NC TOP 80 EVENT RECAPS
From the Scouts Eyes — Brady O’Connell Commits to Old Dominion
Brady O’Connell is a 6’7″ wing out of Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He played his summer travel ball with Team Felton on the UAA Circuit. At the time of his commitment to ODU, O’Connell also entertained offers from the likes of Elon, Samford, Western Carolina and Mercer. Last season, O’Connell averaged 9.3 points per game for the 18 win Ravenscroft...
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From the Scout’s Eyes — Jadyn Parker Commits to North Florida
On Friday, 6'8" 2020 Jadyn Parker of West Brunswick High School in Shallotte, North Carolina committed to the University of North Florida.
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From the Scout’s Eyes – Dean Reiber Commits to Rutgers
On Saturday, 6'9" 2020 Dean Reiber of Northwest Guilford High School committed to Rutgers University.
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2020 6’7 Brady O’Connell looking to capitalize on impressive first year in North Carolina
Brady O’Connell is a junior prospect that may have slid under the radar as of late, as the 6’7 junior finished up his season at Ravenscroft averaging 9.3 points per game. He is also the younger brother of Duke’s Alex O’Connell, as others may have known. But now, it may be time for people to start recognizing the intrigue and skill set Brady has to offer. He showcased that recently at the NC Top...
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Jalen McDonald: From Local Prospect to VIRAL SENSATION!!! #NCTop80 Highlights + Interview
Check out highlights from Jalen McDonald, a 6’5″ sophomore wing from Knightdale High School. McDonald made national headlines in the last few weeks when he decided to throw down a 360 windmill dunk on a defender. The dunk went viral all over social media and was picked up by every highlight outlet around… McDonald spent Saturday visiting Chapel Hill for the UNC/Duke game and...
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FRESHMAN PHENOM Jalen Hood Schifino is a 5-STAR!! #NCTop80 Raw Highlights + Interview!
Jalen Hood Schifino is already thought of on the national level. He has been invited to all the Team USA mini-camps and is routinely being ranked among the nation’s Top 25 prospects for his class. Standing 6’4″, the freshman point guard at Northside Christian really took charge this season, opening things up for himself and his teammates. However, this comes as no surprised as...
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2020 BEAST Nick Farrar BREAKS OUT at #NCTop80! Raw Highlights + 1on1 Interview!
Over the last month there may not be a “hotter name” in the Hoop State than Nick Farrar. The 6’7″ junior took a dominating approach to the last half of the high school season and the new started to TAKE OFF! The lefty currently at Apex Friendship High School just plays with the aggressive mean streak of a bull in a china shop! He is above the rim and his motor is...
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Brandon’s Big Time Ballers Pt 2: NC Top 80
The prestigious NC Top 80 has hosted the top talent in all of the Hoop State the last several years, this years edition didn’t disappoint. Greensboro, North Carolina- Phenom Hoops NC Top 80 camp is unique in it’s own right, due mostly in part to the amass of talent assembled together under one roof for competition. This camp provides coaches, media and, spectators alike an...
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Blossoming Power Forward Calls it for Bucknell University
Watching a prospect go from unknown to coveted can be a windy, emotional road, and that’s exactly how Jake van der Heijden describes his experience over the past few years. Over the past year, van der Heijden collected offers from College of Charleston, Columbia, Leigh, Lipscomb, Presbyterian, Western Carolina, and of course, Bucknell. He committed on Sunday to Bucknell and we caught up with the...
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Freddy Johnson Approaches Milestone 1000 Career Wins
Greensboro Day School’s Head Boys Basketball Coach, Freddy Johnson, Approaches Milestone Win #1000 Greensboro, NC — Greensboro Day School’s Boys Basketball Coach, Freddy Johnson, is working towards his 1,000th career win with his next victory. On Tuesday, November 21, the GDS boys’ basketball team defeated Charlotte Latin for Coach Johnson’s 999th career win. With the next victory,...
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Taking the Next Step: Jalen Cone
Taking the Next Step 5’11 ’20 Jalen Cone (Walkertown High School) At Session 2 of the NC Phenom 150 camp, 5’11 ’20 Jalen Cone was once again sensational from all aspects of the game. In three camp games, Cone averaged 25 PPG but did it in a very unselfish fashion. You see, scoring comes easy to the young, talented, athletic and explosiveness point guard. He can score from all three levels. Cone...
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Fayetteville is a Hotbed for Talent Coaches NEED to See
Fayetteville is a Hot Bed for Talent By Jamie Shaw College coaches will fly (or drive) in from around the country and spend their days in certain pockets of North Carolina. Almost everyone goes to Charlotte, many go to Greensboro and some to Raleigh. Daily we, at Phenom Hoops, field phone calls from these coaches who are asking about players they need to see and open gym times of schools in that...
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An Insider’s Take: Jayden Gardner Commits to East Carolina
An Insider’s Take Jayden Gardner Commits to East Carolina By Jamie Shaw Gardner is a monster, he excels at doing the tough guy stuff. Even being shorter than most opponents and a below the rim guy he somehow produces incredible numbers against any and everyone who stands in front of him. When coaches ask about him, my mind goes to one story to best describe Gardner as player. During our North...
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An Insider’s Take: Larry McLeod Commits to Arkansas State
An Insider’s Take Larry McLeod Commits to Arkansas State By Jamie Shaw McLeod is ridiculously explosive. He has been that since he was at Southern Lee, with Team Loaded NC and then on to Bull City Prep. He has always had that game changing type of leaping ability that can flip the momentum of a game on its head. However, during his time at Palm Beach State Junior College, McLeod’s game has...
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An Insider’s Take: Nate Springs Commits to Ohio
An Insider’s Take Nate Springs Commits to Ohio By Jamie Shaw Springs has only been playing basketball for 3 years, and once you let that sink in you begin to see the future is very bright for Springs. Springs has great length and natural athleticism that pops out at you the second he walks into the building. Even still in the infancy of his playing days, Springs has taken leaps and bounds each...
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Isaiah Bigelow Commits to Charlotte
6’6” 2018 Isaiah Bigelow Commits to Charlotte By Rick Lewis We’ve been a fan of 6’5 Isaiah Bigelow of Ben L. Smith for quite some time. We’re talking about a long, lengthy skilled wing guard that can flat “light it up” from deep. And to make matters even better, Bigelow is just starting to scratch the surface on his long range potential. What’s impressive about the highly efficient scoring wing...
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6’9″ 2018 Jaylen Gainey Commits to Brown
6’9″ 2018 Jaylan Gainey Commits to Brown By Rick Lewis Back in 2016, we wrote, “Jaylan Gainey is a Diamond in the Rough.” Just think, in 2015, Gainey was a young 6’5 freshman weighing 135 pounds. He is young for his age and has only been playing organized basketball since the eight grade. Now, he is 6’9 and sports an enormous 7’2 wingspan, but more importantly carries an even more...
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An Insider’s Take: Manny Bates Commits to NC State
An Insider’s Take Manny Bates Commits to NC State By Jamie Shaw 6’10” 2018 Post – Ranked #7 in NCs 2018 Class Make no mistakes about it, Manny Bates is one of the premier shot blocker/rebounders in the country. That statement goes toward the impressive upside of Bates, seeing he is only 17 years old and been playing basketball for only a couple of years. The upward trajectory of Bates has...
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An Insider’s Take: Adrian Delph Commits to Appalachian State
An Insider’s Take Adrian Delph Commits to Appalachian State By Jamie Shaw 6’3” 2018 SG – Adrian Delph came out of no where last season and really took off this summer. Last year at Kings Mountain High School, his first season at the school, Delph filled up the stat sheets averaged 20 points (50% field goals), 7.7 boards and 5.3 assists per game. He is a tough player who provides defensive...
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An Insider’s Take: Elijah McCadden Commits to Georgia Southern
An Insider’s Take Elijah McCadden Commits to Georgia Southern By Jamie Shaw 6’6” 2018 Guard – Ranked #17 in NCs 2018 Class McCadden is good, we know this. However, I think what gets lost is how good McCadden really is. He first walked through our doors as a freshman, playing in the prestigious North Carolina Top 80. That event is invite-only and brings together the best players in the...
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An Insider’s Take: Jaylen Alston Commits to Gardner Webb
An Insider’s Look Jaylen Alston Commits to Gardner Webb By Jamie Shaw 6’3” 2018 Wing – Ranked #27 in North Carolina’s 2018 Class (CLICK HERE TO See NCs Entire 2018 Rankings) It has been a big year for Alston. First off he led his Eastern Guilford High School Team to the North Carolina 3A State Championship Game. Alston averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per...
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6’7” 2019 Imajae Dodd – The Production Speaks Volumes
6’7” 2019 Imajae Dodd – The Production Speaks Volumes Greene Central (NC) By Jamie Shaw Finishing 26-2 and making it to the NCHSAA 2A Eastern State Finals, Greene Central experienced their best season in school’s history last season. This was in no small part to then 6’7” sophomore Imajae Dodd, who led the way with a double-double. It was quite an accomplishment to break out from under the...
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6’2” 2018 Malik Johnson – Now is the Time, the Blow Up is Coming
6’2” 2018 Malik Johnson – Now is the Time, the Blow Up is Coming Terry Sanford (NC) By Jamie Shaw By all accounts, Malik Johnson is a natural born winner. As a freshman, sophomore he played in two NCHSAA 3A state championships (winning one) and now as a senior he will be the starting point guard for Terry Sanford, vying for a third trip to the state championship game. He has an innate...
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6’2” 2018 Malik Johnson – Now is the Time, the Blow Up is Coming
6’2” 2018 Malik Johnson – Now is the Time, the Blow Up is Coming Terry Sanford (NC) By Jamie Shaw By all accounts, Malik Johnson is a natural born winner. As a freshman, sophomore he played in two NCHSAA 3A state championships (winning one) and now as a senior he will be the starting point guard for Terry Sanford, vying for a third trip to the state championship game. He has an innate...
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6’6 2018 Jaylen Sims – Positional Versatility
6’6” 2018 Jaylen Sims – Positional Versatility United Faith Christian By Jamie Shaw Jaylen Sims does a little bit of everything on the floor, and it is easy to see why he has picked up 20 offers since April. He is the consummate team mate, easy to thrive in all sorts of situations, depending on matchups. Sims has an athletic body with a lengthy 6’10” wing span which enables him to defend...
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6’5″ 2018 Trey Wertz — Finishing On The Highest Note
6’5” 2018 Trey Wertz Providence Day (NC) By Jamie Shaw Wertz has attended Phenom Hoops’ events for years. Year after year, he has continued his upward climb getting better and better. This has prompted National Analyst Rick Lewis to use the old statement, “it’s not where you start, but where you finish”. Heading into his senior year at Providence Day School, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wertz’...
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Carter Whitt – Playing Chess While Everyone Else is Playing Checkers
Carter Whitt – Player Chess While Everyone Else is Playing Checkers By Jamie Shaw It was two years ago, the first time Carter Whitt stepped foot in a Phenom Hoops Camp. As most people know, since 2004 Phenom Hoops has been the go to camp for exposure, throughout this region. These players have gone on to the NBA, McDonald’s All American Games, College All Americans and everything in...
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David Rose Memorial Day Classic Preview — 5’11” 2018 Jalen Johnson (Durham Hurricanes)
David Rose Memorial Day Classic Previews 5’11” 2018 Jalen Johnson Durham Hurricanes – Murphy By Jamie Shaw It became quite clear in April that Jalen Johnson was a point guard that college coaches needed to watch immediately. He always had the skill set and toughness, but his confidence had just taken a step to a different, more elevated, level. Johnson is a point guard in every sense of...
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David Rose Memorial Day Classic Preview — 5 We’re Looking Forward to Seeing (Part 2)
David Rose Memorial Day Classic Session 1 – May 27 Session 2 – May 28 By Jamie Shaw Who We Are Looking Forward to Seeing (Part 2) 6’ 2018 Chris Barnette NC Runnin’ Rebels Barnette is the consummate point guard, the guy who never turns the ball over, team mates love playing with and shoots over 50% from beyond the arc. He has a great handle and pace on the ball and knows just...
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David Rose Memorial Day Classic Preview — 6’5″ 2018 Stephen Edoka (Charlotte Aces – Ligon)
David Rose Memorial Day Classic Player Previews By Jamie Shaw 6’5” 2018 Stephen Edoka of Charlotte Aces – Ligon Edoka effects the game in all facets, across the board. During this high school season, his first in the United States, he averaged 15 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 1.5 blocks and almost 2 steals per game. The 6’5” hyper-athletic wing is very long and carries great explosion....
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