At Phenom Hoops we like to see a kid play in the AAU, Camp, and High School settings in order to get our best read on the player. When developing Phenom Hoops and our business plan, we took this into consideration, and developed our Phenom Platform. Our Phenom Platform hosts events in all three (3) settings, allowing us to develop the correct read of a player.
Many times, when you watch a player in one setting you can gain a pretty good idea of who he is. However, sometimes you need all three settings to really understand a player. Jovontae Milner was a known name coming into the Phenom Summer Jam. He is an alum of the NC Top 80 and has been to multiple Phenom AAU events this year (Grassroots Tip-Off Classic and David Rose Memorial Day Classic). However, Milner is a player you need to watch in each setting to develop a full read on what is potential is as a player.
Milner is a 6’6” wing from Cummings High School, in Burlington, NC. When playing in the NC Top 80 and the Grassroots Tip-Off Classic, Milner was asked to play the high post. Because of his size and length, he did well there. He was able to attack the rim with mis-matches and he rebounded at a high level. However, when seeing him play with his high school, you are able to see that we only saw the tip of the iceberg.
Milner played point guard for his high school team. It wasn’t a point forward type situation, it was full blown point guard. While he played well there Milner’s production was off the charts. In fact, Milner had one game of 21 points, 20 boards, 6 steals, and 5 blocks. Another game Milner finished with 20 points, 14 boards, 8 assists, and 5 steals. The overall tone of Milner’s day was that he was the best player on each floor he stepped on.
Coming into the event Milner has been getting recruited by East Carolina and Appalachian State. He is already qualified and carries a 3.0 GPA. Coming out of the event, Milner’s recruitment should sky rocket. He is a 6’6” wing who has good handle in the half court and makes shots at three (3) levels. Defensively, Milner is a stand out. He guards multiple positions, getting lots of deflections, steals, and blocks, and rebounds at an extremely high level.
Milner plays a man’s game on the court. He is all heart, grit, and production. It should be an exciting year for him, as his team could make a run toward a state title. But also, with the way he plays, his recruitment should pick up quickly.