We are almost through day one of the #Phenom3G event this weekend and there has been plenty of high level basketball played over here at Freedom Christian Academy/Sports Complex.  First of all I want to give a huge shoutout to the staff here at the facility for being gracious and helpful in every way imaginable this weekend.  Second off I want to give another shoutout to the city of Fayetteville for packing the stands in a MAJOR way all day today supporting these young men play the game they love and hopefully make a name for themselves doing so.  We don’t have a ton of events in the city, but they always make us feel at home when we’re here and that doesn’t go unnoticed.

There have been a lot of basketball, with a lot of kids trying to make a name for themselves so since this is the #Phenom3G showcase, I’m gonna take a look at three major takeaways from the action thus far today.

Josiah Shackleford is 100% a Mid-Major + Kind of Player

Shackleford was absolutely sensational today and is looking to continue the proud legacy of the late great Charles Shackleford.  The two are in fact related, but I’m not 100% sure of Josiah is amphibious like his family member. Josiah is starting to get comfortable with his size and if he reclassifies to the 2020 class as expected, there is no doubt in my mind mid-major schools have to be all in on the talented big man.  Most of Eastern North Carolina already knows how special Josiah can be, but the rest of the state hasn’t completely woken up yet, but the alarm is ringing and they need to get out of bed because Josiah is here… get ready for him.

6’4 2020 MJ Wilkerson is Simply a BAD DUDE

Wilkerson is quite possibly the most electric and intense player I’ve seen in a while and he did not disappoint today in the ville, living up to the hype and proving he might be better than some originally thought.  The Southern Durham star can play 4 positions at this level at a high level, while understanding his role at that point in the game and playing it to a tee.  He started out the first game of the day as the primary ball handler and by the end of the game he was in the post backing guys 3 inches taller than him down and getting AND1’s letting those defenders know what he just did to them.  He wears that bull city toughness on his sleeves at all times and embraces the kind of player he is while understanding his few limitations allowing him to play at just about the most efficient level possible.  Coaches need to get in on him now before it’s too late.

5’11 Wesley Case Doesn’t Care Who You Are, He’s Going to Kill

Wesley Case is the kind of guy that looks like be belongs on a baseball field, but the Guard from Goldsboro is simply electric on the basketball court.  He plays with that alpha-dawg (yes I know I spelled it that way) mentality at all times, whether it’s rifling full court outlet passes or attacking in transition beating two guys off the dribble only to be fouled by the third.  He rolled his shorts up, strapped up the hot pink Nike’s and went to work.  Case is simply a force on the court no matter who’s guarding him and is certainly one to watch moving forward throughout the summer and the rest of his High School Career.