This upcoming weekend, Phenom Hoops will travel down to Hopewell High School for Underrated Athletes’ second annual The Well Invitational. The event will feature a four-game slate with the first contest starting at 12:00 and final showdown beginning at 4:30. Between West Meck, Corvian Community, Victory Christian, Westminster Catawba, Harding University, Hopewell, West Charlotte, and Ambassador Christian, there’s certainly an entertaining collection of teams. We will preview each game, moving on to the matchup between Hopewell and Harding University…
For Hopewell, it’s been somewhat of a rebuilding year. While the Titans have struggled to reach Coach JaRon Goodson’s usual level of success, they are a young group with a variety of intriguing long-term prospects throughout the roster. That being said, they’ve found consistent production behind their senior pairing and duo of blossoming freshmen. Seniors Tre Gatlin and Kyle Broughton offer nice complementary games. Gatlin is a versatile, high-motor wing who can score from all levels and routinely outwork opponents defensively and on the glass. Broughton is a tough, heady guard who reliably creates for himself and others, and defends the point of attack. Guys like MJ McKinney and Brayden McCrimmon are clear foundational pieces for this group. McKinney already possesses a well-rounded identity with nice IQ, skill, and the ability to produce within various roles. Similarly, McCrimmon is starting to grow into his body as a long, physical wing with quality feel and a strong nose for the ball.
On the other side, Harding University continues to stand out as a scrappy, battle-tested group with an intriguing collection of young pieces. However, senior Kingston Henry has clearly solidified himself as the focal point for the Rams. In addition to his defense, rebounding, and playmaking, he’s able to fill it up as a scorer on a nightly basis. Henry has more than twice the points of their second-leading scorer. However, the Rams also have a variety of notable freshmen. Although Nasir Cooke remains sidelined due to an injury, guys like Dante Caviness and Jarrel Evans have both carved out roles as key contributors. Caviness is already an excellent playmaker with useful scoring polish and a scrappy defensive presence. Evans does a nice job of actively filling in the gaps and expanding his production as needed. This should be an entertaining battle featuring several enticing prospects.