On Monday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Bishop McGuinness in Kernersville, North Carolina for the NC Spartans’ workout. The practice featured three of their 16U squads in addition to a collection of guys from the 17U team. We’ve seen this program put kids in college on a yearly basis, but this might honestly be their most talented non-17U group in recent memory. Although most college coaches aren’t focused on recruiting rising juniors, there’s still a variety of prospects worth knowing within these rosters. Let’s take a look at each, moving on to Coach Will Tibbs’ group…
In looking at their array of backcourt pieces, guys like 5’10 Jayden Grice, 5’10 Cam Owens, and 5’10 Braddock Coleman tend to operate as primary ball-handlers for this squad. Each of the trio can reliably initiate the offense, get others involved, and apply scoring pressure. They also provide energy on defense and understand how to run a team or play without the ball in their hands.
Although the group above typically dictates the action, 6’1 Landon Burleyson is capable of assuming some playmaking responsibilities or playing without the ball in his hands. He’s a scrappy defender and useful rebounder, particularly for his size. Additionally, 6’1 Adam Brown provides this group with a pretty balanced, polished identity as an off-guard. He’s a solid three-level scorer with shooting prowess and the ability to make hustle plays.
Given the structure of this group, guys like 6’1 Brennan Lavelle, 6’4 Sam Koop, and 6’4 Elliott Erlandsson also bring a lot of value to the table. Lavelle is slightly undersized but plays bigger than his listed height and actively fills in the gaps on both ends of the floor. Koop is long, wiry, and able to fill it up as an offensive threat. He shoots the ball at a high volume, displaying nice range, mechanics, and a quick release. That being said, Erlandsson is also worth mentioning as one of their top shooting threats. Given his size, toughness, and spot-up prowess, he’s able to make a consistent impact for this group.
Rounding out the roster, 6’8 Brett Blevins stands out as a lanky, developing post prospect with solid touch, long arms, and a desire to make his presence felt on either side of the ball. Blevins still lacks physical strength, but battles on both ends and consistently plays within the flow of the team structure. He has decent timing as a rebounder and shot-blocker, but should become even better with additional strength.
DNP:
6’4 Bryson Allred