The NC Phenom 150 Spring Evaluation Camp took place Saturday, March 14th and the talent level was strong from top to bottom. Today, we will take a look at some of the players from each individual team. Each camp coach was to fill out a detailed individual player evaluation. While we try to focus on upside and potential, we also look carefully at intangibles such as attitude, cooperation, work ethic and team play. We hope to capture a thorough detailed resume for each player in attendance.
Arba Allen – #83
“Arba showed a lot of quickness in his game. He rebounds very well for his size and at the guard position. He has an above average skill at passing the ball and is a gifted ball handler. However, he needs to make better decision when he is on the court. Overall though, I love his attitude.”
Areas of Excellence: Attitude, effort, acceptance of criticism, ball handling, passing skills, vision and court sense, moving without the ball
Areas of Work: Range of three point shot, back to the basket moves, defense on the ball
Jaylen Johnson – #91
“Jaylen impressed my individually, especially on the defensive side of the ball. On the offensive side of the ball, he seemed to stick around and shoot more threes. Unfortunately it was an off day for this young man and would like to see him attack the paint more. I would like to see him give 100 percent of effort all the time while on the court and not get discouraged when something goes wrong. Keep on working hard.”
Areas of Excellence: Acceptance of criticism, team play, defense on and off the ball, quickness, footwork, vision, rebounding
Areas of Work: Three point shooting, attacking the basket, back to the basket moves, effort
Anthony Hicks – #185
“Anthony gets up off the floor very quickly and with his 6’4 frame, certainly can do some damage. He finds ways to break down the defense that makes positive things happen not only for himself but for his teammates. He still needs to improve on his basketball IQ and his game, but if he does, he really could take off before hitting the next level.”
Areas of Excellence: Athletic ability, Attitude, team play, ability to finish, quickness, footwork, range of shot inside the arc
Areas of Work: Shot outside the arc, passing skills, defense off the ball
Morgan McKay – #221
“Morgan has good back to the basket moves, while also possessing a strong post-up game. He runs the floor very well for a guy his size but he needs to work more on his pick and roll; at times, he rolls in the paint in the wrong direction. But he has a great attitude and is very coachable, something everyone looks for. Would love to see him go up strong for dunks more. I think he is still getting used to his size.”
Areas of Excellence: Attitude, coachable, effort, shooting mechanics, post moves, back to the basket moves, defense off the ball, rebounding, moving without the ball
Areas of Work: Release time, ball handling, passing skills,
Travon Hamilton – #40
“Travon has very good quickness for a guard and shoots the ball well when he comes off the dribble. He also can certainly lead a team, knowing when to push the ball or slow it down on the court in transition. He should look for his own shot more though, if there is a thing as to unselfish, he is it. His is a very good point guard with the right characteristics for the job.”
Areas of Excellence: Team play, effort, shooting mechanics, leadership, passing skills, defense on the ball, transition defense, quickness
Areas of Work: Finding his own shot, back to the basket moves, defense off the ball, use of off hand
Josiah Simmons – #135
“I really enjoyed coaching Josiah and he really worked hard on both ends of the court at this event. He really rebounded the ball well on both ends but was a little bit stronger on the offensive glass. He uses the triple threat when he catches the ball and is able to finish strong when he attacks the rim and in traffic.”
Areas of Excellence: Attitude, Effort, Ability to finish, defense on the ball, quickness, rebounding his position
Areas of Work: Range of three point shot, back to the basket moves, shooting off the dribble, release time, use of off hand, passing skills, vision and court sense
Michael Edwards – # 149
“Michael handed the other teams fits with his ability to get to the rim and finish. He was able to do in multiple fashions on the court and this guy is a great kid with a very good attitude on his shoulders. He works hard on both ends of the floor. I really like his passing skills and strong decision making ability.”
Areas of Excellence: Attitude, Acceptance of criticism, effort, penetration ability, ability to finish, passing skills, quickness and footwork
Areas of Work: Range of three point shot, catch and shoot, shooting off the dribble, defense on the ball and in transition
Saadiq Johnson – #92
“Saadiq really impressed me with his play at the guard position for our team. He is a very quick player with a good sense of floor awareness. The three ball wasn’t falling for this young man but he certainly made up for that with his mid-range game. He has the body to make it difficult for defenders to guard him one-on-one.”
Areas of Excellence: Effort, Team play, penetration ability, ability to finish, defense on ball, quickness, footwork, rebounding, mid-range shot
Areas of Work: Three point shot, back to the basket moves, shooting off the dribble, release time, use of off hand
Jordan Flood – #184
“Jordan had a little bit of a sprained ankle, which didn’t help him at this event (which is unfortunate). But he still impressed me with his footwork. He has a very soft touch around the basket but he needs to play stronger with the basketball. The potential is there for this young man if he continues to work hard on and off the court.”
Areas of Excellence: Acceptance of Criticism, team play, back to the basket moves, ability to finish, footwork, transition defense, moving without the ball
Areas of Work: Quickness, Range of shot, shooting mechanics, defense on and off the ball