The season is quickly approaching here in North Carolina, as we are diving into topics and what to watch for around the state. One team that I’m going to have my eyes on this season as a sneaky team that could make a run is Ben L. Smith, as they have added some strong talent to a good talent.
When talking about this team, 2025 Kenny Miller looked to be the clear leader for this team coming into the season and a veteran of the program. He showed that at the Phenom Team Camp that he is ready to go for a possible big year. But this is now a team that has a three-headed monster.
2025 6’4 Kenny Miller
2026 6’4 Jyi Dawkins
2026 6’4 Kadyn Turner-Scott
Smith has now added Dawkins and Turner-Scott, giving this team two more other scoring options that should make this team very difficult to defend. Miller is an athletic playmaker who can score and facilitate, as well as bring versatility with his length. Dawkins has sprung up on many radars and shown that he can be a strong scoring option, knocking down shots, attacking and finishing downhill, and being an assertive player on the court. Turner-Scott brings good size at his position and has shown to be a well-rounded that can break down defenders, score downlow against smaller opponents, and score from the perimeter as well.
And this doesn’t even mention the rest of the roster that should really make this team well-balanced, as players like 2026 Gavin Palmore, 2025 Tysere Payne, 2025 Tay Mann, and others will give this team even more weapons.
Smith will certainly be one that has our attention heading into the season, as they could be a sneaky team to watch in hopes of making a run come playoff time.