This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to Fort Mill, South Carolina for our second annual JMAC Showcase. We partner with former NBA player and North Carolina legend Jeff McInnis to bring together some of the top talent from around the region. This year's field had a considerable amount of college-level prospects in addition to some of the most intriguing up-and-coming players, which we'll take a closer look at here'

 

6'2 '22 LeBron Thomas (Florence International)

By now, most folks should know about LeBron Thomas, especially due to how unstoppable he's been throughout this current travel season. Playing up an age group and always on triple-double watch, Thomas is truly starting to grow into a special type of talent. He's smart, poised, and an excellent leader by example. Thomas' vision and passing instincts are downright special, which simply makes everyone around him better. His jumper continues to improve, but attacking the basket is still his most reliable scoring avenue. Thomas rebounds the ball at a high level for a guard and pushes transition play incredibly well. He's very problematic for the opposition in the open floor and knows how to control the tempo with the ball in his hands. Thomas is sharp defensively, both on and off-ball, and forces turnovers at an exceptional rate. It's still early, but college coaches need to familiarize themselves with Thomas, as he has the chance to become unstoppable.

 

6'4 '20 Ford Cooper (Team Charlotte)

The Team Charlotte organization has a ton of recruitable pieces, but Ford Cooper has arguably been their most impressive prospect this year. For starters, he's shooting the absolute cover off the ball against all levels of competition and now looks ready to take the next step in his development. Cooper can do a variety of things on the court, from being the lead creator to spotting-up away from the ball, and impacts the game extremely well with his offensive repertoire. He possesses quality feel, passing vision, and incredible shot-making abilities'at any degree of difficulty. It's almost impossible to understand how Cooper doesn't have more scholarship offers, especially given how he's performed over the recent months. He has a long list of attractive qualities and will only continue to grow as a prospect. If he can continue this level of play, expect Cooper to collect at least another three to five offers over the summer.

 

6'1 '22 Anthony Breland (Team United)

In terms of underclassmen, no prospect stood out more than Anthony Breland. He's incredibly smart, smooth, and offers a phenomenal blend between scoring and playmaking. Breland scores the ball with great efficiency from all three levels and is capable of creating for himself or others quite effortlessly off the bounce. He mixes it up regularly on offense and knows how to keep the opposition guessing. Breland finishes well with either hand when attacking the basket, but also displays the necessary craftiness to make some brilliant passes. He's added strength and grown over the last few months, which have made him an even better rebounder and defender. Breland maintains a high IQ and calm demeanor at all times, but simply exudes confidence with his on-court play. Jaden Bradley and Jalen Hood-Schifino have established themselves atop North Carolina's Class of 2022, however, Breland deserves to have his name included amongst the state's elite guards.

 

6'0 '20 Trevon Williams (DTA Elite)

There are a lot of scholarship-worthy prospects in North Carolina, and Trevon Williams has definitely solidified himself as one. He's long, smart, athletic, and plays with genuine intensity on both ends of the floor. Williams is a leader in basically every facet of the game, from communication to setting up others to causing havoc on defense, and does a phenomenal job of setting the tone with this group. He handles the ball with care, displays quality vision, and utilizes his length incredibly well to overwhelm opponents. Williams creates for himself or others with relative ease, able to knock down jumpers at a nice clip or attack the basket and finish well above the rim. He's extremely comfortable and makes a ton of plays in transition. Defensively, Williams forces so many turnovers with his length and ability to intercept passing lanes, which leads to easy fast-break buckets. There's no real knock on Williams and college coaches should realize that sooner than later.

 

6'3 '23 Ra'Shaun Robinson (Team United Floyd)

The youngest player on this list is Ra'Shaun Robinson, who was arguably the top overall performer at York Comprehensive on Sunday. He was absolutely unstoppable when working around the basket, displaying poise, touch, and a firm understanding of his skillset. Robinson handles and passes the ball particularly well for his size, but typically looks to operate inside in order to take advantage of his length and strength. He moves well and displayed quality athleticism, which caused problems for the opposition on the glass and allowed him to rebound the ball at a high level on both ends of the floor. Robinson is young and productive, but also just beginning to truly scratch the surface of his abilities. If his trajectory continues at this rate, then folks will certainly need to get acquainted with this young man.