This upcoming Saturday, Phenom Hoops will travel to Carmel Christian School in Matthews, North Carolina, for our annual Carmel MLK Showcase. The one-day event will feature four games with plenty of intrigue throughout the slate. As teams enter the second half of their season, each game carries that much more weight. This will be one of the last stretches before the start of conference play, so any type of momentum is vital during this time. Let’s take a closer look, moving onto Clover and East Meck…
Although it will be our first viewing of Clover this season, they have plenty of noteworthy talent throughout the roster. For starters, the Blue Eagles have done a phenomenal job of maintaining success after graduating three key seniors. In fact, they are currently slated to be even better than before. Jayden Parks is a strong, versatile piece who knows how to stand out as an all-around leader while operating in various types of roles. Guys like Najeh Potts and Rico Hickman provide consistent production for this group. Potts is a great athlete with great toughness and a strong nose for the ball. Hickman does a terrific job of filling in the gaps and finding ways to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor.
Meanwhile, we’ve gotten quite familiar with East Meck over the recent months. Obviously, the return of Jordan Buzzard elevates this team to another level. His blend of size, athleticism, and defensive prowess allows him to dominate a game without necessarily needing a ton of touches. However, guys like Nixon Wright, Zavion Funderburk, Braylen Caldwell, and Ian Ramirez Toro each play vital roles in the Eagles’ success. Wright is a strong, physically imposing player with the size and athleticism to cause a ton of problems for opponents on both ends of the floor. Funderburk is a lethal sniper who moves well without the ball, makes smart decisions, and knocks down shots at a very high percentage from beyond the arc. Caldwell is a natural glue-guy who excels at filling in the gaps, defending with toughness, and adapting based on team needs. Toro provides a tough, scrappy, unselfish veteran presence from the point guard position. Ultimately, this should be a real battle between two tough, battle-tested squads.