This weekend, Phenom Hoop Report hosted their annual North Carolina Top 80 Camp at Proehlific Park in Greensboro, NC. After scouting countless amounts of players throughout the year, our team invited North Carolina’s “Top 80” players to showcase their talents to numerous scouts and a plethora of D2/D3 coaches.
After thorough review, we put together a list of players that stood out the most in our eyes throughout several drills and scrimmages Saturdayafternoon.
6’9” JR. Iran Bennett (Mt. Zion Academy- Durham, NC):
Iran Bennett was one of the top overall performers in Greensboro Saturday. Standing at 6’9”, this 300+ pound tank bullied the competition all afternoon long. Bennett has soft hands and great footwork for a player of his size and is quickly emerging as one of 2016’s most highly recruited players.
Bennett finishes with authority around the basket. His Shaq like post moves made him a player that no one wanted to matchup with. Bennett was blessed with a 7’5” wingspan and has the ability to take control at any minute on both sides of the floor. He’s surprisingly agile for his size and continued to hustle up and down the court throughout the late stages of the afternoon. Bennett averaged 16.4 points per game this weekend and led all players in shooting percentage, knocking down 84% of his shots.
If the big man can shed a few pounds and increase his stamina, his possibilities are endless. Bennett holds several Division-1 scholarship offers and will continue to gain exposure throughout the AAU circuit this summer.
6’1” JR. Jack Konstanzer (First Flight- Kill Devil Hills, NC):
Jack Konstanzer is one of the sharpest shooters in the state of North Carolina. When Konstanzer arrived early Saturday morning, he was in the zone. He was quiet, but definitely determined to gain a little bit more exposure heading into AAU play here in a few weeks.
Right after the first jump ball, Konstanzer went to work. He knocked down a pair of 3-point shots in the early minutes of game one and quietly worked his way into the stat book. Throughout the day, Konstanzer continued to show us why he is one of 2016’s most underrated players. He’s elusive, smart, and a true scorer. Konstanzer averaged just over 25 points per game this season and was awarded NCC Player of the Year honors.
He posted eight 36+-point performances this year alone and crossed the 1,000-career point line in early February. Konstanzer proved to us he’s capable of playing at the next level. His defensive game was above average, but still needs time to fully develop.
If Konstanzer can thoroughly perfect the little pieces of his game, he will be an absolute steal for any college coach willing to give him a chance.
6’0” JR. Brandon Childress (Wesleyan Christian Academy- High Point, NC):
Brandon Childress, a Wake Forest commit, put on a show this past weekend. He earned the “Mr. Playmaker” award for the second straight year and stood out as one of the event’s top performers.
Childress is a very exciting player to watch. Every time the ball was in his hands, he left you on the edge of your seat. He controlled the tempo early in each game and gave it his all until the clock hit zero. Childress is a combo-guard that can shoot the lights out of the ball and embarrass foes with his crisp ball handling/passing. He has an excellent feel for the game and grew up with a strong basketball background. His dad, Randolph Childress, was a star for the Demon Deacons in the early 90’s.
After watching his progression throughout the early stages of Saturday morning, it was very apparent that Childress could develop into one of the ACC’s strongest players in a few years. Danny Manning has an all-star coming to Winston-Salem in 2017.
OTHER NOTABLE NORTH CAROLINA TOP 80 STANDOUTS:
Jalen Harris (Mr. Top 80)– Word of God (Raleigh, NC)
Davion Mintz (Mr. Station)– North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, NC)
Parker Julian– Charlotte Latin (Charlotte, NC)
Osinachi Smart– New Garden Friends (Greensboro, NC)
Zavian Jackson– Burlington Cummings (Burlington, NC)