City of Oaks “Thoughts and Storylines”

The inaugural Phenom City of Oaks Classic was a huge success with the Holly Springs vs. Raleigh Trinity game going down as one of the more exciting and entertaining games we have seen this season. 6’10 junior forward Isaiah Todd hit a game winning “walk off” free throw with zero time remaining on the clock to secure an 61-60 upset win over NCHSAA 4A power Holly Springs. Before we get with our final thoughts and storylines, be sure to click and read about the City of Oaks Scoreboard'https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/city-of-oaks-scoreboard/

City of Oaks Leading Scorers'https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/city-of-oaks-leading-scorers/

 

Be sure to check out live game recaps'[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=7pwdduWoKvU&w=560&h=315]

6’3 2021 Elijah Jamison (Louisburg HS) “Wired to Score”

6’3 Elijah Jamison is averaging 30.8 PPG and one of the leading scorers in the state of North Carolina. We’re talking about a strong, physical, athletic and ultra smooth scoring point guard. Jamison has a quick first step and is excellent going left (which is his off hand). Each move is done efficiently and his superb body control allows him to finish effectively at the rim, not to mention a nasty double cross over midrange jumper. Jamison was nearly impossible to keep out of the lane and was fouled often, where he went 8-9 from the free throw line. He has excellent shooting mechanics, terrific extension/follow through, and good back spin and rotation on his shot. Jamison finished with a game high 28 points, but he also has the ability to become a tremendous “on the ball” defender. However, one of his best plays of the game was his left hand pass off the dribble for an assist. That was a big time pass and thus illustrated his sheer overall talent.

 

6’11 2019 Kadin Shedrick (Holly Springs HS)

There’s an old saying, “It’s not where you start, but where you finish is most important,” and this statement could be custom made for Virginia signee Kadin Shedrick. Be sure to check out our article written back in January 2017 “Just the Beginning.”'https://www.phenomhoopreport.com/just-the-beginning-68-2019-kadin-shedrick-holly-springs-hs/' We first watched Shedrick as a young 15 year old sophomore and stated “he was just beginning to scratch the surface on his long range potential. Fast forward to the City of Oaks and his head to head match up against Five Star Isaiah Todd would be the perfect test. In the heartbreaking 61-60 loss to Raleigh Trinity, Shedrick had a monster first half. We 'had him down with 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the first half and clearly showed why he has gained attention on a national level and why he was a high priority for the University of Virginia. Shedrick finished with a double double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.

 

6’10 2020 Isaiah Todd (Raleigh Trinity)

It’s not often you find a 6’10 player that has his skill, athleticism, mobility and fluidness. To put it bluntly, he is truly gifted as a player and has an unbelievable upside. As we have often stated, Isaiah Todd is “oozing with potential.” 'There times he can “fall in love” with the perimeter jumper. That being said, after trailing at the half, Todd made it a priority to establish a low post presence and boy did he ever make a presence. Simply put, Todd put on a dazzling inside/out game and helped rally Raleigh Trinity into the 61-60 win. Todd finished with 20 points (18 coming in the second half). When Todd steps on the accelerator, he can be as good as any player in the country and he did exactly that in the come from behind upset win for Raleigh Trinity.

 

6’1 2019 DJ Robertson (Athens Drive)'

There is no question, 6’1 Northern Kentucky signed DJ Robertson is physically gifted. He has tremendous length, athleticism, and unbelievable ball quickness. His hand speed dribbling the ball is as good as I’ve seen in quite some time, not to mention his ability to score from all three levels. In the game vs. Ravenscroft, Robertson finished with a game high 32 points, including four 3-pointers. More importantly, he is so quick, mobile and fluid off the dribble and was constantly getting to the rim. Our records show Robertson went a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line.

 

6’2 2020 LucRichard Rameau (Ravenscroft)

LucRichard Rameau may not be the flashiest player on the court, but he had one of the most efficient and workmanlike games at the City of Oaks. 'He finished with a team high 30 points. The strong and sturdy combo guard brings a tough, blue-collar approach where he scored constantly near or around the rim, hit the midrange jumper and made a living at the free throw line where he went 12-13. We liked the fact that he just does a little bit of every thing well. He rebounds his position well, defends, and doesn’t mind doing all the little things that doesn’t show up in the boxscore.

 

Word of God: Finding their Groove

Coach Brian Clifton’s Word of God had an impressive 73-65 win over NCHSAA 4A 'Heritage High School of Wake Forest, North Carolina. With the win, Word of God is now 17-5 for the season. In the win over Heritage, it was a total team approach. They ulitilzed their over-all depth and scoring balance to secure the important statement win. Four players for Word of God got into double figures. 6'6 junior Josh Reid had a huge second half burst with 15 points, 6'3 senior Tim Pettiford and 6'6 senior Max Farthing both chipped in 12 points while 6'3 junior Chase Forte added 10.

 

Durham Academy: The Future Looks Bright

While 6’5 freshman sensation MJ Rice 'has been sidelined with an ankle injury, 6’0 sophomore point guard Cole Sinclair 'has been terrific as Durham Academy pushed it record to an impressive 18-3 record. In the game vs. Granville Central, Sinclair finished with a game high 19 points, including five 3-pointers. In addition, we were also impressed with 6’4 sophomore Toby Harris who had 17 points, including four 3-pointers. Between MJ Rice, Cole Sinclair, and Toby Harris, Coach Tim McKenna could be brewing something special at Durham Academy.