk to those programs, while also having discussions with Stony Brook, FIU, Wofford, VMI, American, and Northern Colorado as well.'
The intrigue is still fairly obvious with someone like Kreile, who possesses incredible size and will only continue to improve over the coming years. He's big, strong, and largely unmovable by opponents in the post. Kreile has worked to develop his all-around offensive skillset but still maintains his interior presence around the basket. He possesses solid hands and rebounds the ball pretty well on either end of the floor. It's easy to see why programs have begun laying groundwork with the big man, as he could become a major piece upon unlocking his long-term abilities.
