Another season has come and gone and Phenom Hoops capped it off with a terrific event at the Phenom HoopState Championship, as Combine Academy came away with the title. The amount of talent on the floor at the event was tremendous and it was the best way to end the season. We will have a lot more coverage coming but here are just a few of our final thoughts from the event in Rock Hill.
There isn’t anything like the Hoop State Championship
Even in a year where fans are limited and questions surrounded the basketball season, there was something great about looking around the Rock Hill facility throughout the three days as eight teams from the state of North Carolina competing for THE HoopState Championship. You could easily see the emotion and want from the coaches and players, having this event circled at the end of the year and wanting nothing more than to be labeled champion. Players left it all out on the court… they wanted to end the year right and to be able to cut down the nets, as well as being called the top program in North Carolina. It was topped off with the ultimate battle between Combine Academy and Liberty Heights, with Combine earning the trophy and the right to be called champion. The passion, the competition, the energy, and the ultimate desire was all there in the building this weekend in Rock Hill with each team and it could be easily seen. In only its second year, the Phenom HoopState Championship has earned the right to be called one of the top championships in the country and there is nothing quite like it. And this is only the start…
Combine Academy turning into a national power right before our eyes
During the start of the season, back in September, Phenom Hoops went out to check in for open gyms and one of our first stops was at Combine Academy. Sitting down, getting an early view of the team, there was only one thing that was going through my mind, as I had this to say after:
“I’m going to go on record early and say this… This is a Top-10 nationally ranked team!”
Now sitting here, months later, this continues to be true and we saw why. What Jeff McInnis has done in such a short time is quite impressive and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Combine is a well-known program around the region but they should be spoken about with the rest of the top teams in the country… they are in fact one of the top teams in the country. They sit at 28-3 after the HoopState Championship, have a winning record vs. ranked opponents, high-major talents up and down the roster, and one of the top coaches in the country.
Watch out America, Combine Academy is going to be a program to remember.
What Mike Wright and Liberty Heights did this season was special
Knowing Coach Wright for a few years now, you knew how much he wanted to come out with a championship… it is just the nature of being a coach. But the only thing I can remember is seeing him, congratulating him on a terrific season, and him speaking to us with a smile on his face. Even in a tough loss, Coach Wright understands how special of a group and season this was; Liberty Heights easily should be regarded as one of the top teams in the country. Coach Wright loves nothing more than to see his players succeed and get an opportunity to play at the next level, and they have shown that they could certainly help programs at the next level. Looking back over the season and what Liberty Heights was able to accomplish, they should be incredibly proud of the success they had and how they were able to put this program on the map.
The amount of talent and college-ready players on the court at HoopState was outrageous
Whether it was the No. 1 seed or the No. 8 seed, this event was absolutely loaded with next-level talent. No matter what team you watched this year, coaches could find players ready to compete in their program, whether it was Division I, Division II, or Division III. Rolling through the rosters for each team, college coaches had and still have a chance to pluck some tremendous talent from the HoopState and it was on full display in Rock Hill, showing just how talented the state of North Carolina is.
Who will make a run next season'
You can already bet that the coaches of each team are already thinking about next season. Many teams will go through some changes this offseason but you will be seeing many of those same players you saw over the weekend come back and look to compete next year. They all got a chance to watch Combine cut down the nets and you would have to think they want to be able to have that same feeling. Phenom Hoops has now had Moravian Prep and now Combine crowned champions but who will make a run at a championship next season' All the teams will certainly be gearing up for a run once again and expect next year to be even bigger and better.