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 Manny Sepulveda of Northwood Temple.
We’ve seen Sepulveda countless times over the last few years, including on our “Garner Whitley: A Team Full of College Prospects,” where we stated, “In many ways, 5’10 ’21 Manny Sepulveda is arguably the most valuable player on the team. He’s their primary ball-handler and thrives as the lone true floor general, showing the necessary patience and understanding to effectively run a team on both ends of the floor. Sepulveda is a sharp, heady playmaker with excellent poise, pace, and end-to-end speed. He utilizes his quickness very well on both ends of the floor, effortlessly getting downhill and touching the paint on offense while mirroring his assignment and forcing turnovers on defense. Sepulveda makes intelligent decisions with the ball in his hands and rarely has a miscue or lapse in judgement. He will be a successful floor general for a variety of programs at the next level. “
Since then, Sepulveda has only continued to shine as a floor general and primary ball-handler for Northwood Temple. He’s quick, smart, and offers an excellent balance between scoring and playmaking. Sepulveda touches the paint with regularity, makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands, and looks to capitalize on scoring opportunities within the flow of the action. He’s quick and possesses sharp positioning as a defender at the point of attack, which allows him to force turnovers and push transition play with regularity. Sepulveda simply knows how to properly run a team on both ends of the floor and should have a variety of options to further his playing career at the next level.