EVENT NEWS
To filter articles by a specific event, use the dropdown below.
SMU’s Rise: Can the Mustangs Push for ACC Supremacy?
College Basketball will be here before you know it, but Phenom Hoops can’t wait until then to talk about it as we are diving into teams and rosters that are grabbing our attention. One program that made a statement last year in the ACC was SMU, finishing 13-7 in the conference and 24-11 in its first year. Certainly coming out strong, was SMU’s season just an outlier, or was it the start of...
read more
Florida State’s 2026 Recruiting Class Tops the Nation After a Huge Summer
The Florida State program has had a great start to the fall season, both on the football field and on the basketball court. FSU looks to be back in the national spotlight with a huge Week 1 win vs. Alabama, but we are here to talk about the wins FSU has been racking up in the recruiting world for basketball. In the latest news, FSU landed two more Top 100 prospects in Collin Paul and Brandon...
read more
Could Duke’s Title Hopes Be in the Hands of Two Players?
College Basketball will be here before you know it, so we are looking at different topics around the country to talk about and when diving into the roster for Duke, there is plenty of talent to go around as they have a chance to compete for a national championship. However, when you fully dive into this roster, could those title hopes be strung to the play of two key players? We dive in a bit....
read more
Can Wake Forest’s Juke Harris Take the Next Step in Leading the Demon Deacons?
Wake Forest has been an interesting team over the years, building strong seasons but coming up short in making the NCAA Tournament as of late. Coach Forbes and the rest of the roster would love nothing more than to end that with yet another successful season after going 21-11 last year. After losing some strong talent from last year’s team, Wake Forest will be looking for others to step up and...
read more
Could NC State’s Paul McNeil Jr. be a sophomore to break out in the ACC?
The freshman year for Paul McNeil Jr. at NC State brought a mixture of growth, adjustment, and flashes of the scoring talent that a very interesting prospect to watch this upcoming season. Certainly, being a familiar face around the state of North Carolina, he will have plenty of fans supporting him and are excited to see what he can show. With a year of college basketball under his belt, the...
read more
A balance of new names and returning prospects make UNC-Pembroke highly interesting to watch this upcoming season
Never too early to talk about some college basketball, and a program that has earned our attention early here in North Carolina is UNC-Pembroke. Coming off a season in which they finished 25-7 and 18-2 in conference play, the staff will have a strong blend of returning players and new names coming into the program. We dive into what we know about the roster and what fans should be excited about...
read more
Khamani Wertz Hits the Transfer Portal
Given the changes throughout college sports, countless players enter the transfer portal every year. Many leave their current situation to reach new heights or attempt to reestablish themselves at a different level. Among the latest additions to the portal is Khamani Wertz of Belmont-Abbey. Folks will also likely remember him from his days at Carmel Christian, where he played a vital role for a...
read more
Chase Forte Having a Monster Senior Season for South Dakota
Photo Courtesy of South Dakota Athletics Every player seems to have their own unique path in the journey of basketball. While it might seem cliché, it’s true. We’ve seen players go to the highest levels and transfer down, and guys go to a lower level and eventually transfer up. Talent matters but there’s ultimately no conclusive way to recognize which players actually work hard and/or care about...
read more
Rebounding Machine: Nick McMullen Playing Key Role for Georgia State
Photo Courtesy of Georgia State Athletics Some players simply find ways to produce in every possible context or setting. These guys can be found at every level of basketball. Whether effortless scorers, physically imposing athletes, or a variety of other archetypes, there are all types of natural producers. Given our viewings in high school, it should’ve been expected that Nick McMullen would...
read more
Malcolm Wilson Shining as Top Rim-Protector in College Basketball
Courtesy of Queens Athletics If it’s been said once, it’s been said a million times: big men develop slower than others. Many instances exist when a tall kid is simply forced into the sport due to their physical advantages. However, those who love the game and consistently work to improve typically succeed in basketball. The most recent addition to the list of late bloomers who ultimately panned...
read more
Milligan building a strong, underrated recruiting class with recent commits
Milligan has been in the news as of late, as this is a program that has been working hard on the recruiting trail and has quietly earned a strong and underrated upcoming class coming in. 2025 Ahmari Hicks was the first to announce but as of late, 2025 Jake Benham and 2025 Liviu Anton have both announced their commitments to the program. Hicks and Benham will certainly give this program...
read more
Kameron Taylor Shining as X-Factor for UNC Asheville
While it’s likely common knowledge amongst those within the grassroots scene, recruiting North Carolina is a polarizing subject for some college programs. Fortunately, the hesitance of others hasn’t deterred Coach Mike Morrell from trusting his eyes and aggressively recruiting the state (both out of high school and the transfer portal). The Bulldogs’ top seven players in minutes all came from...
read more
Soph. Josh Scovens (Army) continuing to lead his team in a BIG way
Looking back at the classes here in North Carolina, one of the more overlooked prospects from North Carolina just a few years ago was Josh Scovens at Page High School. Phenom Hoops was one of the few who recognized the talent of Scovens and thought that he could be a contributor at the next level. More Than Deserving: 6’6 2022 Josh Scovens Scovens has only proven that and more… The 6’6...
read more
Jr. LJ Thomas (Austin Peay) making the most of his opportunities at Austin Peay
Sometimes, you just never know when your opportunity will come and go in the world of basketball. A player that Phenom Hoops is certainly aware of and have watched over the years has been the talented guard of LJ Thomas, who committed to NC State a few years back, played in 30 games for the Wolfpack as a freshman and averaged 2.4 points, but then only saw action in 12 games as a sophomore...
read more
Jr. KC Shaw (UMES) elevating his game to new heights
Player: Ketron “KC” ShawSchool: Maryland Eastern ShoreHeight: 6’5 2024-25 Season Stats: 24.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, 35.3mpg Phenom Hoops continues to monitor players even at the next level, as we are always happy to see the success stories of players at the collegiate level. One player who has proven many wrong and has taken advantage of the opportunities ahead of him has been Ketron Shaw, who...
read more
Could this be the breakout season for Soph. Jah Short at New Orleans'
College Basketball is underway and there are plenty of familiar faces on display at the collegiate level. One player that we believed was underrated and a strong steal when he committed, is making an early statement on the season, as sophomore Jah Short at New Orleans may be on the start of a breakout season. Short received plenty of experience last season as a freshman, playing in 33 games and...
read more
Takeaways from Alabama vs. Memphis (Exhibition)
Memphis’ PJ Haggerty looking to be that guy It is seemingly obvious in just two exhibition games for Memphis that PJ Haggerty looks to be the guy for this team offensively, after posting 32 points on 9-for-22 shooting after leading the way vs. UNC not long ago with 24 points. Yes, he did record eight fouls in the game but Haggerty showed how assertive he is offensively in scoring and creating....
read more
Cooper’s Notes: Duke & UNC Sunday Exhibitions
Duke’s Defensive Intensity From a team perspective, it was impossible to ignore the sheer intensity that Duke played with on Sunday night. They were highly engaged on the defensive end of the floor, often picking up their man at half-court, initiating physicality, and making multiple individual efforts on each possession. Their ability to switch, hard hedge, and rotate on the weak side gave the...
read more
Takeaways from North Carolina vs. Johnson C. Smith Exhibition
Photo Credit: North Carolina Athletics College Basketball is almost here, as teams are getting an early tune-up in the past few weeks. North Carolina was one of them on Sunday, welcoming Johnson C. Smith to the Dean Dome. Johnson C. Smith battled early in the first 10 minutes of the game but North Carolina really ramped up the offensive attack after that and in the second half, ultimately taking...
read more
American University building with North Carolina talent
The recruiting world has been heating up in the last few months, as players from the Class of 2025 have been making their announcements around the country. American University has been a hot topic here in North Carolina, as they have targeted and been able to secure multiple commitments from the state. 2025 Chris Eagan, 2025 Madden Collins, and 2025 Kamran Prince have all committed from North...
read more
Phenom CBB Preview: Charlotte 49ers
Phenom Hoops continues to preview the landscape of college basketball, as the season is coming fast and there is plenty to talk about. We have amped up our coverage for college ball, as talk about teams, players, and programs around the country. Check out our latest preview for the upcoming season and the topics we are focusing on. Charlotte 49ers Last Year’s Record: 19-12Conference...
read more
Preparing to Take Flight: Will James Headed to Toledo
On Saturday, Will James announced his commitment to Toledo University. This was a proud time for all his supporters and a devastating moment for all the schools who crossed their fingers in hopes of securing the 6-foot-4 guard. It’s been a long, taxing journey for James, but his mentality and approach never wavered. The first three years of his high school career consisted of solid team success...
read more
Appalachian State looking a bit different but hoping for the same success
College Basketball will be quickly approaching, and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait as we continue to talk about teams around the country and of interest here locally. The Mountaineers were the talk of the state last year here in North Carolina, as they finished the season 27-7 overall, they went 15-0 at home and made an appearance in the NIT against Wake Forest before falling. This was a...
read more
The Newest Redbird: Isaac Ericksen Calls it for Illinois State
On Monday, Isaac Ericksen announced his commitment to further his playing career at Illinois State—choosing them over the likes of Mercer, Arkansas State, Furman, Eastern Kentucky, UNC Asheville, and UMass Lowell. The move is significant for a myriad of reasons. On one hand, it removes one of the top available prospects from the recruiting board. However, it also provides the Redbirds with a...
read more
Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 3)
Derin Saran with Phenom Hoops 6’4 Derin Saran – Stanford Saran is a very familiar name with Phenom Hoops and one of the few sophomores on the roster, Saran is certainly one that I will have my eyes on. As a freshman at UC Irvine, he played in all 32 games and really flourished with his IQ and feel, his ability to score and facilitate, and he has really good size at 6’4 as a guard. Saran was able...
read more
Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 2)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for themselves in...
read more
Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 1)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for...
read more
UNCG continuing to make North Carolina a priority in recruiting
The Spartans are making a lot of noise this week, as they have been hitting the recruiting trail and securing some big commitments. As of late, UNCG has been able to pick up three big recruits, all of which recently played here in North Carolina. 2024 Sean Birmingham2024 Isaiah Washington2024 Clinton Efinda (formerly at Ellsworth Community College) All three should be big pieces in the...
read more
Positioning, Producing, and Portal-ing: Five Guys Who Transferred Up
It’s pretty clear that things within college basketball have changed over the last few years. Between NIL, the Covid year, and looser restrictions surrounding transfers, it’s become a situation where kids are forced to adapt. “Positioning” refers to guys putting themselves in the right spots to be successful. “Producing” is self-explanatory and “Portal-ing” is the method in which kids are...
read more
The Tigers Strike Again: Santana Lynch Calls it for Hampden-Sydney
It probably goes without saying, but the recruiting landscape is drastically different than it was pre-Covid. The introduction of NIL coupled with seemingly every player testing the portal has led to somewhat of an unpredictable situation. Not only has it become a more intense job for coaches, but there are more questions surrounding high school prospects than ever before. Regardless, these...
read more