EVENT NEWS
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Lady Standouts at Phenom Hoop State Finale
5’10 ’25 Justice Zimmerman (Carolina All-Stars) There are several different ways to earn recognition on the basketball court, and Zimmerman does so through her incredible motor, unselfishness, and low-maintenance approach. She’s a strong, physical player who simply battles on both ends of the floor. Zimmerman possesses a nice IQ and overall knack for making plays within the flow of the action....
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Player Standouts at Phenom Hoop State Finale
6’1 ’26 Darius Whitner (SW15H Elite) It’s easy to see the strides SW15H Elite has made throughout the spring season, and that certainly includes Whitner. Clearly their most productive guy, he shines as a focal point in seemingly every contest. Whitner is a dynamic guard with scoring polish, sharp vision, and a tight handle. He has the right balance between scoring and playmaking, and comfortably...
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Coming Home: Cade Tyson Commits to UNC
On Sunday, Cade Tyson sent shockwaves throughout the college basketball landscape after announcing his commitment to the University of North Carolina. The former Carmel Christian star just concluded his second season at Belmont, where he averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG while posting 49/47/86 splits and earning All-MVC second team honors. It doesn’t take long to notice that...
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Five Young Prospects from Phenom Hoop State Challenge
6’8 ’27 Niko Bratton (Team United) After getting our first viewing of Bratton, it’s easy to see his path towards being a noteworthy prospect. At 6-foot-8, he’s already strong, fluid, and athletic with the necessary motor and nose for the ball to cause constant problems for opponents. Bratton possesses an excellent frame and moves like a perimeter player on the court. That...
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Destined for Stardom: 1-on-1 with CJ Rosser
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Hoop State Challenge in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. The event proved to be loaded with talent from all ages and highlighted several of the top teams/players in the state. Among those players, CJ Rosser was as appealing as anyone on display. Yesterday, we wrote, “Although there were a lot of enticing young players, CJ Rosser the most impressive...
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Name to Know: Bentley Lusakueno (Alabama Fusion/Pace Academy)
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops had the opportunity to watch some young, up-and-coming stars from the Jr. EYBL. Despite only a few game slots, there were a ton of notable prospects on display. It’s arguable that evaluating these kids prior to the start of their respective high school careers is the most important time to project potential growth. We could create a long list of prospects we...
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Unsigned Senior Standouts from Phenom Hoop State Challenge
6’6 Jeff Clark (NC Spartans) Given his continued production into the travel ball season, it’s shocking Clark hasn’t captured the attention of more college coaches. He’s a long, mobile wing/forward who simply finds ways to impact a game. Clark finishes, rebounds at a constant rate, and defends multiple positions. He’s a useful shooter and threat off the bounce. Clark...
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Bendel’s Best: Hoop State Challenge
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to Bermuda Run (and Spartanburg) to host another event loaded with next-level talent. Between the prospects, competition, and college coaches in the building, there was a lot of notable takeaways. We were able to get our first look at several programs while getting more familiar with those who have already played over the last month. The three-day stretch...
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Walking His Own Path: 1-on-1 with Prince Nwokemodo
Last weekend at our Phenom Gate City Showcase, we had the opportunity to get an updated viewing of Prince Nwokemodo. The 6-foot-11 sophomore big man continues to showcase the makings of a noteworthy prospect. His combination of length, fluidity, athleticism, and interior ability on both ends of the floor makes him a real problem for opponents. Right now, Nokemodo finds a ton of success through...
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Team Takeover 2030 Dominates at Phenom 757 Showcase
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops made the trip up to Virginia Beach for our third annual 757 Showcase. The event featured a ton of notable teams, players, and offered several takeaways from the two-day stretch. Among those storylines, arguably none stood out more than Team Takeover 2030 (yes, sixth grade) and their pure annihilation of every opponent in their path. For those who have followed our...
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Bendel’s Best: 757 Showcase
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops made the journey up to Virginia Beach to host our third annual 757 Showcase. The event featured a ton of new faces and noteworthy talent across all age groups. Several guys stood out across the two-day stretch, and this article will take a closer look at a few personal favorites… 5’10 ’25 Derek Ross Jr. (Wildcats Elite) Between social media and...
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Player Standouts at Phenom 757 Showcase
6’7 ’25 Jeremiah Morris (Virginia Havoc) It doesn’t take long to be enticed by Morris, as he’s a long, strong, athletic forward who offers versatility on both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-7, he possesses IQ, skill, and a terrific build. Offensively, Morris is comfortable posting up around the basket, moving without the ball, or attacking off the dribble. He finishes above...
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NC Spartans Neisler Continues to Roll
This past weekend, NC Spartans Neisler claimed the 16U Championship at our annual Gate City Showcase. They’ve been nothing short of impressive to start the summer season, and that only continued here. Beyond the phenomenal coaching and chemistry, it’s worth noting that they found success despite only having six players available. Let’s take a look at their six… 6’2...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Gate City (Part Two)
6’2 ’25 CJ Jackson (Truth Elite) Although the entire Truth Elite roster is worthy of attention from college coaches, Jackson clearly stands out as their leader. At 6-foot-2, he’s almost a completely positionless player. Jackson is legitimately capable of running the offense while controlling the glass and defending any opponent on the court. He possesses an impressive blend of...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Gate City (Part One)
6’1 ’28 Nick Brooks (MAF Elite) The only underclassmen on this list, Brooks was undeniably impressive as a focal point for a dominant MAF Elite group. He possesses an excellent combination of length, skill, and athleticism with the necessary IQ and toughness to consistently overwhelm opponents. Brooks applied constant, yet efficient scoring pressure from all levels while still...
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Scholarship-Worthy Unsigned Seniors in North Carolina (Part Two)
6’8 Richard Goods (Grimsley) Given the fact that his recruitment has steadily picked up, it remains clear that Richard Goods possesses the tools to be a quality piece at the next level. Although he’s always been a useful player, his game made noticeable strides under Coach Corbett. This season, Goods prioritized anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor. He rebounded, blocked...
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POB’s Takeaways/Standouts from McDonald’s All-American Game
Derik Queen: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals Queen came out strong early on, and only continued to bring production to the table with his game in the All-American Game. The big man flourished in showing touch and displaying strong hands in the paint and on the boards, but you also have to appreciate his skillset at his size. Queen was able to showcase his footwork, his overall...
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Making the Transition: 1-on-1 with Miki Gacic
Over the recent years, it feels like North Carolina has been home for several noteworthy international prospects. Without listing every player, guys like Derin Saran, Ryan Soulis, Domas Kauzonas, and Christ Essandoko are merely a few of the applicable names we’ve seen in the last two classes. Now, Miki Gacic looks likely to keep the trend going. The Serbian point guard enjoyed a strong...
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Notable Performers from Phenom Rise Showcase
6’4 ’25 Abijah Franklin (Team USC EYCL) In an event full of impressive performances, Franklin might’ve been the most memorable piece on display. He’s a long, skilled, athletic wing prospect with size, toughness, and the ability to consistently impact the game on both ends of the floor. Franklin showcased feel, vision, and scoring polish from all levels. He reliably...
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Names to Know from Phenom March Madness
6’2 ’27 Jacob Mills (Carolina Riptide) There are a lot of terrific shooters in the state, but Mills might truly be atop the list. Although he’s made strides to expand his game off the bounce, the 6-foot-2 guard is clearly at his best when knocking down jumpers. Mills moves extremely well without the ball, gets to his spots with consistency, and converts spot-up opportunities as...
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Team CP3 EYCL is a Well-Oiled Machine
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual March Madness. The event featured a lot of notable teams, prospects, and overall storylines worth following—including Team CP3 EYCL and their slew of enticing pieces. Coach Will Price is back at the helm and has the perfect collection of players to implement his vision. Their combination of IQ, passing, and...
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Tough as Nails: Brody Watkins
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual March Madness. The event featured a lot of notable teams, prospects, and overall storylines worth following—including DB Elite’s strong showing as a program. It’s clear that they’ve continued to expand, as each of their teams proved to be highly competitive throughout the three-day stretch....
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Cap City Charlotte Hitting Their Stride
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual March Madness. The event featured a lot of notable teams, prospects, and overall storylines worth following. While there were several 17U teams who performed well, Cap City Charlotte stood above the rest to claim the championship. They have a highly recruitable team featuring college-level unsigned seniors like...
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Middleton Elite Duo of Jamel McKinley and Jeremiah Triplin Turning Heads
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual March Madness. The event featured a lot of notable teams, prospects, and overall storylines worth following. Although there was consistent excitement among the older age groups, the young prospects warranted attention as well. One of the most intriguing teams, Middleton Elite, is a newly formed organization that is...
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NC Spartans Henderson Shaping Up as a Top Independent Team
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Rise Indoor Sports for our annual March Madness. The event featured a lot of notable teams, prospects, and overall storylines worth following. Given the general rise of secondary circuits, this three-day stretch offered a closer look at some of the top independent teams across North Carolina. While various programs could be mentioned within this...
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Worthy of Attention: LionChaserU
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Tip-Off Classic in Greensboro, North Carolina. The event featured a variety of talented teams with intriguing prospects, and none were more dominant than LionChaserU. Although the have a slew of college-level pieces throughout their roster, we will take a closer look at their top performers from the two-day stretch… 5’10 ’26 Cam...
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Overflowing with Appeal: Julian Adigun
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual Spring Tip-Off (both in Richmond and Greensboro). Across the two days at Proehlific Park, we saw an abundance of talented prospects. Whether available seniors, young prospects, or players trending upward, there were plenty of guys who warranted attention. Amidst all the excitement, the Durham Hurricanes stood out as absolute machine en route to...
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Trio of Unsigned Seniors Turned Heads at Phenom Tip-Off
6’6 Kayleb Coles (Lionchaser) It’s perplexing to see a player like Coles, who truly possesses all the tools to be a clear difference-maker at the next level, still available for college programs. This head-scratching sentiment was only furthered through his dominant play throughout the weekend. Coles did legitimately everything, and it was impressive. Offensively, he consistently hit...
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Team FLY Loaded with Talented Young Prospects
Over the past two weekends, we’ve gotten the opportunity to watch Team FLY and their notable group of 2028 prospects. Where most teams require time to get adequately adjusted and iron out the early-season jitters, this team is already rolling. They’ve gone 7-1 across the two events while showcasing an impressive level of chemistry, toughness, and discipline. Let’s take a closer...
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Takeaways from Round One of HoopState Championship
Yesterday, Phenom Hoops and the Hoop State Network kicked off our annual Hoop State Championship with the opening round of games. Although “first-round†outcomes are usually lopsided, this ultra-competitive field offered four quality games to start the event. Bull City, Quality Education Academy, Combine Academy, and Winston-Salem Christian all advanced to the second round. However, this...
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