Phenom Hoops has seen hundreds upon thousands of players come through our doors over the years, which naturally allows us to see all types of different situations and circumstances. Take an unusual path for example, like Isaiah Ray, who has been a noteworthy name throughout the last two years. Originally at Dudley High School, Ray saw very limited playing opportunities prior to his junior season. Upon receiving a chance to prove himself, he did exactly that and quickly stood out as a leading scorer and versatile two-way player. When seeing him perform with the Panthers, it was evident that he possessed IQ, defensive tools, and legitimate guard skills at 6-foot-5. That being said, his recruitment simply didn’t align with his abilities. After the season, Ray joined the New Light Disciples and carved out a pretty productive role with one of the toughest travel teams across the Triad.
Later that summer, Ray transferred to The Burlington School and reclassified to the Class of 2021 after Ryan Bernardi had been announced as the new head coach of the program. The composition of talent lacked cohesion and saw some early struggles. About halfway through the season, Ray moved to Wesleyan Christian—where he immediately became a focal point. It became glaringly obvious that the move would result positively for him, his production, and ability to become the leader as a senior. Ray was arguably their most consistent player last season, given the way he consistently affected all facets of the game. However, he and Aisaiah Phillips will likely co-pilot the operation and work together to led the Trojans to success. With so much uncertainty surrounding the travel ball landscape, all types of scholarship-level coaches should plan to attend numerous Wesleyan Christian games going forward.