What to Watch at Phenom Team Camp
This upcoming weekend, Phenom Hoops will travel down to Rock Hill, South Carolina, to host our annual June Team Camp. The event always features a slew of the most talented teams and individuals within the Carolinas, and this year’s will be no different. Leading up to the event, we will take a closer look at players and subplots to monitor. There’s been a lot of intrigue surrounding Chris Ewell and his new coaching position at West Mecklenburg. Let’s take a closer look….
On the outside looking in, things might appear pretty bleak. Coach Ewell won more games last year at Carolina International (22) than the Hawks’ last five combined seasons (16). The program hasn’t won double-digit games since 2017-18. Fresh off a 0-25 season, they’ll be looking to have more wins than losses for the first time since 2010-11. It’s obviously a difficult job, but there should be some sense of optimism given the recent hires. Not only does Coach Ewell have the coaching ability to turn this program around, but the newly appointed athletic director, Ryan Lutz, should also be a major asset in that process.
Right now, it’s unclear who will emerge as a leader for this group. The positive? This team has a nice mix of rising seniors and underclassmen. Despite losing Chase McDonald, guys like Josiah Pratt and Arion Walkup offered solid production during their respective junior campaigns. While each of them should be expected to be difference-makers for this squad, several sophomores and freshmen logged minutes last year. It’ll be interesting to see if young pieces like Hova McLeod, Kamaree Graham, Savion Morris, Jaylin Liggins, or Josiah Johnston can take a step forward. Folks can rest assured that they will win more than zero games. How quickly can things turn around? Only time will tell, but spectators can get their first preview this upcoming weekend in Rock Hill.