EVENT NEWS
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Balance Leading the Way for NCGBB
Despite some ups and downs this season, it’s easy to appreciate the adversity NC GBB has faced. Between injuries and general absences, they’ve managed to stay the course and currently sit at 5-4 with several challenging opponents throughout their early schedule. Coach Zimmerman consistently gets this group to compete and has a variety of next-level pieces within his roster. Let’s take a closer...
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Karsten Swinney Averaging Video Game Numbers
There is so much quality basketball throughout North Carolina that players can easily get overlooked by the masses—even in major cities. Although he’s been talked about earlier this season, it’s unclear if enough people truly realize what Karsten Swinney is doing on a nightly basis for Freedom Christian. His averages of 29.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 6.9 APG, and 2.8 SPG basically speak for themselves....
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Burlington Christian Powering Through Adversity
There are so many variables that impact winning at the high school level. The combination of coaching, talent, and kids buying into the bigger picture typically pays dividends in the long run. Most teams don’t have players leaving in the middle of the season, which is a massive part of what makes Coach Myrick and Burlington Christian’s success so impressive. They lost their two leading scorers...
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Can Christ School Go Undefeated?
This season, Christ School has clearly been the best high school team within the public and private associations. They currently sit at 13-0 with a majority of their toughest opponents in the rear-view mirror. Outside of Combine Academy, no team has been able to challenge them with a single-digit result. The Greenies are coming off a state championship run, but one could argue this year’s roster...
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New-Look Furies Shining as Real Contenders
After winning a state championship and graduating four scholarship-level seniors, many folks naturally assumed Forsyth Country Day would be rebuilding for the future. Well, the future is now. Coach Esleeck and the Furies have picked up right where they left off, currently sitting at 18-3 with a slew of impressive wins under their belt. Following two early back-to-back losses against Charlotte...
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What Makes Josh Leonard the Best Prospect in the Carolinas?
Although the state of South Carolina is largely known for football and producing a sizable number of NFL athletes, it continues to grow as a hotbed for NBA talent. Headlined by names like Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Khris Middleton, Aaron Nesmith, and GG Jackson, there are over a dozen active players from the Palmetto state. Several historically great players (Kevin Garnett, Alex English,...
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Senior Duo Posting Impressive Numbers for North Lincoln
The state of North Carolina is incredibly fortunate to have such an overabundance of talent within the basketball scene. Whether teams or individual players, there’s seemingly always someone to know in every pocket of the Hoopstate. Although they aren’t necessarily tucked away, North Lincoln is a team worthy of attention from the masses. The Knights have seen some ups and downs this season, but...
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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...
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LJ Smith’s Potential Record-Breaking Season
The phrase “some records aren’t meant to be broken” is strange. While often coined as a term of respect for the past generations and historical context, all records are meant to be broken. That being said, the difficulty required can certainly vary from one historical feat to the next. Most people have accepted that Rasheed Wallace’s 41 technical fouls (in a single season) won’t be broken, but...
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Worthy of Increased Attention: Dynamite Johnson Producing at a High Level
The talent within the high school basketball landscape seems to unveil more and more college-worthy players each year. Although there’s an influx of next-level prospects, we regularly see guys falling through the cracks. It’s not uncommon for someone to have individual production, team success, and translatable tools, yet don’t receive the appropriate amount of attention from the masses. There...
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Establishing a Winning Culture: Coach Baker and The New-Look Cannon
In a time when so many long-tenured coaches become content, Jim Baker is the type who doesn’t shy away from a new challenge. Across 40 years, he enjoyed consistent success coaching in the college (Catawba College) and high school (Central Cabarrus) ranks. Baker spent nearly two decades in the collegiate game before his next endeavor—Central Cabarrus. Following some initial struggles in his first...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Ambassador Classic (Part Two)
6’4 ’26 KJ Shouse (Carolina International) Despite Carolina International narrowly suffering defeat, Shouse continues to shine as the all-around focal point for the Comets. He utilized his versatility to set the tone on both ends of the floor. Shouse consistently secured rebounds, defended multiple positions, and produced in several ways offensively. Although he’s shown visible improvement as a...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Ambassador Classic (Part One)
6’0 ’26 Cam Newman (Gaston Christian) Arguably the top performance of the event, Newman was undeniably impressive. Although he offered his usual amount of playmaking and defensive prowess, the 38-point scoring outburst was easily the most memorable part of this showing. Newman applied pressure as a downhill threat and finished well at the basket but legitimately set the nets ablaze from beyond...
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Ambassador Classic Previews: Young Stars Collide
This weekend, Phenom Hoops travels to Ambassador Christian in Huntersville, North Carolina to host our inaugural Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a healthy mix of programs from the public, private, and independent sectors. In preparation for the showcase, we will take a closer look at each matchup and overview some of the anticipated storylines… Burlington Christian...
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Ambassador Classic Previews: Gaston Day and Carolina International Looking to Get Back on Track
This weekend, Phenom Hoops travels to Ambassador Christian in Huntersville, North Carolina to host our inaugural Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a healthy mix of programs from the public, private, and independent sectors. In preparation for the showcase, we will take a closer look at each matchup and overview some of the anticipated storylines… Gaston Day vs....
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Once again, 2026 Dionte Neal Proves Himself on the Big Stage
Talk about a broken record here… This past weekend, Reidsville went to Raleigh for the John Wall Invitational, as they were able to take home the tournament championship again. And once again… 2026 Dionte Neal proved why he should be such a hot target for college programs nationwide. Neal came up huge in so many ways again for his team, as he averaged 30.7 minutes per game, 27.3 points,...
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Ambassador Classic Previews: Major Programs from the Big Cities Collide
This weekend, Phenom Hoops travels to Ambassador Christian in Huntersville, North Carolina to host our inaugural Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a healthy mix of programs from the public, private, and independent sectors. In preparation for the showcase, we will take a closer look at each matchup and overview some of the anticipated storylines… Gaston Christian vs....
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Ambassador Classic Previews: Oak Ridge Military Travels to Face Charlotte Performance Institute
This weekend, Phenom Hoops travels to Ambassador Christian in Huntersville, North Carolina to host our inaugural Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a healthy mix of programs from the public, private, and independent sectors. In preparation for the showcase, we will take a closer look at each matchup and overview some of the anticipated storylines… Charlotte Performance...
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Ambassador Classic Previews: Langtree Charter Takes on NC GBB
This weekend, Phenom Hoops travels to Ambassador Christian in Huntersville, North Carolina to host our inaugural Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a healthy mix of programs from the public, private, and independent sectors. In preparation for the showcase, we will take a closer look at each matchup and overview some of the anticipated storylines… Langtree Charter vs....
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Player Standouts at Gate City Classic (Part Two)
6’4 ’26 Dane Cassada (Calvary Day) It’s easy to appreciate everything Cassada does to assert himself as a focal point and team-oriented leader for this group. He’s a smart, highly skilled guard with great size, feel, and the necessary polish to burden a massive offensive load. Cassada scores from all levels and creates for himself and others with relative ease. He offers the perfect balance of...
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Player Standouts at Gate City Classic (Part One)
6’4 ’25 Will James (Holly Springs) The Toledo commit was nothing short of impressive throughout the weekend. With scoring performances of 40, 34, and 33 points, James was virtually unstoppable in getting what he wanted. Most people naturally assume the point totals translate to an excessive shot volume, but that’s not really the case in this situation. Although James isn’t shy about asserting...
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John Wall Holiday Invitational Scores and Stats
Day 4 Scores Sidwell Friends 50 – Green Level 38Sid: Jalyn Collingwood 18pts, Jadah Washington 8ptsGreen: Isaac Ericksen 12pts, Trevor Manhertz 18pts Davidson Day 63 – Ravenscroft 57DD: Levon Jacobs 15pts, Mac Habenicht 14pts, AJ Washington 13ptsRavens: Chance Gladden 33pts, Preston Moore 8pts Caldwell Academy 63 – Broughton 54CA: Cole Cloer 16pts, Jaylen Cross 16pts, Neal...
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Top Performers at Phenom Gate City (Saturday)
Grace Christian (TN) 6’1 ’25 Cameron Mercer- 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal 6’1 ’26 Briggs Peterson- 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal 6’4 ’25 Christian Vela- 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals Sun Valley 6’1 ’26 Thanasi Papazis- 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 1 block 6’1 ’26 Jaylin Powell- 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal 6’4 ’26 Kaleel Benjamin- 11 points, 8...
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Top Performers at Phenom Gate City (Friday)
NC GBB 6’2 ’25 KJ Burke- 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals 6’3 ’26 Malcolm McNeil- 18 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals 6’4 ’25 Cameron Barnes- 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 7 steals Southern Wake Academy 6’7 ’25 Ira Wilson- 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal 5’11 ’25 Seung Surmons- 15 points, 3 rebounds 6’7 ’25 Bryan Epperson- 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2...
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POB’s Eye Catchers from Day 1 at Phenom New Year’s Bash
2028 Chacho Womack (West Charlotte) Another freshman to watch out for in the state of North Carolina, Womack has a strong feel for the game and plays with tremendous poise on the court. Effective scoring option and confident scorer from all levels of the court. Leading the charge this season, Womack is a fluid yet confident scoring option with his pull-up game from all levels but he also is able...
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South Carolina Freshman 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 18
Team 18 Coach: Stan Carpenter #6: 5’8 ’28 Jahlil Jenkins (Westwood) Starting off, we look at a player who displayed a quality understanding of how to dictate the action, Jahlil Jenkins. He’s a smart, unselfish point guard prospect with a crafty handle, useful vision, and the ability to touch the paint. Jenkins makes smart decisions and looks to set up others whenever possible. He finishes well...
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South Carolina Freshman 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 17
Team 17 Coach: Chris Ewell #2: 5’7 ’28 JT Brodowski (River Bluff) Starting off, we look at a player who made a nice impact despite being the smallest camper on this team, JT Brodowski. He’s a scrappy, unselfish guard prospect who is comfortable with or without the ball in his hands. Brodowski is a reliable perimeter shooter, both from midrange and beyond the arc, and gets to his spots well in...
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South Carolina Freshman 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 16
Team 16 Coach: Ricardo Priester #3: 5’7 ’28 Gregory Williams Jr. (Eau Claire) Starting off, we look at a player who did a lot of things well despite being the smallest camper on this team, Gregory Williams Jr. He’s a scrappy, unselfish guard prospect who can dictate the action as a playmaker or find success as an off-ball threat. Williams is a quality perimeter shooter, both from midrange and...
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South Carolina Freshman 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 15
Team 15 Coach: John Royal #1: 5’7 ’28 Chad Scriven (Blythewood) Starting off, we look at a player who made a strong impact despite being the smallest camper on this team, Chad Scriven. He’s a smart, methodical point guard prospect with a terrific combination of pace, vision, and ball-handling ability. Scriven is an unselfish creator who understands how to penetrate and make correct decisions...
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South Carolina Sophomore 40 Camp Evaluations: Team 14
Team 14 Coach: Christian Savage #7: 5’8 ’27 Sean Gere (Christ the King) Starting off, we look at a player who made a nice impact despite being the smallest camper on this team, Sean Gere. He’s a smart, adaptable guard prospect who offers a reliable presence with or without the ball in his hands. Gere is a reliable shooter, both from midrange and beyond the arc, who makes the extra pass whenever...
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